is a Japanese anime television series produced by Encourage Films and Shirogumi, which aired from April 9 to June 25, 2015. A manga adaptation began serialization from December 2013 in ASCII Media Works's shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Daioh. A 30-minute original net animation (ONA) episode titled Etotama ~Nyan-Kyaku Banrai~ premiered on May 25, 2021.

Plot
The anime's story revolves around Nya-tan, the cat of Chinese astrology who wants to become a member of the Chinese zodiac. Nya-tan is simple and suffers from memory loss, and she tries various idiotic ways to become a member. She meets Takeru Tendo, a high school student who lives alone in Akihabara, and becomes a freeloader at his house. Little by little, she gets closer to her goal.

Sol/Lull is the source of the Eto-musume's life force. Sol/Lull is the embodiment of proper human emotions, it's a type of energy only humans possess, like Takeru Amato. Every time a human feels grateful, Sol/Lull appears. And when Sol/Lull collects into an Eto-musume's soul, their Etotama, they transform from adult mode, the form that allows then to exist in the human world, to the form that allows them to fight in the Eto world, pretty mode.

Characters
 (sometimes stylized as Nyaa-tan)

Eto-Musume of the Cat, she's the heroine of the Etotama series. She is part of the Chinese astrology. Her goal is to become one of the twelve Zodiac Gods, and she tries various ways to become a member. She then meets Takeru Amato, a high school student who lives alone in Akihabara, and ends up living is his house and becoming a freeloader. Nya-tan is a girl that has a quite chubby and cute face. She has medium length, straight light brown hair and brown, goldish eyes. She accessorizes her hair with a big yellow ribbon at the back and a yellow star with a upside down happy face on it on the side of her hair. Her clothing consist of a collar that comes with a golden bell, a white shirt with a sailor-like blue ribbon/necktie and a slightly darker blue skirt with another huge ribbon behind it. She also wears blue and white cuffs around her wrists and brown shoes that come with knee-length blue and white stockings with flowers on the side. Like all the other Zodiac Girls, Nya-tan also has two ears - cat ears in her case, and a thin, white tail. "A natural fool with a innocent personality that does not give up." Nya-tan is a very bright and cheerful and kind girl and also quite childish, which explains why she often says jokes and plays around. She can however be shy sometimes and she is sort-of-an airhead, so Takeru has to watch over her. When she finds something she wants to do, she doesn't stop until she has reached it, and she is always straight toward the goal she is aiming for. Cat Gun (, Kyatto Gan) is Nya-tan's special attack. It's not a gun, but more like a laser with cat palm on it. It is used in the second episode, against Moo-tan.
Very little is known about Nya-tan's past because she has amnesia (Episode 2), but she always wanted to be a member of the zodiac gods. Although her and Takeru's relationship has not been shown so much, it seems like they are on friendly terms, and Nya-tan called him by his first name when she first met him. She is ranked at the very bottom under her friend, Uri-tan. She must battle and get all 12 seals to become an Eto-shin. She wins Moo-tan's seal in episode 2 and Usa-tan's seal in episode 4. Mei-tan gives her seal in episode 5, while she obtains Shima-tan, Kii-tan and Inu-tan's seals in episode 6 and Shaa-tan gives her seal in episode 7. Piyo-tan gives her seal in Episode 8, but forgets afterwards.

In her battle form, Nya-tan has a white cat-hat, with green ears in it, and also a happy face on it. She also has white boots with flowers on it, instead of brown shoes. She also seems to have a thicker tail. Nya-tan's appearance in the manga is the same as in the anime.

The main protagonist of the anime, he's a normal high school student who moves to a house in Akihabara and meets Nya-tan and the Eto-Shin. With praise, he gives off "Sol/Lull" which is the life source the Zodiac need. Takeru is a young, tall high school student. He has short black hair that reaches his chin, and he has red glasses that he wears over his amethyst eyes. He wears a white shirt with black sleeves that show a tiny bit of white at the edges and two orange diamonds over-lapping each other, one lighter than the other, and four black-and-white chess-like squares at the bottom of his shirt and at the folded bit at the top. To finish it off he wears a red tie that has the black-and-white squares at the bottom. Then, he finishes the look off again with a pair of black pants and light-gray shoes. Out of all of the free-loaders, Takeru can probably be considered the only 'normal' person in here that holds common sense. Even through this, he takes everything quite nicely and doesn't seem to mind most things. He can also be considered languid by some people. Even though this, he is a quite benevolent. Also, most people would see him as a comedic 'Straight Man' with Nya-tan as his partner. Takeru and Nya-tan get along in a bit of a like-hate relationship. Sometimes, Takeru is grateful for the kind acts she does but once he figures out the hidden meaning, all of his respect immediately goes down the drain. He finds her a bit less than tolerable and always ends up with an anger vein popping out due to her actions. Out of all of the Zodiac Girls, Takeru and Uri-tan enjoy their conversations with each other, and Takeru always relies on her to explain everything that's going on, like the ETM12. He also seems to treat Uri-tan a bit like his younger sister, due to everyone making her the mascot of the Zodiac Gods and doing the same, but it is barely noticeable and he mostly treats her on the same level as everyone else. Takeru tolerates Uri-tan more than everyone else due to knowing her about as long as Nya-tan. Both Dora-tan and Takeru can tolerate each other's presence and have nothing against each other. At first, Takeru had been a little wary of her after he had nearly been hit by her attack but when he realized the plot that Nyaa-tan had created, he eventually felt more comfortable. Dora-tan had commented that he was an 'interesting human' to the other Zodiac Girls, proving that she and Takeru were on good terms.

Eto-Shin of the Rat. She is ranked at #1. She protects the Southern Kanto region. Chu-tan has long, straight, but somewhat spiky, light purple hair and sharp, dark red eyes. On her forehead, she has light purple crystals. She gives off a menacing look. Being the zodiac's rat, she has two rat-ears, and also a tail. She wears an unzipped purple racing suit, although a short scene in Episode 7 showed her in a white Kimono in one of Nya-tan's memories, and she also wears a yellow necklace. Very little is known about Chu-tan's personality, but she seems to have something against Nya-tan, as she wants to destroy the cat clan. She also seems to be calm and mature, and she also seems to be very strong, wiping out many people in the Eto world. It later revealed that she is a Eto-shin, and the strongest. When she appears in episode 3, she claims that she can not let the cat clan live. She is the most dangerous of all the Eto-shin. One of the four Eto-shin, (Her, Piyo-tan, Usa-tan, and Uma-tan) who is against the Cat joining the Zodiac.
In her battle form, Chu-tan has a black rat-hat, with purple eyes, and she also has slightly shorter hair. Except that, her battle form is the same as her original look.

Eto-Shin of the Ox. She is ranked at #2. She protects the Tokai region. Moo-tan is a tall busty girl that has wavy pink hair that falls beneath her hips. She has bright pink eyes and gives off a playful air. Being the zodiac's ox; she has two elf-like ears sticking out from her hair, and she also has a piercing on one of her ears, and she also has an ox's tail. She also wears an ox/cow hat. Moo-tan is a cheerful airhead that doesn't take into account her surroundings as much as the other zodiac girls. However, she is very friendly and gentle. Despite being friendly and gentle, Moo-tan is quite perverted and hyper, but she is also quite strong and clever when it comes down to fighting, shown in episode 2. She loses her seal to the cat in episode 2. As seen in episode 4, she is considered too perverted of an Eto-shin to be included in the Nya-tan issue, having her own category. She seems to be quite attached to Nya-tan. Moo-tan always wants to cuddle with her, and Moo-tan herself said that she loves her. This, however, makes Nya-tan irritated sometimes, but they are on good and friendly terms.
In her battle form, Moo-tan has a cow-hat, that has a piercing on the nose. She also has the same clothing as her original one. Moo-tan's appearance in the manga is the same as in the anime.

Eto-Shin of the Tiger. Her rank is #3. She protects the Kinki region. She has straight, braided black hair, tied with a red ribbon at the bottom which falls below her shoulders. Shima-tan also has bright red eyes. Being the zodiac's tiger, she has tiger-like clothes, tiger ears and tail. One of the 3 Eto-shin,(Her, Dora-tan, and Uri-tan), who are in favor of the Cat joining the Zodiac, seen in episode 4. At first glance, Shima-tan seems like a friendly and gentle girl (which she really is), but she is rather very playful and hyper, and quite strong, hitting Uri-tan with her hands and leaving damage (despite Uri-tan being fragile). But she is naturally calm.
In her battle form, Shima-tan has a tiger-hat, that seems to have quite an angry face. Also, her shoes are 'rounder'. Besides that, her pretty mode form is like her original look.

Eto-Shin of the Rabbit. She is ranked at #4. She protects the Hokuriku region. Usa-tan has long, straight blonde hair that curls at the bottom and bright teal eyes. She has tall bunny-ears and has on a blue and golden waist coat with a golden clock that hangs off of it. Underneath she wears a type of white women's leotard and grey tights, paired with red flats. Usa-tan is a princess-type and doesn't care if the spotlight is on her or not. She also seems to have a daring side, standing up on top of Takeru's luggage with no care at all. Although this, she prefers to act and talk like a lady and is quite the genius when it comes to business. She has her own Production company. She apparently likes developing the character of the Eto-Shin. She loses to the Cat in episode 4 and gives up her seal. She works in the Maid Café like the others. As seen in episode 4, she is shown on a white board in Takeru's house as one of the 4 against the Cat joining the Zodiac.
In her battle form, Usa-tan has a white rabbit-hat, with a yellow ribbon on it. Her pretty mode is quite different from her original look; she has a blue, long dress with white in it. She has a yellow ribbon around her neck. Usa-tan also has knee-long white socks, with black shoes, with small, yellow ribbons on them.

Eto-Shin of the Dragon. She is ranked at #5. She protects the Tosan region. Dora-tan is a young girl with light blue hair and teal eyes. Her hair is straight and quite short, reaching up only to her chest; she has her hair tied into two ponytails, laid on her shoulders with white hair-clips at the bottom, and she wears circular glasses. She also has deer-like horns, which is seen pointing out from her head, and at her back, she have a lizards tail.
Her clothing is quite similar to Uma-tan with the only difference being the colours and the pattern. Dora-tan is always seen wearing a dark blue-greenish skirt that has yellow flowers on the bottom right, tied up by a ribbon, and a green kimono underneath. She also wears light brown heels and a darker shade of brown socks.
Dora-tan has a kind personality and always seems to give off an aura of friendliness. She also seems to care for people and has the most 'real' emotions out of all of the Zodiac Girls. Also, she has a knack for teaching which is shown when she explained first-rate Sol/Lull. She also seems to be sly and sneaky, turning Takeru into an auction item.
Considering Dora-tan is Nyaa-tans mentor on the art of Sol/Lull and Mental Strength, both of them are on pretty good terms and have developed a strong bond of friendship. Dora-tan finds Nyaa-tan OK and thinks that she has the most chance of being a Zodiac God.
At first, Takeru was wary of Dora-tan's presence, since she played the 'Enemy' role but once he found out the plan all along, he finds her tolerable. In return, Dora-tan finds Takeru an 'interesting human' and comes through the FukaFuka hole with the other Zodiacs. Is the first Eto-shin to fight Nya-tan, though only to demonstrate their abilities to Takeru in episode 1. One of the 3 Eto-shin who are in favor of the Cat joining the Zodiac, as seen in episode 4.
In her battle form, Dora-tan has a green dragon-hat. She has the same clothing as her original one. However, in her pretty mode, she has yellow hair-clips instead of white ones, and also black laces on her shoes. Dora-tan's appearance in the manga is the same as in the anime.

Eto-Shin of the Snake. She is ranked at #6. She protects the Chugoku region. Shaa-tan has long, past waist-length, silver hair, she has a piece of hair pointing up, that curls at the tip, and she also wears a snake-headband which was shown to move and turn Nya-tan into stone in Episode 7. She has golden eyes. She is also usually seen with make-up, and Shaa-tan wears Middle Eastern type clothes. She is a calm, caring person shrouded in mystery, also has a confusing sense of humor. She is one of the 4, (Her, Mei-tan, Kii-tan, and Inu-tan) who "don't mind" if the Cat joins the Zodiac.
In her battle form, Shaa-tan has a very long red-purple snake-hat, going down to her feet. Besides that, her pretty mode is like her original look.

Eto-Shin of the Horse. She is ranked at #7. She protects the Kyushu region. Uma-tan has long, purple-black hair that goes well past her waist and is tied up with a horse-shoe and orange eyes. She wears a red skirt which is held up by a light pink ribbon and has a kimono under it. For foot-wear, she wears the traditional sandals and white socks. Also, Uma-tan holds a broom which has a chess piece-like white horse on the top of it and a strawberry key-chain attached to the broom. Since she's a Zodiac Girl, she has two brown horse ears and a tail.
Uma-tan is very sensitive and thinks quite negatively, thinking that she is the reason all of the other zodiacs don't get remembered and becomes hard to deal with. She is also known to be timid due her lacking self-confidence, and she also worries quite a lot and apologizes very often, sometimes even for nothing. She is also a dreamer and tries to live up to it but many times she ends up in failure. She is also a little clumsy and troublesome, but underneath all of that, she is a kind-hearted and very friendly girl who cares for all Zodiac. Is one of the 4 that are against the cat joining the Zodiac, albeit for a yet unknown reason.
In her battle form, Uma-tan has a horse-hat, decorated with yellow and white flowers in various sizes. She also has the same clothing as her original one. However, in her battle-form, she has red sandals instead of golden ones.

Eto-Shin of the Sheep. She is ranked at #8. She protects the Hokkaido region. Mei-tan is young girl below average height and build-- with a cute and childish-looking face. She has short, straight pink hair and a pair of big emerald green eyes and fair skin. She wears a nurse uniform. Being the zodiac gods sheep; she has quite fluffy hair, and two elf-like ears sticking out from her hair, and she also has a pair of horns of each side of her head. She's the third Eto-Musume to have no tail. Mei-tan is a very friendly, sweet and gentle girl. She will help anyone in need, and forgives people quickly. She specializes in the recovery system, and is responsible for any healing. She develops a crush for Takeru and is sometimes distracted when thinking about him.
In her battle form, Mei-tan has a white, fluffy sheep hat with another nurse hat on it. Besides that, she has the same clothing as her original look.

Eto-Shin of the Monkey. She is ranked at #9. She protects the Northern Kanto region. (Her name is sometimes spelled "Key-tan") Kii-tan has short, yellow hair, with a piece standing up. Her hair is usually tied up into a pony tail at the side with a pink hawaii flower. She has light-brown amberish eyes and fair skin as well as two monkey ears and a tail. Her clothes consist of a yellow crop top surrounded by a black stripe at the bottom and a yellow skirt with some short black leggings and a pair of black uggs with red fur to finish the look off. Kii-tan is an owner of positive thinking, knowing how to speak and act, so she is well mannered, but she also is a naughty girl who is very curious and pure. Even if she is well-mannered, she has a mischievous side and enjoys fooling around with Inu-tan. She is also very impulsive and naïve but makes up for it with her trait of 'always learning from mistakes. Despite them both arguing and having disagreements, Kii-tan and Inu-tan seem to be like sisters to each other, their antics ranging from messing with each other to unintentionally synchronizing with each other. :They both seem like best friends and both of them seem to have a twin-bond.
In her battle form, Kii-tan has a monkey-hat. She has the same clothing as her original one, however, in her battle-form, she has brown leggings instead of black ones.
Another Eto-shin who "doesn't mind" if the Cat joins the Zodiac as seen in episode 4.

Eto-Shin of the Rooster. She is ranked at #10. She protects Tohoku region. Piyo-tan has long, wavy light blue hair that falls beneath her hips and somewhat sharp, red eyes. Being the zodiac's rooster, Piyo-tan has two wings sticking out from her head, and also a big feather-like in the back, and she also wears a pink ribbon at her neck. Piyo-tan has a calm personality, but she is also very mature. She is however strict and doesn't like when Nyaa-tan teases her because of her short term memory loss after taking three steps. She calls Nya-tan 'stupid cat'. She feels that's it's easy to accumulate negative emotions. Taking 3 steps will cause her to lose memory, only remembering that she doesn't like Nya-tan, so she's always flying. Nya-tan and Piyo-tan have a like-hate relationship. They sometimes do get along, but Nya-tan likes to tease Piyo-tan which results in Piyo-tan getting angry at her.
In her battle form, Piyo-tan has a yellow chicken-hat, that seems to have quite angry face, and she also have much shorter hair. She wears a yellow dress with orange edges, and she also wears a pink, small ribbon around her neck, formed like wings. She wears dark blue pants, and yellow shoes with orange edges, like the dress, light brown wings on each side of the shoe and to finish the look. It's also black at the tip.

Eto-Shin of the Dog. She is ranked at #11. She protects the Shikoku region. She's always with Kii-tan. One of the Eto-shin who "doesn't mind" if the Cat joins the Zodiac as seen in episode 4. Inu-tan has a quite tomboyish style. She has short, straight brown hair with small caramel highlights and red eyes with a plaster on her cheek. She is almost always seen with an orange shirt with the kanji for 'dog' on it, shorts jeans and long, white stockings as well as light brown shoes. Also, as a reference towards her place as the Dog Zodiac - Inu-tan wears a black collar on her neck and two black cuffs on her wrists. She also bears two dog ears and a tail. "No front or back, she's just honest and pure." Inu-tan is a very kind and energetic girl. She gets along well with Nya-tan. Although she has a temper that can blow up easily, she is honest with her friends and her aura gives off childishness as well as pureness. She also seems to say most things in sync with Kī-tanand when she's not, she is most likely talking to her or fooling around with her. Even if she's down, most of the time she will try to be positive. Despite them both arguing and having disagreements, Ki-tan and Inu-tan seem to be like sisters to each other, their antics ranging from messing with each other to unintentionally synchronizing with each other. They both seem like best friends and both of them seem to have a twin-bond.
In her battle form, Inu-tan has a light brown dog-hat. Also, Inu-tan has red shoes with yellow laces instead of light brown shoes with black laces. Besides that, she has the same clothing as her original look.

Eto-Shin of the Boar. She is ranked at #12. She protects the Okinawa region. Uri-tan is a small, cute girl with big teal eyes. She has mid-length greyish hair, tied into twin tails with pink-red ribbons on each side. She has a petite build, and can be considered quite short as well. Her clothing consists of a pink dress decorated with flowers and hearts and orange arm-warmers that reach up to somewhere around her triceps. She also wears small black shoes with yellowish-orange socks past her ankles and end with small little pinkish-red ribbons that match the ones in her hair. Also, being the pig zodiac, she has small little orange ears but unlike some of the other Zodiac Girls, she does not bear a tail. In Episode 3, she intervenes in the battle between the Rat and Cat and gets killed, only to be reincarnated in Episode 4. She was given a lecture for intervening in the battle between the Rat and Cat. She is one of 4 who are in favor of the Cat joining the Zodiac.
In her battle form, Uri-tan has an orange boar-hat. She also wears a red ribbon around her neck, and she also wears light pink shorts. Except that, her battle form is the same as her original look.

Media

Anime

Episode list

A spin-off anime called Etotama -Kids was presented at the Content Tokyo 2016 tradeshow.

References

External links
Official website

2010s animated comedy television series
2015 Japanese television series endings
Japanese adult animated comedy television series
Japanese adult animated fantasy television series
Anime with original screenplays
ASCII Media Works manga
Comedy anime and manga
Encourage Films
Kadokawa Dwango franchises
Magical girl anime and manga
Shirogumi
Shōnen manga
Tokyo MX original programming

Etotama


A drug test (also often toxicology screen or tox screen) is a technical analysis of a biological specimen, for example urine, hair, blood, breath, sweat, or oral fluid/saliva—to determine the presence or absence of specified parent drugs or their metabolites. Major applications of drug testing include detection of the presence of performance enhancing steroids in sport, employers and parole/probation officers screening for drugs prohibited by law (such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin) and police officers testing for the presence and concentration of alcohol (ethanol) in the blood commonly referred to as BAC (blood alcohol content).  BAC tests are typically administered via a breathalyzer while urinalysis is used for the vast majority of drug testing in sports and the workplace. Numerous other methods with varying degrees of accuracy, sensitivity (detection threshold/cutoff), and detection periods exist.

A drug test may also refer to a test that provides quantitative chemical analysis of an illegal drug, typically intended to help with responsible drug use.

Detection periods
The detection windows depend upon multiple factors: drug class, amount and frequency of use, metabolic rate, body mass, age, overall health, and urine pH. For ease of use, the detection times of metabolites have been incorporated into each parent drug. For example, heroin and cocaine can only be detected for a few hours after use, but their metabolites can be detected for several days in urine. The chart depicts the longer detection times of the metabolites. In the case of hair testing, the metabolytes are permanently embedded into hair, and the detection time is determined by the length of the hair sample used in the analysis. The standard length of head hair used in the test is 1.5", which corresponds to about 3 months. Body/pubic hair grows slower, and the same  1.5" would result in a longer detection time.

Oral fluid or saliva testing results for the most part mimic that of blood. The only exceptions are THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and benzodiazepines. Oral fluid will likely detect THC from ingestion up to a maximum period of 6–12 hours. This continues to cause difficulty in oral fluid detection of THC and benzodiazepines.

Breath air for the most part mimics blood tests as well. Due to the very low levels of substances in the breath air, liquid chromatography—mass spectrometry has to be used to analyze the sample according to a recent publication wherein 12 analytes were investigated.

Rapid oral fluid products are not approved for use in workplace drug testing programs and are not FDA cleared. Using rapid oral fluid drug tests in the workplace is prohibited in only:
 California
 Kansas
 Maine
 Minnesota
 New York
 Vermont

The following chart gives approximate detection periods for each substance by test type.

Types

Urine drug screen

Urine analysis is primarily used because of its low cost. Urine drug testing is one of the most common testing methods used. The enzyme-multiplied immune test is the most frequently used urinalysis. Complaints have been made about the relatively high rates of false positives using this test.

Urine drug tests screen the urine for the presence of a parent drug or its metabolites. The level of drug or its metabolites is not predictive of when the drug was taken or how much the patient used.

Urine drug testing is an immunoassay based on the principle of competitive binding. Drugs which may be present in the urine specimen compete against their respective drug conjugate for binding sites on their specific antibody. During testing, a urine specimen migrates upward by capillary action. A drug, if present in the urine specimen below its cut-off concentration, will not saturate the binding sites of its specific antibody. The antibody will then react with the drug-protein conjugate and a visible colored line will show up in the test line region of the specific drug strip.

A common misconception is that a drug test that is testing for a class of drugs, for example, opioids, will detect all drugs of that class.  However, most opioid tests will not reliably detect oxycodone, oxymorphone, meperidine, or fentanyl. Likewise, most benzodiazepine drug tests will not reliably detect lorazepam.  However, urine drug screens that test for a specific drug, rather than an entire class, are often available.

When an employer requests a drug test from an employee, or a physician requests a drug test from a patient, the employee or patient is typically instructed to go to a collection site or their home. The urine sample goes through a specified 'chain of custody' to ensure that it is not tampered with or invalidated through lab or employee error. The patient or employee's urine is collected at a remote location in a specially designed secure cup, sealed with tamper-resistant tape, and sent to a testing laboratory to be screened for drugs (typically the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 5 panel). The first step at the testing site is to split the urine into two aliquots. One aliquot is first screened for drugs using an analyzer that performs immunoassay as the initial screen. To ensure the specimen integrity and to detect possible adulterants, additional parameters are tested for. Some test the properties of normal urine, such as, urine creatinine, pH, and specific gravity. Others are intended to catch substances added to the urine to alter the test result, such as, oxidants (including bleach), nitrites, and gluteraldehyde. If the urine screen is positive then another aliquot of the sample is used to confirm the findings by gas chromatography—mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry methodology. If requested by the physician or employer, certain drugs are screened for individually; these are generally drugs part of a chemical class that are, for one of many reasons, considered more habit-forming or of concern. For instance, oxycodone and diamorphine may be tested, both sedative analgesics. If such a test is not requested specifically, the more general test (in the preceding case, the test for opioids) will detect most of the drugs of a class, but the employer or physician will not have the benefit of the identity of the drug.

Employment-related test results are relayed to a medical review office (MRO) where a medical physician reviews the results. If the result of the screen is negative, the MRO informs the employer that the employee has no detectable drug in the urine, typically within 24 hours. However, if the test result of the immunoassay and GC-MS are non-negative and show a concentration level of parent drug or metabolite above the established limit, the MRO contacts the employee to determine if there is any legitimate reason—such as a medical treatment or prescription.

On-site instant drug testing is a more cost-efficient method of effectively detecting substance use amongst employees, as well as in rehabilitation programs to monitor patient progress. These instant tests can be used for both urine and saliva testing. Although the accuracy of such tests varies with the manufacturer, some kits have rates of accuracy correlating closely with laboratory test results.

Breath test

Breath test is a widespread method for quickly determining alcohol intoxication. A breath test measures the alcohol concentration in the body by a deep-lung breath. There are different instruments used for measuring the alcohol content of an individual though their breath. Breathalyzer is a widely known instrument which was developed in 1954 and contained chemicals unlike other breath-testing instruments. More modernly used instruments are the infrared light-absorption devices and fuel cell detectors, these two testers are microprocessor controlled meaning the operator only has to press the start button.

To get accurate readings on a breath-testing device the individual must blow for approximately 6 seconds and need to contain roughly 1.1 to 1.5 liters of breath. For a breath-test to result accurately and truly an operator must take steps such as avoiding measuring "mouth alcohol" which is a result from regurgitation, belching, or recent intake of an alcoholic beverage. To avoid measuring "mouth alcohol" the operator must not allow the individual that's taking the test to consume any materials for at least fifteen minutes before the breath test. When pulled over for a driving violation if an individual in the United States refuses to take a breath test that individual's driver's license can be suspended for a 6 to 12 months time period.

Hair testing

Hair analysis to detect addictive substances has been used by court systems in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and other countries worldwide. In the United States, hair testing has been accepted in court cases as forensic evidence following the Frye Rule, the Federal Rules of Evidence, and the Daubert Rule. As such, hair testing results are legally and scientifically recognized as admissible evidence.  Hair testing is commonly used in the USA as pre-employment drug test. The detection time for this test is roughly 3 months, which is the time, that takes head hair to grow ca. 1.5 inches, that are collected as a speciment. Longer detection times are possible with longer hair samples.

A 2014 collaborative US study of 359 adults with moderate-risk drug use found, that a large number of participants, who reported drug use in the last 3 months,  had negative hair tests. The tests were done using an immunoassay followed by a confirmatory GC-MS.
For marijuana, only about half of self-disclosed users had a positive hair test. Under-identification of drug use by hair testing (or over-reporting) was also widespread for cocaine, amphetamines, and opioids. Because such under-identification was more common among participants, who self-reported an infrequent use, the authors suggested, that the immunoassay did not have the sensitivity required for such infrequent uses. It is worth noting, that most earlier studies reported, that hair tests found ca. 50-fold higher prevalence of illicit drug use, than self reports.

In late 2022 the US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration denied a petition to recognize hair samples as an alternative (to the currently used urine samples) drug-testing method for truckers. The agency did not comment on the test validity, but rather stated, that it lacks the statutory authority to adopt new analytical methods.

Although some lower courts may have accepted hair test evidence, there is no controlling judicial ruling in either the federal or any state system declaring any type of hair test as reliable.

Hair testing is now recognized in both the UK and US judicial systems. There are guidelines for hair testing that have been published by the Society of Hair Testing (a private company in France) that specify the markers to be tested for and the cutoff concentrations that need to be tested. Addictive substances that can be detected include Cannabis, Cocaine, Amphetamines and drugs new to the UK such as Mephedrone.

Alcohol
In contrast to other drugs consumed, alcohol is deposited directly in the hair. For this reason the investigation procedure looks for direct products of ethanol metabolism. The main part of alcohol is oxidized in the human body. This means it is released as water and carbon dioxide. One part of the alcohol reacts with fatty acids to produce esters. The sum of the concentrations of four of these fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs: ethyl myristate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl oleate and ethyl stearate) are used as indicators of the alcohol consumption. The amounts found in hair are measured in nanograms (one nanogram equals only one billionth of a gram), however with the benefit of modern technology, it is possible to detect such small amounts. In the detection of ethyl glucuronide, or EtG, testing can detect amounts in picograms (one picogram equals 0.001 nanograms).

However, there is one major difference between most drugs and alcohol metabolites in the way in which they enter into the hair: on the one hand like other drugs FAEEs enter into the hair via the keratinocytes, the cells responsible for hair growth. These cells form the hair in the root and then grow through the skin surface taking any substances with them. On the other hand, the sebaceous glands produce FAEEs in the scalp and these migrate together with the sebum along the hair shaft (Auwärter et al., 2001, Pragst et al., 2004). So these glands lubricate not only the part of the hair that is just growing at 0.3 mm per day on the skin surface, but also the more mature hair growth, providing it with a protective layer of fat.

FAEEs (nanogram = one billionth of a gram) appear in hair in almost one order of magnitude lower than (the relevant order of magnitude of) EtG (picogram = one trillionth of a gram). It has been technically possible to measure FAEEs since 1993, and the first study reporting the detection of EtG in hair was done by Sachs in 1993.

In practice, most hair which is sent for analysis has been cosmetically treated in some way (bleached, permed etc.). It has been proven that FAEEs are not significantly affected by such treatments (Hartwig et al., 2003a). FAEE concentrations in hair from other body sites can be interpreted in a similar fashion as scalp hair (Hartwig et al., 2003b).

Presumptive substance testing
Presumptive substance tests attempt to identify a suspicious substance, material or surface where traces of drugs are thought to be, instead of testing individuals through biological methods such as urine or hair testing. The test involves mixing the suspicious material with a chemical in order to trigger a color change to indicate if a drug is present. Most are now available over-the-counter for consumer use, and do not require a lab to read results.

Benefits to this method include that the person who is suspected of drug use does not need to be confronted or aware of testing.  Only a very small amount of material is needed to obtain results, and can be used to test powder, pills, capsules, crystals, or organic material. There is also the ability to detect illicit material when mixed with other non-illicit materials. The tests are used for general screening purposes, offering a generic result for the presence of a wide range of drugs, including Heroin, Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Amphetamine, Ecstasy/MDMA, Methadone, Ketamine, PCP, PMA, DMT, MDPV, and may detect rapidly evolving synthetic designer drugs. Separate tests for Marijuana/Hashish are also available.

There are five primary color-tests reagents used for general screening purposes. The Marquis reagent turns into a variety of colors when in the presence of different substances. Dille-Koppanyi reagent uses two chemical solutions which turns a violet-blue color in the presence of barbiturates. Duquenois-Levine reagent is a series of chemical solutions that turn to the color of purple when the vegetation of marijuana is added. Van Urk reagent turns blue-purple when in the presence of LSD. Scott test's chemical solution shows up as a faint blue for cocaine base.

In recent years, the use of presumptive test kits in the criminal justice system has come under great scrutiny due to the lack to forensic studies, questioned reliability, rendering of false positives with legal substances, and wrongful arrests.

Saliva drug screen / Oral fluid-based drug screen
Saliva / oral fluid-based drug tests can generally detect use during the previous few days. It is better at detecting very recent use of a substance. THC may only be detectable for 2–24 hours in most cases. On site drug tests are allowed per the Department of Labor.

Detection in saliva tests begins almost immediately upon use of the following substances, and lasts for approximately the following times:

 Alcohol: 6-12 h
 Marijuana: 1-24h

A disadvantage of saliva based drug testing is that it is not approved by FDA or SAMHSA for use with DOT / Federal Mandated Drug Testing. Oral fluid is not considered a bio-hazard unless there is visible blood; however, it should be treated with care.

Sweat drug screen
Sweat patches are attached to the skin to collect sweat over a long period of time (up to 14 days). These are used by child protective services, parole departments, and other government institutions concerned with drug use over long periods, when urine testing is not practical.

There are also surface drug tests that test for the metabolite of parent drug groups in the residue of drugs left in sweat. An example of a rapid, non-invasive, sweat-based drug test is fingerprint drug screening. This 10 minute fingerprint test is in use by a variety of organisations in the UK and beyond, including within workplaces, drug treatment and family safeguarding services at airport border control (to detect drug mules) and in mortuaries to assist in investigations into cause of death.

Blood
Drug-testing a blood sample measures whether or not a drug or a metabolite is in the body at a particular time. These types of tests are considered to be the most accurate way of telling if a person is intoxicated. Blood drug tests are not used very often because they need specialized equipment and medically trained administrators.

Depending on how much marijuana was consumed, it can usually be detected in blood tests within six hours of consumption. After six hours has passed, the concentration of marijuana in the blood decreases significantly. It generally disappears completely within 30 days.

Random drug testing
Can occur at any time, usually when the investigator has reason to believe that a substance is possibly being used by the subject by behavior or immediately after an employee-related incident occurs during work hours. Testing protocol typically conforms to the national medical standard, candidates are given up to 120 minutes to reasonably produce a urine sample from the time of commencement (in some instances this time frame may be extended at the examiners discretion).

Diagnostic screening
In the case of life-threatening symptoms, unconsciousness, or bizarre behavior in an emergency situation, screening for common drugs and toxins may help find the cause, called a toxicology test or tox screen to denote the broader area of possible substances beyond just self-administered drugs. These tests can also be done post-mortem during an autopsy in cases where a death was not expected. The test is usually done within 96 hours (4 days) after the desire for the test is realized. Both a urine sample and a blood sample may be tested. A blood sample is routinely used to detect ethanol/methanol and ASA/paracetamol intoxication. Various panels are used for screening urine samples for common substances, e.g. triage 8 that detects amphetamines, benzodiazepines, cocaine, methadone, opiates, cannabis, barbiturates and tricyclic antidepressants. Results are given in 10–15 min.

Similar screenings may be used to evaluate the possible use of date rape drugs. This is usually done on a urine sample.

Optional harm reduction scheme
Drug checks/tests (also known as pill testing) are provided at some events such as concerts and music festivals. Attendees can voluntarily hand over a sample of any drug or drugs in their possession to be tested to check what the drug is and its purity. The scheme is used as a harm reduction technique so people are more aware of what they are taking and the potential risks.

Occupational harm reduction strategies
Drug and alcohol impairment while at work increases the risk of work-place accidents and decreases productivity. Employers such as the commercial driving and airline industry may conduct random drug tests on employees with the goal of deterring use to improve safety. There is some evidence that increasing the use of random drug testing in the airline industry reduces the percentage of people who test positive, however, it is unclear if this decrease is associated with a corresponding decrease in fatal or non-fatal injuries, other accidents, number of days absent from work. It is also not clear if there are other unwanted side effects that may result from random drug and alcohol testing in the workplace.

Commonly tested substances

Anabolic steroids
Anabolic steroids are used to enhance performance in sports and as they are prohibited in most high-level competitions drug testing is used extensively in order to enforce this prohibition. This is particularly so in individual (rather than team) sports such as athletics and cycling.

Methodologies
Before testing samples, the tamper-evident seal is checked for integrity. If it appears to have been tampered with or damaged, the laboratory rejects the sample and does not test it.

Next, the sample must be made testable. Urine and oral fluid can be used "as is" for some tests, but other tests require the drugs to be extracted from urine. Strands of hair, patches, and blood must be prepared before testing. Hair is washed in order to eliminate second-hand sources of drugs on the surface of the hair, then the keratin is broken down using enzymes. Blood plasma may need to be separated by centrifuge from blood cells prior to testing. Sweat patches are opened and the sweat collection component is removed and soaked in a solvent to dissolve any drugs present.

Laboratory-based drug testing is done in two steps. The first step is the screening test, which is an immunoassay based test applied to all samples. The second step, known as the confirmation test, is usually undertaken by a laboratory using highly specific chromatographic techniques and only applied to samples that test positive during the screening test. Screening tests are usually done by immunoassay (EMIT, ELISA, and RIA are the most common). A "dipstick" drug testing method which could provide screening test capabilities to field investigators has been developed at the University of Illinois.

After a suspected positive sample is detected during screening, the sample is tested using a confirmation test. Samples that are negative on the screening test are discarded and reported as negative. The confirmation test in most laboratories (and all SAMHSA certified labs) is performed using mass spectrometry, and is precise but expensive. False positive samples from the screening test will almost always be negative on the confirmation test. Samples testing positive during both screening and confirmation tests are reported as positive to the entity that ordered the test. Most laboratories save positive samples for some period of months or years in the event of a disputed result or lawsuit. For workplace drug testing, a positive result is generally not confirmed without a review by a Medical Review Officer who will normally interview the subject of the drug test.

Urine drug testing
Urine drug test kits are available as on-site tests, or laboratory analysis. Urinalysis is the most common test type and used by federally mandated drug testing programs and is considered the Gold Standard of drug testing. Urine based tests have been upheld in most courts for more than 30 years. However, urinalysis conducted by the Department of Defense has been challenged for reliability of testing the metabolite of cocaine. There are two associated metabolites of cocaine, benzoylecgonine (BZ) and ecgonine methyl ester (EME), the first (BZ) is created by the presence of cocaine in an aqueous solution with a pH greater than 7.0, while the second (EME) results from the actual human metabolic process. The presence of EME confirms actual ingestion of cocaine by a human being, while the presence of BZ is indicative only. BZ without EME is evidence of sample contamination, however, the US Department of Defense has chosen not to test for EME in its urinalysis program.

A number of different analyses (defined as the unknown substance being tested for) are available on Urine Drug Screens.

Spray drug testing
Spray (sweat) drug test kits are non-invasive. It is a simple process to collect the required specimen, no bathroom is needed, no laboratory is required for analysis, and the tests themselves are difficult to manipulate and relatively tamper-resistant. The detection window is long and can detect recent drug use within several hours.

There are also some disadvantages to spray or sweat testing. There is not much variety in these drug tests, only a limited number of drugs can be detected, prices tend to be higher, and inconclusive results can be produced by variations in sweat production rates in donors.  They also have a relatively long specimen collection period and are more vulnerable to contamination than other common forms of testing.

Hair drug testing
Hair drug testing is a method that can detect drug use over a much longer period of time than saliva, sweat or urine tests. Hair testing is also more robust with respect to tempering. Thus, hair sampling is preferred by the US military and by many large corporations, which are subject to Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988.

Head hair normally growth at the rate of 0.5 inches per month. Thus, the most common hair sample length of 1.5" from the scalp would detect drug use within the last 90-100 days. 80-120 strands of hair are sufficient for the test. In the absence of hair on the head, body hair can be used as an acceptable substitute. This includes facial hair, the underarms, arms, and legs or even pubic hair. Because body hair usually grows slower than head hair, drugs can often be detected in body hair for longer periods, e.g. up to 12 months. Currently, most entities that use hair testing have prescribed consequences for individuals removing hair to avoid a hair drug test.

Most drugs are analysed in hair samples not as the original psychoactive molecules, but rather as their metabolytes. For example, ethanol is determined as ethyl glucuronide, while cocaine use is confirmed using ecgonine. Testing for metabolytes reduces the likelyhood of false positive results due to contamination. One disadvantage of hair testing is, that it cannot detect recent drug use, because it takes at least a week after a drug intake for the metabolytes to show up in a growing hair above the skin. Urine tests are better suited for detecting recent (within a week) drug use.

In a practical test, hair sample is usually washed with a low polarity solvent (such as dichloromethane) to remove surface contaminations. Then, the sample is pulverized and extracted with a more polar solvent, such as methanol.

Although thousand different substances can be determined in a single gas chromatography–mass spectrometry or liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry experiment, due to the low concentration of analytes, practical measurements (see selective ion monitoring) are limited to a smaller number (10-20) of analytes. Designer drugs are usually missed in such measurements, because the analyst must know in advance what chemicals to look for.

Most hair testing laboratories use the aforementioned chromato-mass-spectrometry methods for confirmation or for rarely tested drugs only. Mass screening (preliminary or final) is usually done with immunoassays, because of their lower cost.

Legality, ethics and politics
The results of federally mandating drug testing were similar to the effects of simply extending to the trucking industry the right to perform drug tests, and it has been argued that the latter approach would have been as effective at lower cost.

Psychologist Tony Buon has criticized the use of workplace drug testing on a number of grounds, including:

 Flawed Technology: The real world performance of testing is much lower than that claimed by its promoters. Buon suggest that tests are probably adequate for rehabilitation and treatment situations, possibly adequate for pre-employment situations, but not for dismissing employees.
 Ethical Issues: Because of the fairly simple ways that an employee can invalidate the test, drug testing must be strictly monitored.  This means that the specimen must be observed leaving the body. Many legal objections currently being raised in the courts about drug testing are pointing to legal requirements of prior notice, consent, due process, and cause.
 Wrong focus: As has been shown with Employee Assistance Programs, the focus of management concern should be on work performance decline.  Buon suggests effective management practices are an infinitely better approach to managing workplace alcohol and other drug issues.

Tony Buon has also reported by the CIPD as stating that "drug testing captures the stupid—experienced drug users know how to beat the tests".

From a penological standpoint, one purpose of drug testing is to help classify the
people taking the drug test within risk groups so that those who pose more of a danger to the public can be incapacitated through incarceration or other restrictions on liberty. Thus, the drug testing serves a crime control purpose even if there is no expectation of rehabilitating the drug user through treatment, deterring drug use through sanctions, or sending a message that drug use is a deviant behavior that will not be tolerated.

United Kingdom
A study in 2004 by the Independent Inquiry into Drug Testing at Work found that attempts by employers to force employees to take drug tests could potentially be challenged as a violation of privacy under the Human Rights Act 1998 and Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights. However, this does not apply to industries where drug testing is a matter of personal and public safety or security rather than productivity.

United States
In consultation with Dr. Carlton Turner, President Ronald Reagan issued Executive Order 12564. In doing so, he instituted mandatory drug-testing for all safety-sensitive executive-level and civil-service Federal employees. This was challenged in the courts by the National Treasury Employees Union. In 1988, this challenge was considered by the US Supreme Court. A similar challenge resulted in the Court extending the drug-free workplace concept to the private sector. These decisions were then incorporated into the White House Drug Control Strategy directive issued by President George H.W. Bush in 1989. All defendants serving on federal probation or federal supervised release are required to submit to at least three drug tests. Failing a drug test can be construed as possession of a controlled substance, resulting in mandatory revocation and imprisonment.

There have been inconsistent evaluation results as to whether continued pretrial drug testing has beneficial effects.

Testing positive can lead to bail not being granted, or if bail has already been granted, to bail revocation or other sanctions. Arizona also adopted a law in 1987 authorizing mandatory drug testing of felony arrestees for the purpose of informing the pretrial release decision, and the District of Columbia has had a similar law since the 1970s. It has been argued that one of the problems with such testing is that there is often not enough time between the arrest and the bail decision to confirm positive results using GC/MS technology. It has also been argued that such testing potentially implicates the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination, the right to due process (including the prohibition against gathering evidence in a manner that shocks the conscience or constitutes outrageous government conduct), and the prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures contained in the Fourth Amendment.

According to Henriksson, the anti-drug appeals of the Reagan administration "created an environment in which many employers felt compelled to implement drug testing programs because failure to do so might be perceived as condoning drug use. This fear was easily exploited by aggressive marketing and sales forces, who often overstated the value of testing and painted a bleak picture of the consequences of failing to use the drug testing product or service being offered." On March 10, 1986, the Commission on Organized Crime asked all U.S. companies to test employees for drug use. By 1987, nearly 25% of the Fortune 500 companies used drug tests.

According to an uncontrolled self-report study done by DATIA and Society for Human Resource Management in 2012 (sample of 6,000 randomly selected human resource professionals), human resource professionals reported the following results after implementing a drug testing program: 19% of companies reported a subjective increase in employee productivity, 16% reported a decrease in employee turnover (8% reported an increase), and unspecified percentages reported decreases in absenteeism and improvement of workers' compensation incidence rates.

According to US Chamber of Commerce 70% of all illicit drug users are employed. Some industries have high rates of employee drug use such as construction (12.8%), repair (11.1%), and hospitality (7.9-16.3%).

Australia
A person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU—the new term that includes employers) has duties under the work health and safety (WHS) legislation to ensure a worker affected by alcohol or other drugs does not place themselves or other persons at risk of injury while at work. Workplace policies and prevention programs can help change the norms and culture around substance use.

All organisations—large and small—can benefit from an agreed policy on alcohol and drug misuse that applies to all workers. Such a policy should form part of an organisations overall health and safety management system. PCBUs are encouraged to establish a policy and procedure, in consultation with workers, to constructively manage alcohol and other drug related hazards in their workplace.  A comprehensive workplace alcohol and other drug policy should apply to everyone in the workplace and include prevention, education, counselling and rehabilitation arrangements. In addition, the roles and responsibilities of managers and supervisors should be clearly outlined.

All Australian workplace drug testing must comply with Australian standard AS/NZS4308:2008.

In Victoria, roadside saliva tests detect drugs that contain:
 THC (Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol), the active component in cannabis.
 methamphetamine, also known as "ice", "crystal" and "crank".
 MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine), which is known as ecstasy.

In February 2016 a New South Wales magistrate "acquitted a man who tested positive for cannabis". He had been arrested and charged after testing positive during a roadside drug test, despite not having smoked for nine days. He was relying on advice previously given to him by police.

Refusal
In the United States federal criminal system, refusing to take a drug test triggers an automatic revocation of probation or supervised release.

In Victoria, Australia the driver of the car has the option to refuse the drug test. Refusing to undergo a drug test or refusing to undergo a secondary drug test after the first one, triggers an automatic suspension and disqualification for a period of two years and a fine of AUD$1000. The second refusal triggers an automatic suspension and disqualification for a period of four years and an even larger fine.

Historical cases
 In 2000, an Australian Mining Company South Blackwater Coal Ltd with 400 employees, imposed drug-testing procedures, and the trade unions advised their members to refuse to take the tests, partly because a positive result does not necessarily indicate present impairment; the workers were stood-down by the company without pay for a week.
 In 2003, sixteen members of the Chicago White Sox considered refusing to take a drug test, in hopes of making steroid testing mandatory.
 In 2006, Levy County, Florida, volunteer librarians resigned en masse rather than take drug tests.
 In 2010, Iranian super heavyweight class weightlifters refused to submit to a drug test authorized by the Iran Weightlifting League.

See also

 Cannabis drug tests
 Detoxification
 Drug checking
 Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988
 Equine drug testing
 Forensic toxicology
 Lacing (drugs)
 Poppy seed defence
 Presumptive and confirmatory tests
 Reagent testing
 School district drug policies
 Urinalysis
 Occupational health concerns of cannabis use

References

External links
 National Institute on Drug Abuse

Drug control law
Doping in sport
Workplace programs
Medical tests
Addiction medicine

Drug test


The Diocese of Syene is an ancient see of the Coptic Church in Aswan, Egypt. As its first bishop Neilammon was not mentioned as a new one in the Festal Letter of 339, it is assumed the diocese was established in the early 330s. Appion referred to himself as the "Bishop of the Legions of Syene, Contra Syene, and Elephantine," indicating an affiliation with the border guards at Aswan, but this may have been an error for "region."

The current bishop is Hedra, Metropolitan of Aswan (Syene and Elephantine) and Kom Ombo.

Bishops of Syene
Neilammon I, died 346
Neilammon II, 346-356 (banished to the Siwa Oasis by Arian archbishop George of Cappadocia
Unknown?
Saint Hatre, c. 385-412 (Saint's Day: 12 Choiak)
Unknown?
Appion, 425-450
Unknown?
Valerius
Ammonius, c. 460
Macrinus
Unknown?
Iosephios, 5th or 6th century
Hedra, current

References
Dijkstra, J. Harm F.: Religious encounters on the southern Egyptian frontier in Late Antiquity (AD 298-642).

Aswan
Coptic Orthodox bishops
Coptic Orthodox Church

Coptic Diocese of Syene


The Hotsuma Tsutae (also Hotuma Tsutaye, Japanese 秀真伝) is an elaborate epic poem of Japanese legendary history which differs substantially from the mainstream version as recorded in the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki. Its antiquity is undetermined.

Although many proponents allege that the Hotsuma predates the mainstream mythology, the first known manuscript was dedicated to a shrine by Waniko Yasutoshi (also known as Yunoshin Ibo) in 1775. Some excerpts were published and translated into modern Japanese in 1884, a printing which was noted by Hirata Atsutane in his work on jindai moji, a Japanese writing system developed prior to the use of Chinese characters, but which otherwise ignored the work. Atsutane's Kokugaku was principally concerned with the Kojiki and the Hotsuma Tsutae would have only muddled his theories. Yasutoshi's manuscript was almost lost, but was discovered and rescued in 1993 following the publication of some popular books on the subject in the mid-20th century by Yoshinosuke Matsumoto.

The Hotsuma Tsutae is known for its text and rhythm. It was written in yamato-kotoba, which only uses a Japanese vocabulary which predates contact with China. Some of the yamato-kotoba used in Hotsuma Tsutae are unattested elsewhere in the Old Japanese corpus but have parallels to old words. Meaning that if it is a late medieval hoax, it is extremely elaborate. Among other things in its primarily historical and non-mythological record, the text discusses the births, lives, and deaths of kami from Japanese folk shrines and history; in this case, the word kami being used to mean something like royalty and not "gods". In the poem, Amaterasu, the sun kami of Shinto, is male, and not female as is written in the official records. Matsumoto theorizes that Amaterasu was feminized in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki to provide a justification for the reign of Empress Suiko who reigned just before those documents were written.

Although for the most part Japanese academics remain uninterested in this text, some scholars are of the opinion that it may have been written in the Edo period. This is due to claims that the text was written in an original Japanese alphabet - in academic circles, the existence of writing in Japan before the use of Chinese characters is denied, also the alphabet does not reflect the Old Japanese phonology but rather those of later stages of Japanese. The general opinion is that it is a false document. However, no definitive conclusion has yet been reached.

References

External links
 Modern English translations of the Hotsuma Tsutae
 tokyo woshite kenkyukai in facebook
 The Hotsuma Legends: Paths of the Ancestors

1775 poems
18th-century manuscripts
Japanese mythology
Edo-period works
Hoaxes in Japan
Literary forgeries
Forged epic poems
Jindai moji
Japanese false documents

Hotsuma Tsutae


The Brown Bess is a nickname for the British Short Land Pattern Musket. It was produced from 1725 to 1838. The Land Pattern, or more popularly known as the "Brown Bess", and its versions were all .75 caliber smoothbore flintlock muskets. They were the standard guns for all land forces in the British Empire. It was one of the most important military firearms ever designed. It helped win the British Empire. The Brown Bess was replaced after 1838 by smoothbore percussion cap muskets. Its effective range was about  but in most battle situations the distance between forces was only about . Even at that range the gun was not particularly accurate. The British tactic was to fire in vollies followed by a bayonet attack. While the origins of the name Brown Bess are uncertain, a plausible explanation is the name was based on the German Braun buss, meaning strong gun. The gun was commissioned during the reign of King George I of Great Britain, who was from Germany.

History

One of the earliest forms of flintlock musket used by the English Army was the "dog lock". Very similar to the snaphaunce it was the first to introduce the half-cocked position of the hammer. This made the gun much safer to handle and load. It was in use during the English Civil War and many found their way to the British North American colonies. Another name for the dog lock was the English lock, and the gun was a Swedish styled musket. Some of these have been found at Jamestown and Yorktown, Virginia by archaeologists.

Between 1710 and 1720 the first King's pattern musket called "Long Land Service" came into use. It had a  barrel, iron furniture and the French lock (or "true" flintlock) style of flintlock. Later the metal parts (furniture) were changed to brass and the wood ramrod which broke easily was replaced by an iron ramrod.

About 1722, the British Long Land Pattern musket was developed. It created a pattern for arms makers to the British Army to follow, creating a standard weapon. The Long Land Pattern musket weighed just over  and was  long. It had a  barrel and held a  long bayonet that was used as a crude gunsight. About 1756 the second version called the Short Land Pattern musket was introduced. The barrel was shortened to  although the longer Long Land Pattern continued to be made until 1790.

In about 1768, a new pattern Short Land Service Musket with a  barrel was produced. This was the result of the 1768 Clothing Warrant that was intended to lessen the weight of uniforms and equipment carried by British soldiers. In addition to shortening the musket, to reduce its weight, soldiers could no longer carry swords (except in the Highland and Grenadier units). Uniforms were trimmed to be less bulky. This is the gun most used by British forces during the American Revolutionary War. Among the variety of weapons used by the Continental Army, versions of the Brown Bess were also used.

Musket drill

The British manual listed 11 drill maneuvers soldiers had to follow to load and fire their muskets. This was the same drill as the one in the drill manual by Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben for the Continental Army. Unless otherwise mentioned steps are performed in one motion:

 Half cock! - the hammer is pulled back to the half-cocked position.
 Handle Cartridge! - bring a paper cartridge from your pouch, bite the top off the paper cartridge exposing the gunpowder and cover it with your thumb (so the powder does not spill out).
 Prime! - from the paper cartridge, pour a small amount of powder into the pan. Again, cover the cartridge while placing three fingers behind the hammer. The elbow should be up.
 Shut Pan! - (done in two motions), first shut the pan while bringing the elbow to the butt of the musket and while holding the cartridge in your hand. The second motion is to turn the musket to the loading position. The butt of the musket is placed on the ground, the lock is to the front and the muzzle is at chin-height; bring your right hand under the muzzle.
 Charge with Cartridge - (two motions). First motion is to place the open cartridge in the muzzle shaking the remaining powder into the barrel followed by the ball and the paper. Secondly, grasp the ramrod; thumb up and elbow down.
 Draw Rammer! - (two motions), with your fingers, first pull the ramrod up until it is halfway out, quickly backhanding the ramrod. The second movement is to completely remove the ramrod and turning it quickly place it into the barrel ramming end down.
 Ram down Cartridge! - push the ramrod down quickly ramming the powder and bullet all the way to the breach.
 Return Rammer! quickly reverse the ramrod and place it back in its holder.
 Poise Firelock! - (in two motions), firstly, turn the firearm with the left hand, lock to the front. Then grasp it with the right hand just below the lock keeping the musket upright. Secondly, in a quick motion raise the musket to the height of the face.
 Cock Firelock! - (in two motions), first turn the barrel and place your thumb on the cock (hammer). Secondly, bring the hammer from the half-cock position to full cock moving your fingers under the trigger guard.
 Take Aim! - with the right foot, step back and at the same time drop the muzzle to the level position; bring the butt of the musket to the shoulder, placing the left hand on the stock under the barrel and the finger on the trigger.

At this point, observing the troops are all ready to fire, the command is given to "fire". The drill is then repeated as necessary.

Notes

References

Other websites
 How to Load and Fire a Brown Bess Flintlock Musket; YouTube
 Live Volley Fire At 100 yards (Brown Bess): YouTube

British Army equipment
Firearms

Brown Bess


Signalong is an alternative and augmentative key-word signing communication method used by those individuals with speech, language and communication needs. The Signalong methodology has been effectively used with individuals who have cognitive impairments, autism,  Down's Syndrome, specific language impairment, multisensory impairment and acquired neurological disorders that have negatively affected the ability to communicate, including stroke patients and English as an additional language.

The name "Signalong" is derived from the understanding that wherever possible the sign is accompanied by speech, hence you "sign along with speech". The programme was devised in 1991 by Gill Kennard, a language teacher, Linda Hall, a science teacher who produced the illustrations and Thelma Grove,  a speech and language therapist from the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists.

Signalong is a registered trade mark of The Signalong Group, a charity established in 1994. The original trademark application for Signalong was filed in the UK on 30 April 2001, with registration approved as of that date under UK trademark registration no. 2268715.

Programme
Signalong uses a total communication approach to teach language and literacy skills, through speech, signs and descriptions at the appropriate level for the child or adult's needs. Because of its unique methodology of handshape, orientation, placement and movement, idiosyncratic signs can be de-coded and translated into a format that is consistent and transferable.

Signalong consists of a Core Vocabulary of approximately 1726 concepts but is not taught in a specific order. Vocabulary should be introduced when required and where possible, with real objects and in real situations to help re-enforce the link between the sign and spoken word.

Although Signalong is a key word signing system, once initial communication has been established, the learner can develop their language to 2, 3 or 4-word level as appropriate. In addition to the Core Vocabulary, there is an additional 7,000 concepts.

Development
In 1983 Kent County Council adopted Derbyshire Language Scheme (DLS), a flexible framework following typical language development used to help children develop their language skills. The DLS vocabulary is based on research into the type of objects and activities experienced by children as they develop. In 1991 due to the lack of vocabulary available from existing signing systems, Gill and Thelma developed vocabulary on the single-word level of the DLS and the vocabulary requested by parents and carers at Abbey Court School.

It has remained one of Signalong's most dearly held principles that the vocabulary should be led by the needs of the user of the resource and not dictated by others.

The first "pilot" copies of Phase 1 were published in April 1992 and as word of Signalong's existence spread the team came under heavy pressure to produce signs for sex education. Although they were already working on Phase 2, this was set aside and, in June 1993, "Personal and Social Education" was the next manual to be published. This brought Signalong to the attention of a much wider user group, the vocabulary being seen as particularly relevant to older learners and adults and in 1994 achieved charitable status. Signalong has over 70 different publications to date.

Signalong resources are designed to be self-explanatory and accessible, however by popular demand, the first Signalong training in sign-supported communication was made available in May 1992 and subsequent Tutor training in 1995.

Use
Signalong is based on British Sign Language adapted for the needs and abilities of children and adults with verbal communication difficulties. It uses one sign per concept, one concept per sign. Signalong is a sign–supporting system used in spoken word order and uses a total communication approach to reference links between signs and words. It also uses key-words i.e. the essential word in any sentence, and uses signs at the partner's level and moderate language to ensure the message is understood. It is best to start with real objects and real experiences, generalise concepts before moving on to more abstract representations. Vocabulary is needs led and feedback from users helps Signalong to decide on vocabulary research.

When the sign has been selected, a description is worked out. This follows a consistent method of four elements; handshape - how the hands are formed; orientation - how the hands are held; placement - where the hands are held and movement - any changes in the first three elements.

Signalong is used extensively throughout the UK, but has also been adapted in countries including France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Germany and Romania.

Training and Resources
 Delivers training to over 7,000 parents, carers and professionals per year
 Develops and produces a wide range of resources (books, DVDs and online resources)
 Provides a free family advisory service for information, advice and support for parents, family members and professionals working with children
 Provides a free sign lookup service: Text SIGN and the word to look up to +447446462146 (only works from UK mobiles).

References

Sign systems
Augmentative and alternative communication
Speech and language pathology
Sign language
Sign languages

Signalong


Heinz Carl Heinrich Winckler (born 22 March 1978) is a South African singer and the winner of the first series of South African Idols and is also an actor.

Born the eldest of three children in Stellenbosch, South Africa, he went on to study law at Stellenbosch University. After winning the Idols competition in June 2002, he discontinued his studies to devote time to a music career.

Further Heinz set out to start a church ordained by God: "Love Key Church" which is going for its third year and growing fast, declaring and releasing the true unadulterated Word of God with no shame in speaking the truth as it is.

Uplifting the community and creating space for all walks of life to experienced God's true power through real Love.

Idols
Idols was the South African version of the British Pop Idol show, and was presented as a talent search competition with successive elimination rounds narrowing the number of contestants. Throughout the show, Winckler was referred to as "Hunky Heinz" because of his good looks.

Songs performed on Idols
 Audition: "I'm a Believer", by Smash Mouth
 Top 50: "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)", by Train
 Top 11: "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing", by Aerosmith
 Top 8: "Higher", by Creed
 Top 6: "Shallow Waters", by Just Jinger
 Top 4: "Every Breath You Take", by The Police
 Top 4: "Soledad", by Westlife
 Finale: "Once in a Lifetime" (original song); Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me), by Train; Soledad, by Westlife

Post-Idols career
Winckler's debut single, Once In A Lifetime, went double platinum in South Africa for having sold over 100,000 copies. His subsequent debut album, One Step Closer, included this song as well as Soledad, a cover of the Westlife song which he performed during Idols, and Next Stop Happiness, which became a single as well.

He was nominated for two South African Music Awards, including best single for "Once in a Lifetime" and best pop album for One Step Closer.

In 2003, with the inaugural World Idol competition, Winckler came fourth behind Belgium's Peter Evrard (3rd), the US's Kelly Clarkson (2nd), and Norway's Kurt Nilsen (Winner).

His second album, Come Alive, was released via BMG, and features more ballads and rhythmic songs. It includes the singles "Can't Lose With You" and "Thank You", as well as "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing". Also included are songs written by himself; "Drowning Me" is a track co-written by him.

He performed "Chasing Shadows", the theme song for the South African release of the 2003 Disney movie Treasure Planet.

Heinz married Alette De Klerk on 25 September 2006 in South Africa. They have three sons and a baby girl.

In 2006, Heinz released his third studio album, Moment of Truth.

He has twice appeared on the music game show Noot vir Noot as a guest artist, in seasons 36 and 39. He also appeared as a coach on the Afrikaans music reality show Supersterre.

Discography
Albums
 Idols: The Album (2002)
 One Step Closer (November 2002)
 Come Alive (September 2004)
 Moment Of Truth (September 2006)
 Ek kan weer in liefde glo (October 2009)
 24/7/365 (2011)
 Jy's bonatuurlik (2014)

'Singles
 Once in a Lifetime (June 2002)
 Next Stop Happiness (March 2004)
 One Step Closer The Way It Is Can't Lose With You Drowning Me Only For You Thank You Another Day Love's Supposed To Be Who You Really Are (2011, for the Eurovision contest)

 Acting career

He performed in the role of Roger Davis in the touring production of the musical Rent from the 2007–2008 season.

In 2015, Winckler starred in the romantic comedy Mooirivier'' playing a singer performing at an Easter music festival.

References

External links
 Heinz Winckler – official site.

1978 births
Living people
Idols South Africa winners
21st-century South African male singers
Stellenbosch University alumni
White South African people
South African people of German descent
Alumni of Paul Roos Gymnasium

Heinz Winckler