American Lung Association

The American Lung Association is a voluntary health organization whose mission is to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through education, advocacy and research.
History.
The organization was founded in 1904 to fight tuberculosis (TB) as the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis by Edward Livingston Trudeau, Robert Hall Babcock, Henry Martyn Hall, Lawrence Flick, and S. Adolphus Knopf. Earlier in 1892, Flick had founded the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Tuberculosis, the world's first society dedicated to the prevention of TB. The NASPT was Renamed the National Tuberculosis Association (NTA) in 1918, and then the National Tuberculosis and Respiratory Disease Association (NTRDA) in 1968; it adopted its current name in 1973.
Taglines that the association has used in its public-service messages have included:
In 1907, the Lung Association began their Christmas Seal campaign to raise money for a small TB sanatorium in Delaware. Emily Bissell, a Red Cross volunteer at the time, created holiday seals to sell at the post office for a penny a piece. By the end of her fundraising campaign, she had raised more than ten times the amount needed to save the sanatorium, and the tradition of Christmas Seals was launched.
The association is a defender of the Clean Air Act.
In October 2018, the association launched its school-based initiative, "Yoga Power", a program designed to increase awareness of the importance of lung health, at Woodward Elementary School in Delaware, Ohio.
Logo and tagline.
A modified version of the Cross of Lorraine serves as the Lung Association's logo. The Paris, France, physician Gilbert Sersiron suggested its use in 1902 as a symbol for the "crusade" against tuberculosis. The double barred cross was originally used in the coat of arms of Godfrey of Bouillon, Duke of Lower Lorraine, a leader of the first crusade and elected ruler of Jerusalem after its capture in 1099.
The national tagline "Fighting for Air" was introduced in 2010 to emphasize the organization's role in reducing particulate pollution in the atmosphere and in public places.
Funding.
The American Lung Association is a public health organization funded by contributions from individual donors, corporations, foundations and government agency grants. One of its best-known fundraising campaigns is its Christmas Seals program, which has been an annual fundraising and public awareness tool for tuberculosis and lung disease since 1907.
The Lake Tour Bike Trek is an annual bicycle ride held at Illinois in early June with all donations going towards the American Lung Association of Illinois. The Trek Across Maine, a similar bicycle ride in Maine, has raised more than $24 million since 1985.
Notable participants.
The National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis held their ninth annual meeting in Washington, D.C., May 8 and 9, 1913. In attendance were Association President Homer Folks, Honorary Vice President Theodore Roosevelt, Vice Presidents Robert Hall Babcock, Sir William Osler and Edward R. Baldwin, Treasurer William H. Baldwin, Secretary Henry Barton Jacobs. Notable life members included Andrew Carnegie, Henry C. Frick, Mrs. H. Knickerbocker, Louis Marshall, Francis E. May, Cyrus H. McCormick, Henry Phipps, John D. Rockefeller, Rodman Wanamaker, Felix M. Warburg. The association members recommended a public health committee be formed by The National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis and be officially sanctioned by the United States House of Representatives. In addition, they adopted the double red cross emblem formally as the symbol for the association and its fight against tuberculosis. The National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis executive offices were located at 105 East 22nd Street, New York, New York.
Henry Martyn Hall of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is one of the ten original founders and was honored at the 50th Anniversary Annual Meeting of the National Tuberculosis Association at Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1954. U.S. President Grover Cleveland was an honorary vice president from 1905 to 1908; U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt was an honorary vice president from 1905 to 1919.


Vertebral osteomyelitis

Vertebral osteomyelitis is a type of osteomyelitis (infection and inflammation of the bone and bone marrow) that affects the vertebrae. It is a rare bone infection concentrated in the vertebral column. Cases of vertebral osteomyelitis are so rare that they constitute only 2%-4% of all bone infections. The infection can be classified as acute or chronic depending on the severity of the onset of the case, where acute patients often experience better outcomes than those living with the chronic symptoms that are characteristic of the disease. Although vertebral osteomyelitis is found in patients across a wide range of ages, the infection is commonly reported in young children and older adults. Vertebral osteomyelitis often attacks two vertebrae and the corresponding intervertebral disk, causing narrowing of the disc space between the vertebrae. The prognosis for the disease is dependent on where the infection is concentrated in the spine, the time between initial onset and treatment, and what approach is used to treat the disease.
Signs and symptoms.
The disease is known for its subtle onset in patients, and few symptoms characterize vertebral osteomyelitis. Correct diagnosis of the disease is often delayed for an average of six to twelve weeks due to such vague, ambiguous symptoms.
General Cases.
General symptoms found in a cross-section of patients with vertebral osteomyelitis include fever, swelling at the infection site, weakness of the vertebral column and surrounding muscles, episodes of night sweats, and difficulty transitioning from a standing to a sitting position. Additionally, persistent back pain and muscle spasms may become so debilitating that they confine the patient to a sedentary state, where even slight movement or jolting of the body results in excruciating pain. In children, the presence of vertebral osteomyelitis can be signaled by these symptoms, along with high-grade fevers and an increase in the body's leukocyte count.
Advanced Cases.
Patients with an advanced case may present some or none of the symptoms associated with general cases of vertebral osteomyelitis. When the osteomyelitis is isolated in the back, as it is in vertebral osteomyelitis, the patient will report muscle spasms coming from the back, but may not report experiencing any fevers. Symptomatic signs vary in each patient and depend on the severity of the case. Neurologic deficiency characterizes advanced, threatening cases of the disease. On average, 40% of patients with an advanced case of vertebral osteomyelitis experience some type of neurological deficiency; this is a sign that the infection has been progressing for some time. In advanced cases, the untreated infection will attack the nervous system through the spinal cord which runs parallel to the vertebral column, placing the patient at risk for paralysis of the extremities. Additionally, loss of the ability to move is a trademark symptom of neurologic problems in advanced cases of vertebral osteomyelitis. Any further signs of neurological deficit signal an advanced case of vertebral osteomyelitis that requires immediate intervention to prevent further threat to the spinal cord.
Causes.
A notable aspect of the disease is found in its ability to start anywhere in the body and spread to other regions through the bloodstream. A number of bacterial strains can enter the body in this manner, making the origin of the infection hard to trace; thus, for many patients with the infection, this characteristic can delay an accurate diagnosis and prolong suffering. The most common microorganism associated with vertebral osteomyelitis is the bacteria "staphylococcus aureus". Another strain of "staphylococcus aureus", commonly known as "Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus" (MRSA), is a particularly harmful microorganism that is more difficult to treat than other related strains. "Streptococcus equisimilis" may also be responsible for the onset of vertebral osteomyelitis, though it is thought to be less virulent than "staphylococcus aureus".
Diagnosis.
Diagnosis of vertebral osteomyelitis is often complicated due to the delay between the onset of the disease and the initial display of symptoms. Before pursuing radiological methods of testing, physicians often order a full blood test to see how the patient's levels compare to normal blood levels in a healthy body. In a complete blood test, the C-reactive protein (CRP) is an indicator of infection levels, the complete blood count (CBC) evaluates the presence of white and red blood cells, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) tests for inflammation in the body. Anomalous values that lie outside the acceptable ranges in any of these subcategories confirm the presence of infection in the body and indicate that further diagnostic measures are necessary. Blood tests may prove inconclusive and may not serve as enough evidence to confirm the presence of vertebral osteomyelitis. Diagnosis can also be complicated due to the disease's similarity to discitis, commonly known as an infection of the disc space. Both diseases are characterized by a patient's inability to walk and concentrated back pain; however, patients with vertebral osteomyelitis often appear more ill than those with discitis. Additional measures may be called upon to rule out the possibility of discitis; such approaches include diagnosing the disease through various medical imaging techniques.
Radiological Diagnosis.
Radiological intervention is often necessary to confirm the presence of vertebral osteomyelitis in the body. Plain-film radiological orders are necessary for all patients displaying symptoms of the disease. This diagnostic approach is often preliminary to other radiological procedures, such as magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, computed tomography (CT) scan, fine-needle aspiration biopsy, and nuclear scintigraphy. The initial plain-film X-ray images are scanned for any indication of disc compression between two vertebrae or the degeneration of one or more vertebrae. Only when these findings are ambiguous is further testing necessary to diagnose the disease. Other radiological approaches offer more comprehensive imaging of the spinal area, but can often prove inconclusive. MRI scans do not expose the patient to radiation and are highly sensitive to changes in the size and appearance of the intervertebral discs; however, findings on the MRI scan may be confused with other conditions such as the presence of tumors or bone fractures. If MRI imaging is inconclusive, the high sensitivity to erosions in the vertebrae or intervertebral discs of CT scans may be preferred for their ability to indicate signs of the disease more clearly than MRI. Additional tests may be ordered if such preliminary tests cannot confirm a diagnosis; for example, needle biopsies may be needed to take samples of bone surrounding the disc space where the infection is thought to live, or nuclear bone scans may be used to contrast areas of healthy bone with areas of infection.
Treatment.
Treatment options for vertebral osteomyelitis depend on the severity of the infection. Since the use of intravenous antibiotics seems to eliminate the responsible pathogen in most cases of vertebral osteomyelitis, physicians often attempt nonsurgical intervention before considering surgical options of treatment.
Nonsurgical intervention.
Nonsurgical intervention is often desired because it possesses less risk to the body of further infection that can occur if the body is unnecessarily exposed to other outside pathogens during surgery. Intravaneous antibiotics may be prescribed to kill the microorganism causing the infection. Such antibiotics are administered at a continuous rate for a varying amount of time, lasting from four weeks to several months. The outcome for patients who undergo intravaneous infusion differs according to factors such as age, strength of the immune system, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). If intervention through antibiotics fails, patients are directed toward surgical treatment options.
Surgical intervention.
Surgery may be required for patients with advanced cases of vertebral osteomyelitis. Spinal fusion is a common approach to destroying the microorganism causing the disease and rebuilding parts of the spine that were lost due to the infection. Fusions can be approached anteriorly or posteriorly, or both, depending on where the infection is located in the vertebral area. Spinal fusions involve cleaning the infected area of the spine and inserting instrumentation to stabilize the vertebrae and disc(s). Such instrumentation often includes bone grafts harvested from other areas of the body or from a bone bank, where bone fragments are harvested from deceased donors. The new bone graft is secured in the appropriate spinal region through the use of supporting rods and screws, most of which are made from titanium. Rods of this material promote healing and fusion of the bones more efficiently than stainless steel rods and are also more visible on MRI.
Prognosis.
Mortality rates are noted to be higher in patients whose infection is due to the bacteria "staphylococcus aureus". However, if diagnosed quickly and treated correctly, patients with "staphylococcus aureus" experience better outcomes than those with the disease caused by other microorganisms. The subtle progression of vertebral osteomyelitis places patients at risk for paralysis, especially if the infection is concentrated in the thoracic or cervical vertebrae. Research published in "The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery" (1997) notes that most patients do not experience symptoms of the infection following surgical intervention; therefore, patients with an advanced case of vertebral osteomyelitis who undergo a surgical approach often experience better outcomes than those treated solely through intravaneous antibiotics.


Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children

The Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children (FIMRC) is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to providing healthcare to medically underserved families worldwide. FIMRC currently conducts medical care clinics or projects in nine countries, including Ecuador, the Philippines, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, India, Nicaragua, Peru and Uganda.
History.
FIMRC was founded in 2002 by Vikram Bakhru, a then-medical student (at George Washington University). Today, FIMRC coordinates the volunteer efforts and clinical rotations of over 700 people annually, and has provided medical care, either directly or indirectly, to hundreds of thousands of children, mothers and families across the globe.
Foundation goals.
FIMRC seeks to provide medical care in underserved areas by:
Activities.
FIMRC operates a Global Health Volunteer Program aimed at immersion in the local health care system, as well as community development. Speciality program is also available depending on academic and professional needs. Sample programs include: CHIRP (Comparative Healthcare Immersion Rotation Program) as an elective credit rotation program designed to provide third and fourth-year medical students with exposure to healthcare in developing countries. Students who participate in CHIRP typically receive focused lectures, clinical exposure, community health experience. Additional programs include the Summer International Health Fellowship, their Internship Program, a Nursing Rotation Program, among others. FIMRC also partners with UniversalGiving, an online nonprofit organization to offer its volunteer placement program in countries listed below.
Locations.
Costa Rica.
In 2005, FIMRC established a clinic in San Felipe, Alajuelita (approximately 5 km outside San José). Serving the largely Nicaraguan refugee population of San Felipe, Jasmín, and Los Pinos, the clinic provides women and children with consistent access to desperately needed healthcare, health monitoring, and health education. The clinic directs its efforts towards treating and preventing health concerns such as head lice, malnutrition, persistent bronchial infection, gastrointestinal microbe infections, unplanned pregnancies, alcoholism, drug addiction, and HIV.
El Salvador.
FIMRC operates a clinic in Las Delicias (near San Salvador) that seeks to treat gastroenteritis, influenza, malaria, measles, pneumonia, and bronchitis, each of which is caused or complicated by the malnutrition, poor sanitation, and poor housing conditions that the children of Las Delicias experience.
Dominican Republic.
FIMRC operates in Restauración, Dominican Republic, just 12 km from the Haitian border. FIMRC works to improve access to quality healthcare and is integrated heavily into the community, driving both health education and construction projects, such as a latrine program to the most vulnerable of the population.
India.
FIMRC now operates a fully functional rural clinic, partners with local hospitals as well as local creches to provide clinical and preventative health services to the people of Kodaikanal.
Nicaragua.
FIMRC provides medical care to children living in the rural western town of Limón, Nicaragua, which is near the city of Rivas through its very own Pediatric Health Program, a program offered to the community free of charge and boasting the region's only specialized clinical services. FIMRC also operates a number of community-based programs, such as the Diabetic Program, Developmental Group and Prenatal Program.
Peru.
FIMRC volunteers in Peru work directly with the Ministry of Health to treat and educate Peruvians. This is done by offering hands-on assistance to medical doctors in hospitals, operating interactive health education workshops in local schools and orphanages, and forming cultural connections with local communities through various activities.
Uganda.
FIMRC operates a clinic in rural Uganda in Bududa, Mbale and serves nearly 18,000 patients a year. FIMRC's clinic was the first to establish an innovative station system developed by FIMRC staff members aimed at improving clinical function. Community members have also been trained and make up part of the outreach team, which reaches nearly 100,000 people per year and focuses on relevant health issues in the area.


Charles Allen Cary

Charles Allen Cary (1861–1935) was born and educated in Iowa. He received the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Iowa State University in 1887. He did graduate work at the University of Missouri and in Germany. In 1892, Dr. Cary taught the first veterinary science course at the Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical College, now Auburn University.
In 1893, he was appointed professor of physiology and veterinary science, as well as experiment station veterinarian. In both capacities, he was remembered as a dynamic teacher. He became Alabama's first State Veterinarian in 1905, during which time he led in establishing meat and dairy inspection laws.
In 1907, he was named Dean of the new College of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn, the first such school in the South. He held that position until his death in 1935. Dr. Cary was President of the Alabama Veterinary Association, the Alabama Livestock Association, and the United States Livestock Sanitary Association. His campaigns to eradicate bovine tuberculosis and Texas tick fever were among the many accomplishments that led to his recognition as the Father of Veterinary Medicine in the South. In 1957, he was elected to the Alabama Hall of Fame.
At the first Charles Allen Cary Lecture given at Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine, January 27, 1992, Dr. Charles W. Schwabe from the University of California at Davis, said: "I can think of no other veterinarian who more profoundly influenced through his professional lifetime, the health and well being of a whole region of this country than Charles Allen Cary."
Charles Allen Cary was inducted into the Alabama Men's Hall of Fame in 1992. He was married to Emma Heck Cary, with whom he had three children. Emma Cary founded the Auburn Women's Club and the Auburn Equal Suffrage Association.
Cary is best known for his fight to rid Alabama livestock of fever ticks. Brucellosis and tuberculosis testing were furthered by his research and practical applications. When farmers sought hog cholera serum at low prices, Cary used his influence to establish a plant at Auburn to make it. His Saturday clinics and summer institutes taught farmers about the prevention and treatment of diseases of animals. In 1896 he helped to establish at Montgomery the first meat inspection system in the United States, following that up with meat and milk inspection ordinances in all major Alabama cities. Through his efforts the first school of veterinary science in the South was established at Auburn and he served as dean of that school for 28 years. The veterinary science building on the campus now bears his name.


Annular pancreas

Annular pancreas is a rare condition in which the second part of the duodenum is surrounded by a ring of pancreatic tissue continuous with the head of the pancreas. This portion of the pancreas can constrict the duodenum and block or impair the flow of food to the rest of the intestines. It is estimated to occur in 1 out of 12,000 to 15,000 newborns. The ambiguity arises from the fact that not all cases are symptomatic.
Signs and Symptoms.
Early signs of abnormality include polyhydramnios (an excess of amniotic fluid), low birth weight, and feeding intolerance immediately after birth, in particular a tendency to epigastric distention associated with non-biliary vomiting (the obstruction is generally above the papilla of Vater, therefore superior than the junction with the bile ducts).
Different chromosomal diseases (for example trisomy 21 and, with a minor frequency, trisomy 18 and trisomy 13) are present in about 33% of subjects affected by annular pancreas.
In adults, the clinical picture is often dominated by the sensation of postprandial distension, abdominal pain in the epigastric region, nausea and vomiting that may be present for a long time (sometimes for years) before reaching a precise diagnosis.
Causes.
It is typically associated with abnormal embryological development, however adult cases can develop. It can result from growth of a bifid ventral pancreatic bud around the duodenum, where the parts of the bifid ventral bud fuse with the dorsal bud, forming a pancreatic ring. It can also result if the ventral pancreatic bud fails to fully rotate, so it remains on the right or if the dorsal bud rotates in the wrong direction, such that the duodenum is surrounded by pancreatic tissue. Blockage of the duodenum develops if inflammation (pancreatitis) develops in the annular pancreas.
Diagnosis.
Postnatal diagnostic procedures include abdominal x-ray and ultrasound, CT scan, and upper GI and small bowel series.
Abdominal radiography can show the classic sign of the "double bubble": the presence of air in the stomach and duodenum. Unfortunately, this double-bubble sign is not pathognomonic for annular pancreas, as it can also be observed in other conditions, such as duodenal atresia and intestinal malrotation.
Upper GI series may be suggestive of annular pancreas, especially if they show a duodenal narrowing of the second portion of the duodenum and the concomitant dilatation of the proximal duodenum. In some cases it is possible to have signs of inverse peristalsis of the duodenal tract which is proximal to the narrowing caused by the annular pancreas, and the dilatation of the duodenal portion distal to the anomaly.
An abdominal CT scan or an MRI allows to highlight the narrowing of the descending duodenal tract and the ring of pancreatic tissue surrounding the duodenum: this ring can be complete or, in patients with an incomplete annular pancreas, extended in a postero-lateral or anterolateral direction with respect to the second part of the duodenum.
ERCP or MRCP with secretin allow precise delineation of the anatomical structure and in particular a good visualization of pancreatic ducts, as well as a careful analysis of pancreatic secretion into the duodenum lumen.
Treatment.
In neonates, treatment for relief of obstruction usually is bypassing the obstructed segment of duodenum by duodeno-jejunostomy. In adults, due to the minor duodenal mobility, the approach is laparoscopic gastrojejunostomy or duodenojejunostomy.


Hal Downey

Hal Downey (1877-1959) was an American hematologist.
In 1923, he contributed to the characterization of reactive lymphocytes, which are sometimes called "Downey cells".


Guenther Boden

Guenther Boden (January 8, 1935 – October 13, 2015) was a German-born American endocrinologist and diabetes researcher who helped link insulin resistance with fatty acids in the blood. Dr. Boden was born in Ludwigshafen, Germany on January 8, 1935. He received an M.S. from Heidelberg University in 1956 and an M.D. from Munich University, School of Medicine in 1959. Dr. Boden completed a doctoral thesis at the Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry in Munich in 1960. Dr. Boden completed a postdoctoral fellowship in biochemistry at Tuebingen University in Germany in 1965. He then continued his medical practice and studies in the United States. Dr. Boden was a research fellow in Medicine at the E.P. Joslin Research Laboratory, Harvard Medical School from 1965–1967, where he also served as Assistant in Medicine at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. He then assumed the position of Assistant and Associate Resident in Medicine at Rochester General Hospital.
In 1970, Dr. Boden arrived at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as an Assistant Professor of Medicine. Dr. Boden spent the next 45 years at Temple University Hospital, serving as the Chief, Section of Diabetes and Metabolism; Chief, Division of Endocrinology/Metabolism and Program Director of the General Clinical Research Center, among other positions. Dr. Boden was the recipient of numerous awards and honors and served on the editorial boards of many academic journals, including the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Clinical Diabetes and Diabetes, to name a few. He was a prolific speaker and author on topics relating to diabetes and metabolism, having published more than 230 articles and written more than 50 chapters in peer-reviewed journals and medical books.


John Ray Webster

John Ray Webster (born March 31, 1942) is an American competitive checkers player, veterinarian, farmer, retired military officer, and musician. A national checkers champion and grand-master, Webster won the United States Blitz GAYP title at the American Checker Federation National Championship in 2011. He has won the North Carolina Checkers Championship eleven times and represented the United States, as a member of the United States International Checkers Team, in the World Checkers/Draughts Championship in England in 1989 and Las Vegas in 2005. In 2011 he represented the United States at the World Qualifier Checkers Tournament in Italy.
Early life and family.
Webster was born on March 31, 1942 in Stoneville, North Carolina, the youngest of five children, to James Jefferson Webster and Nannie Hurt Strong. His father was a local farmer, businessman, and politician who served as the county commissioner for Rockingham County. Through his mother he is descended from Scottish emigrants George Irving and Jane McDonald, who came to the United States in 1834 from Closeburn, Dumfriesshire aboard the "Hector". His maternal grandparents, Margaret May Irving and James Robert Strong, inherited a large tobacco farm along the Dan River from Irving's parents, Walter Scott Irving and Margaret Hurt Robertson, a member of a Virginian colonial family. Through his mother, he is related to the mathematician Ione Grogan. The last post office for the former community of Waddell, North Carolina was operated out of the east room of the Irving farm house. Webster's parents later owned the farm.
Education and career.
Webster attended North Carolina State University as an undergraduate student and obtained a doctorate in veterinary medicine from Oklahoma State University-Stillwater. He works as a veterinarian in Rockingham County, specializing in livestock. He served in the United States Army with the rank of captain.
Webster lives in Stoneville. He is a musician, playing the bass fiddle with the Green House River Band, a bluegrass band that performs in North Carolina and Virginia. Webster manages his family's farm, now a cattle farm, which he and his siblings inherited from their father.
Checkers career.
A competitive checkers player, Webster won the United States Blitz Go-As-You-Please Championship at the American Checker Federation National Championship in Medina, Ohio on July 25, 2011. He also won the North Carolina State Checkers Open in Greensboro, North Carolina on May 18, 2011 and the Southern Open in Lebanon, Tennessee on July 10, 2011. He was a silver medalist at the West Tennessee Strawberry Festival Open on 7 May 2011 in Humboldt, Tennessee. In October 2011 he competed in San Remo, Italy at the World Qualifier Checkers Tournament. Webster began playing checkers when he was ten years old at country general stores. He traveled to play in Reidsville, Danville, Draper, Burlington, and Winston-Salem through the YMCA's Chess & Checkers Association. His first North Carolina State tournament, when he was sixteen years old, was in Hickory in 1958. He has won the North Carolina checkers championship eleven times. He also acted as an early checkers mentor for his nephew and competitive checkers player, Jeff.
In 2005 he placed seventh at the Tennessee State Championships. In 2007 he won the U.S. GAYP National Championship in Las Vegas. He was a member of the United States International Checkers Team four times, playing in the United States vs. United Kingdom and Ireland international matches. Webster was a top player in two international matches, at Weston-Super-Mare in England in 1989 and again in Las Vegas in 2005. In September 2014 Webster competed at the 97th Annual Virginia State Checkers Tournament in Bedford.
In 2015 Webster won the Tennessee State Open in Lebanon, Tennessee.
The John Webster GAYP Tournament, hosted by the American Checkers Federation, is named in honor of Webster.


Timothy Jost

Timothy S. Jost is a professor at the Washington and Lee University School of Law. He is the co-author of "Health Law", a widely used textbook. His analysis and arguments regarding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA, Obamacare) have been widely quoted.


PHACE syndrome

PHACE syndrome is a cutaneous condition characterized by multiple congenital abnormalities. The mnemonic PHACE stands for Posterior fossa brain malformations, Hemangioma, Arterial lesions, Cardiac abnormalities, and Eye abnormalities.
PHACE syndrome should be considered in infants with large plaque-type facial hemangiomas. Children presenting with this dermatologic manifestation should receive careful ophthalmologic, cardiac, and neurologic assessment.
According to one study in infants with large hemangiomas, one-third have extracutaneous manifestations consistent with the diagnosis of PHACE syndrome. The most common are cerebrovascular and cardiovascular anomalies.
Signs and symptoms.
Hemangiomas associated with PHACE syndrome are usually small or not visible at birth, but are easier to see during the first days to weeks of life. They can grow rapidly. Hemangiomas linked with PHACE syndrome tend to cover a large area of the face, head or neck, either as one lesion or as many single lesions.
Patients who suffer from PHACE syndrome may also experience symptoms such as:
Complications.
As it grows, the hemangioma can break down skin, distort facial features or get in the way of other vital functions, such as breathing, vision, and hearing. Other complications will depend on what other structures are involved. These could include developmental delay, seizures, headaches, and abnormal muscle tone if the brain is involved.
Cause.
The cause of PHACE syndrome is currently unknown. Researchers believe that it is caused by a postzygotic somatic mosaic mutation or a mutation that can occur on any autosomal chromosome. Due to its mosaic pattern it may be harder to determine the cause since a fraction of the cells in the body contain the mutated DNA while the rest contain unaffected strands. The disorder may also be caused by several genetic, but also environmental factors.
Diagnosis.
Since the initial sign of PHACE syndrome is usually a large facial hemangioma, infants that are born with such a sign should be further analyzed to diagnose or rule out PHACE syndrome. A series of radiologic tests such as a magnetic resonance images (MRI) or a magnetic resonance angiograms (MRA) of the head, neck, and chest. Following the series of imaging tests, the physician should perform an echocardiogram on the infant to observe any abnormalities. If there are any abnormalities detected on these scans, the infant may suffer from PHACE syndrome.
Treatment.
Due to the disorders rare occurrence there is no standardized treatment or protocol. There were no clinical trials conducted on patients that suffer from PHACES syndrome, therefore, we are unaware of the safety or potential treatment for such a condition. At this moment we can find a series of single case reports of patients.
Physicians treat specific syndromes of the disorder in order to improve the lives of patients. Testament usually involves a collaboration of many medical professionals. These medical professionals include, but are not limited to: dermatologists, doctors who have specialized in diagnosing and treating skin disorder; ophthalmologists, specialists of the eyes; cardiologist, doctors of the heart; endocrinologists, specialists of the endocrine system; neurologists and or neurosurgeons, specialist in treating and diagnosing conditions of the brain; otolaryngologists, specialists of the ear, nose, and throat; dentists, who are specialized in treating conditions of the teeth, speech pathologists; psychiatrists, and many others.
Management.
PHACE syndrome needs to be managed by a multidisciplinary team of experts. Additional specialties such as cardiology, ophthalmology, neurology, and neurosurgery may need to be involved. The team of experts pay close attention to how these children develop throughout the school age period.
PHACE syndrome Handbook - Dr. Beth Drolet
In 2013, the PHACE syndrome Community was formed. The non-profit entity was developed to raise awareness about the condition, support patients and families of those with the condition and raise money for research into causes and treatment.
History.
PHACE syndrome is the uncommon association between large infantile hemangiomas, usually of the face, and birth defects of the brain, heart, eyes, skin and/or arteries. It is an acronym that stands for the medical names of the parts of the body it often impacts:
Sometimes an "S" is added to PHACE making the acronym PHACES; with the "S" standing for "Sternal defects" and/or "Supraumbilical raphe."
In 1993, an association between large facial hemangiomas and brain defects among 9 subjects was reported. 3 years later, a larger case study was published showing a wider spectrum of grouped malformations. The association of anomalies and the PHACES acronym was first coined by Dr. Vail Reese and Dr. Ilona Frieden in 1996, making it a newly described syndrome. A diagnosis is generally made from the physical examination, along with imaging of the head and chest, and an eye examination. PHACE is most commonly diagnosed among female infants. Long-term quality of life varies.
Hemangioma growth phase can last anywhere from 6 to 18 months. Then involution, or healing, of the hemangioma begins. Laser and other surgeries usually are able to make a substantial positive impact on appearance. Long after the hemangioma recedes, any damage it or the other defects caused, may remain. Migraines are common, as are developmental delays.


Moritz Litten

Moritz Litten (August 10, 1845 – May 31, 1907) was a German physician who was a native of Berlin. He was a son-in-law to pathologist Ludwig Traube (1818–1876).
Biography.
He studied medicine at the Universities of Heidelberg, Marburg and Berlin, earning his medical doctorate in 1868. From 1872 to 1876 he worked at the Allerheiligen Hospital in Breslau, and in the meantime, served as an assistant to Julius Friedrich Cohnheim (1839–1884). From 1876 to 1882 he worked in the clinic of Friedrich Theodor von Frerichs at Berlin-Charité. In 1884 he obtained the title of professor.
Litten is remembered for being the first physician to describe vitreous bleeding in correlation with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). In 1881 he published his findings in "Ueber einige vom allgemein-klinischen Standpunkt aus interessante Augenveränderungen" (Berl Klin Wochenschr 18: 23– 27). Several years later, French ophthalmologist Albert Terson noticed these symptoms in a patient, and the condition is now known as "Terson's syndrome".
In 1880 Litten documented one of the earliest known cases of a paradoxical embolism in a patient undergoing anaesthesia.


Mucoactive agent

Mucoactive agents are a class of chemical agents that aid in the clearance of mucus from the upper and lower airways, including the lungs, bronchi, and trachea. Mucoactive drugs include expectorants, mucolytics, mucoregulators, and mucokinetics. These medications are used in the treatment of respiratory diseases that are complicated by the oversecretion or inspissation of mucus. These drugs can be further categorized by their mechanism of action.
Mechanism of action.
In general, clearance ability is hampered by the bonding to surfaces (stickiness), and by the viscosity of mucous secretions in the lungs. In turn, the viscosity is dependent upon the concentration of mucoprotein in the secretions.
Expectorants and mucolytic agents are different types of medication, yet both are intended to promote drainage of mucus from the lungs.
An expectorant (from the Latin "expectorare", to expel or banish) works by signaling the body to increase the amount or hydration of secretions, resulting in more yet clearer secretions and as a byproduct lubricating the irritated respiratory tract.
One expectorant, guaifenesin, is commonly available in many cough syrups and also as long release tablets.
Mucolytics can dissolve thick mucus and are usually used to help relieve respiratory difficulties. They do this by breaking down the chemical bonds between molecules in the mucus. This in turn can lower the viscosity by altering the mucin-containing components.
Alternatively, attacking the affinity between secretions and the biological surfaces is another avenue, which is used by abhesives and surfactants.
Any of these effects could improve airway clearance during coughing.
Mucoactive drugs.
Many mucoactive drugs are available, including sodium citrate or potassium citrate, potassium iodide, guaifenesin, tolu balsam, vasaka, and ammonium chloride.
Mucolytic drugs available include acetylcysteine, ambroxol, bromhexine, carbocisteine, erdosteine, mecysteine, and dornase alfa.


John Cowan (physician)

John Cowan was an American physician and phrenologist who wrote on sexual health, women's rights, and the evils of tobacco.
His 1869 manual for married couples, "The Science of a New Life", was endorsed by the suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton. It was issued in many editions, with parts of the original text expurgated to suit prevailing morality, such as his advice about contraception. It was re-issued with the new title of "What All Married People Should Know" in 1903. In his 1870 book, "Self-help in the Attainment of Perfection of Character and Success in Life", he described himself as a "practical phrenologist".


Coronary ligament of the knee

The coronary ligaments of the knee (also known as meniscotibial ligaments) are portions of the joint capsule which connect the inferior edges of the fibrocartilaginous menisci to the periphery of the tibial plateaus.
Structure.
The coronary ligaments of the knee are continuous with the joint capsule and the menisci.
Function.
The coronary ligaments function to connect parts of the outside, inferior edges of the medial and lateral menisci to the joint capsule of the knee.
The medial meniscus also has firm attachments laterally to the "intercondylar area of the tibia" and medially to the tibial collateral ligament.
The lateral meniscus has firm attachments medially to the intercondylar area via the ends of the meniscus, and posteromedially via the posterior meniscofemoral ligament, which attaches the posterior limb of the meniscus to the posterior cruciate ligament and medial femoral condyle. The lateral meniscus is not directly connected to the fibular collateral ligament, and is thus more movable than the medial meniscus.


Joseph Capuron

Joseph Capuron (10 May 1767, in Larroque-Saint-Sernin – 1850) was a French obstetrician.
In 1802 he received his medical doctorate in Paris, where in 1822 he obtained his agrégation at the faculty of medicine. In 1823 he became a member of the Académie Nationale de Médecine.
Published works.
Capuron published several treatises on diseases of women and children, however his best known literary effort was an 1806 dictionary of medicine called "Nouveau dictionnaire de médecine, de chirurgie, de physique, de chimie et d'histoire naturelle". In 1810, Capuron and physiologist Pierre-Hubert Nysten (1771–1818) published a second edition of the dictionary. Afterwards, there were numerous revisions and editions (as well as changes to the title of the dictionary) by Nysten, Émile Littré (1801–1881), et al. The twenty-first and final edition was published in 1908. His other works include:


Tom Philp

Thomas Philp FRCPED, FRCR (19 April 1923 – 18 December 1994) was a Scottish consultant radiologist.
Early life.
Tom Philp was educated at Strathallan School in Perthshire and the University of Edinburgh, graduating (MB, ChB) in 1945. Between 1946 and 1948 he completed his national service with the Royal Army Medical Corps serving in West Africa and India attaining the rank of major.
Radiologist.
On his return to Edinburgh, Philp joined the Radiology Department at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh where he was appointed registrar 1951, senior registrar in 1952 and senior hospital medical officer in 1953. He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Radiologists and was appointed consultant at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh in 1956.
Philp conducted extensive research in cardiovascular radiology at a time when traditional radiological techniques were undergoing an evolutionary period. In 1971, he was awarded a World Health Organization travelling fellowship to Japan where he researched new developments in gastrointestinal radiology.
In 1975, Philp was treasurer of the IIIrd European Congress of Radiology in Edinburgh. His signature contribution was to set up an investment trust for the benefit of radiologists. Philp was awarded the Boris Rajewsky Medal in the same year by the European Association of Radiology for his contributions to radiology.
From 1978-1979, he served as president of the Scottish Radiological Society. Between 1978 and 1986 he was in administrative charge of the Radiology Department at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh; chairman of various radiological and medical committees, and an examiner for the Royal College of Radiologists.
Philp served as treasurer of the Royal College of Radiologists from 1983-1988. He retired from the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh in 1986.


Direct care

Direct care is the care of an identified patient by an identified clinical professional, used throughout the National Health Service in the United Kingdom.
Definition.
The Second Caldicott Report, chaired by Dame Fiona Caldicott, defined direct care as:
There is no consensus on whether the definition should include measures of person satisfaction including measurement of outcomes undertaken by one or more registered and regulated health or social care professionals and their team with whom the individual has a legitimate relationship for their care. Such considerations may come under individual audit mechanisms, however healthcare systems may seek wider access for the purposes of their bureaucracy.
Direct Care is contrasted with Secondary Uses, which are all other uses of medical records, usually as bulk personal datasets, some of which have been the source of international controversy. Examples of secondary uses include health care analytics, risk stratification, medical research, and pharmaceutical marketing. Uses of health care records without patient consent are controversial.
Direct care in nursing.
In nursing, direct care of a patient is provided personally by a staff member. Direct patient care may involve any aspects of the health care of a patient, including treatments, counselling, self-care, patient education and administration of medication.
Limitations of audit.
In the second report for the Department of Health, Fiona Caldicott wrote that:


Thomas Goulard

Thomas Goulard (1697–1784) was a French surgeon famous for Goulard's extract, a solution of lead(II) acetate and lead(II) oxide which was formerly used as an astringent. Goulard was a surgeon and anatomist in Montpellier who specialized in genitourinary disorders. His best known written work is titled "Oeuvres de Chirurgie".


Walter Schiller

Dr. Walter Schiller (3 December 1887, Vienna – 2 May 1960, Evanston, Illinois) was an austrian-born American pathologist. He published primarily in the field of gynaecological cancer, and described Schiller's test and Schiller-Duval bodies.
Biography.
Dr. Walter Schiller was born in Vienna in 1887, the only child of Friedrich and Emma Schiller, who were of Jewish descent. He studied in Vienna, working as a demonstrator of physiology under Sigmund Exner and pathology under Anton Weichselbaum. He received his doctorate from the University of Vienna in 1912, and worked as a bacteriologist in the Bulgarian Army during the First Balkan War in the same year. He trained in pathology under Weichselbaum, and was a "Medizinaloffizier" in charge of a medical laboratory in the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I, serving in Bosnia, Russia, Turkey and Palestine.
From 1918 to 1921 he was pathologist to the Second Military Hospital of Vienna, where he worked with Hans Eppinger. From 1921 to 1936 he was Director of Laboratories at the second Gynaecological Clinic of the University of Vienna, where he carried out studies on cervical cancer and developed his eponymous test. He published this work in German in 1927 and in English in 1933, and wrote one of the earliest papers on dysgerminoma in 1934. Schiller travelled extensively during the 1930s, lecturing in England, Dublin and the United States.
In 1937 he emigrated to the United States with his wife and two daughters due to the threat of Nazism, working initially at the Jewish Memorial Hospital in New York City. He became Director of Pathology at the Cook County Hospital, Chicago in 1938, and started publishing on ovarian tumours in 1939. He described yolk sac tumours, and the Schiller-Duval bodies which had previously been described in rats by Mathias-Marie Duval.


Steeple sign

In radiology, the steeple sign is a radiologic sign found on a frontal neck radiograph where subglottic tracheal narrowing produces the shape of a church steeple within the trachea itself. The presence of the steeple sign supports a diagnosis of croup, usually caused by paramyxoviruses. it can also be defined as the replacement of the usual squared-shoulder appearance of the subglottic area by cone shaped narrowing just distal to the vocal cords. This is called the steeple or pencil-point sign.


World Sport Stacking Association

The World Sport Stacking Association (WSSA) is the international governing body for sport stacking. The WSSA, which is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, sanctions stacking competitions worldwide and maintains world and national records for the sport.
History.
In 2001, Bob Fox, the founder of the cup manufacturer Speed Stacks, formed the World Cup Stacking Association (WCSA). The WCSA formally renamed themselves the World Sport Stacking Association to coincide with the new name for the sport in 2005.


Theron Randolph

Theron Grant Randolph (July 7, 1906 – September 29, 1995) was a physician, allergist, and researcher from the United States. He studied food allergies, chemical sensitivities, and preventive care. Randolph, along with other American allergists, objected to the definition of allergies as arising from serological abnormalities; this definition, common among European allergists of Randolph's day, excluded from consideration the kinds of adverse environmental reactions that Randolph studied. Randolph authored four books and over 300 medical articles and is considered the "Father of Clinical Ecology". According to his obituary in the "New York Times", "traditional medical bodies ... which contended there was no scientific basis for his approach, are sharply skeptical of Dr. Randolph's unorthodox therapies". The obituary then goes on to note a, "small but discernible shift in attitude toward the issue of chemical sensitivity. In 1991, a workshop of the National Academy of Sciences agreed on a definition, designating as a syndrome cases in which patients react to chemicals at levels far lower than what is normally tolerated."
Research area.
Randolph was an allergologist who graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School, was a research fellow in allergy and immunology at the Harvard Medical School, and then taught at the Northwestern University Medical School until, as he put it, he was forced out because of his unorthodox teaching. He wrote extensively about his clinical research into multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), a controversial condition at that time that has slowly grown in acceptance.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences definition of MCS as a "chronic, recurring disease caused by a person's inability to tolerate an environmental chemical or class of foreign chemicals" is consistent with Dr. Randolph's writings. The general prevalence of MCS in the U.S. is considered to be approximately 15% of the population. However, the "2008 Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses" confirmed that at least 25% of previously healthy young soldiers suffered from MCS, having become sensitized during their tours of duty. Demonstrating that Theron Randolph was a man before his time, the committee wrote, “It is well established that some people are more vulnerable to adverse effects of certain chemicals than others, due to variability in biological processes that neutralize those chemicals, and clear them from the body.”
Books.
Randolph wrote four books and over 300 articles, many of which were about clinical ecology and environmental medicine, two non-recognized medical specialties:


Viet Nam Red Cross Society

The Viet Nam Red Cross Society ( ) is a member (National Society) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and has its headquarters in Hanoi. The organisation was established during the First Indochina War, and originally had two branches. The Northern branch was established in Hanoi in 1946, and the Southern branch was established by Dr Ho Van Nhut in Saigon in 1951.
The Southern branch functioned separately from the Northern Branch and was officially recognized by the International Committee of the Red Cross, to address the increasing needs for assistance to Vietnamese civilians caught in the conflict between North and South Vietnam during the Indochina War and to those affected by natural disasters. The official name of the organization was Vietnamese Red Cross (VRC), with its headquarters at an avenue in central Saigon named after the organization. The VRC played an important role in the program of aid to the million refugees from North to South Vietnam, following the Geneva Agreement in 1954.


International Trauma Life Support

International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the education in managing out-of-hospital trauma situations. ITLS was formed in 1982 as Basic Trauma Life Support. The organization's name was changed to highlight its focus on becoming an international standard. The educational materials presented by this organization are taught to emergency medical services' personnel across the United States and internationally.
The 8th edition of the organization's training manual was published in 2015, and an internationalized version of the 8th edition was published in 2018.


Syndesmosis procedure

Syndesmosis procedure is one of the more than 20 bunion surgeries currently being performed. While the majority of bunion surgeries involve the breaking and shifting of bones (osteotomy procedures), syndesmosis procedure is one of few surgical techniques that use a soft tissue or non-osteotomy (non-bone-breaking) approach to afford the same correction. More than 130 different surgical techniques have been described for correction of one single condition of the foot: the bunion deformity.
Purpose.
Bunion (hallux valgus) deformity is actually part of a complex of anatomical derangements of protruding mass (bunion), buckling of big toe (hallux valgus) and the bone behind it (metatarsus primus varus), displaced sesamoid bones (detrimental to the important walking function of big toe), collapsed metatarsal arch and several other secondary changes that are the domino effects of metatarsal primus varus. Thus, metatarsus primus varus correction has become the primary objective of all bunion surgeries.
Primus varus deformity.
Primus varus deformity is the leaning of the first metatarsal bone away from the second metatarsal and towards the opposite foot (Fig. 1). As it leans over, its head sticks out to form the bunion bump and it also widens the forefoot to cause shoes feeling too tight. Thus when bunion pain becomes unmanageable, surgical correction is to narrow the forefoot by repositioning of the first metatarsal head back to its normal position. This can be done by osteotomy (bone-breaking), soft tissue (non-osteotomy) or fusion techniques.
What causes the metatarsus primus varus deformity?
A first metatarsal bone would lean towards one side is because “the medial hood ligament is stretched” and as it becomes weak and incompetent the first metatarsal would lose its support and then gradually shift out of place to form the metatarsus primus varus deformity.
What causes ligaments to fail?
Female hormone estrogen and genetic inheritance are the two primary factors behind the weak ligaments of bunion feet. Bunion deformity was found more common in people wearing shoes by a study in Hong Kong and increased in Japan due to changing in footwear to Western style. Aging, degeneration and trauma have also been attributed to weakening of the responsible ligaments.
Technique.
Syndesmosis procedure addresses specifically the two fundamental problems of metatarsus primus varus deformity that gives rise to the bunion deformity. They are leaning and instability of the first metatarsal bone . Syndesmosis procedure uprights the leaning first metatarsal bone with strong binding sutures between it and the second metatarsal bone (Fig. 2) and then also stabilizes it uniquely by creating a fibrous connecting bridge between these two bones (Fig. 3, 4). First metatarsal bone can be readily realigned because by definition of the metatarsus primus varus deformity its first metatarsal is abnormally loose and mobile.
Advantages.
Specific cautions afterwards
Possible complications
History.
The surgical technique of syndesmosis procedure originated from the osteodesis procedure that was first described by Botteri in 1961. It has since been studied and reported by Pagella in 1971, Irwin in 1999 and Wu in 2007. Syndesmosis itself is a normal anatomical structure for the purpose of connecting two parallel long bones side by side, such as the tibia and fibula bones. The naming of syndesmosis procedure was thus to reflect the essence of the technique which is to create a “syndesmosis” mechanism to provide permanent stability to the first metatarsal to prevent recurrence. Both the bone-binding-sutures and syndesmosis-connection concepts are unique and revolutionary in a world of bunion surgery overwhelmingly dominated by osteotomy (bone-breaking) tradition.
Other options.
Late deformity recurrence can happen after osteotomy (bone-breaking) procedures because osteotomy surgeries do not specifically stabilize first metatarsal bone.
"For recurrence correction after fusion procedure" (Fig. 9)
Metatarsus primus varus deformity and pain recurred 6 months after modified Lapidus procedure and it could also be again corrected by the syndesmosis procedure.


Tubular heart

The tubular heart or primitive heart tube is the earliest stage of heart development.
From the inflow to the outflow, it consists of sinus venosus, primitive atrium, the primitive ventricle, the bulbus cordis, and truncus arteriosus.
It forms primarily from splanchnic mesoderm. More specifically, they form from endocardial tubes, starting at day 21.


Transforming Community Services

Transforming Community Services was a programme in the English NHS which operated from 2008 at a national level and continued during the implementation of the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Although the rhetoric of the programme was about improving the quality of community services the reality was mostly concerned with structural changes.
Community services in England did not fit easily into the model of the NHS developed under the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 and were repeatedly reorganised. When primary care trusts were established most of the free-standing community NHS trusts were dissolved and taken over by the PCTs – sometimes being divided up in the process. This left the PCTs in the position of both commissioning and providing services. The Transforming Community Services programme encouraged PCTs to divest themselves of their community services.
In some areas community services were transferred to acute hospital trusts or mental health trusts. Nineteen free-standing community health trusts were established up to 2012. in some areas provision was moved to the private sector. Services in Surrey were transferred to Virgin Healthcare. According to Nigel Edwards "Officials gave the strong impression that they would be happy to see the entire community service workforce moved off the NHS payroll, and policy changes were put in place to assist this".
In other areas NHS staff were encouraged to set up a community interest company in the hope that if owned by the nurses and therapists who run the services the organisations would be more imaginative and flexible. Francis Maude praised Inclusion Healthcare, a very small CIC in Leicester, at a speech in December 2014 saying the company could provide care more cheaply and simply than the NHS. He related how Inclusion had helped a homeless man with leg ulcers who was refusing to go into hospital because he could not afford to put his dog in kennels while he was thereby writing "a cheque for £200 or whatever it cost to have the dog vaccinated and put into kennels". According to Maude, the firm said "actually if we had still been in the NHS we could never have done that without endless process and bureaucracy and auditing and which budget does it come out of, and how do we account for it, and it would never have happened”.
Proposals to move services out of the NHS were not always welcomed by patients or staff. In Gloucestershire proposals to set up a social enterprise were abandoned after a Judicial Review brought by a patient backed by a campaign involving both the public and the staff.


Johann Baptist Chiari

Johann Baptist Chiari (15 June 1817 – 11 December 1854) was an Austrian gynecologist and obstetrician born in Salzburg.
In 1841 he received his medical doctorate at Vienna, where he subsequently practiced obstetrics and gynecology for most of his professional career. In 1853 he became a professor of obstetrics at the University of Prague, and for a short time worked in the Josephinum of Vienna. He died in 1854 at the age of 37 from cholera.
He was the father of pathologist Hans Chiari (1851–1916) and rhinolaryngologist Ottokar Chiari (1853–1918). He was the son-in-law of Johann Klein, to whom he was also an assistant at the first obstetrical clinic in Vienna from 1842 to 1844.
With Karl von Braun-Fernwald (1822–1891) and Joseph Späth (1823–1896), Chiari was co-publisher of an important handbook on obstetrics titled "Klinik der Geburtshilfe und Gynäkologie". This textbook was the first to present the theories of Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis (1818–1865) in regards to hygiene and prevention of the spread of puerperal fever. With German gynecologist Richard Frommel (1854–1912) the eponymous "Chiari-Frommel Syndrome" is named. This is a postnatal disorder that is also known as postpartum galactorrhea-amenorrhea syndrome.


Elizabeth R. Douvan

Elizabeth R. Douvan (1926–2002) was an American psychologist, being the Catherine Neaffie Kellogg Professor of Psychology and Women's Studies at University of Michigan.


Tarsal coalition

Tarsal coalition is an abnormal connecting bridge of tissue between two normally-separate tarsal bones. The term 'coalition' means a coming together of two or more entities to merge into one mass. The tissue connecting the bones, often referred to as a "bar", may be composed of fibrous or osseous tissue. The two most common types of tarsal coalitions are calcaneo-navicular (calcaneonavicular bar) and talo-calcaneal (talocalcaneal bar), comprising 90% of all tarsal coalitions. There are other bone coalition combinations possible, but they are very rare. Symptoms tend to occur in the same location, regardless of the location of coalition: on the lateral foot, just anterior and below the lateral malleolus. This area is called the sinus tarsi.
Symptoms.
The bones of children are very malleable in infancy. This will generally mean that, despite the presence of a coalition, the bones can deform enough to allow painless walking until the child's skeleton has matured enough. 'Skeletal maturing' means that bone is laid down in the tissue that forms the immature bone shape gradually until adult bone is achieved at about the age of seventeen years in the feet. Other body parts reach skeletal maturity at different times. The onset of symptoms related to a tarsal coalition usually occurs at about nine to seventeen years of age, with a peak incidence occurring at ten to fourteen years of age. Symptoms may start suddenly one day and persist, and can include pain (may be quite severe), lack of endurance for activity, fatigue, muscle spasms and cramps, an inability to rotate the foot, or antalgic gait.
Causes.
Tarsal coalition is almost exclusively a product of an error during the dividing of embryonic cells in utero. Other causes of synostosis (bone fusion) could include a surgical 'screwing together' of two bones, a very advanced case of arthritis leading to self-fusion of a joint by an internal process within the body or some other very traumatic event. The birth defect responsible for tarsal coalition is thought to often be an autosomal dominant genetic condition. This means that if you have a parent with the disorder it is highly likely to be passed on to offspring.
Anatomy.
Anatomically, the abnormal connecting 'bridge' is virtually all cartilage in the young child, often nearly all bone in an adult and a mixture as the skeleton ossifies in between these ages. Some fibrous tissue (like gristle) is often also involved. When the bridging link becomes bony enough, it results in a limitation of motion and this brings about the onset of pain.
The bones of the tarsus are the rear most bones in the adjacent diagram: calcaneus, talus, navicular, cuboid, medial cuneiform, intermediate cuneiform and lateral cuneiform bones. These bones create the two major foot joints – the subtalar and midtarsal joints – that allow complex motions to occur in the feet. These motions are necessary for such activities as walking over uneven terrain and creating a gait that allows normal function of the knees, hips, back, etc.
Diagnosis.
In a case of an adolescent with rear foot pain, the physical exam will reveal that the foot movement is limited. This is both because there is a physical blockade to movement and because the brain will 'turn on' the muscles around the area to stop the joint moving toward the painful 'zone'. X-rays will usually be ordered and, in general, if there is enough toughness to the tissue bridge that pain has begun – there will usually be enough bone laid down to show up in an x-ray.
More high-tech investigations such as CT scan will be required if proceeding to surgery. If the bridge appears to be mostly fibrous tissue, an MRI would be the preferred modality to use.
Treatment.
The goal of non-surgical treatment of tarsal coalition is to relieve the symptoms by reducing the movement of the affected joint. This might include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), steroidal anti-inflammatory injection, stabilizing orthotics or immobilization via a leg cast. At times, short term immobilization followed by long term orthotic use may be sufficient to keep the area free of pain.
Surgery is very commonly required. The type and complexity of the surgery will depend on the location of the coalition. Essentially, there are two types of surgery. Wherever possible, the bar will be removed to restore normal motion between the two bones. If this is not possible, it may be necessary to fuse the affected joints together by using screws to connect them solidly. Cutting away the coalition is more likely to succeed the younger the patient. With age comes extra wear in the affected and adjacent joints that makes treatment more difficult.


Steven D. Wexner

Steven D. Wexner is an American surgeon and physician. He is Director of the Digestive Disease Center at Cleveland Clinic Florida, where he has worked since 1988. He has received numerous regional, national, and international research awards. Through his multiple academic appointments, Wexner personally trains 15-20 surgeons each year, and he educates thousands more around the world through conferences and lectures. However he also maintains a clinical practice and continuing research. In 2020 he was elected Vice-Chair of the Board of Regents of the American College of Surgeons. He also serves as Symposium Director of the Annual International Colorectal Disease Symposium, held each year in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Education.
Dr. Wexner received his bachelor's degree from Columbia University in 1978. He earned his MD in 1982 from Weill Cornell Medicine. He completed a general surgery residency in 1987 at Roosevelt Hospital (now Mount Sinai West). In 1988 he completed a fellowship in colon and rectal surgery at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis, MN.
Career.
In 1993, Dr. Wexner was named Chairman of the Department of Colorectal Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Florida. While at Cleveland Clinic he also served as Chairman of the Division of Research and Education from 1996 to 2007, as well as Chief of Staff from 1997 to 2007. He served as Chief Academic Officer from 2007 to 2012. In 2012 He was appointed the Director of the Digestive Diseases Center.
Dr. Wexner holds academic appointments as Affiliate Professor at Florida Atlantic University; Clinical Professor at Florida International University; Affiliate Professor of Surgery at the University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida; Professor of Surgery at the Ohio State University; Clinical Professor of Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University; Affiliate Professor of Surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; Professor of Surgery, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; Visiting Professor, Faculty of Medicine, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel; and Visiting Professor at the University of Belgrade in Serbia.
Dr. Wexner is one of the founders of the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC). The accreditation program was formed in 2017 with the American College of Surgeon's Commission on Cancer to implement nationwide educational and medical standards for the best treatment of rectal cancer.
Innovation and research.
In an interview with Local 10, Dr. Wexner shared that he has been seeing a higher frequency of colorectal cancer in younger patients, due to genetic drift as well as environmental and dietary factors. This is often misdiagnosed until the disease has become advanced, and so Dr. Wexner recommends beginning regular colonoscopy screenings earlier than guidelines currently advise.
J-Pouch Procedures.
Much of Dr. Wexner's work has been focused on improving surgical techniques for the avoidance of permanent stomas in patients with colorectal cancer, ulcerative colitis, and fecal incontinence. He introduced a popular modification to the technique for creating an ileo-anal pouch , or j-pouch for ulcerative colitis, in which double stapling is used in place of sutures to improve results. He also popularized the colonic j-pouch for patients with rectal cancer. The J-pouch, an alternative to a permanent ileostomy or colostomy, allows patients who have had their colons removed to continue to have regular bowel movements without an ostomy bag. This is now the standard of care for patients with rectal carcinoma across the country and world.
Incontinence and Constipation Scores.
The Wexner Incontinence Score is the most common score used to determine the severity of incontinence before and after surgery for anal incontinence. The Wexner Incontinence Score is based on the research of Wexner and his associate J. Marcio N. Jorge, MD. The scoring system takes into account the frequency of incontinence, alterations a patient makes to cope with incontinence, and lifestyle modifications.
Dr. Wexner's research has also developed the Wexner Constipation Score, occasionally known as the Cleveland Clinic Constipation Score.[7] The score measures the severity of constipation by taking into consideration a number of factors, which his research found to correlate with objective physiologic findings. Information on these factors is collected from each patient's subjective reports, and they are given a score. This score allows for appropriate and consistent diagnosis and treatment. The factors include the frequency and completeness of bowel movements, the difficulty of evacuation, the type of assistance used (if any), the patient's level of pain, and duration of constipation.
In 1996, Dr. Wexner and colleagues released a method of scoring perianal disease activity for patients with Crohn's Disease. The goal of the scoring system is to utilize a patient's medical history and the results of physical examination to predict the likelihood of success of surgical intervention. Prior to the development of this method, doctors lacked reliable indices of disease activity or prognostic implications from surgery.
Honors and Awards.
In 1999, Dr. Wexner was awarded an FRCS from the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, Scotland. In 2000 he was awarded an FRCS ad eundum from the Royal College of Surgeons in England. In 2008 he was elected to the Royal College of Surgeons of England by a unanimous vote of its council. This is the highest distinction conferred by the council. In 2015, Dr. Wexner was awarded honorary membership in the European Surgical Association and the European Society of Coloproctology.
In 2013, Dr. Wexner was awarded an honorary foreign membership in the Argentina Society of Coloproctology. In 2012, Dr. Wexner was awarded the degree of PhD honoris causa by the University of Belgrade. In 2003, The American Jewish Committee presented Dr. Wexner with the prestigious Maimonides Award. In 2013, he was awarded Professor Emeritus of I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University. In 2016, Dr. Wexner was recognized by Cleveland Clinic Florida as a Master Clinician.
In 2017, Dr. Wexner was awarded an honorary membership into the Society of General Surgery of Peru, honorary fellowship in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University College London. On June 5, 2019, Dr. Wexner was award an Honorary Fellowship by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, Scotland.
Professional Memberships and Positions.
As of October 2020, Dr. Wexner is Vice-Chair of the Board of Regents of the American College of Surgeons. Through this position he also serves as Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Board of Regents, the Vice-Chair of the Finance Committee of the ACS, and the Regental Liaison to the ACS Board of Governors.
From 2011 to 2012, Dr. Wexner served as president of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, for which he gave a Presidential Address in 2012. Prior to that, from 2010 to 2011 he served as president of the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery. He also served as president of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) from 2006 to 2007. In 2007 he delivered the SAGES Presidential Address entitled "Trials and tribulations in the history of surgical innovation."
Additionally, Dr. Wexner is currently on the Board of Regents of the American College of Surgeons. Within this organization he is on the executive committee for the Commission on Cancer, and he is the chair of the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer.
Dr. Wexner has served as the president of other professional organizations, including the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons Research Foundation, the Florida Gastroenterologic Society, and South Florida Chapter of the American College of Surgeons.
Publications.
Dr. Wexner is the co-editor-in-chief of Surgery. He has served on the editorial team for over 25 textbooks and has published 250 textbook chapters. He is also a reviewer for 31 journals and is on 33 editorial boards. Dr. Wexner has also authored numerous articles over his career. In his capacity as Regent for the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Wexner has also conducted a series of interviews with other surgeons from around the world called "A Surgeon's Voice". The interviews focus on these surgeons' experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic and their unique perspectives as medical professionals. He has produced over 100 videos which have received over 300,000 views, as of May 2020. This series includes an interview with Johnson & Johnson CEO, Alex Gorsky, on the process of developing their COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Wexner also published studies which resulted in the eponymous Wexner Incontinence Score and the Wexner Constipation Score, as well as the Pilarsky Wexner Perianal Crohn's Score:
Selected Articles.
As noted above, Dr. Wexner has published a myriad of articles in scientific journals and books, including 213 manuscripts and 26 editorials or commentaries in the last twenty years. . Most recently, he co-authored the following noteworthy articles on COVID, on the contributions of women to the field of colorectal surgery, and on racial disparities in colorectal surgery outcomes:
Personal life.
Dr. Wexner's father was Judge Ira Wexner, who presided in New York for over twenty years and lived part time in West Boca. Dr. Wexner's partner, Dr. Mariana Berho, is Chief of Staff at Cleveland Clinic Weston.


Lancefield grouping

Lancefield grouping is a system of classification that classifies catalase-negative Gram-positive cocci based on the carbohydrate composition of bacterial antigens found on their cell walls. The system, created by Rebecca Lancefield, was historically used to organize the various members of the family Streptococcaceae, which includes the genera "Lactococcus" and "Streptococcus", but now is largely superfluous due to explosive growth in the number of streptococcal species identified since the 1970s. However, it has retained some clinical usefulness even after the taxonomic changes, and as of 2018, Lancefield designations are still often used to communicate medical microbiological test results in the United States.
Enterococcus, formerly known as Group D Streptococcus, were classified as members of the genus Streptococcus until 1984 and were included in the original Lancefield grouping. Many - but not all - species of streptococcus are beta-hemolytic. Notably, Enterococci and "Streptococcus bovis" (Lancefield Group D) are not beta-hemolytic. Though there are many groups of streptococcus, only five are known to commonly cause disease in immune-competent human beings: Group A, Group B, both members of Group D ("Streptococcus gallolyticus" and "Streptococcus infantarius", both members of the "Streptococcus bovis" group), and two groups that lack the Lancefield carbohydrate antigen: "Streptococcus pneumoniae" and viridans streptococci.
Classification.
Other "Streptococcus" species are classified as 'non-Lancefield streptococci'.


National Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners

The National Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners (NBPME) is an American non-profit corporation that created competency examinations in podiatric medicine. State medical licensing agencies may choose to make passage of the exams a requirement to licensure in their state.
The NBPME examinations consist of three parts. Parts I and II of the exam test a student's knowledge of science and medicine as they pertain to podiatry. Part III of the exam was formerly known as the Podiatric Medical Licensing Examination for States, or PMLexis, and is a clinical examination taken after graduation from podiatric medical school.


Karl M. Dallenbach

Karl M. Dallenbach (October 20, 1887 in Champaign, Illinois – December 23, 1971 in Austin, Texas) was an American experimental psychologist whose interests in psychology were heavily influenced by John Wallace Baird. He was a loyal student of Edward Bradford Titchener at Cornell University, received his Ph.D. degree in 1913, and was a member of the faculties of departments of psychology at Oregon State University, Ohio State University, Cornell, and The University of Texas at Austin.
Dallenbach did not develop any major theories and he never wrote a book. However, his 94 core publications (from a total of 234) can be organized around seven themes: attention, cutaneous sensitivity, somesthetic perception, taste, visual perception, 'facial' vision, and memory and cognitive processes. Some consider Dallenbach's studies of attention to be his most important of these contributions, while others maintain that his studies on facial vision and retention during sleep belong to the classical psy- chological literature.
A contribution that is perhaps Dallenbach's greatest contribution to psychology was his purchase, from G. Stanley Hall in 1920, and consequent rescue of the first American psychological journal: the American Journal of Psychology. Dallenbach owned the journal for the next forty-eight years and was its editor for forty-two. Dallenbach referred to the journal's volumes as his "books."


Harold Gulliksen

Harold Oliver Gulliksen (July 18, 1903 – October 27, 1996) was an American psychologist. A professor at Princeton University for most of his academic career, Gulliksen pioneered in the field of psychometrics. In 1952 he was elected as a Fellow of the American Statistical Association.


Red Cross Society of the Republic of China

The Red Cross Society of the Republic of China () is the Red Cross Society of the Republic of China on Taiwan. The society is not recognized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) because it does not meet all the conditions set out in the Statues of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and it is not a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. From its founding in 1904, to 1949, when the Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan, the society shared its history with the Red Cross Society of China. Both societies associate their origins with the founder, Shen Dunhe, a tea merchant.
History.
Origin.
On 3 March 1904, during the Russo-Japanese War, Shen Dunhe created the "Manchuria Red Cross Benevolent Society" and on 10 March 1904, the society was renamed the "Shanghai International Red Cross Committee". Its founders were Chinese business and political leaders and expatriates from the West. Shen chose the aegis of the Red Cross because its neutrality allowed aid to reach those Chinese civilians caught between Japanese and Russian forces in Manchuria.
Expansion.
After the Russo-Japanese War, the society expanded and its mission to aid those affected by war and disaster continued. The society opened Red Cross hospitals in Shanghai and other cities. Local Red Cross chapters were popular because the association represented international connections, modernity and its activities were seen as patriotic. For example, the society sent workers to San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake and workers, medicines and funds were sent to Japan after the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake. In 1920, there were over 300 Red Cross chapters in China.
Recognition.
In 1912, the ICRC recognised the national society of the then Republic of China. In 1919, the society joined the International Federation as one of its first members. In the 1920s, 30s and 40s, the society held ties with American and British Red Cross, the Kuomintang government and the Shanghai business community. In 1933, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Act of Administrative Rules and Procedures of the Red Cross Society of the Republic of China () was passed. The society was renamed the "Red Cross Society of the Republic of China".
The society's activities during the war time period (1937 - 1945) were limited to Kuomintang held areas in southwest China and to some areas under Japanese control. Supplies were received through Burma and India from the United States and the United Kingdom. Expatriate Chinese also raised funds.
Relocation to Taiwan.
After 1950, when the major hostilities of the Chinese civil war had ended, the society moved its headquarters to Taiwan. In 1955, the government of the Republic of China declared the Red Cross Society of the Republic of China the sole national humanitarian organization of the country and wrote this in legislation. The act clarified the role of the society in the case of invasion by the forces of the Communist Party of China and in caring for wounded Taiwanese soldiers and prisoners of war. Fiscal exemptions for society volunteers were approved. The organization was tasked with provision of basic sanitation and hygiene to the most impoverished; and, with teaching first aid to adults and children.
International recognition.
The society meets most of the conditions laid out in Article 4 of the Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement of 1995, except that Taiwan is not a signatory to the Geneva Conventions. Its mission may be made more difficult because of a lack of clarity surrounding the society's independence from the Red Cross Society of China.
Kinmen Agreement.
On 11–12 September 1990, the society held talks with its mainland counterpart in Kinmen, resulting in the Kinmen Agreement signed on 12 September. The talks were about issues such as repatriation of criminals, smugglers or fugitives in the spirit of humanity and practicality.


Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola

Verbano-Cusio-Ossola (Italian: Provincia del Verbano Cusio Ossola ) is the northernmost province in the Italian region of Piedmont. It was created in 1992 through the fusion of three geographical areas which had previously been part of the Province of Novara. The area flanking the western shore of Verbano (or Lago Maggiore) forms the eastern part of the province; Cusio (or Lago d’Orta) and its environs form the southern part; while the north and west of the province consists of the Ossola, a region of Alpine mountains and valleys. The for the province is VB.
The province has a total population of some 160,000, distributed over an area of , with the biggest population centres being its capital Verbania on the shores of Lago Maggiore, Domodossola the main town of the Ossola, and Omegna at the northern end of Lago d’Orta.
Municipal subdivisions.
There are 74 "comuni" in the province. The largest by population are:
Culture.
UNESCO Sacred Mountains.
In 2003, the Sacred Mountain of Domodossola and the Sacred Mountain of Ghiffa were inserted by UNESCO in the World Heritage List.
Demographics.
The top eight countries of origin of the inhabitants of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola with foreign citizenship at December 31, 2010 were:


Beroun District

Beroun District () is a district ("okres") within Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Beroun.
Complete list of municipalities.
Bavoryně -
Beroun -
Běštín -
Březová -
Broumy -
Bubovice -
Bykoš -
Bzová -
"Cerhovice" -
Chaloupky -
Chlustina -
Chodouň -
Chrustenice -
Chyňava -
Drozdov -
Felbabka -
Hlásná Třebaň -
Hořovice -
Hostomice -
Hředle -
Hudlice -
Hvozdec -
Hýskov -
Jivina -
"Karlštejn" -
"Komárov" -
Koněprusy -
Korno -
Kotopeky -
Králův Dvůr -
Kublov -
Lážovice -
Lhotka -
Libomyšl -
"Liteň" -
Loděnice -
Lochovice -
Lužce -
Malá Víska -
Málkov -
Měňany -
Mezouň -
Mořina -
Mořinka -
Nenačovice -
Nesvačily -
Neumětely -
Nižbor -
Nový Jáchymov -
Olešná -
Osek -
Osov -
Otmíče -
Otročiněves -
Podbrdy -
Podluhy -
Praskolesy -
Rpety -
Skřipel -
Skuhrov -
Srbsko -
Stašov -
Suchomasty -
Svatá -
Svatý Jan pod Skalou -
Svinaře -
Tetín -
Tlustice -
Tmaň -
Točník -
Trubín -
Trubská -
Újezd -
Velký Chlumec -
Vinařice -
Vižina -
Vráž -
Všeradice -
Vysoký Újezd -
Zadní Třebaň -
Zaječov -
Záluží -
Zdice -
Žebrák -
Železná


Province of Reggio Calabria

The Province of Reggio Calabria () was a province in the Calabria region of Italy. It was the southernmost province in mainland Italy and is separated from the island of Sicily by the Strait of Messina. The capital was the city of Reggio.
It was effectively replaced by the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria in 2017.
Geography.
The province of Reggio Calabria was located at the extreme southern tip of mainland Italy. To the west lies the Tyrrhenian Sea and to the south and southeast lies the Ionian Sea. The land borders are short; to the northeast lies the province of Catanzaro and to the northwest, the province of Vibo Valentia. Across the Strait of Messina, some to the southwest, lies the island of Sicily.
The province can be divided into three types of terrain. Near the west it is mountainous, with the Aspromonte massif being formed of overlapping terraces of gneiss and mica schists. The highest point is and this area is part of the Aspromonte National Park. From the mountains flow many, often seasonal, creeks and rivers, the largest being the Amendolea and the Calopinace. The lower hills are terraced for the cultivation of citrus fruits, olives and vines, and the higher parts are wooded, with chestnuts, beeches, holm oaks, pines, Sicilian firs and Mediterranean maquis shrubland. The southern part of the province has a coastal plain and to the east of the mountainous area, there is a plateau that extends from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Ionian Sea, the distance from Rosarno to Punta Stilo being about .
History.
The present-day southern part of Calabria was the place where the name "Italy" was first used, some 3500 years ago.
The Ancient Greeks built a town "Rhegion" at the site of present-day Reggio, a strategic site beside the Strait of Messina. The town's "Museo Nazionale" houses two bronze statues, the Riace bronzes, recovered from the sea at Riace some to the east.
By the third century BC, the Greeks were conquered by tribes from the north, including a branch of the Samnites called the Bruttii. They established their sovereignty over present day Calabria and founded new cities, including their own capital "Consentia", now known as Cosenza. After their victory in the Pyrrhic War (280–275 BC), Rome occupied Calabria, and it remained under their control until the fifth century AD.
The whole region of present-day Reggio province has been a wealthy area for centuries, and particularly during Byzantine age, till 1860s, when the Italian Unification happened.
The town of Reggio and other parts of the province, as well as Messina and neighbouring parts of Sicily, were devastated by the 1908 Messina earthquake. This was followed by a series of tsunamis that wreaked further damage.
In the 1950s there was a mass migration of rural people from Reggio and other provinces in southern Italy to the cities of Rome, Milan and particularly Turin in the north. They were driven by poverty, the poor soils of the region and the chronic lack of employment opportunities to move to places with more thriving economies.
Between 1969 and 1973, southern Italy suffered from urban unrest due to the lack of employment possibilities and poor living conditions, and urban protest took place. In 1970, Catanzaro was chosen as the location for a new regional government. Reggio was then the scene of a popular uprising - known as the Moti di Reggio - against the government choice of Catanzaro as capital of the newly instituted Region of Calabria. Strikes and demonstrations occurred and went on for more than a year, and were sometimes put down brutally by the police and the army. The railway service from Sicily was disrupted, the airport, post offices and TV station were occupied at different times, and police stations were assaulted. Three people were killed, more than two hundred wounded and over four hundred were charged with public-order offences.
The Italian government responded to this by confirming Catanzaro as the regional capital but arranging for the regional assembly to be held at Reggio. A new port and steel works were announced at Gioia Tauro, to create employment in the area, but before the steel works was completed, the price of steel collapsed and the steel works were abandoned. The port however was built, but another project, a new power station, did not go ahead because of environmental factors. The port has since become a busy container terminal handling more than three million shipping containers each year, and new roads have been built to handle the resulting increase in traffic.
Economy.
The region is famous for the production of the Bergamot orange. Production mostly is limited to the Ionian coastal region of the province of Calabria in Italy, to such an extent that it is a symbol of the entire region. Clementines are cultivated in the fertile area of Piana di Gioia Tauro. This area is also used for the cultivation of other citrus fruits and olive trees, and much of the local economy is involved in olive oil extraction and the processing of citrus products.
External links.
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Kilkis (regional unit)

Kilkis () is one of the regional units of Greece, in the geographic region of Macedonia. It is part of the region of Central Macedonia. Its capital is the city of Kilkis.
Geography.
The geography of the regional unit of Kilkis is characterized by the wide and flat Axios river valley in the westcentral part, and mountain ranges on its western and northeastern edges. The mountain range in the west, on the border with Pella regional unit, is Mount Paiko (highest peak ). In the north, the Kerkini range straddles the border with North Macedonia. At the highest peak in Kilkis regional unit is located here. The border with Serres regional unit to the northeast is formed by the lower Kroussia range (highest peak ). Lake Doirani is situated in the north, shared with North Macedonia. Kilkis borders the Thessaloniki regional unit to the south.
The climate of the Kilkis regional unit is humid continental in the north, and humid subtropical in the lower regions.
History.
The area of the modern regional unit was part of the Kingdom of Macedonia from the 8th century BC until the Third Macedonian War (171 BC - 168 BC), when it became a part of the Roman Empire. At the division of the Roman Empire in 395 AD, the area joined the eastern part, later known as the Byzantine Empire. Between the 7th century and the 11th century, it changed hands between the Byzantine Empire and the Bulgarian Empire repeatedly. In the 13th and 14th century Western Europeans and Serbs briefly ruled the area. The Ottoman Empire conquered the area in 1371, and ruled it until the First Balkan War of 1912. In the Second Balkan War of 1913, the Greek army captured the area, which became part of Greece. It absorbed many of the Greeks from what is now the Republic of North Macedonia, especially from Gevgeli, Vogdantsa, Polyane and Stromnitsa.
In the aftermath of the Balkan Wars, World War I and the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922) most of the Turkish and Bulgarian population of Kilkis emigrated, and many Greeks from Bulgaria and Turkey settled in the area, as prescribed by the Treaty of Lausanne (1923). In fact, a very large segment of the population of Kilkis regional unit are in origin Caucasus Greeks (that is, Eastern Pontic Greeks) from the former Russian Imperial province of Kars Oblast in the South Caucasus. They left their homeland in the South Caucasus for Kilkis and other parts of Greek Macedonia, as well as southern Russia and Georgia, between 1919 and 1921, that is, between the main Greece-Turkey population exchange and Russia's cession of the Kars region back to Turkey as part of the Treaty of Brest Litovsk.
Until 1939, when created into a separate prefecture, the area was part of the Thessaloniki Prefecture. At the 2011 Kallikratis reform, the Kilkis Prefecture became a regional unit.
Transport.
The Motorway 1 (E75, Skopje - Polykastro - Thessaloniki - Athens) runs through the regional unit from north to south. Two railways pass through the regional unit: from Thessaloniki to Skopje via Polykastro and Idomeni, and from Thessaloniki to Sofia, Istanbul and Alexandroupoli via Kilkis and Mouries.
Administration.
The regional unit Kilkis is subdivided into 2 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):
Prefecture.
As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the former Kilkis Prefecture () was transformed into a regional unit within the Central Macedonia region, without any change in boundaries. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.
Provinces.
The former prefecture of Kilkis was subdivided into the following provinces:
"Note:" Provinces no longer hold any legal status in Greece.


Corinthia

Corinthia ( "Korinthía") is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Peloponnese. It is situated around the city of Corinth, in the north-eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula.
Geography.
Corinthia borders on Achaea to the west and southwest, the Gulf of Corinth and Attica to the north, the Saronic Gulf to the east, Argolis to the south and Arcadia to the southwest.
The Corinth Canal, carrying ship traffic between the Ionian and the Aegean seas, is about 4 km east of Corinth, cutting through the Isthmus of Corinth. Corinthia is increasingly seen as part of the wider metropolitan area of Athens, with municipalities, such as Agioi Theodoroi in the easternmost part of the regional unit, being considered suburbs of Athens.
The area around Corinth and the western Saronic including the southeastern part are made up of fault lines including the Corinth Fault, the Poseidon Fault and a fault running from Perahcora to Agioi Theodoroi. More faults are near Kiras Vrysi and Sofiko.
The eastern coastlands of Corinthia are made up of pastures and farmlands where olives, grapes, tomatoes and vegetables are cultivated. The rest of Corinthia is mountainous. Its tallest mountain is Kyllini in its west and the largest lake is Lake Stymphalos, (important in Greek mythology and a bird resort, protected by Natura 2000) situated in the southwest. The reservoir will become one of the largest lakes after its completion.
The climate of Corinthia consists of hot summers and mild winters in the coastal areas and somewhat colder winters with occasional snowfalls in the mountainous areas.
Administration.
The regional unit Corinthia is subdivided into six municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):
Prefecture.
As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Corinthia was created out of the former prefecture Corinthia (). The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.
Population.
Main towns and cities.
The main cities and towns of Corinthia are (ranked by 2011 census population):
History.
From 1833 to 1899, the Corinthia prefecture included Argolis and was known as Argolidocorinthia. It included Hydra, Spetses and Kythira. Argolis joined Corinthia to reform Argolidocorinthia again in 1909. Forty years later, in 1949, the prefecture was finally separated from Argolis.
The highway was first paved at the turn of the 20th century. The mid to late-20th century saw the population shifting from agriculture to other jobs, as people migrated to larger towns and cities as well as other parts of the world. In the 1960s, the motorway GR-8A was constructed to handle the increasing traffic between Corinth and Athens and allow higher speed limits (60 km/h to 80 km/h). The section from the old Corinth interchange eastward in Corinthia was opened in 1962 and the section west of Corinth was added in 1969. The new highway had a significant effect on the local industry, as it lowered the cost of transportation of goods between Corinthia and the Athens metropolitan area.
In late 2006, the prefect of Corinthia announced the construction of a new dam, to be located 5 to 7 km south of Kiato and Sicyon, near Stimanika, over the Elissos River. It will be the second largest body of water (lakes, reservoirs) in Corinthia. The dam will be designed to withstand earthquakes and natural disasters, including flooding.
On July 17, 2007, a forest fire struck the area around the historic Acrocorinth and its castle.
Economy.
The main sources of income are goods and services, manufacturing, tourism and agriculture.
Transport.
Several major roadways are situated within Corinthia.
Culture.
Notable attractions include Ancient Corinth with its acropolis, Acrocorinth, the Corinth Canal, the thermal springs of Loutraki, the archaeological sites of Nemea, Sicyon and the Heraion of Perachora.