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Less Than a Week to goDetails
- Details
- Written by Chris Colclough
With less than a week to go before the gang gather and start having fun on the air and putting Ramsey Island (EU-124) back on the map. But don't forget this will only be from Friday 19th June, all other activity will be from the farm HQ on the mainland (EU-005). The schedule is as follows:
Monday - Charles is traveling from Yorkshire to collect Chris from his home in Warwickshire. Then they will make the journey down to Fishguard calling in to see Ant and Laura for a quick cup of tea and catch up to break up the journey. Some time during the day they will probably be on the air, and will again be on on Tuesday at some point.
Wednesday - Tim and Vinny leave their homes in Coventry to get down to the farm and allow Vinny time to meet Rob and Jane and see the beutiful views for the first time. Ant and Laura will join the boys later that evening after they have finished work. We hope to get Vinny on air for a couple of hours too this day so he can hear our friends calling in to say hello.
Thursday - Tony and Glenys will be making their way down to Fishguard arriving some time in the evening as they too have other commitments up until this time. The team already at the farm will be doing some antenna testing with Ant and learning how to put together the new DHEXPEDITION Hex Beam.
Friday - Up bright and early setting off to get the boat over to Ramsey. The team will the set up the stations and try to get on the air some time mid afternoon. They will be on throughout the weekend right up to Sunday late afternoon where they will strip down to leave just one station active.
Monday - Strip down the final station and clean up leaving the place just as they found it. Another boat trip back to the mainland and then back to the farm for a much needed shower and freshen up.
Tuesday - The team will start to return back to their homes, leaving Rob and Jane in peace, well almost as Chris and Charles are going to be staying until Wednesday.
So don't forget only from 19th June to 22nd June we will be on EU-124. Please do call in and say hello - but you must use your full call sign.


text: In an ideal world, senior citizens will have saved enough to comfortably retire. But with pensions disappearing and health care costs soaring, the golden years are becoming increasingly difficult. As part of KERA's One Crisis Away initiative, Krys Boyd talks with Senior Source executive director Molly Bogen and Dallas Area Agency on Aging director Millie DeAnda about the financial challenges seniors face.

subset: commoncrawl


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Thanks to our elevated décor tastes, most of the beautiful pieces we love aren't always within our price range (sigh). But luckily for you (and your bank balance), it's our job to source low-cost pieces that look expensive—we never pay full price for furniture. Whether you're updating a rental or revamping your interior, striking a high/low mix is key to making a space feel like home.
But instead of shopping at the usual boutiques, this time we turned our attention to a more surprising destination: Amazon. While we typically shop fashion bibles for our coffee table, best-selling cookbooks, and wine on the popular e-commerce platform, Amazon is also our go-to for insanely chic and cheap home décor—especially since they launched their new Interesting Finds home section. Don't believe us? Take a look through the gallery and see for yourself. We guarantee you'll be adding to cart at every click. Prepare to go down the Amazon rabbit hole.


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Degrees and Certifications:
Mrs. Saloio, M.Ed.
Greetings! Thanks for visiting my Special Education website. My name is Sherry Saloio and I teacher Academic Tutoring. I graduated from Westfield State in 1992, and I hold a Master's Degree in Special Education grades 5-12. I have a total of 15 years teaching experience, because I took time off when my children were little. I am excited about having the opportunity to work with your child in Academic Tutoring.
Academic Tutoring is a course designed to help students develop self-determination and executive functioning skills. Students will learn goal setting, cognitive flexibility, organizing and prioritizing, and self- monitoring. The course is divided into a 15-minute skills session and a 45-minute work period. The skills taught at the beginning of class will help your child to complete course assignments. Students are expected to bring academic work from their other classes to work on after the 15-minute skills session. It is expected that students bring work that they have the most challenge with, and utilize teacher assistance in completing the work.
Grading: 80% assessment (Daily check sheets and Units of study)
20% Practice (Grade check and E-mailing teachers)
I look forward to working with your children, and I am confident that it will be a great year!


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Tiny Flower Fairy Dolls
These flower pixie dolls remind me of adorable little fairies and flower folk. They look like they should be frolicking about the garden making little homes out of toadstools and hollow trees!
I have an awful lot of wild flowers sprouting up around my house. In fact, a whole field of wild flowers and berry bushes. Which is what inspired me to create this felt pixie doll pattern.
These dolls are miniature – part of my pocket doll collection. They stand at just 4 inches tall. And I even have a super secret and neato way to make these doll pose-able!
Pixie Doll Pattern Details
These patterns include all of the pattern pieces and tutorials to create pose-able 4 inch flower fairy pocket dolls.
The pattern is computer drafted and comes to you as a digital PDF file. You will receive the file download link via email. Once you have downloaded the file you can save it to print and use it over and over.
Supplies and Materials List
- Wool or wool blend felt
- fiber fill
- needle and thread
- fabric scraps
- safety eyes
- embroidery thread
- (optional) pipe cleaners or wire
Felt Yellow Flower Bonnet Pixie Doll Sewing Pattern… $6.00
Felt Red Flower Hat Pixie Doll Sewing Pattern… $6.00
Buy Both Pixie Doll Sewing Patterns… $10.00
Frolic in the fairy garden with these adorable flower pixies!
These two are very best friends. They live in the the hollow little nook in the bottom of the willow tree in your back yard. But you never see them because they are always disguising themselves with flower petals, buds, and leaves.
They drink the morning dew in tiny fairy acorn thimbles. And they feast on alpine strawberries from the untouched meadows along the long dirt covered driveway.
They spend their day gathering tiny wildflowers, and feathers, and seeds. For fun they ride on their pet mice and even sometimes catch a ride on the back of a bluejay.
You can welcome them to your garden with seeds of wildflowers!
Or you could just sew them with felt, a little love, and a belief in fairies. And carry them around in your pocket.
Homepage > Doll Sewing Patterns > Felt Fairy Pixie Patterns


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Brussels, 9 April 2018 – For the first time since 2012, total aid has globally decreased (by 0.6%), show the latest statistics of the OECD Development Assistance Committee. This drop can be explained by the decline of in-donor refugee costs reported as aid (-13.6% on 2016). Reflecting this global trend, European DAC members are the main reason for the shift in the statistics with drops in refugee costs in many Member States such as Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece and Slovenia.
The data released today reveal that aid provided by DAC-EU countries has dropped by 1.2% and that aid from the EU institutions decreased by 6.7% due to reduced lending. This means that the twenty EU DAC members collectively failed to meet their 0.7% target with their aid reaching 0.49% of their collective GNI. With this step back from 0.51%/GNI last year for EU DAC countries, Europe is even further away from reaching the target on time.
Unlike Germany, the UK, Denmark, Luxembourg and Sweden, kept their commitment to the 0.7% ODA/GNI. France, Italy and Sweden saw the biggest increase of ODA. In the meantime, Austria, Greece, Hungary, Slovenia, Spain reduced ODA spendings the most. This decrease is mostly explained by a drop of spending on refugee costs compared to previous years, especially in Europe where Germany, Greece and Italy spent more than one fifth of its ODA budget in in-donor refugee costs.
The example of Germany is symptomatic of the inflation of aid by in-donor refugee costs. By reporting 25% of inflated aid on hosting migrants and refugees in 2016, Germany reached 0.7% of its GNI for the first time. In 2017, Germany dropped its commitment as its spending on in-donor refugee costs decreased.
EU Member States do have the capacity to address this challenge with other resources than aid. It is a moral duty to offer support to migrants and refugees, but using aid budget means less resources are dedicated to genuine, sustainable development and the EU is drifted away from its commitment to leave no one behind.
While the increase of global ODA to Least Developed Countries is welcome by CONCORD, the European confederation of Development NGOs, two recent reports outline the general trends of EU aid being progressively used in favour of Europe's interests for security, border control and migration management.
The principle of solidarity on which aid is based, is questioned at EU and national levels. The primary objectives of poverty eradication and sustainable development will never be reached if Europe keeps on subordinating ODA to Europe's interests.
Today, in-donor refugee costs represent still 9.7% of total ODA and aid spending on conflict, peace and security over the last years has outpaced the growth of all aid over the last decade.
It is clear that the EU is still facing the challenge of increasing its aid levels to meet the 0.7% target, while continuing to deflate aid figures. Total aid levels should not decrease as refugee costs are decreasing. For the current design of the EU budget's architecture (MFF), development NGOs call on EU leaders to safeguard ODA to help with the transformative changes and sustainable development needed to deliver on the ambition of Agenda 2030.
Media Contacts:
- Helene Debaisieux, CONCORD Communications Coordinator, firstname.lastname@example.com, Tel +32 (0)2 743 87 93
- Luca de Fraia, ActionAid Italy, Co-Chair of the CONCORD structure working on Financing for Development, firstname.lastname@example.com
Notes to editors:
CONCORD Europe: We are the European confederation of Relief and Development NGOs, made up of 28 national associations, 21 international networks and 3 associate members that represent over 2.600 NGOs, supported by millions of citizens across Europe. https://concordeurope.org
OECD DAC global aid figures 2018 are available via on the OECD website.
SECURITY AID: AidWatch paper 2018 "Fostering development, or serving European donors' national interests?": Analysing the current trends around the aid agenda with the help of figures, examples to build on recommendations, this publication from CONCORD focuses on how is Aid progressively "instrumentalised" and spent in favour conflict, peace and security (CPS) management, to the detriment of poverty eradication and sustainable development.
AID & MIGRATION: AidWatch paper 2018 "The externalisation of Europe's responsibilities": Aiming at clarifying how EU's development cooperation and migration agendas are interlinked in today's EU policies, CONCORD's new report provides a commentary on the impact of these links. The report draws a couple of key recommendations, and more specifically, identifies 3 trends outlining how EU aid is in fact used to curb migration, done on-purpose by EU policy-makers to serve domestic priorities: inflation, diversion and conditionality (link to animated infographics of the 3 trends).
AIDWATCH REPORTS: Since 2005, on a yearly basis, CONCORD AidWatch monitors aid spendings and formulates recommendations on the quality and quantity of aid provided by EU Member States and the European Commission. https://concordeurope.org/aidwatch-reports CONCORD actively campaigns to hold EU leaders accountable for their commitments to dedicate 0,7% of their Gross National Income to development assistance and to use this aid in genuine, poverty-focused and effective ways.
ODA COMMITMENT & DEFINITION: The EU commitment on spending 0.7% of its GNI on ODA has been recently renewed in the European Consensus on Development. (Resource: article 103)
The rules defining what can be included within the Official Development Assistance (ODA) definition have been recently broadened in the field of peace and security to include measures such as preventing violent extremism, and engagement with the police beyond training in routine civil policing functions. Resource: https://www.oecd.org/dac/DAC-HLM-Communique-2016.pdf (Feb. 2016)


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Build awareness and overcome stigma through community education and by supporting the treatment industry through providing college scholarships for those who are training as clinicians.
Fund research projects for alcoholism and addiction and develop a community of professionals who can share best practices in addiction treatment.
Provide financial assistance for those in need of treatment who are financially challenged but have a reasonable support structure available post-treatment to improve their chance of long-term successful recovery and who will enter a residential treatment program with the same 12-Step philosophy that Gene Duffy embraced and taught.
Help Continue Gene's Legacy
Gene Duffy was a recovering alcoholic and a pioneer in the addiction recovery space. From the early 1960s to his final days, he was dedicated to helping alcoholics and addicts. One way Gene gave back was to start a pioneering residential treatment center. Four generations of the Duffy family have provided leadership at that treatment center, Duffy's Napa Valley. We want to continue his legacy of serving others and giving back.
If you need assistance in arranging a gift to the Foundation or would just like to ask some questions, please contact us.
The Gene Duffy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Gifts to the Foundation are tax deductible.


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Background Otosclerosis is a disorder that impairs middle ear function, leading to conductive hearing loss. Surgical treatment results in large improvement of hearing at low sound frequencies, but high-frequency hearing often suffers. A likely reason for this is that inner ear sensory cells are damaged by surgical trauma and loud sounds generated during the operation. Animal studies have shown that antioxidants such as N-Acetylcysteine can protect the inner ear from noise, surgical trauma, and some ototoxic substances, but it is not known if this works in humans. This trial was performed to determine whether antioxidants improve surgical results at high frequencies. Methods We performed a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled parallel group clinical trial at three Swedish university clinics. Using block-stratified randomization, 156 adult patients undergoing stapedotomy were assigned to intravenous N-Acetylcysteine (150 mg/kg body weight) or matching placebo (1:1 ratio), starting one hour before surgery. The primary outcome was the hearing threshold at 6 and 8 kHz; secondary outcomes included the severity of tinnitus and vertigo. Findings One year after surgery, high-frequency hearing had improved 2.7 +/- 3.8 dB in the placebo group (67 patients analysed) and 2.4 +/- 3.7 dB in the treated group (72 patients; means +/- 95% confidence interval, p = 0.54; linear mixed model). Surgery improved tinnitus, but there was no significant intergroup difference. Post-operative balance disturbance was common but improved during the first year, without significant difference between groups. Four patients receiving N-Acetylcysteine experienced mild side effects such as nausea and vomiting. Conclusions N-Acetylcysteine has no effect on hearing thresholds, tinnitus, or balance disturbance after stapedotomy.
Otosclerosis is a common disorder that leads to conductive hearing loss. Most patients with otosclerosis also have tinnitus, and surgical treatment is known to improve hearing as well as tinnitus. Some patients however experience worsening of tinnitus after the operation, but there are no known factors that allow surgeons to predict who will be at risk. In this prospective observational study on 133 patients undergoing stapedotomy, we show that postoperative air conduction thresholds at very high stimulus frequencies predict improvement of tinnitus, as assessed with proportional odds logistic regression models. Young patients were significantly more likely to experience reduction of tinnitus and patients whose tinnitus became better were also more satisfied with the outcome of the operation. These findings have practical importance for patients and their surgeons. Young patients can be advised that surgery is likely to be beneficial for their tinnitus, but a less positive message should be conveyed to older patients.
Changing the concentration of cholesterol in the plasma membrane of isolated outer hair cells modulates electromotility and prestin-associated charge movement, suggesting that a similar manipulation would alter cochlear mechanics. We examined cochlear function before and after depletion of membrane cholesterol with methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD) in an excised guinea pig temporal bone preparation. The mechanical response of the cochlear partition to acoustic and/or electrical stimulation was monitored using laser interferometry and time-resolved confocal microscopy. The electromechanical response in untreated preparations was asymmetric with greater displacements in response to positive currents. Exposure to MβCD increased the magnitude and asymmetry of the response, without changing the frequency tuning of sound-evoked mechanical responses or cochlear microphonic potentials. Sodium salicylate reversibly blocked the enhanced electromechanical response in cholesterol depleted preparations. The increase of sound-evoked vibrations during positive current injection was enhanced following MβCD in some preparations. Imaging was used to assess cellular integrity which remained unchanged after several hours of exposure to MβCD in several preparations. The enhanced electromechanical response reflects an increase in outer hair cell electromotility and may reveal features of cholesterol distribution and trafficking in outer hair cells.
The ear is a remarkably sensitive pressure fluctuation detector. In guinea pigs, behavioral measurements indicate a minimum detectable sound pressure of ∼20 μPa at 16 kHz. Such faint sounds produce 0.1-nm basilar membrane displacements, a distance smaller than conformational transitions in ion channels. It seems that noise within the auditory system would swamp such tiny motions, making weak sounds imperceptible. Here we propose a new mechanism contributing to a resolution of this problem and validate it through direct measurement. We hypothesized that vibration at the apical side of hair cells is enhanced compared with that at the commonly measured basilar membrane side. Using in vivo optical coherence tomography, we demonstrated that apical-side vibrations peaked at a higher frequency, had different timing and were enhanced compared with those at the basilar membrane. These effects depend nonlinearly on the stimulus sound pressure level. The timing difference and enhancement of vibrations are important for explaining how the noise problem is circumvented.
RNA interference (RNAi) using short interfering RNA (siRNA) is an attractive therapeutic approach for treatment of dominant-negative mutations. Some rare missense dominant-negative mutations lead to congenital-hearing impairments. A variety of viral vectors have been tested with variable efficacy for modulating gene expression in inner ear. However, there is concern regarding their safety for clinical use. Here, we report a novel cell-penetrating peptide (CPP)-based nonviral approach for delivering siRNA into inner ear tissue using organotypic cultures as model system. PepFect6 (PF6), a variant of stearyl-TP10, was specially designed for improved delivery of siRNA by facilitating endosomal release. We show that PF6 was internalized by all cells without inducing cytotoxicity in cochlear cultures. PF6/siRNA nanoparticles lead to knockdown of target genes, a housekeeping gene and supporting cell-specific connexin 26. Interestingly, application of PF6/connexin 26 siRNA exhibited knockdown of both connexin 26 and 30 mRNA and their absence led to impaired intercellular communication as demonstrated by reduced transfer of calcein among the PF6/connexin 26-siRNA-treated cells. Thus, we conclude that PF6 is an efficient nonviral vector for delivery of siRNA, which can be applied as a tool for the development of siRNA-based therapeutic applications for hearing impairments.Molecular Therapy - Nucleic Acids (2012) 1, e61; doi:10.1038/mtna.2012.50; published online 11 December 2012.
Precise, non-invasive determination of the aetiology and site of pathology of inner ear disorders is difficult. The aim of this study was to describe an alternative method for inner ear visualization, based on local application of the paramagnetic contrast agent gadolinium. Using a 4.7 T MRI scanner, high contrast images of all four cochlear turns were obtained 3.5 h after placing gadolinium on the round window membrane. Gadolinium cleared from the cochlea within 96 h. Auditory brainstem response measurements performed on a separate group of animals showed no significant threshold shifts after the application, indicating that gadolinium is non-toxic to the guinea pig cochlea.
The superior paraolivary nucleus (SPON) is a prominent structure in the auditory brainstem. In contrast to the principal superior olivary nuclei with identified roles in processing binaural sound localization cues, the role of the SPON in hearing is not well understood. A combined in vitro and in vivo approach was used to investigate the cellular properties of SPON neurons in the mouse. Patch-clamp recordings in brain slices revealed that brief and well timed postinhibitory rebound spiking, generated by the interaction of two subthreshold-activated ion currents, is a hallmark of SPON neurons. The I(h) current determines the timing of the rebound, whereas the T-type Ca(2+) current boosts the rebound to spike threshold. This precisely timed rebound spiking provides a physiological explanation for the sensitivity of SPON neurons to sinusoidally amplitude-modulated (SAM) tones in vivo, where peaks in the sound envelope drive inhibitory inputs and SPON neurons fire action potentials during the waveform troughs. Consistent with this notion, SPON neurons display intrinsic tuning to frequency-modulated sinusoidal currents (1-15Hz) in vitro and discharge with strong synchrony to SAMs with modulation frequencies between 1 and 20 Hz in vivo. The results of this study suggest that the SPON is particularly well suited to encode rhythmic sound patterns. Such temporal periodicity information is likely important for detection of communication cues, such as the acoustic envelopes of animal vocalizations and speech signals.
The measurement of function in the intact organ of Corti has up to now been achieved by three methods: electrophysiology, mechanical measurement and biochemical analysis. The two former methods have supplied information at the level of single identified cells. We have used a fourth method, optical fluorimetry, to measure hair cell function at the cellular level in the intact organ of Corti. Here we describe the methods involved in fluorescence labelling and video-enhanced microscopy in combination with electrophysiological recording of cochlear microphonic (CM) and summating potentials (SP). The guinea pig temporal bone containing an intact ear drum, ossicular chain and cochlea can be maintained in the isolated state by perfusion of the scala tympani with oxygenated tissue culture medium. Substances added to the perfusate readily diffuse through the basilar membrane into the organ of Corti. In this way cells in the organ can be stained by a number of fluorescent probes which label different structures and functions. Here we have used two dyes which label mitochondria and fluoresce with an intensity proportional to metabolic activity. By simultaneous measurement of CM and SP the functional state of the organ can be monitored.
The mammalian hearing organ, the organ of Corti, was studied in an in vitro preparation of the guinea pig temporal bone. As in vivo, the hearing organ responded with an electrical potential, the cochlear microphonic potential, when stimulated with a test tone. After exposure to intense sound, the response to the test tone was reduced. The electrical response either recovered within 10-20 min or remained permanently reduced, thus corresponding to a temporary or sustained loss of sensitivity. Using laser scanning confocal microscopy, stimulus-induced changes of the cellular structure of the hearing organ were simultaneously studied. The cells in the organ were labeled with two fluorescent probes, a membrane dye and a cytoplasm dye, showing enzymatic activity in living cells. Confocal microscopy images were collected and compared before and after intense sound exposure. The results were as follows. (1) The organ of Corti could be divided into two different structural entities in terms of their susceptibility to damage: an inner, structurally stable region comprised of the inner hair cell with its supporting cells and the inner and outer pillar cells; and an outer region that exhibited dynamic structural changes and consisted of the outer hair cells and the third Deiters' cell with its attached Hensen's cells. (2) Exposure to intense sound caused the Deiters' cells and Hensen's cells to move in toward the center of the cochlear turn. (3) This event coincided with a reduced sensitivity to the test tone (i.e., reduced cochlear microphonic potential). (4) The displacement and sensitivity loss could be reversible. It is concluded that these observations have relevance for understanding the mechanisms behind hearing loss after noise exposure and that the supporting cells take an active part in protection against trauma during high-intensity sound exposure.
Hearing depends on the transformation of sound-induced basilar membrane vibration into deflection of stereocilia1 on the sensory hair cells, but the nature of these mechanical transformations is unclear. Using new techniques to visualize and measure sound-induced vibration deep inside the moving organ of Corti, we found that two functionally crucial structures, the basilar membrane and the reticular lamina, have different centers of rotation, leading to shearing motion and rapid deformation for the mechanoreceptive outer hair cells. Structural relations within the organ of Corti are much more dynamic than previously thought, which clarifies how outer hair cell molecular motors can have such a powerful effect.
The vibration of the hearing organ that occurs during sound stimulation is based on mechanical interactions between different cellular structures inside the organ of Corti. The exact nature of these interactions is unclear and subject to debate. In this study, dynamic structural changes were produced by stepwise alterations of scala tympani pressure in an in vitro preparation of the guinea pig temporal bone. Confocal images were acquired at each level of pressure. In this way, the motion of several structures could be observed simultaneously with high resolution in a nearly intact system. Images were analyzed using a novel wavelet-based optical flow estimation algorithm. Under these conditions, the reticular lamina moved as a stiff plate with a center of rotation in the region of the inner hair cells. Despite being enclosed in several types of supporting cells, the inner hair cells, together with the adjacent inner pillar cells, moved in a manner signifying high compliance. The outer hair cells displayed radial motion indicative of cellular bending. Together, these results show that shearing motion occurs between several parts of the organ, and that structural relationships within the organ change dynamically during displacement of the basilar membrane.
During sound stimulation, receptor potentials are generated within the sensory hair cells of the cochlea. Prevailing theory states that outer hair cells use the potential-sensitive motor protein prestin to convert receptor potentials into fast alterations of cellular length or stiffness that boost hearing sensitivity almost 1000-fold. However, receptor potentials are attenuated by the filter formed by the capacitance and resistance of the membrane of the cell. This attenuation would limit cellular motility at high stimulus frequencies, rendering the above scheme ineffective. Therefore, Dallos and Evans (1995a) proposed that extracellular potential changes within the organ of Corti could drive cellular motor proteins. These extracellular potentials are not filtered by the membrane. To test this theory, both electric potentials inside the organ of Corti and basilar membrane vibration were measured in response to acoustic stimulation. Vibrations were measured at sites very close to those interrogated by the recording electrode using laser interferometry. Close comparison of the measured electrical and mechanical tuning curves and time waveforms and their phase relationships revealed that those extracellular potentials indeed could drive outer hair cell motors. However, to achieve the sharp frequency tuning that characterizes the basilar membrane, additional mechanical processing must occur inside the organ of Corti.
The dynamic responses of the hearing organ to acoustic overstimulation were investigated using the guinea pig isolated temporal bone preparation. The organ was loaded with the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator Fluo-3, and the cochlear electric responses to low-level tones were recorded through a microelectrode in the scala media. After overstimulation, the amplitude of the cochlear potentials decreased significantly. In some cases, rapid recovery was seen with the potentials returning to their initial amplitude. In 12 of 14 cases in which overstimulation gave a decrease in the cochlear responses, significant elevations of the cytoplasmic [Ca2+] in the outer hair cells were seen. [Ca2+] increases appeared immediately after terminating the overstimulation, with partial recovery taking place in the ensuing 30 min in some preparations. Such [Ca2+] changes were not seen in preparations that were stimulated at levels that did not cause an amplitude change in the cochlear potentials. The overstimulation also gave rise to a contraction, evident as a decrease of the width of the organ of Corti. The average contraction in 10 preparations was 9 microm (SE 2 microm). Partial or complete recovery was seen within 30-45 min after the overstimulation. The [Ca2+] changes and the contraction are likely to produce major functional alterations and consequently are suggested to be a factor contributing strongly to the loss of function seen after exposure to loud sounds.
The following is an edited transcript of a recorded discussion session on the topic of "What Shapes the Stimulus to the Inner Hair Cell?". The discussion, moderated by the authors, took place at the 12th International Workshop on the Mechanics of Hearing held at Cape Sounio, Greece, in June 2014. All participants knew that the session was being recorded. In view of both the spontaneous nature of the discussion and the editing, however, this transcript may not represent the considered or final views of the participants, and may not represent a consensus of experts in the field. The reader is advised to consult additional independent publications.
Light produces force when interacting with matter. Such radiation pressure may be used to accelerate small objects along the beam path of a laser. Here, we demonstrate that a moderately powerful laser can deliver enough force to locally stimulate the hearing organ, in the absence of conventional sound. Damped mechanical oscillations are observed following brief laser pulses, implying that the organ of Corti is locally resonant. This new method will be helpful for probing the mechanical properties of the hearing organ, which have crucial importance for the ear's ability to detect sound.
The cochlea contains two types of sensory cells, the inner and outer hair cells. Sound-evoked deflection of outer hair cell stereocilia leads to fast force production that will enhance auditory sensitivity up to 1,000-fold. In contrast, inner hair cells are thought to have a purely receptive function. Deflection of their stereocilia produces receptor potentials, transmitter release, and action potentials in the auditory nerve. Here, we describe a method for rapid confocal imaging. The method was used to image stereocilia during simultaneous sound stimulation in an in vitro preparation of the guinea pig cochlea. We show that inner hair cell stereocilia move because they interact with the fluid surrounding the hair bundles, but stereocilia deflection occurs at a different phase of the stimulus than is generally expected. In outer hair cells, stereocilia deflections were approximately 1/3 of the reticular lamina displacement. Smaller deflections were found in inner hair cells. The ratio between stereocilia deflection and reticular lamina displacement is important for auditory function, because it determines the stimulus applied to transduction channels. The low ratio measured here suggests that amplification of hair-bundle movements may be necessary in vivo to preserve transduction fidelity at low stimulus levels. In the case of the inner hair cells, this finding would represent a departure from traditional views on their function.
Impaired auditory function following acoustic overstimulation, or noise, is mainly reported to be accompanied by cellular changes such as damage to the sensory hair bundles, but changes in the cell bodies of the outer hair cells have also been described. To investigate more closely the immediate cellular responses to overstimulation, isolated guinea pig outer hair cells were subjected to a 200 Hz oscillating water jet producing intense mechanical stimulation. The water jet was aimed at the cell body of the isolated outer hair cell. Cell shape changes were studied using video microscopy, and intracellular calcium concentration changes were monitored by means of the fluorescent calcium indicator Fluo-3. Cells exposed to a high-intensity stimulus showed surprisingly small light-microscopical alterations. The cytoplasmic calcium concentration increased in most cells, although some cells appeared very resistant to the mechanical stress. No correlation could be found be tween the calcium concentration changes and the cell length. The changes in calcium concentration reported here are suggested to be involved in the long-term pathogenesis of noise-induced hair cell damage.
We have used the guinea pig isolated temporal bone preparation to investigate changes in the non-linear properties of the tone-evoked cochlear potentials during reversible step displacements of the basilar membrane towards either the scala tympani or the scala vestibuli. The position shifts were produced by changing the hydrostatic pressure in the scala tympani. The pressures involved were calculated from measurements of the fluid flow through the system, and the cochlear DC impedance calculated (1.5 x 10(11) kg m-4 s-1, n = 10). Confocal microscopic visualization of the organ of Corti showed that pressure increases in the scala tympani caused alterations of the position of the reticular lamina and stereocilia bundles. For low pressures, there was a sigmoidal relation between the DC pressure applied to the scala tympani (and thus the position shift of the organ of Corti) and the amplitude of the summating potential. The cochlear microphonic potential also showed a pronounced dependence on the applied pressure: pressure changes altered the amplitude of the fundamental as well as its harmonics. In addition, the sound pressure level at which the responses began to saturate was increased, implying a transition towards a linear behaviour. An increase of the phase lag of the cochlear microphonic potential was seen when the basilar membrane was shifted towards the scala vestibuli. We have also measured the intracochlear DC pressure using piezoresistive pressure transducers. The results are discussed in terms of changes in the non-linear properties of cochlear transduction. In addition, the implications of these results for the pathophysiology and diagnosis of Meniérè's disease are discussed.
Although many studies have been performed on the effects of acoustic overstimulation on the inner ear, our knowledge about the cellular processes underlying reduced hearing sensitivity and auditory cell death is still limited. In order to further our understanding of cellular processes occurring in conjunction with acoustic trauma, we designed an in vitro model to study the effects of overstimulation directly on sensory hair cells isolated from the low-frequency part of the guinea pig cochlea. The isolated outer hair cells were subjected to pressure jets delivered by a glass micropipette positioned close to the cell, in order to mimic the pressure changes occurring in the intact inner ear during sound stimulation. A second micropipette coupled to a piezoresistive pressure transducer was used as a probe measuring the pressure at precise locations at and around the cell. In a previous study, we found that such stimulation gave rise to increases in the intracellular calcium concentration. The present study characterizes the stimulus, describes the computer-controlled setup used for calibration, and gives examples of different modes of overstimulation at the cellular level. The peak pressure that could be generated using the pressure jet was around 325 Pa, or 144 dB (re 20 microPa) at 140 Hz. The pressure jet elicited large mechanical vibrations of the cell bodies of isolated cells. The vibration mode of the cells often changed over time, implying that the stimulation caused changes of the cellular stiffness. However, most cells appeared quite resistant to the high intensity mechanical stimulation.
Conclusions. Electron tomography was used to generate three-dimensional reconstructions of the pillars that connect the cell membrane with the cytoskeleton of the outer hair cell. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that pillars are important for mechanically linking the membrane with the cytoskeleton.
Objective: To make a qualitative assessment of the morphology of the sub-membrane pillars of cochlear outer hair cells.
Materials and methods. Guinea pig cochleae were fixed and prepared for electron microscopy using protocols described previously. Sections were imaged on an electron microscope equipped with a goniometer. The specimens were tilted through a range of 120°, and an image was acquired at each tilt angle. Filtered back-projection was used to generate three-dimensional reconstructions.
Results. Twelve individual pillars were successfully reconstructed. Pillars often connect to the cell membrane through a thin segment, and to the cytoskeleton through a forking structure that may form a central cavity.
A new method for visualizing vibrating structures is described. The system provides a means to capture very fast repeating events by relatively minor modifications to a standard confocal microscope. An acousto-optic modulator was inserted in the beam path, generating brief pulses of laser light. Images were formed by summing consecutive frames until every pixel of the resulting image had been exposed to a laser pulse. Images were analyzed using a new method for optical flow computation; it was validated through introducing artificial displacements in confocal images. Displacements in the range of 0.8 to 4 pixels were measured with 5% error or better. The lower limit for reliable motion detection was 20% of the pixel size. These methods were used for investigating the motion pattern of the vibrating hearing organ. In contrast to standard theory, we show that the organ of Corti possesses several degrees of freedom during sound-evoked vibration. Outer hair cells showed motion indicative of deformation. After acoustic overstimulation, supporting cells contracted. This slowly developing structural change was visualized during simultaneous intense sound stimulation and its speed measured with the optical flow technique.
To investigate the physiology of noise-induced hearing loss, the sound-induced vibrations of the basilar membrane (BM) of the inner ear were measured in living anesthetized guinea pigs before and after intense sound exposure. The vibrations were measured using a laser Doppler velocimeter after placing reflective glass beads on the BM. Pseudo-random noise waveforms containing frequencies between 4 and 24 kHz were used to generate velocity tuning curves. Before overstimulation, sharp response peaks were seen at stimulus frequencies between 15 and 17 kHz, consistent with the expected best frequency of the recording location. The response to low level stimuli lagged the high level ones by up to 90 degrees at the characteristic frequency. Following exposure to loud sound, the BM vibrations showed a pronounced reduction in amplitude, primarily at low stimulus levels, and the best frequency moved to approximately 12 kHz. At higher levels, the reduction was either absent or much smaller. In addition to the amplitude changes, increased phase lags were seen at frequencies near the characteristic frequency. In animals with more severe exposures, response phases were altered also at frequencies showing no change of the amplitude. The phase was independent of stimulus level after severe exposures.
To investigate the inner ear response to intense sound and the mechanisms behind temporary threshold shifts, anesthetized guinea pigs were exposed to tones at 100-112 dB SPL. Basilar membrane vibration was measured using laser velocimetry, and the cochlear microphonic potential, compound action potential of the auditory nerve, and local electric AC potentials in the organ of Corti were used as additional indicators of cochlear function. After exposure to a 12-kHz intense tone, basilar membrane vibrations in response to probe tones at the characteristic frequency of the recording location (17 kHz) were transiently reduced. This reduction recovered over the course of 50 ms in most cases. Organ of Corti AC potentials were also reduced and recovered with a time course similar to the basilar membrane. When using a probe tone at either 1 or 4 kHz, organ of Corti AC potentials were unaffected by loud sound, indicating that transducer channels remained intact. In most experiments, both the basilar membrane and the cochlear microphonic response to the 12-kHz overstimulation was constant throughout the duration of the intense stimulus, despite a large loss of cochlear sensitivity. It is concluded that the reduction of basilar membrane velocity that followed loud sound was caused by changes in cochlear amplification and that the cochlear response to intense stimulation is determined by the passive mechanical properties of the inner ear structures.
The exceptional sensitivity of mammalian hearing organ is attributed to an outer hair cell-mediated active process, where forces produced by sensory cells boost sound-induced vibrations, making soft sounds audible. This process is thought to be local, with each section of the hearing organ capable of amplifying sound-evoked movement, and nearly instantaneous, since amplification can work for sounds at frequencies up to 100 kHz in some species. To test these precepts, we developed a method for focally stimulating the living hearing organ with light. Light pulses caused intense and highly damped mechanical responses followed by traveling waves that developed with considerable delay. The delayed response was identical to movements evoked by click-like sounds. A physiologically based mathematical model shows that such waves engage the active process, enhancing hearing sensitivity. The experiments and the theoretical analysis show that the active process is neither local nor instantaneous, but requires mechanical waves traveling from the cochlear base toward its apex.
Hearing relies on mechanical stimulation of stereocilia bundles on the sensory cells of the inner ear. When sound hits the ear, each stereocilium pivots about a neck-like taper near their base. More than three decades of research have established that sideways deflection of stereocilia is essential for converting mechanical stimuli into electrical signals. Here we show that mammalian outer hair cell stereocilia not only move sideways but also change length during sound stimulation. Currents that enter stereocilia through mechanically sensitive ion channels control the magnitude of both length changes and bundle deflections in a reciprocal manner: the smaller the length change, the larger is the bundle deflection. Thus, the transduction current is important for maintaining the resting mechanical properties of stereocilia. Hair cell stimulation is most effective when bundles are in a state that ensures minimal length change.
Hearing depends on sound-evoked deflections of the stereocilia that protrude from the sensory hair cells in the inner ear. Although sound provides an important force driving stereocilia, forces generated through mechanically sensitive ion channels and through the motor protein prestin have been shown to influence stereocilia motion in solitary hair cells. While a possible influence of prestin on mechanically sensitive ion channels has not been systematically investigated, a decrease in transducer currents is evident in solitary hair cells when prestin is blocked with salicylate, raising the question of whether a reduced prestin activity or salicylate itself affected the mechanotransduction apparatus. We used two- and three-dimensional time-resolved confocal imaging to visualize outer hair cell stereocilia during sound stimulation in the apical turn of cochlear explant preparations from the guinea pig. Surprisingly, following application of salicylate, outer hair cell stereocilia deflections increased, while cochlear microphonic potentials decreased. However, when prestin activity was altered with the chloride ionophore tributyltin, both the cochlear microphonic potential and the stereocilia deflection amplitude decreased. Neither positive nor negative current stimulation abolished the bundle movements in the presence of salicylate, indicating that the observed effects did not depend on the endocochlear potential. These data suggest that salicylate may alter the mechanical properties of stereocilia, decreasing their bending stiffness.
Otoacoustic emissions, sounds generated by the inner ear, are widely used for diagnosing hearing disorders and studying cochlear mechanics. However, it remains unclear how emissions travel from their generation sites to the cochlear base. The prevailing view is that emissions reach the cochlear base via a backward-traveling wave, a slow-propagating transverse wave, along the cochlear partition. A different view is that emissions propagate to the cochlear base via the cochlear fluids as a compressional wave, a fast longitudinal wave. These theories were experimentally tested in this study by measuring basilar membrane (BM) vibrations at the cubic distortion product (DP) frequency from two longitudinal locations with a laser interferometer. Generation sites of DPs were varied by changing frequencies of primary tones while keeping the frequency ratio constant. Here, we show that BM vibration amplitude and phase at the DP frequency are very similar to responses evoked by external tones. Importantly, the BM vibration phase at a basal location leads that at a more apical location, indicating a traveling wave that propagates in the forward direction. These data are in conflict with the backward- traveling-wave theory but are consistent with the idea that the emission comes out of the cochlea predominantly through compressional waves in the cochlear fluids.
The auditory sensory organ, the cochlea, not only detects but also generates sounds. Such sounds, otoacoustic emissions, are widely used for diagnosis of hearing disorders and to estimate cochlear nonlinearity. However, the fundamental question of how the otoacoustic emission exits the cochlea remains unanswered. In this study, emissions were provoked by two tones with a constant frequency ratio, and measured as vibrations at the basilar membrane and at the stapes, and as sound pressure in the ear canal. The propagation direction and delay of the emission were determined by measuring the phase difference between basilar membrane and stapes vibrations. These measurements show that cochlea-generated sound arrives at the stapes earlier than at the measured basilar membrane location. Data also show that basilar membrane vibration at the emission frequency is similar to that evoked by external tones. These results conflict with the backward-traveling-wave theory and suggest that at low and intermediate sound levels, the emission exits the cochlea predominantly through the cochlear fluids.
Loud sounds are a common cause of hearing loss. Very intense sounds may result in permanent hearing loss, but lower levels typically cause a transient decrease in auditory sensitivity. Studies have arrived at different conclusions as regards the physiological mechanisms underlying such temporary threshold shifts. Here, we investigated the effect of acoustic overstimulation on the mechanics of the low-frequency areas of the guinea pig cochlea. We demonstrate that brief loud sound exposure results in an increased phase lag and a paradoxical frequency-specific increase of sound-evoked displacement. Despite the increased displacement, electrically evoked motion is reduced. Because electromotility is important for amplifying low-level sounds, this change was associated with a decrease in measures of cochlear amplification. These changes recovered over the course of 30-40 min. Overstimulation also caused an increase in cytoplasmic calcium levels of both hair cells and supporting cells. These data suggest that reduced organ of Corti stiffness contributes to temporary threshold shifts.
Laser interferometry is the technique of choice for studying the smallest displacements of the hearing organ. For low intensity sound stimulation, these displacements may be below 1 nm. This cannot be reliably measured with other presently available techniques in an intact organ of Corti. In a heterodyne interferometer, light is projected against an object of study and motion of the target along the optical axis causes phase and frequency modulations of the back-reflected light. To recover object motion, the reflected light is made to interfere with a reference beam of artificially altered frequency, producing a beating signal. In conventional interferometers, this carrier signal is demodulated with analog electronics. In this paper, we describe a digital implementation of the technique, using direct carrier sampling. In order to obtain the necessary reference signal for demodulation we introduce an additional third light path. Together, this results in lower noise and reduces the cost of the system.
Within the hearing organ, different structures may move in different directions. It is therefore necessary to precisely measure the angle of incidence of the laser light, and to precisely localize the anatomical structure where the measurement is performed. Therefore, the interferometer is integrated with a laser scanning confocal microscope that permits us to map crucial morphometric parameters in each experiment. We provide key construction parameters and a detailed performance characterization. We also show that the system accurately measures the diminutive vibrations present in the apical turn of the cochlea during low-level sound stimulation.
Acoustic stimulation gates mechanically sensitive ion channels in cochlear sensory hair cells. Even in the absence of sound, a fraction of these channels remains open, forming a conductance between hair cells and the adjacent fluid space, scala media. Restoring the lost endogenous polarization of scala media in an in vitro preparation of the whole cochlea depolarizes the hair cell soma. Using both digital laser interferometry and time-resolved confocal imaging, we show that this causes a structural refinement within the organ of Corti that is dependent on the somatic electromotility of the outer hair cells (OHCs). Specifically, the inner part of the reticular lamina up to the second row of OHCs is pulled toward the basilar membrane, whereas the outer part (third row of OHCs and the Hensen's cells) unexpectedly moves in the opposite direction. A similar differentiated response pattern is observed for sound-evoked vibrations: restoration of the endogenous polarization decreases vibrations of the inner part of the reticular lamina and results in up to a 10-fold increase of vibrations of the outer part. We conclude that the endogenous polarization of scala media affects the function of the hearing organ by altering its geometry, mechanical and electrical properties.
We describe a novel confocal image acquisition system capable of measuring the sound-evoked motion of the organ of Corti. The hearing organ is imaged with a standard laser scanning confocal microscope during sound stimulation. The exact temporal relation between each image pixel and the sound stimulus is quantified. The motion of the structures under study is obtained by fitting a Fourier series to the time dimension of a continuous sequence of acquired images. Previous versions of this acquisition system used a simple search to find pixels with similar phase values. The Fourier series approach permits substantially faster image acquisition with reduced noise levels and improved motion estimation. The system is validated by imaging various vibrating samples attached to a feedback-controlled piezoelectric translator. When using a rigid sample attached to the translator, the system is capable of measuring motion with peak-to-peak amplitudes smaller than 50 nm with an error below 20% at frequencies between 50 and 600 Hz. Examples of image sequences from the inner ear are given, along with detailed performance characteristics of the method.
This protocol describes a growth medium-based approach for obtaining cochlear endothelial cells (ECs), pericytes (PCs) and perivascular resident macrophage-like melanocytes (PVM/Ms) from the stria vascularis of mice aged between P10 and P15 (P, postnatal day). The procedure does not involve mechanical or enzymatic digestion of the sample tissue. Explants of stria vascularis, 'mini-chips', are selectively cultured in growth medium, and primary cell lines are obtained in 7-10 d. The method is simple and reliable, and it provides high-quality ECs, PVM/Ms and PCs with a purity >90% after two passages. This protocol is suitable for producing primary culture cells from organs and tissues of small volume and high anatomical complexity, such as the inner ear capillaries. The highly purified primary cell lines enable cell culture-based in vitro modeling of cell-cell interactions, barrier control function and drug action.
Georg von Békésy designed the instruments needed for his research. He also created physical models of the cochlea allowing him to manipulate the parameters (such as volume elasticity) that could be involved in controlling traveling waves. This review is about the specific devices that he used to study the motion of the basilar membrane thus allowing the analysis that lead to his Nobel Prize Award. The review moves forward in time mentioning the subsequent use of von Békésy's methods and later technologies important for motion studies of the organ of Corti. Some of the seminal findings and the controversies of cochlear mechanics are mentioned in relation to the technical developments.
We measured sound-evoked vibrations at the stereociliary side of inner and outer hair cells and their surrounding supporting cells, using optical coherence tomography interferometry in living anesthetized guinea pigs. Our measurements demonstrate a gradient in frequency tuning among different cell types, going from a high best frequency at the inner hair cells to a lower one at the Hensen cells. This causes the locus of maximum inner hair cell activation to be shifted toward the apex of the cochlea as compared to the outer hair cells. These observations show that additional processing and filtering of acoustic signals occurs within the organ of Corti prior to inner hair cell excitation, thus reinstating a transformed second filter as a mechanism contributing to cochlear frequency tuning.
The detection of sound by the mammalian hearing organ involves a complex mechanical interplay among different cell types. The inner hair cells, which are the primary sensory receptors, are stimulated by the structural vibrations of the entire organ of Corti. The outer hair cells are thought to modulate these sound-evoked vibrations to enhance hearing sensitivity and frequency resolution, but it remains unclear whether other structures also contribute to frequency tuning. In the current study, sound-evoked vibrations were measured at the stereociliary side of inner and outer hair cells and their surrounding supporting cells, using optical coherence tomography interferometry in living anesthetized guinea pigs. Our measurements demonstrate the presence of multiple vibration modes as well as significant differences in frequency tuning and response phase among different cell types. In particular, the frequency tuning at the inner hair cells differs from other cell types, causing the locus of maximum inner hair cell activation to be shifted toward the apex of the cochlea compared with the outer hair cells. These observations show that additional processing and filtering of acoustic signals occur within the organ of Corti before inner hair cell excitation, representing a departure from established theories.
Sound processing in the inner ear involves separation of the constituent frequencies along the length of the cochlea. Frequencies relevant to human speech (100 to 500 Hz) are processed in the apex region. Among mammals, the guinea pig cochlear apex processes similar frequencies and is thus relevant for the study of speech processing in the cochlea. However, the requirement for extensive surgery has challenged the optical accessibility of this area to investigate cochlear processing of signals without significant intrusion. A simple method is developed to provide optical access to the guinea pig cochlear apex in two directions with minimal surgery. Furthermore, all prior vibration measurements in the guinea pig apex involved opening an observation hole in the otic capsule, which has been questioned on the basis of the resulting changes to cochlear hydrodynamics. Here, this limitation is overcome by measuring the vibrations through the unopened otic capsule using phase-sensitive Fourier domain optical coherence tomography. The optically and surgically advanced method described here lays the foundation to perform minimally invasive investigation of speech-related signal processing in the cochlea. (C) The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
In this study, we measure the in vivo apical-turn vibrations of the guinea pig organ of Corti in both axial and radial directions using phase-sensitive Fourier domain optical coherence tomography. The apical turn in guinea pig cochlea has best frequencies around 100 - 500 Hz which are relevant for human speech. Prior measurements of vibrations in the guinea pig apex involved opening the otic capsule, which has been questioned on the basis of the resulting changes to cochlear hydrodynamics. Here this limitation is overcome by measuring the vibrations through bone without opening the otic capsule. Furthermore, we have significantly reduced the surgery needed to access the guinea pig apex in the axial direction by introducing a miniature mirror inside the bulla. The method and preliminary data are discussed in this article.
The exceptional sensitivity of mammalian hearing organs is attributed to an active process, where force produced by sensory cells boost sound-induced vibrations, making soft sounds audible. This process is thought to be local, with each section of the hearing organ capable of amplifying sound-evoked movement, and nearly instantaneous, since amplification can work for sounds at frequencies up to 100 kHz in some species. To test these fundamental precepts, we developed a method for focally stimulating the living hearing organ with light. Light pulses caused intense and highly damped mechanical responses followed by traveling waves that developed with considerable delay. The delayed response was identical to movements evoked by click-like sounds. This shows that the active process is neither local nor instantaneous, but requires mechanical waves traveling from the cochlear base toward its apex. A physiologically-based mathematical model shows that such waves engage the active process, enhancing hearing sensitivity.
There are well known differences between males and females in hearing. In the present study, the role of estrogen receptor-beta (ER-beta; listed as ESR2 in the MGI Database) in hearing was investigated by comparing hearing and morphology of the inner ear in ER-beta knock-out mice (ER-beta(-/-)) with that of wild-type (WT) littermates. Hearing was analyzed with auditory brainstem response audiometry at 3 and 12 months. The ER-beta(-/-) mice were deaf at 1 year of age, and the morphological analysis showed absence of hair cells and loss of the whole organ of Corti initiated in the basal turn of the cochlea. Furthermore, in ER-beta(-/-), but not in WT mice, the spiral ganglion was lacking many of its neurons. Immunostaining showed the presence of both ER-alpha (listed as ESR1 in the MGI Database) and ER-beta in the nuclei of some neurons in the inner ear in WT mice, but no ER-beta was found in the ER-beta(-/-) mice as expected. ER-alpha staining was predominant in the nuclei of large neurons and ER-beta in nuclei of small neurons and fibroblasts. These results reveal that both ERs are present in the inner ear at specific localizations suggesting subtype-specific functions. It is concluded that ER-beta is important for the prevention of age-related hearing loss. These findings strengthen the hypothesis that estrogen has a direct effect on hearing functions.
Exposure to loud sounds can lead to both permanent and short term changes in auditory sensitivity. Permanent hearing loss is often associated with gross changes in cochlear morphology including the loss of hair cells and auditory nerve fibers while the mechanisms of short term threshold shifts are much less well understood and may vary at different locations across the cochlea. Previous reports suggest that exposure to loud sounds leads to a decrease in the cochlear microphonic potential and in the stiffness of the organ of Corti. Because the cochlear microphonic reflects changes in the membrane potential of the hair cells, this suggests that hair-bundle motion should be reversibly altered following exposure to loud sounds. Using an in vitro preparation of the guinea pig temporal bone we investigate changes in the micro-mechanical response near the cochlear apex following a brief (up to 10 - 20 minutes) exposure to loud (similar to 120 dB) tones near the best frequency at this location. We use time-resolved confocal imaging to record the motion of outer hair cell bundles before and after acoustic overstimulation. We have also recorded larger-scale structural views of the organ of Corti before and after exposure to the loud sound. Conventional electrophysiological techniques are used measure the cochlear microphonic potential. As has been previously reported, following acoustic overexposure the cochlear microphonic declines in value and typically recovers on the order of 30 - 60 minutes. Hair-bundle trajectories are affected following the loud sound and typically recover on a somewhat faster time scale than the microphonic potential, although the results vary considerably across preparations. Preliminary results also suggest reversible changes in the hair cells resting potential following the loud sound.
The hearing organ contains sensory hair cells, which convert sound-evoked vibration into action potentials in the auditory nerve. This process is greatly enhanced by molecular motors that reside within the outer hair cells, but the performance also depends on passive mechanical properties, such as the stiffness, mass, and friction of the structures within the organ of Corti. We used resampled confocal imaging to study the mechanical properties of the low-frequency regions of the cochlea. The data allowed us to estimate an important mechanical parameter, the radial strain, which was found to be 0.1% near the inner hair cells and 0.3% near the third row of outer hair cells during moderate-level sound stimulation. The strain was caused by differences in the motion trajectories of inner and outer hair cells. Motion perpendicular to the reticular lamina was greater at the outer hair cells, but inner hair cells showed greater radial vibration. These differences led to deformation of the reticular lamina, which connects the apex of the outer and inner hair cells. These results are important for understanding how the molecular motors of the outer hair cells can so profoundly affect auditory sensitivity.
Confocal laser scanning microscopy permits detailed visualization of structures deep within thick fluorescently labeled specimen. This makes it possible to investigate living cells inside intact tissue without prior chemical sample fixation and sectioning. Isolated guinea pig temporal bones have previously been used for confocal experiments in vitro, but tissue deterioration limits their use to a few hours after the death of the animal. In order to preserve the cochlea in an optimal functional and physiological condition, we have developed an in vivo model based on a confocal microscopy approach. Using a ventral surgical approach, the inner ear is exposed in deeply anaesthetized, tracheotomized, living guinea pigs. To label the inner ear structures, scala tympani is perfused via an opening in the basal turn, delivering tissue culture medium with fluorescent vital dyes (RH 795 and calcein AM). An apical opening is made in the bony shell of cochlea to enable visualization using a custom-built objective lens. Intravital confocal microscopy, with preserved blood and nerve supply, may offer an important tool for studying auditory physiology and the pathology of hearing loss. After acoustic overstimulation, shortening and swelling of the sensory hair cells were observed.
1. With the use of an in vitro preparation of the guinea pig temporal bone, in which the apical turns of the cochlea are exposed, the mechanical and electrical responses of the cochlea in the low-frequency regions were studied during sound stimulation. 2. The mechanical characteristics were investigated in the fourth and third turns of the cochlea with the use of laser heterodyne interferometry, which allows the vibratory responses of both sensory and supporting cells to be recorded. The electrical responses, which can be maintained for several hours, were recorded only in the most apical turn. 3. In the most apical turn, the frequency locations and shapes of the mechanical and electrical responses were very similar. 4. The shapes of the tuning curves and the spatial locations of the frequency maxima in the temporal bone preparation compared very favorably with published results from in vivo recordings of hair cell receptor potentials and sound-induced vibrations of the Reissner's membrane. 5. Compressive nonlinearities were present in both the mechanical and the electrical responses at moderate sound pressure levels. 6. The mechanical tuning changed along the length of the cochlea, the center frequencies in the fourth and third turns being approximately 280 and 570 Hz, respectively. 7. The mechanical responses of sensory and supporting cells were almost identical in shape but differed significantly in amplitude radially across the reticular lamina.
BACKGROUND: Hearing difficulties constitute the most common cause of disability globally. Yet, studies on people with hearing difficulties regarding socio-economic status (SES), work, long-term unemployment, sickness absence, and disability pension are scarce. The aim of the present study was to investigate the main income sources of men and women of working ages with and without self-reported hearing difficulties and associations with gender, age, SES, type of living area, and country of birth.
METHODS: A cross-sectional population-based study, using information on self-reported hearing difficulties and SES of 19 045 subjects aged 20-64 years participating in Statistics Sweden's annual Living Conditions Surveys in any of the years 2004 through 2008. The information was linked to a nationwide database containing data on demographics and income sources. Odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, using binary logistic regression analysis.
RESULTS: Hearing difficulties increased with age and were more common in men (age-adjusted OR: 1.42 (95% CI: 1.30-1.56)) with an overall prevalence of 13.1% in men and 9.8% in women. Using working men as reference, the OR of having hearing difficulties was 1.23 (0.94-1.60) in men with unemployment benefits and 1.36 (1.13-1.65) in men with sickness benefits or disability pension, when adjusting for age and SES. The corresponding figures in women were 1.59 (1.17-2.16) and 1.73 (1.46-2.06). The OR of having sickness benefits or disability pension in subjects with hearing difficulties was 1.36 (1.12-1.64) in men and 1.70 (1.43-2.01) in women, when adjusting for age and SES and using men and women with no hearing difficulties as reference.
CONCLUSIONS: Hearing difficulties were more prevalent in men. After adjustment with age and SES as well as with type of living area and country of birth, a significant association with unemployment benefits was found only in women, and the associations with long-term sickness absence and disability pension tended to be stronger in women.
Objectives Questionnaire studies suggest that hearing is declining among young adults. However, few studies have examined the reliability of hearing questionnaires among young adult subjects. This study examined the associations between pure tone audiometrically assessed (PTA) hearing loss and questionnaire responses in young to middle aged adults. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional study using questionnaire and screening PTA (500 through 6000 Hz) data from 15322 Swedish subjects (62% women) aged 18 through 50 years. PTA hearing loss was defined as a hearing threshold above 20 dB in both ears at one or more frequencies. Data were analysed with chi-square tests, nonlinear regression, binary logistic regression, and the generalized estimating equation (GEE) approach. Results The prevalence of PTA hearing loss was 6.0% in men and 2.9% in women (p less than 0.001). Slight hearing impairment was reported by 18.5% of the men and 14.8% of the women (p less than 0.001), whereas 0.5% of men and women reported very impaired hearing. Using multivariate GEE modelling, the odds ratio of PTA hearing loss was 30.4 (95% CI, 12.7-72.9) in men and 36.5 (17.2-77.3) in women reporting very impaired hearing. The corresponding figures in those reporting slightly impaired hearing were 7.06 (5.25-9.49) in men and 8.99 (6.38-12.7) in women. These values depended on the sound stimulus frequency (p = 0.001). The area under the ROC curve was 0.904 (0.892-0.915) in men and 0.886 (0.872-0.900) in women. Conclusions Subjective hearing impairment predicted clinically assessed hearing loss, suggesting that there is cause for concern as regards the future development of hearing in young to middle-aged people.
Visualizing deep inside the tissue of a thick biological sample often poses severe constraints on image conditions. Standard restoration techniques (denoising and deconvolution) can then be very useful, allowing one to increase the signal-to-noise ratio and the resolution of the images. In this paper, we consider the problem of obtaining a good determination of the point-spread function (PSF) of a confocal microscope, a prerequisite for applying deconvolution to three-dimensional image stacks acquired with this system. Because of scattering and optical distortion induced by the sample, the PSF has to be acquired anew for each experiment. To tackle this problem, we used a screening approach to estimate the PSF adaptively and automatically from the images. Small PSF-like structures were detected in the images, and a theoretical PSF model reshaped to match the geometric characteristics of these structures. We used numerical experiments to quantify the sensitivity of our detection method, and we demonstrated its usefulness by deconvolving images of the hearing organ acquired in vitro and in vivo.
A method for three-dimensional motion analysis designed for live cell imaging by fluorescence confocal microscopy is described. The approach is based on optical flow computation and takes into account brightness variations in the image scene that are not due to motion, such as photobleaching or fluorescence variations that may reflect changes in cellular physiology. The 3-D optical flow algorithm allowed almost perfect motion estimation on noise-free artificial sequences, and performed with a relative error of <10% on noisy images typical of real experiments. The method was applied to a series of 3-D confocal image stacks from an in vitro preparation of the guinea pig cochlea. The complex motions caused by slow pressure changes in the cochlear compartments were quantified. At the surface of the hearing organ, the largest motion component was the transverse one (normal to the surface), but significant radial and longitudinal displacements were also present. The outer hair cell displayed larger radial motion at their basolateral membrane than at their apical surface. These movements reflect mechanical interactions between different cellular structures, which may be important for communicating sound-evoked vibrations to the sensory cells. A better understanding of these interactions is important for testing realistic models of cochlear mechanics.
The precise mechanical behavior of the basilar membrane (BM) at low frequencies is still unknown. To address this issue we use an in vitro preparation of the guinea pig temporal bone to investigate the mechanical behaviour of the organ of Corti at the apex of the cochlea. Confocal laser interferometry is used to record the nanometre displacements of both Hensens cells (HeC) and the BM in response to sound and electrical stimulation. We show that at low frequencies, the BM exhibits greatly reduced sound-evoked movement (similar to 35dB less) and no current-evoked movement, when compared to the HeC at the same position along the spiral. The BM best frequency is found to be an average of 52Hz (0.35 octave) higher than the HeC best frequency. In addition, we demonstrate that BM motion is not affected by inhibition of somatic electromotility or by blocking the mechanoelectrical transduction channels. We therefore propose that the BM primarily acts as a passive support structure at the cochlear apex. We suggest that the micromechanics of the cochlea that are vital to low-frequency amplification and frequency selectivity take place predominantly at the surface of the organ of Corti.
Low-frequency hearing is critically important for speech and music perception, but no mechanical measurements have previously been available from inner ears with intact low-frequency parts. These regions of the cochlea may function in ways different from the extensively studied high-frequency regions, where the sensory outer hair cells produce force that greatly increases the sound-evoked vibrations of the basilar membrane. We used laser interferometry in vitro and optical coherence tomography in vivo to study the low-frequency part of the guinea pig cochlea, and found that sound stimulation caused motion of a minimal portion of the basilar membrane. Outside the region of peak movement, an exponential decline in motion amplitude occurred across the basilar membrane. The moving region had different dependence on stimulus frequency than the vibrations measured near the mechanosensitive stereocilia. This behavior differs substantially from the behavior found in the extensively studied high-frequency regions of the cochlea.


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Rays rough up O's 5-2 in day game
Baltimore drops to 41-37 on season
Rookie Alex Colome allowed two singles in 5 2-3 innings to earn his first win in over a year, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 on Friday in the opener of a split doubleheader.
Brandon Guyer had three doubles, scored twice and drove in a run to help Tampa Bay improve to 2-7 against Baltimore this season. The Rays had lost 11 of their previous 13 games on the road.
Manny Machado homered for the Orioles, who finished with only three hits - one after the second inning.
Added to the roster for the doubleheader as the 26th man, Colome (1-0) gave up one run, walked four and struck out three in his fourth big league start. The right-hander is 2-1 lifetime, including a victory over Miami in his debut on May 30, 2013.
Jake McGee worked the ninth for his second save.


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Jaime Larrinaga
God or Country
When the Rev. Jaime Larrinaga, who served the Basque village of Maruri near Bilbao for 36 years, spoke out against nationalist violence, he found himself the victim of the culture of fear that has silenced many other local critics of the militant group ETA and its political arm, Batasuna.
Soon, parishioners had stopped attending Larrinaga's Masses or avoided him on the street. The local mayor accused him of nostalgia for former dictator Francisco Franco, under whose regime Basque autonomy was denied. Larrinaga was forced to seek protection from a bodyguard provided by Spain's Ministry of the Interior. After Larrinaga's name showed up on an ETA hit list, Larrinaga had had enough. In August, he celebrated his last Mass.
Throughout his career, Larrinaga, 62, had been a critic of the ETA and the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV). He accused the latter of complicity in violence of the former because of the PNV's unwillingness to condemn terrorism. In 1999, Larrinaga helped to establish Foro El Salvador, an organization of nonnationalist priests, nonbelievers, and intellectuals, in the Basque country. "We chose this name because of the experience of the people of the republic of El Salvador," Larrinaga said in an online forum in Madrid's El País. "The El Salvador Forum also denounces the hegemony of nationalism within the Basque church. In this way, we demand as priests, and as part of the church, that the first thing the ETA must do is to put down its weapons and ask forgiveness."
In February 2000, nationalist members of Maruri's town council attacked Larrinaga, accusing him of "confusing religion with socio-politics," of
"deepening social tensions," and of "not behaving according to the values of tolerance and respect that the Basque church accepts and defends" (El Mundo, Madrid). The situation became worse, Larrinaga said, after he voiced support for the banning of Batasuna in 2002. The town's mayor, Joseba Alzaga, sent a letter to every home in the village, saying Larrinaga exhibited "nostalgia for General Franco." According to the priest, this charge effectively put him on the ETA hit list.
During his final sermon, according to London's Guardian, Larrinaga told the faithful: "I have defined myself as an opponent of terrorism, and that is why I have been persecuted." Privately, some villagers expressed support for the departing priest. Others claimed that he had improperly mixed religion and politics and had served as a toady of Prime Minister José María Aznar.
Larrinaga plans to take a year's sabbatical to travel and study. He will serve in another church, the location of which he wouldn't reveal, in the Basque region.


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Cash When You Need It - Instantly
Instant personal loans help you get emergency cash when you need it in Nevada. You might need an instant loan for a car repair, a medical bill or any other unexpected financial setback. If you use your paycheck as collateral, you can get an instant cash advance loan for as little as $50 or as much as $5,000. If you need more money, you could apply for an instant loan against your car title and get up to $50,000. An instant loan has no FICO credit check, so bad credit isn't a problem. We have a high approval rate because CASH 1 is dedicated to providing our customers with instant cash, not disappointment.
You need your cash instantly, so CASH 1 provides our loan services without any hassle. We're a direct lender, which means you get your loan directly from us. You don't have to wait long to know if you're approved for a loan. Applying for online loans with no FICO credit check and instant approval are fast and secure. Your personal financial information is safe with us. If you think an instant loan from CASH 1 is right for you, follow these simple steps:
You have choices at CASH 1. Depending on your cash needs and your ability to repay, you can receive up to $50,000. Payment plans for instant loans for bad credit have low, fixed-rates that are divided evenly throughout your loan term. You make payments on your payday. Loan terms can last up to 90 days with our instant personal loans and up to 6 months or more with our instant title loans.
Nevada residents can get up to $5,000. Make payments on your pay date for up to 90 days.
Apply for a Personal Loan
Clear vehicle titles can be used as collateral for loans up to $50,000 in Arizona and Nevada!
Apply for a Title Loan
Arizona residents can use the equity in their financed vehicle to get up to $5,000! No title required to get a Title Equity Loan and terms start at 6 months.
Apply for a Title Equity Loan
Instant personal loans from CASH 1 get you money instantly.
For questions about CASH 1 Instant Loans in Arizona or Nevada, please call us.
Copyright © 2020 CASH 1, LLC | 725 E. Covey Lane, Suite 170, Phoenix, AZ 85024 | 844-831-4198 | Terms of Use | Arizona Privacy Notice | Nevada Privacy Notice
CUSTOMER NOTICE: Personal Loans, Installment Loans, Title Loans, and Title Equity Loans should be used for short-term financial needs only, not as a long-term financial solution. Customers with credit difficulties should seek credit counseling before entering into any loan transaction..
REQUIREMENTS: Approval depends upon meeting legal, regulatory and underwriting requirements. CASH 1 and third party lenders may, at their discretion, verify application information by using national databases, including but not limited to Teletrack and Clarity, that may provide information from one or more national credit bureaus. CASH 1 or third party lenders may take this information into consideration in the approval process. Due to state and verification requirements, not all applicants for online loans may be eligible for instant approval by CASH 1 or third party lenders. You may be required to submit additional documents due to state law and qualification criteria. If you have defaulted on past transactions, you may be declined for a cash advance from CASH 1.
TERM LENGTHS: The average length of a personal loan varies based on the loan type, state, loan amount, and qualifications. Loan terms can be between 3 and 24 months. For more details, visit loans & terms.
PRODUCTS & SERVICES: Offers provided to customers who originated via a paid Google and or Bing advertisement feature rate quotes on Cash1Loans of no greater than 35.99% APR with terms from 3 months to 24 months. Your actual rate depends upon credit score, loan amount, loan term, loan type, credit usage and history, and will be agreed upon between you and the lender. Products and services offered to customers may vary based on customer eligibility and applicable state or federal law. Actual loan amounts vary. The availability of loans and extensions may vary. Loans are subject to minimum auto value requirements. For additional loan options, please call 844-831-4198. An example of total amount paid on a loan of $2,500 for a term of 6 months at a rate of 35.99% would be equivalent to $2,769.00 over the 6 month life of the loan.
WHERE WE ARE LOCATED: CASH 1 is currently operating in Arizona and Nevada. Restrictions apply.
COLLECTIONS & DEFAULT: Failure to make timely payments may result in NSF or late fees. If your account becomes severely delinquent, it may be turned over to a 3rd party collection agency which could impact your credit score. Loans do not automatically renew without prior approval. If you renew or "rollover" your loan, your principal balance may not be reduced, depending on the state, and you will owe additional fees and/or interest.
NOTICE: The Federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits creditors from discriminating against credit applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age (provided the applicant has the capacity to enter into a binding contract); because all or part of the applicant's income derives from any public assistance program; or because the applicant has in good faith exercised any right under the Consumer Credit Protection Act. The federal agency that administers compliance with this law concerning this creditor is the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 1700 G Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20006 and the Federal Trade Commission, Equal Credit Opportunity, Washington, D.C. 20580.


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Some of you have inquired as to how you can help us out during this time. To that we say, please […]READ MORE -
Otherwise known as aromatherapy massage, a massage using essential oils is a real treat, and has many positive effects that make it a treat worth investing in.
There are two main reasons why a massage therapist may use essential oils in their treatments.
Essential oils and pregnancy
If you're pregnant, you should always tell your massage therapist before an aromatherapy massage because although essential oils are safe in the vast majority of cases, there are a few specific essential oils that are best avoided in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Essential oils and pain relief
Using essential oils in a massage is ideal if you're experiencing symptoms like inflammation or pain. The aromatherapy adds an extra layer of benefit to a soothing massage and seems to magnify the effects of a treatment which can give you even more relief than a basic massage.
Essential oils and stress
Just breathing in the gorgeously relaxing scent of lavender essential oil can calm you down if you're having a stressful time. Lavender essential oil is great for pain relief and widely used in stress-busting massage treatments.
So what is an aromatherapy massage like?
The first thing you'll need to do is have a talk with your therapist about what you are hoping to get from your massage, and tell her all about any existing health conditions so that she can choose the best combination of oils for you. There are pre-blended mixes of essential oils for general use, but many therapists also make up their own mixes for each session.
When therapists are putting together a custom blend, they will often ask you to pick a fragrance that makes you feel good. There's not much point in creating perfectly-blended massage oil for you if you can't bear the smell of it and can't wait to get off the massage table!
If there's any of your custom blended oil left after your massage, you'll probably be given the rest to take home and use, which is a definite bonus. After an aromatherapy massage you're likely to feel absolutely amazing – not only have you had the physical benefits of a relaxing massage but the psychological boost that you'll get from all the delicious essential oils will keep you coming back for more…
What's your favourite aromatherapy oil?
Some of you have inquired as to how you can help us out during this time. To that we say, please […]READ MORE -
The benefits of prenatal massage All of the changes your body goes through while you are pregnant can mean that […]READ MORE -
10 Reasons Why You Should Book A Massage Today You know that massage is good for you, whether you've had […]READ MORE -
Three Tips to Quiet Your Mind If you are not extremely busy in today's society, you are the exception and […]READ MORE -


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Section 316.027, F.S., requires the driver of a vehicle involved in a crash occurring on public or private property and resulting in injury to or death of a person to immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the crash, or as close thereto as possible, and remain at the scene until the driver fulfills the requirements of s. 316.062, F.S.
An attorney can help you deal with the investigating officer that might come knocking on your door and the insurance adjuster who will call you for a statement. Don't compound your initial mistake by trying to handle a criminal investigaiton for "hit and run" by yourself. Let us put our experience to work for you.
Attorney for Leaving the Scene of a Crash in West Palm Beach, FL
If you left the scene of a crash in West Palm Beach, FL, without stopping and remaining at the scene to exchange information then a criminal investigation has begun. After the criminal investigation begins, you have the right to remain silent and to let an experienced criminal defense attorney handle the case for you.
Call (561) 557-8686 today.
"Hit and Run" under Florida Statute Section 316.062
Section 316.062, F.S., requires the driver of any vehicle involved in a crash resulting in injury to or death of any person or damage to any vehicle or other property driven or attended by any person to:
- Give his or her name, address, and vehicle registration number;
- Provide a driver's license, upon request and if available, to any person injured in the crash or to the driver or occupant of or person attending any vehicle or other property damaged in the crash;
- Provide a driver's license, upon request, to any police officer at the scene or who is investigating the crash;
- Render to any injured person reasonable assistance, including the carrying, or the making of arrangements for the carrying, of such person to a physician, surgeon, or hospital for medical or surgical treatment if it is apparent that treatment is necessary, or if such carrying is requested by the injured person; and
- Having stopped and remained at the scene to provide the required information, if none of the persons identified are able to receive the information, report the crash to the nearest police authority and submit the required information.
Leaving the Scene of a Crash with Injury in Florida
For crashes resulting in injury to a person, a driver found in willful violation of s. 316.027, F.S., can be charged with a third-degree degree felony punishable by a term of imprisonment not exceeding five years and a fine not exceeding $5,000.
Proof that the driver caused or contributed to causing injury to a person is not required for a conviction. See Lawrence v. State, 801 So.2d 293, 295 (Fla. 2d DCA 2001) and Kelly v. State, 987 So.2d 1237, 1239 (Fla. 2d DCA 2008).
The court can also impose, under certain circumstances, an extended term of imprisonment for:
- habitual felony offenders,
- habitual violent felony offenders,
- three-time felony offenders, and
- violent career criminals.
Leaving the Scene of a Crash with Death
Under Section 775.082, F.S., for crashes resulting in the death of a person, a driver found in willful violation commits a first degree felony punishable by a term of imprisonment up to 30 years, a possible additional fine up to $10,000, or imposition of an extended term of imprisonment under certain circumstances for certain offenders.
The prosecutor is not required to prove that the driver caused or contributed to causing the death of a person. Florida law does require a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of two years if the violation occurs while driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages, certain chemical substances, or certain controlled substances when affected to the extent that the person's normal faculties are impaired, or when the person has a 0.08 blood- or breath-alcohol level.
The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) is required to revoke the driver's license of a person convicted of a violation of s. 316.027, F.S.
Additionally, for a crash involving death or a bodily injury requiring transport to a medical facility, a convicted driver must also attend a driver improvement course approved by the DHSMV to maintain driving privileges. If a crash causes or results in the death of another person, the convicted person may also be required by the court to serve 120 community service hours in a trauma center or hospital that regularly receives victims of vehicle accidents.
This article was last updated on Friday, May 19, 2017.


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Godzilla rampages in Orange County, resisting the attacks of G-Force and the army when suddenly he vanishes into thin air. Professor Mason has teleported the monster out to sea for his own purposes. Dr. Kagaku decides that Mason is responsible for Godzilla's disappearance. Time travel was mason's obsession, like Kagaku's before Godzilla appeared. With Godzilla in place, Mason attacks Pompeii moments before Vesuvius erupts. Mason and a team of raiders stand ready to loot the Roman city in Godzilla's wake.
Kagaku reveals to G-Force that he has been working on a time machine of his own. G-Force realises that Mason intends to use Godzilla to loot the past by striking at past disasters. As G-Force tries to determine what events Mason may have targeted, Mason's men and Godzilla disappear from Pompeii just as the volcano erupts. G-Force sends Kino and Take' to 1906 San Francisco while Burton Helzer and Dr. Marina Meltev depart for 1588 England.


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This gives all our guests the chance not only enjoy a fantastic meal but have a great night to all under one roof. Keep popping back throughout the year to keep up to date with all our future events.
Alternatively you can stay up to date by following our social media links.
Did you know the restaurant is also available for private hire?
Get in touch via our contact page for more information.


text: Jurlique believes that beauty comes from beauty. Simply put, beauty is not processed. It's not made in a lab. It's grown, cultivated, and cared for passionately. It's not artificial and it's as real as our very own bodies and skin. Jurlique takes the earth's unspoiled resources and brings them to life via effective products that nourish the skin—giving us the natural beauty we've all been searching for. From farm to bottle, Jurlique grows, processes, and formulates pure, potent extracts to deliver the most innovative products with dynamic results. Jurlique's farm grown roots and pure formulas are about as real as the vegetables grown in an organic garden—and we can't wait to harvest a few for our own beauty baskets.


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Microsoft CEO talks up position in post-PC world
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has spoken of a need for its software to work on all platforms as devices become less of a sticking point for the vendor
The CEO of Microsoft has talked about a post-PC world where the platform becomes less important and ensuring its software can be used anywhere is more the key to its future success.
Speaking at the Recode.net conference Satya Nadella said that he viewed Microsoft as a software company that would produce applications that would be compatible with multiple platforms.
"It is about building platforms and building software for productivity. Those are two things that I believe we are uniquely capable of doing," he said just a few weeks after the firm took the decision to allow Office to be available on the iPad as a subscription service.
But with the Surface and the Xbox the firm is also in the hardware space and Nadella indicated that software on its own was not enough and there was the need to occassionally build devices to further the cross platform spread of its software.
"Software is the most malleable experience and Microsoft's strength, but not, alone, sufficient. You do need to, from time to time, build devices," he said.
He added that it viewed the Surface, which saw its latest incarnation in the Pro model launched last week, as a long-term project and was not something it would give up on and was sure it would be able to finesse its efforts until it produced a world beating offering.
He also used the event to rule out selling its Bing search to Yahoo or to spin off the Xbox division to separate the consumer gaming platform from the rest of the business saying that he did not plan to do anything different with the gaming platform.


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Stunning New Marvel Games Hit 777 Scratch Cards
If you thought you'd seen it all when it comes to superhero scratch games online, it's time to widen your horizons. This month two incredible new Marvel-themed scratchies are set to hit 777Scratchcards.com, proving the super level of fun and quality you can have playing at this new and amazing site. Captain America Scratch focuses on the most patriotic of all comic characters, while you can play with him and many more with the outstanding game Avengers Scratch.
Both of the games are made up of brilliant, exciting graphics combined with simple gameplay and numerous opportunities to win. Of course winning is the main aim, and with the scratch games at 777Scratchcards.com you won't fall short in your search for more cash prizes. Avengers Scratch is interesting because of its chance to make up to 500 times your bet. But then once you give Captain America a whirl you will find see that you can win an amazing 5,000 times your bet. Experts have said that this is one of the most impressive jackpot opportunities on any Playtech scratch game, and a main reason that Captain America is expected to have such an impact on 777Scratchcards.com.
The central attraction to the Avengers and Captain America scratch games is the Marvel theme. Both are based on comics which have recently hit the movie screens, with the Avengers proving to be on the biggest hits of 2012 and Captain America thrilling audiences a year earlier. The Avengers brought together some of the most marketable and fantastic super heroes, including Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. Captain America appears in both games and all of the characters come to life in the scratch games, giving players the chance to enter the world of the comic stars.