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Tag Archives: Personal

3-sentence story: Hollow

Silence invites introspection. Even if there’s nothing much to see inside, tears start falling.

W-where do they even come from?

I’m quite the lurker

I’m quite the lurker in Facebook (and some other SNS, for that matter except for Twitter), reading other people’s stories. No, not the irrelevant captions on selfies. True to life stories of real people. Those who have been hurt and still hurting. Those who have faced cruelties in their past committed by fellow humans and are still haunted by these hideous acts in their dreams, and/or perhaps when looking at oblivious passersby. Continue reading I’m quite the lurker

Twenty-first Birthday Midnight Thoughts

August 5th 2015, 00:33

This day marks the twenty-first year I have spent breathing and doing the essentials and pointless stuff. And it’s also my first birthday. The first birthday I’m going to spend without my father. He’s already gone ahead. Continue reading Twenty-first Birthday Midnight Thoughts

Feeling ko lumiliit ang ulo ko day by day. Mas nahihirapang huminga. Yung tipong pwedeng humiwalay ang kaluluwa ko any time.

Lutang. Nasobraan ng sabaw.

Nakalitaw. Nalunod na pala.

I don’t normally write in Taglish, but this one was surprisingly easier to write in Taglish.

Decretum: Question and answer with music

Random post. You know those note stuff at Facebook? I got tagged in one of those, but I don’t want to do them on Facebook anymore, until I change my mind (which is unlikely to happen).

In other words, I’m just dumping mine here, in case somebody else want to do this. You know, for fun. Certainly, the answers by the one who tagged me (my role-playing okaa-san and friend IRL) were kind of appropriate.

Let’s see how mine rolls out after the jump.

Continue reading Decretum: Question and answer with music

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A Sad Sunday helps to Clairfy our Mission

Recently we began working to develop our organization’s mission and vision statement. We thought we had them figured out our mission statement was going to be, “Owl’s Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife is a non-profit conserving native Florida wildlife in the Greater Tampa Bay area.” and our vision was, “To reduce human impact on Florida’s native wildlife through rehabilitation and education.” However, after yesterday it was clear that we needed to think a little deeper about exactly what it is we do and why we do it. While those statements are absolutely true they only seemed to skim the surface.

This weekend was a very tough for our volunteers. Not only did the calls start coming is early each day but the calls were some of the most difficult calls that we have had. We were called in several times by the Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC) because they needed a permitted rehabilitator to work with them on cases and then we had one yesterday in which we had to call on them.

(This paragraph is not for the faint of heart.) Yesterday we had the worst call we have ever had and hope that we will never have another like it, but if we do we will be here to take it. We received a call from a woman in Brandon who was very upset and frustrated. She had called several other ‘rescue’ groups and all of them had refused to help her. She had even gone as far as calling a group in Sarasota who had finally referred her to us. She had found a white pelican in her apartment complex that was severely injured and was in need of urgent help. Within an hour we had a team of volunteers on site that had to literally wade out into a pond in order to get to the bird. Once they were able to get their hands on the bird it was apparent that something horrible had happened to it. The poor bird who was somehow putting up a fight had been filleted alive. The team quickly and carefully crated up the critical bird and called FWC to bring them in to investigate. Mean while the volunteers rushed the pelican in to one of our cooperating vet facilities to take a better look at it. Sadly the pelican did not survive transport, but would have needed to be euthanized either way. Once they arrived at the hospital one of our transporters stayed with the bird in order to document every detail an order to report back to FWC. As the vet tech removed the pelican from the crate the staff including the vets grasped and shuddered in digest. They said that in all the patients they have had this was by far the most gruesome and disturbing. Evidence showed a very clean slice that had started at the sternum and traveled down to the pelvic region leaving one breast dangling while the other was removed.

While numerous groups refused this call because its outcome was grim we stepped up and took it. We find ourselves taking numerous calls that are not simple rescue, rehab, release cases and why? Because it is not fair to the animals that they are left to suffer and that their cause of their injury is never addressed. We do what we do because, Owl’s Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife is a non-profit organization working to protect and conserve native Florida wildlife while inspiring others to care and appreciate it. And it is our goal to; reduce human impact on Florida’s native wildlife through rehabilitation, education, and teamwork.

If you happen to find any wildlife in trouble please make sure you report it to a licensed rescue organization like Owl’s Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife. We also ask that you consider making a donation to Owl’s Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife so that we may continue our work to conserve and protect wildlife in the Tampa Bay Area.

Make a Donation Button

And make sure to follow our blog to stay up to date on our cases! You can also now follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! And stay tuned for a YouTube Channel coming soon.

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Reference Entry

Michael Kent

in The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science & Medicine

Third edition

Published in print January 2006 | ISBN: 9780198568506
Published online January 2007 | e-ISBN: 9780191727788

More Like This

Show all results sharing this subject:

  • Sports and Exercise Medicine

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The important cognitive process of selecting one action or policy from two or more choices to achieve a desired goal. A decision is made by using perceptual information about a current situation and integrating this with information held in the memory to determine the best course of action. Sport sociologists and sport psychologists are particularly interested in decision-making strategies of individuals and teams in competitive situations (...

Reference Entry.  135 words.

Subjects: Sports and Exercise Medicine

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Insha’Allah/Ojalá, Yes Yes Y’all

Omar Ramadan-Santiago

in Islam and the Americas

Published by University Press of Florida

Published in print April 2015 | ISBN: 9780813060132
Published online January 2016 | e-ISBN: 9780813050584 | DOI:
Insha’Allah/Ojalá, Yes Yes Y’all

Show Summary Details

Ramadan-Santiago discusses the ways some Puerto Rican Muslims claim membership in the global Hip Hop and Islamic communities where they have not historically been centrally positioned. They understand and validate their place in these communities by marshalling historico-cultural evidence that authenticates and legitimates their membership claims. The author pays particular attention to the synthesis by which Puerto Rican Muslims re-imagine and re-create their identities simultaneously as Puerto Ricans, Muslims, and Hip Hop artists.

Keywords: Puerto Ricans; Muslims; Hip Hop; authenticity; history; communities; identity

Chapter.  10245 words.

Subjects: Society and Culture

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text:
A double edged sword. I mean, who doesn’t want to inspire others? It’s a normal feeling. It’s kind of cool to know others think highly of you. Yep, inspiration is a warm fuzzy.

Then, there’s “inspiration porn.” That’s the idealization of disabled people and their accomplishments to make yourself feel good. Think about this.

That fish swims well.

That fish swims well, for a fish.

Sentence one just states a fact. No qualifiers, just a statement. Sentence two has a qualifier that objectifies the fish. Sentence one is inspiration. Sentence two is inspiration porn.

Anytime you have a “yes, but” in a sentence, you are objectifying the subject of the sentence. You are pointing out that the subject should be seen differently and judged by another standard.

Think about this for a bit. Think about how it applies to people. Are you judging with your words? Retrain yourself to avoid “yes, but” sentences. Think before you write or speak.

Once you realize the way “yes, but” affects perspective, you can begin to understand why inspiration porn is hurtful.

1 thought on “Inspiration

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IMPACT Grant Recipients

2018 Recipients

General Projects

Maliheh Free Clinic (project led by Uai Panisi, PA-C, Jeanie Ashby, and Dave Miner, MD)
Grant Amount: $2,740
Project Name: Healthy Families Support Program
Project Description: The Maliheh Free Clinic seeks to improve quality of life in the Greater Salt Lake Area by providing free medical services for uninsured and low-income individuals and families to help reverse the cycle of poverty and suffering created by poor health. Quality care creates healthier individuals, and these individuals create a stronger and safer community. The clinic offers a wide range of medical services to those most in need, with a focus on preventive care. Additional services offered to patients include: physician and nursing evaluations, laboratory studies, x-ray and imaging, sub-specialty consultation, assistance with obtaining medication, provision of diabetic monitoring equipment and supplies, education, counseling and physical therapy. The clinic has over 50 PA volunteers dedicated to the mission and work of the clinic who are instrumental to the ongoing success of the Healthy Families Support Program. Understanding the need to educate and train the next generation of medical providers, the clinic has established long-running partnerships with the University of Utah and Roseman University PA Programs. This collaboration helps those most in need in the community, while educating the next generation of healthcare professionals.

Rush University (project led by Erin Paolini, PA-S, Jessica Vlaming, PA-C, and Tamara Dukich, PA-S)
Grant Amount: $5,230
Project Name: The Correctional Health Initiative (CHI)
Project Description: Currently, there are more women behind bars than ever before in U.S. history. This change in population has introduced unique and significant barriers to correctional systems, as they have historically been dominated by men. One growing challenge is pregnant detainees, a vulnerable, overlooked population that reports high rates of unplanned pregnancy, substance use disorders, and mental illness. Inadequate prenatal care is associated with poor pregnancy outcomes, and because detained women face low health literacy and significant barriers in accessing health care, their pregnancies are often high-risk. The Correctional Health Initiative (CHI) is an interprofessional, student-run organization at Rush University Medical Center designed to address health disparities by providing education to women detained at Cook County Jail (CCJ) in Chicago, IL. This program empowers student volunteers to deliver weekly health education sessions at CCJ, and aims to improve health literacy and promote positive relationships between detainees and healthcare professionals. The next challenge is to specifically address the complex and unique needs of women who are pregnant and detained by creating a new reproductive health curriculum and community resource guide.

Touro University Nevada (project led by Amie Duford, PA-C)
Grant Amount: $2,030
Project Name: Patient Education Using Information Screens
Project Description: This project focuses on health literacy. The PA program at Touro University Nevada has been providing services to the homeless population in southern Nevada for many years. One challenge is the population’s low general and health literacy and lack of basic knowledge about disease risk factors and preventive strategies. The project team proposes to test whether displaying health messages on TV screens strategically placed in patient waiting areas is an effective approach to raising health awareness among homeless persons. The benefit of this project is two-fold. First, patients will be exposed to information on a variety of health topics. Second, PA students will be responsible for creating educational messages and thus improving their communication skills. The goal is to develop concise, impactful and memorable messages that are tailored toward the specific needs of homeless persons. The objectives of this project are to (1) use information screens to educate patients on a variety of health topics; (2) engage PA students in designing educational materials using principles of effective communication; and (3) assess the impact of the message content and delivery mode on patients. Data will be gathered using student and patient surveys and patient semi-structured interviews. The outcomes will include students’ perceived ability to design and communicate health information and patients’ evaluation of message content and delivery mode.

Yale New Haven Hospital (project led by Elaine Bonoan, PA-C, and Karen Marlett, PA-C)
Grant Amount: $10,000
Project Name: Post-ICU Outreach Program – MICU at YNHH
Project Description: The PAs of the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) at Yale New Haven Hospital are developing a post-ICU outreach program that focuses on Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS). PICS refers to physical (neuro-muscular), cognitive, or psychological problems that remain after a critical illness/ICU stay. It also pertains to mental health, as some patients can suffer from anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. The PA-led liaison team will identify patients with or at high risk for PICS and implement consult service to follow patients after the ICU stay and help to coordinate their care, as well as educate and bring awareness to hospital staff members and incorporate PA students in clinical evaluations of patients. The team will help with recovery post-ICU and also improve patient/family experience and satisfaction. The grant funds will be used for patient diaries to journal their experiences as well educational materials and two devices to facilitate patient communication and project progress.

Mental Health Projects

Drexel University (project led by Daisy Rivera, PA-C)
Grant Amount: $3,703
Project Name: Trauma-Focused Training, Consultation, and Implementation of Routinized ACEs Screening to Improve Resiliency of Families Affected by HIV
Project Description: This program seeks to expand the PA-led primary care behavioral health model by incorporating screening for Adverse Childhood Events (ACEs) for HIV-affected pediatric patients using behavioral health consultants. Funding will provide capacity, training, consulting and resources for the behavioral health team to routinize the following: 1) Center for Youth Wellness’ Parent/Child ACEs questionnaire at 9 months, 24 months, and yearly thereafter for all primary care patients; 2) new accessible resiliency and treatment plans; and 3) referral navigation for patients needing disciplined clinical long-term therapy interventions. These screenings and associated resiliency support will be implemented during well child appointments as part of routine pediatric care at the Dorothy Mann Center (DMC). Screening is the first step in not only identifying families that are more at risk for negative health outcomes, but also as a patient education tool, supporting parents’ knowledge of the impacts of trauma on children. The DMC expects that these efforts will result in increased utilization of behavioral and mental health services, enhanced management and treatment of identified problems, and improved population health measures.

Touro University California (project led by Grace Landel, PA-C, MEd)
Grant Amount: $10,000
Project Name: Mental Health Training in Rural Northern California
Project Description: According to a 2018 University of California at San Francisco report, California must make substantial investments in mental health professionals. Data from 2011 to 2015 shows that 62.8% of Californians did not receive mental health services, with the majority of CA patients considered to live in a mental healthcare professional shortage area. As mental healthcare providers reach retirement age, there will be an estimated 50% decrease in psychiatrists and 28% decrease in psychologists/social workers from 2016 to 2028. The Touro University California Joint Master of PA Studies/Master of Public Health (MSPAS/MPH) Program has a commitment to educating PAs to provide healthcare to patients in health professional shortage areas. The program has offered a free one-day continuing medical education (CME) granting conference yearly in Napa, CA, following the California Academy of PAs annual winter conference. Since 2013, it has served 203 PAs, 267 PA students, and 9 non-PA clinicians. The funding for this project was originally through a 2-year California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) Mental Health grant. This IMPACT Grant will build on prior successful mental health conferences and bring access to training for rural PAs and other healthcare professionals in northern CA. The conference will thematically focus on destigmization of mental health with lectures in opioid and substance abuse treatment.

Wagner College PA Program (project led by Michael Rota, PA-C)
Grant Amount: $6,297
Project Name: Knowledge is Life-Saving: Changing Adolescents’ Perception of Marijuana Use and Mental Health
Project Description: Drug use and mental health concerns frequently overlap in adolescents. Adolescents often start using drugs as a means of coping with anxiety or depression. Conversely, frequent drug use precipitates mental health issues. Effectively combating adolescent drug use, therefore, requires addressing both drug abuse and mental health problems, often simultaneously. It is the goal of the Wagner College PA Program to create a sustainable adolescent educational program that would not only increase knowledge about mental health, depression, and drug use, but would also change perceptions and behaviors. Project development would involve the commitment of PA faculty and students. PA students will be involved in developing and executing the programs in high school classrooms and health centers throughout Staten Island. PA student utilization is critical in obtaining the project objectives as they are not only relatable to the high school student population, but will also provide a face for another means of seeking help. Traditionally such programs were taught by police officers or teachers. Now students will be shown another outlet in which they may confide—a healthcare provider. PA students will also learn valuable skills in patient education.

2017 Recipients

IMPACT Grant Recipients, Round 2 (Mental Health Focus) – Awarded December 2017

Florida Academy of PAs (submitted by Susan Salahshor PhD, PA-C, DFAAPA, and Amber Danielecki Buzzi, PA-S)
Grant Amount: $10,000
Project Name: Removing the Stigma Associated with Mental Health Through Education
Project Description: The US healthcare system is currently fighting a battle of limited resources and increased demand across all disease fronts. Mental health remains stigmatized and largely ignored by the general population and medical community. Even though one in five Americans experience mental illness we are unequipped to meet their needs. PAs find themselves at the forefront of an ongoing epidemic of untreated and unrecognized illness in both practice and professional relationships. From orthopedics to urology, healthcare providers, regardless of specialty, should be equipped to recognize and properly direct patients with psychiatric illness or crisis to the resources they require. For this reason, the Florida Academy of PAs is beginning an initiative in 2018 to educate the next generation of PAs in Mental Health First Aid. The project would begin by training Florida PA students in the eight-hour Mental Health First Aid training course. Throughout 2018, FAPA President Susan Salahshor and FAPA PA student Amber Danielecki Buzzi will travel to each PA Program throughout the state at no cost for their services.

Rush University Community Service Initiatives Program (submitted by Jessica Vlaming, PA-C, Mira Hager, PA-S, and Greg Taycher, PA-S)
Grant Amount: $8,630
Project Name: Incarceration Medicine Initiative
Project Description: In 2015, The Atlantic featured an article about Cook County Jail (CCJ) entitled “America’s Largest Mental Hospital is a Jail.” The authors of the article estimated that one in three individuals at CCJ suffer from mental illness, which made CCJ the state’s largest single mental health provider. This demonstrates the burden of mental illness within the correctional setting and the need for corresponding intervention. The Incarceration Medicine Initiative (IMI) is a health education intervention program developed and implemented by an interdisciplinary team of health professional students at Rush University; the curriculum focuses on issues that are particularly salient among the men and women in the jail participating in our program. Given the high rates of mental illness and substance use disorders in correctional settings, we dedicate two of our ten weekly sessions to these topics. These sessions are designed to demystify and destigmatize mental health conditions and substance use disorders by providing a basic overview of what these conditions are, a brief summary of treatment options, and a safe space for questions and discussion on these sensitive topics.

IMPACT Grant Recipients, Round 1 – Awarded May 2017

Joseph_Desrosiers_HeadshotClínica Esperanza/Hope Clinic (submitted by Joseph Desrosiers II, PA-S, Bryant University PA Program)
Grant Amount: $9,797
Project Name: PA Implementation of the Chronic Care Model for Better Diabetes Health Outcomes in an Uninsured, Low Socioeconomic Population
Project Description: The goal of establishing a PA-run diabetes clinic at Clínica Esperanza/Hope Clinic (CEHC) is to implement the six core elements of the American Diabetes Association Critical Care Model. This will be accomplished by utilizing a proactive approach of offering healthcare education, monitoring, treatment, and maintenance to diabetic and pre-diabetic patients in the clinic’s current patient census. The program effort will be combined with ongoing CDC Diabetes Prevention Program initiatives already in place at CEHC. CEHC offers primary medical care to Rhode Island residents without health insurance, with an emphasis on Spanish-speaking and culturally accustomed care. It serves as the primary point of care for a large population of uninsured and largely Spanish-speaking individuals who reside primarily in West and South Providence, RI. Faculty and class leaders will implement a bimonthly PA DM Clinic day at CEHC that will stress a team-based approach to DM care, working in conjunction with clinic staff for the best possible outcomes for this vulnerable patient population.

Harold Ewing headshotRedwood Coast Medical Services, Inc. (submitted by Harold Ewing, PA-C)
Grant Amount: $9,960
Project Name: RCMS Retinopathy Screening Program
Project Description: Redwood Coast Medical Services (RCMS) is a not-for-profit community health center, established in 1997, and designated as a Federally Qualified Health Center in 1999. RCMS is the sole provider of medical care in a frontier service area located in the isolated coastal region of northern Sonoma and southern Mendocino counties in northern California. Care is delivered by RCMS at three facilities including two medical clinics and one dental clinic located in Gualala and Point Arena. Through this grant, RCMS will have the ability to purchase a retinal camera and provide a new service within the clinic that will enhance the ability to care for diabetic and hypertensive patients. Currently, without a retinal camera onsite, patients are referred out of the area for this screening and have a very low return rate on patients completing the screening. The commute out of the area to get the screening is an average of a 90 minute or more drive one way.

Rick Kilgore headshotUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham (submitted by Rick Kilgore, PhD, PA-C, DFAAPA)
Grant Amount: $5,349.40
Project Name: Firehouse Shelter Wellness Wednesday Student-Led Screening Clinic
Project Description: The UAB Physician Assistant Studies Program has collaborated for the past ten months with a local established shelter for homeless men in the Birmingham metropolitan area, which has a goal of improving the health and education of these individuals. This is being done through a student-led clinic of PA students who are assisted by students from the disciplines of clinical laboratory science, health care administration, dietitians, occupational and physical therapy, mental health, pastoral care, nursing and faculty from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Health Professions. There will be several components to the student-led clinic including healthcare screening, health and nutritional education, and treatment referral.

2016 Recipients

IMPACT Grant Recipients, Round 2 (Mental Health Focus) – Awarded December 2016

michelle-dibaise-at-still-university_photoA.T. Still University (submitted by Michelle DiBaise, PA-C)
Grant Amount: $4,781
Project Name: Meeting at the Crossroads to Improve Care Coordination Competency and Readiness for Transition to Integrated Practice
Project Description: Care coordination teams comprised of PA and other health professions students, under the supervision of licensed healthcare clinician faculty, will coordinate screening and referral of Crossroads residents to the AICBEP-funded weekly multi-specialty clinics, psychiatric nurse practitioner, or other on-site providers as needed. Further, PA students will both observe and participate in the evaluation and management of referred patients in conjunction with on-site healthcare providers. Finally, supervised PA students will continue to provide intake health assessments, screen for mental and other illness, identify the need for counseling, vocational or educational services, and create referrals to the care coordination team as appropriate. IMPACT Grant support will allow PA students to additionally provide smoking cessation medications and education at intake, followed by recurring student-led support meetings on-site. These efforts will provide no-cost, integrated, holistic support for mental and physical health on-site to patients with substance abuse disorder, reducing the flight risk associated with off-site referrals and ensuring continuity of care.

jennifer-forbes-idaho-state-university_photo2Idaho State University (submitted by Jennifer Forbes, PA-C)
Co-investigators: Jared Papa and Talia Sierra

Grant Amount: $1,528.14
Project Name: Improving Mental Health in Idaho Through Community Based Screenings and Patient Education
Project Description: PA faculty and students at Idaho State University participate in multiple interdisciplinary community health screenings in the Boise, ID, area. These screenings provide great services to individuals in the community, but could be enhanced by expanding the mental health component of the screenings. Through funding from the IMPACT Grant, the mental health component of these community-based screenings will be enhanced by adding new screening tools for depression and alcohol use as well as implementing a mental health curriculum that will be used to educate patients on mental health disorders and provide local resources for assessment and treatment of mental health disorders. The goals of integrating mental health education into these patient-focused events are to improve patient outcomes by educating individuals on mental health principles. By having a better understanding of mental health, the stigma associated with mental health disorders should be reduced.

lisa-stephens-weber-morganWeber-Morgan Health Department (submitted by Lisa Stephens, PA-C)
Grant Amount: $3,690
Project Name: One Good Thing
Project Description: “One Good Thing” will be implemented in one PA’s practice to address depression and self image in adolescents. It is a series of visits aimed at increasing self-esteem, confidence, and therefore self efficacy through a multifaceted approach.

IMPACT Grant Recipients, Round 1 – Awarded May 2016

Jackson Free Clinic Students_2Jackson Free Clinic (submitted by Meagan McKinnon, PA-S, Shauna Nguyen, PA-S, and Joseph Kotnour, PA-S)

Grant Amount:  $4,847
Project Name:  Improving Mississippi through Physician Assistant Community Teaching (IMPACT)
Project Description:  Students from Mississippi College’s Physician Assistant Program have been given the opportunity to join the medical teams at Jackson Free Clinic in Jackson, Mississippi in the treatment and evaluation of patients. The Jackson Free Clinic is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide quality care to the underserved, indigent and homeless populations in the Jackson Metro Area.  Due to a lack of structured programming and adequate funding, Jackson Free Clinic is seeking to improve in the area of patient education and will be using physician assistant students to achieve this aim. PA students will assume the patient education leadership role at Jackson Free Clinic by engaging with patients at the clinic and educating them in the areas of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity through interactive educational modules. Through the use of technology and tangible health models, the PA students seek to maximize the patient’s time in clinic and provide them with relevant, useful tools for making lifestyle modifications that could improve their overall health outcomes.

Jessica Vlaming - RushRush University (submitted by Jessica Vlaming, PA-C, Vic Speedwell, PA-S, and Juli Dziuban, PA-S)
Grant Amount:  $8,567.16
Project Name:  Incarceration Medicine Initiative
Project Description:  The Incarceration Medicine Initiative is an interprofessional volunteer organization thatVic Speedwell - Rush studentJuli Dziuban - Rush student will provide a health education curriculum to male and female inmates at the Cook County Jail, by engaging inmates in weekly lecture and discussion of common health issues and topics.  The Cook County Jail is one of the largest correctional facilities in the United States, and the population of inmates disproportionately comes from low socioeconomic areas of Chicago that face a lack of quality education opportunities, lack of health care access, and for many, racial discrimination.

Touro CA studentsTouro University California (submitted by Joy Dugan, PA-C)
Grant Amount:  $1,000
Project Name:  Student Run Free Clinic (SRFC) Expansion Project
Project Description:  The SRFC provides free health screening and a variety of services to the residents of Vallejo.  PAs currently perform H&P, vitals, and screenings. What we would like to add to our clinic are smoking cessation, immunization training, and health awareness education. PAs would be trained in educating patients on management of a variety of chronic conditions and smoking cessation. They would also assist in managing the effectiveness and success of the patient’s smoking cessation. For immunizations, PAs would be trained earlier in the year to give immunizations at a more applicable time during flu season.

Lindsay Gietzen - Wayne StateWayne State University (submitted by Lindsay Gietzen, PA-C)
Grant Amount:  $4,450
Project Name:  Special Olympics Health Appraisals
Project Description:  The purpose of the PA Foundation IMPACT Grant for Special Olympics Health Appraisals is to increase availability and supplies for Special Olympics appraisals and to increase PA student exposure and involvement with intellectually impaired populations. One stipulation to Special Olympics participation is a health appraisal that must be completed by a medical provider.

2015 Recipients

IMPACT Grant Recipients, Round 3 – Awarded January 2016

K Bernard photoKari Bernard, PA-C, Alaska Health Fair Inc.
Grant Amount:  $2,500
Project Name:  Hosting a Health Fair for a Homeless Population in Alaska
Project Description:  The University of Washington PA students chosen to matriculate into the Anchorage class each have a strong connection to the state of Alaska, and most have plans to remain in state to practice. Built into the didactic curriculum is exposure to underserved Alaskan populations, most notably those without adequate housing who are at great risk for poor health outcomes. Every winter, the didactic class partners with Brother Francis Shelter and Alaska Health Fair Inc to host a health fair for the homeless. PA students provide education aimed at maintaining health on the streets. A hematology and chemistry lab panel is also drawn on fair participants and when the results are back, volunteers at the shelter-based clinic help patients interpret the results and assist with referral to providers as needed.

T Rick photoTara Rick, PA-C, Master of PA Studies Program at St. Catherine University
Grant Amount:  $3,700
Project Name:  “See and Treat” Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment in Tanzania
Project Description:  A great majority of cervical cancer deaths in the world occur in developing countries. Due to a lack of cost effective screening, women present with advanced stage disease with little chance of cure. The “See and Treat” cervical cancer screening and treatment of precancerous lesions using cryotherapy is effective in low-income countries. Selian Hospital in Arusha, Tanzania, serves a community of >700,000 and has no financial capability for cryotherapy. This project involves providing a local gynecologist with the sustainable cryotherapy system and sponsoring his participation in a U.S.-based cryotherapy training session in Tanzania in June 2016; the gynecologist would then train local healthcare providers (PA similar) to screen for cervical cancer. A PA and PA students from the U.S. would also participate in the training session. The project will provide Tanzanian women with immediate access to life saving treatment against the number one cancer killer in Tanzania.

M Rota photoMichael Rota, PA-C, Wagner College PA Program
Grant Amount:  $9,200
Project Name:  Traditional Birthing Attendant (TBA) Training Campaign
Project Description:  The purpose of this project is to implement an educational program for traditional birth attendants (TBAs) and indigenous women led by a cohort of PA faculty and students volunteering for an upcoming medical mission trip to Guatemala. The group will visit remote mountain communities to offer interactive, culturally-sensitive, simulation-based educational programs to local indigenous women and ‘comadronas’ (traditionally-trained birth attendants) with the goal of improving birthing practices. With the help of models and manikins, PA faculty and students will demonstrate procedures and techniques that can improve maternal and infant outcomes. In addition to the educational sessions, participants with receive a birthing kit that includes educational materials along with items needed for a delivery under sterile conditions.

k Scarbalis photoKathleen Scarbalis, PA-C, Pediatric Specialists of Virginia
Grant Amount:  $900
Project Name:  Physical Activity Initiative in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Patients
Project Description:  Families are overwhelmed when informed of a childhood cancer diagnosis. This project is focused on improving patient health outcomes and education for this patient population. The overall survival for childhood leukemia is approaching 95%, but the late effects from the treatment can be lingering. Families need encouragement to realize their leukemia child can maintain safe activities during chemotherapy treatments. A team of PAs working with a physical therapist over the past 7 years noted a decrease in activity level for patients on active treatment and the resulting issues, such as decreased stamina, obesity, and muscle weakness in leukemia survivors. This feasibility study will involve evaluating a physical activity program for active leukemia patients. Once there is sufficient data, the goal is to publish the information and make other pediatric cancer centers aware of the possibilities of early intervention for improved health outcomes with improved patient education.

IMPACT Grant Recipients, Round 2 Awarded October 2015

The following PAs and PA students were awarded the second round of IMPACT grants for community-based programs that foster innovation and improve health.

Keith Byrd photo

Keith Byrd, PA-S, University of California-Davis
Grant Amount:  $10,000
Project Name:  Project ADAPTS: Action on Diabetes Awareness and Periodontal Treatment in Sacramento
Project Description:  The main goal of project ADAPTS is to improve access to diabetes education and oral health services in these underserved communities through a network of student- run clinics. In this student/community partnership, we propose an innovative approach to health education that will be inter-professional, patient-centered, culturally sensitive and sustainable. This project is novel and feasible in this region and can be replicated in other student-run clinics in America.

Adriana Paredes photo

Adriana Paredes, PA-C, Good Shepherd Ministries of Oklahoma
Grant Amount:  $5,000
Project Name:  Newly Diagnosed A1c Medicine and Supplies
Project Description:  This grant’s target population is uninsured, newly diagnosed diabetic patients in the Oklahoma City metro area with limited, if any, personal funds to spend on supplies and medication to control their disease. Currently, Good Shepherd serves approximately 400 uninsured diabetic patients in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The Physician Assistant Foundation’s IMPACT Grant will be used to pay for glucometers, testing supplies and oral hypoglycemic diabetic medication currently provided in-house for our patients. Presently, these supplies and medications are purchased by the Pharmacy Program Coordinator out of funds designated from a previous grant, which will deplete by the end of the calendar year 2016. Once depleted, Good Shepherd will no longer be able to provide these critical medications to its patients. These medications are not otherwise available to patients through a Drug Assistance Program.

Barbara Medina-Palacios photo

Barbara Medina-Palacios, PA-C, Stephens Memorial Hospital
Grant Amount:  $5,000
Project Name:  Stephens Memorial Hospital Diabetes Education Program
Project Description:  As diabetes becomes more prevalent in our society, the residents of rural communities feel the burden of not only a shortage of medical providers, but also access to medical care such as clinics, hospitals, etc., and access to educational programs, prevention services, and screening opportunities.  Therefore, Stephens Memorial Hospital’s Rural Health Clinic, Breckenridge Medical Center, has recently formed a diabetes education program that will serve the residents of Stephens County, population 9500. This program will be used to: 1. Provide education to the community on prevention; 2. Be a conduit for screening services; 3. Provide monthly educational programs and support to participants; 4. Provide medical oversight and management with MD and DO supervision of physician assistant; 5. Offer group activities such as cooking demonstrations, recipe “overhaul,” and exercise classes; and 6. Provide social and emotional support.

IMPACT Grant Recipients, Round 1Awarded AAPA Conference 2015

The following PAs and PA Student were awarded the first round of IMPACT Grants for community-based programs that foster innovation and improve health.

Tameem H. Sabry, PA Student, Touro University Nevada
Grant Amount:  $10,000
Project:  Touro Nevada Mobile Healthcare Clinic Program
Project Description:  Touro University Nevada began a service-learning course in 2010. The goal of the course is to develop civic responsibility among the physician assistant students. During the service-learning course, a cohort of students is assigned to a community partner over a four month period.  Through communication and negotiation skills, the students identify a problem the community partner may have and develop a solution that would be meaningful to both the partner and students. The solution must be viable after the students leave.

An outcome of this course is the Touro Mobile Healthcare Clinic. The students realized that many homeless were not getting urgent medical care because of their fears and reluctance in leaving the patch of ground they have called “theirs.” To address this, the Touro Mobile Healthcare Clinic was conceived and after four years of hard work and negotiations, put into action.

However, it was discovered that the types of patients the clinic was caring for was not anticipated. While the clinic is equipped to handle simple urgent problems, there are a number of patients that present with more chronic and complex needs. In order to address this, different equipment and supplies are needed; an expense that the clinic has not anticipated in its budget.

Ruth G. Dotson, PA-C, High Country Community Health
Grant Amount:  $5,000
Project:  High Country Community Health Hepatitis C Clinic
Project Description:  The purpose of this application is to seek funds to identify and promote treatment of underserved patients in our community with chronic hepatitis C. We seek funding for screening, associated lab costs, and hepatitis A and B immunization. Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the leading cause of liver transplantation and liver cancer in the US and the second leading cause of cirrhosis.  It is estimated that over 150,000 North Carolinians are infected with HCV, with prevalence of approximately 2%. There are approximately 1500 people infected with the virus in rural northwest North Carolina (also known as the High Country). In the past treatment of HCV has involved minimally 24-48 weeks of therapy with significant side-effects and clearance rates of only approximately 50-60%. New therapies offer exceptional promise with treatment of only 8-24 weeks and cure rates approaching 98% with minimal side-effects. However, many patients with HCV are low-income and uninsured, limiting access to treatment and immunization against hepatitis A and B. Also, approximately half of patients with HCV are unaware they have the disease.

High Country Community Health (HCCH) is a Federally Qualified Health Center with clinics in Watauga and Avery Counties, NC. Established in 2012, HCCH offers comprehensive and culturally sensitive services to medically underserved populations in the surrounding rural communities. There is great need for identification and treatment of those with HCV in our community, and with your help all persons with HCV in the High Country can have a chance for a cure.

Interested in IMPACT Grants? Learn More.


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History and Heritage

Danielle Norton checks into Honiara’s Heritage Park Hotel and is understandably impressed, this central, clean and modern hotel ticks all the boxes.

January 30, 2019
Rebecca Murphy

Rebecca Murphy

January 30, 2019

The History

In previous times, the Heritage Park Hotel was the site of the Governor’s residence and the grandeur befitting a person such as this still exists in its modern reincarnation. This is a place for business travellers or those in transit or those interested in the history of the region. Guadalcanal was the site of many battles between the US and Japanese soldiers in WWII but the Heritage Hotel bears none of the scars.

The reception area of the hotel is a wide expanse of shining marble and staff are warm and hospitable. A welcome drink floats over to us on a tray and we sit in the high backed cane chairs in the reception area, sipping our drinks and noting the time on the array of world clocks on the adjacent wall.

The hotel is set on five acres of well maintained tropical gardens. Lawns are manicured and the resort’s pathways are lined with hibiscus and palm trees. From the swimming pool one can look out to sea, and observe boats on the water. With a decent collection of white lounge chairs, the poolside Splash Bar and Grill is the obvious place to enjoy a sundowner and soak up the tropical vibe as evening descends and the cool ocean breeze flows in.

Aerial View of the Heritage Park Hotel

The Location

The hotel is central to Honiara and close to the National Museum and Mataniko Falls. Honiara Golf Club is a ten minute drive away and it’s only 15 minutes drive from the famous Kinugawa Maru dive site. The airport is 12 kms away.

The Rooms

The rooms are perfectly cooled when we arrive, and a lovely arrangement of pink frangipanis and a deep red tropical flower decorate the comfortable queen size bed. The room is spacious and clean, and equipped with a desk and an occasional chair. The balcony has simple chairs and a table and is an obvious place to prop oneself and take in the ocean view.

The bathroom is compact but elegant, housing a shower (no bath) and a toilet. The modern benchtops are decorated with a fresh bouquet of tropical flowers and Heritage Park branded hand wash, soaps and toiletries.

Two bedroom suites with connecting doors are also available.

The food

Drinking an ice cold Solbrew in the Terrace Restaurant of the Heritage Park Hotel is a true pleasure after a hot day in Honiara and ordering from the extensive menu is even better.

The open air restaurant is cooled by overhead fans which give a breeze and help to keep the evening mosquitos away. The lime green cane chairs and tables add a fun, vibrant ambience but this is very much a business hotel. Despite a dedicated meeting room onsite, business people are gathered here with fresh bush lime juice or watermelon juice as the refreshments during the day but veer towards the beer, wine and cocktail menu in the evening.

For my first meal in the Solomons we decided to eat in the Terrace restaurant and I chose a spicy chicken soup entree and a main meal of duck and vegetable curry. Both were delicious but I did suffer meal envy when my companions ordered crustaceans and a pod of bright red lobster arrived at the table.
The more formal GGs Restaurant is indoors, air-conditioned, and offers a la carte dining with European and international cuisine in a more formal environment.

The breakfast buffet is laid out in the Terrace Restaurant at 7am. It has a generous assortment of American style menu items and there is also a coffee machine that can create a decent flat white if you’re a coffee connoisseur. A large flat screen TV hangs on the wall behind, for the international news addicts.

The Verdict

If you are in town on business or in transit to one of the Solomons’ 900 other islands, the Heritage Park Hotel is a good choice. It’s central, clean, modern and has free wifi.

How to get there: Airport transfers can be arranged.
How to book: Online or call +67724007
The Price: Ocean view rooms from around $300 •

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Pacific Island Living


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A cheeky, sexy art deco Flat in historic Silver lake.

   Mediterranean Deco is a glamorous 1920s Mediterranean style apartment furnished by a preservationist designer.

This sweet apartment is nestled high up in the trees, with views of pure verdure and singing birds. Designed with the unabashed hedonism of 1970s Hollywood in mind, Mediterranean Deco is an 800 sqft apartment with shimmery views of the Silver Lake hills. Lusty smoked glass and acrylic furniture, chrome, brass, low-seated furniture, faded leather, amber glass, dusty pinks, lush dark greenery, bentwood and glowing orbs make up a few striking elements in the space. Think Scarface meets Metropolis with some stark white plastered Spanish and Mediterranean elements thrown in (segmental arched walkways, stained glass light fixtures, gothic arched built ins, smooth, soft stucco, rounded ceilings). Art deco black and buttercream tile line the spacious bathroom with a separate full tub and shower, Juliet balcony, oak floors throughout, separate space for staging. Exterior is pink stucco with sage green trim, ivy and red tile roofing.

Photo Shoots (stills):

Cast & Crew:

3 People or less- $150/hr
5 people or less - $190/hr
8 people or less - $225/hr

Additional people: Please inquire.

Film Shoots: Please inquire

Cleaning Fee - $100

NOTES: All shoots have a 3 hour minimum. Overtime is time and a half not pro-rated. Shoots booked with less than 72 hours notice will be charged an additional $100 fee

(click any image for full-size viewing)

Reserve this glamorous Artist's Flat now!


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Broomfield Painting Professionals

If you’re looking for professional Broomfield home painting services, you’ve come to the right place! When it comes to Broomfield house painters, Paint Denver is the most trusted company to get the job done right. We specialize in quality residential interior and exterior house painting in Broomfield and will have your home looking it’s best in no time!

Local Broomfield Home Painting Company

Paint Denver is a team of highly qualified house painters ready to serve all your Broomfield home painting needs. We listen to your Broomfield house painting needs and help make your dream home a reality through paint! We ensure your Broomfield home painting needs are met with great service, fair pricing and expert quality.

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We offer expert Broomfield interior painting services. Whether you’re moving into a brand-new home or your current home needs a refresh, we’ve got you covered.

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Nurses delegation calls on health minister

Karachi: Provisional Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed on Tuesday said people associated with prestigious nursing profession are serving the humanity and vowed to take every possible step to resolve the problems being faced by the nursing community.

He expressed these views while talking to the delegation of Provisional Nurses Association Sindh during a meeting held at his office here. He said nursing community were performing their duties 24 hours at healthcares despite adverse situation and it was the responsibility of government to resolve their genuine demands as they would able to serve the people without any mental stress.

Health minister inquired about the problems being faced by nursing community from delegation of provisional nursing association. The delegation requested the health minister to increase the allowance of nurses on the pattern of other provinces besides increasing the strengthen of doctors and nurses in healthcare throughout Sindh province in order to ensure better healthcare to general public. The delegation specially discussed the increasing of health allowance with minister.

Dr Saghir assured the delegation that every possible step would be taken to resolve the problems facing nursing department.

The delegation was led by Provisional Nursing Association Sindh President Ghulam Dastagir, Vic-President Kausar Farooqi & Muhmmad Sharif Sheikh , General Secretary Afshan Nazli and treasure Talat Parveen Shah.

The post Nurses delegation calls on health minister appeared first on Pakistan Press International.

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848 tocNew fossil species of Trichodesma LeConte, 1861 (Coleoptera: Ptinidae) from Eocene Baltic amber collected in the Kaliningrad region, Russia

Andris Bukejs, Jiří Háva, and Vitalii I. Alekseev

Article number: 21.2.17A
Copyright Paleontological Society, May 2018

Author biographies
Plain-language and multi-lingual abstracts
PDF version

Submission: 4 January 2018. Acceptance: 2 April 2018

Based on a well-preserved specimen from Eocene Baltic amber (Kaliningrad region, Russia), Trichodesma fennosarmatica sp. nov. is described and illustrated. It is the fourth fossil species of this genus. The new species is similar to the extinct Trichodesma electra Zahradník and Háva, 2017, T. groehni Zahradník and Háva, 2017, and T. amberica Zahradník and Háva, 2017 from Baltic amber, but differs in the number of elytral tufts of erect setae that are present. A key to fossil species of Trichodesma is provided.

Andris Bukejs. Institute of Life Sciences and Technologies, Daugavpils University, Vienības Str. 13, Daugavpils, Latvia. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Jiří Háva. Department of Forest Protection and Entomology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 1176, CZ-165 21, Prague 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Vitalii I. Alekseev (corresponding author). Department of Zootechny, Kaliningrad State Technical University, Sovetsky avenue 1. 236000, Kaliningrad, Russia. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Keywords: Anobiinae; death-watch beetle; fossil resin; Paleogene; Tertiary; new species

Final citation: Bukejs, Andris, Háva, Jiří, and Alekseev, Vitalii I. 2018. New fossil species of Trichodesma LeConte, 1861 (Coleoptera: Ptinidae) from Eocene Baltic amber collected in the Kaliningrad region, Russia. Palaeontologia Electronica 21.2.17A 1-7. https://doi.org/10.26879/848

Copyright: May 2018 Paleontological Society.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), which permits users to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, provided it is not used for commercial purposes and the original author and source are credited, with indications if any changes are made. creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

The genus Trichodesma LeConte, 1861 contains 68 extant species and is distributed in the southern and southwestern Nearctic, Neotropical, eastern Palaearctic, Afrotropical and northern Indomalayan regions (Español, 1966; White, 1982; Peck, 2005; Sakai, 2005; Viñolas and Masó, 2007; Zahradník, 2007; Zahradník and Háva, 2014b). Three fossil species of this genus have been described from Baltic amber (Zahradník and Háva, 2017) until now. In the present paper, the study of the Ptinidae paleofauna of this Lagerstätte is continued (Quiel, 1909; Abdullah and Abdullah, 1967; Kuśka, 1992; Bellés and Vitali, 2007; Hawkeswood et al., 2009; Alekseev, 2012, 2014; Zahradník and Háva, 2014a, 2017; Bukejs and Alekseev, 2015; Bukejs et al., 2017), and a new species from Baltic amber is described. A key to the described Trichodesma species from Baltic amber is provided in Appendix 1.

The material examined is currently housed in the private collection of Christel and Hans Werner Hoffeins, Hamburg, Germany (CCHH), and the holotype (current number CCHH 1771-1) will be placed in the Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut under the number SDEI Coleoptera # 301525, as part of the institute’s amber collection. The amber piece was prepared manually and covered with polyurethane lacquer to avoid oxidation. Observations of this specimen were made using a Nikon® SMZ 745T stereomicroscope. The photographs were taken using a Nikon® SMZ 745T stereomicroscope equipped with a Nikon® DSFi1 digital camera. Extended depth of field at high magnifications was achieved by combining multiple images from a range of focal planes using Helicon Focus 6.0.1 software. Measurements were taken using an ocular micrometer on a stereomicroscope (and these are expressed in millimeters).

The type specimen of the species described herein has been provided with a red, printed label: “HOLOTYPE Trichodesma fennosarmatica sp. nov. Bukejs, Háva and Alekseev det. 2018”.

Family PTINIDAE Latreille, 1802
Subfamily ANOBIINAE Fleming, 1821
Tribe NICOBIINI White, 1982
Genus TRICHODESMA LeConte, 1861

Note. The specimen considered here was assigned to the genus Trichodesma within the tribe Nicobiini based on a combination of the following morphological characters: (1) body dorsal surface with tufts of erect setae; (2) tarsal claws with wide, basal tooth.

Trichodesma fennosarmatica sp. nov.
Figure 1.1-3, Figure 2.3-4

Type material. Holotype: No. 1771-1 (CCHH), adult, sex unknown. Complete beetle included in small, transparent, yellow amber piece with dimensions of 11x8x5 mm. Syninclusions consist of a female Dolichopodidae (Diptera), plant trichomes (stellate hairs), many small pieces of organic material, and few gas vesicles.

s figure1Type strata. Blue Earth layer, Baltic amber, Middle Eocene to Upper Eocene.

Type locality. Yantarny settlement (formerly Palmnicken), Sambian (Samland) Peninsula, the Kaliningrad region, Russia.

Etymology. The specific epithet “fennosarmatica” is formed after the word Fennosarmatia, the palaeogeographical amberiferous Eocene continental area, uniting the present-day Fennoscandia and East European plain.

Differential diagnosis. The new species differs from fossil Trichodesma electra Zahradník and Háva, 2017, T. groehni Zahradník and Háva, 2017 and T. amberica Zahradník and Háva, 2017 in number of elytral tufts (see key in Appendix 1).

Description. Body length ca. 6.2 mm; body shape elongate, subcylindrical; body color reddish dark brown, with appendages slightly paler in color. Pronotum and elytra with setation of two types: (1) short, dense, white subrecumbent pubescence, and (2) long, sparse, brown erect setae. Head with short, sparse, subrecumbent setae; ventral surface densely covered with short, white recumbent pubescence. Pronotum with tuft of erect reddish-brown setae. Each elytron apparently with six weak, short, longitudinal tufts of erect reddish-brown setae: three tufts present in apical one-fourth of elytral length, two tufts present on elytral disc (near elytral suture), and one indistinct tuft located near humerus.

Head hypognathous, evenly convex; frons with sparse, fine punctures; vertex with dense, small granules, and interspaces between granules smaller than diameter of one granule. Compound eyes small, oval, convex, entire, with distinct facets, without ommatidial setae; distance between compound eyes nearly equal to 2x vertical diameter of one eye. Last labial palpomere triangular with widened apex, anterior margin bisinuate. Antennae almost not visible in examined specimen; apical antennomere elongate, nearly spindle-shaped, penultimate antennomere slightly dilated apically, about 0.6x length of apical antennomere. Antennal insertions widely separated; interantennal distance equal to 0.75x width of frons.

Pronotum convex medially, with large bump in middle; densely granulated (with granulation near posterior margin distinctly sparser), distance between granules equal to 0.3-1.2x diameter of one granule.

s figure2Scutellar shield triangular, large, transverse. Elytra subparallel, elongate, with humeral calli well developed. Elytral punctures round, dense, moderately large, arranged in striae; striae distinct throughout entire length of elytron, distance between strial punctures equal to 0.5-1.5x diameter of one puncture; interstrial intervals convex; distance between striae about 2.0-2.5x diameter of one strial puncture.

Epipleura with sparse, long, erect setae and dense granulation; wide near humeri and gradually narrowing toward elytral apex, but not reaching elytral apex. Hypomera and metasternum with moderately sparse, small granules. Abdomen with five visible ventrites, with sparse, small granulation. Relative length ratios of ventrites 1-5 (medially) equal to 18-30-25-10-23.

Legs short and moderately robust. Mesocoxae globose, distinctly separated. Metacoxae elongate, transverse, widely separated; metacoxal plaques short, subtriangular with rounded apex. Trochanters subglobous. Femora and tibiae almost equal in length; femora clavate, ventrally with longitudinal groove for reception of tibiae; tibiae straight, not widened apically. Tarsal formula: 5-5-5. Tarsomeres 1-2 transverse, short, subequal in length; tarsomeres 3-4 deeply lobed, strongly transverse; tarsomere 5 large, about as long as tarsomeres 3-4 combined, widened apically, nearly as long as wide. Relative length ratios of mesotarsomeres 1-5 (medially) equal to 7-6-10-9-18. Tarsal claws long, with large, wide tooth basally.

Several ecological inferences can be drawn on the basis of the fossil species diversity of Trichodesma in Baltic amber, when compared to the recent biology of the genus. Various hardwood trees have been reported as hosts for many members of Trichodesma in North America (White, 1982), some of these trees are: Carya, Lindera, Benzoin, Nyssa, Persea, and Liquidambar. In contrast to a majority of the described Baltic amber anobiine beetles (conifer specialists like Microbregma ; or taxa associated with many different trees, like Hemicoelus), the diverse Trichodesma representatives provide strong evidence for the presence of a rich, deciduous, warm-temperate flora in the Eocene Baltic forests. The recently published analyses of the Baltic amber plant assemblage (Alekseev and Gnilovskaja, 2016; Ignatov et al., 2016; Sadowski et al., 2017a, 2017b) complement the interpretation that is forming as a result of studies on insect inclusions. Plant inclusion data, combined with the data that has been accumulated in the last few decades, on the assemblages and paleoecology of phytophagous and xylophagous beetles, is building toward a significant advance in the understanding of the Eocene amber ecosystem.

The authors are sincerely grateful to Ch. and H.W. Hoffeins (Hamburg, Germany) for the loan of fossil material from their great private collection and for the determination of the Diptera syninclusion. Three anonymous reviewers are greatly appreciated for their valuable comments and corrections.

Abdullah, M. and Abdullah, A. 1967. Crictonia macleani, a new genus and species of the Hedobiini (Coleoptera, Anobiidae) from the Baltic amber. Entomological News, 28:23-27.

Alekseev, P.I. and Gnilovskaja, A.A. 2016. The diversity of Pinaceae pollen cones from Baltic amber (Late Eocene). Palaeobotany, 7:47-55. (In Russian)

Alekseev, V.I. 2012. Sucinoptinus bukejsi sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Ptinidae: Ptinini), the second species of the Tertiary genus from the Baltic amber. Baltic Journal of Coleopterology, 12:145-148.

Alekseev, V.I. 2014. New fossil species of Ptinidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) in Baltic amber (Tertiary, Eocene). Zoology and Ecology, 24:239-255. https://doi.org/10.1080/21658005.2014.909154

Bellés, X. and Vitali, F. 2007. New fossil spider beetles from Baltic amber (Coleoptera Ptinidae). Entomapeiron (P.S.), 2:17-28.

Bukejs, A. and Alekseev, V.I. 2015. A second Eocene species of death-watch beetle belonging to the genus Microbregma Seidlitz (Coleoptera: Bostrichoidea) with a checklist of fossil Ptinidae. Zootaxa, 3947(4):553-562. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3947.4.6

Bukejs, A., Alekseev, V.I., Cooper, D.M.L., King, G.A., and McKellar, R.C. 2017. Contributions to the palaeofauna of Ptinidae (Coleptera) known from Baltic amber. Zootaxa, 4344(1):181-188. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4344.1.12

Español, F. 1966. Notas sobre anóbidos (Coleoptera). XVII. Las Trichodesma del África tropical. Eos, 41(2-3):215-222.

Fleming, J. 1821. Insecta. p. 41-56. In Napier, M. (ed.), Supplement to the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Editions of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Vol. 5. Part 1. A. Constable and Company, Edinburgh.

Hawkeswood, T.J., Makhan, D., and Turner, J.R. 2009. Anobium jacquelinae sp. nov., a new wood-boring beetle (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) from Baltic amber. Giornale Italiano di Entomologia, 12:181-187.

Ignatov, M.S., Abakarova, A.S., Alekseev P.I., and Kučera, J. 2016. Cynodontium eocenicum, a new moss from the Baltic amber. Arctoa, 25:236-240.

Kuśka, A. 1992. Three new species of beetles (Coleoptera: Cantharidae, Anobiidae, Curculionidae) from the Baltic amber. Annals of the Upper Silesian Museum-Entomology, 3:107-113.

Latreille P.A. 1802. Histoire naturelle, génerale et particuliere des crustacés et des insectes. Ouvrage faisant suite aux oeuvres de Leclerc de Buffon, et partie du Cours complet d'Histoire naturelle rédigé par C. S. Sonnini, membre deplusieurs Sociétés savantes. Tome troisiěme. F. Dufart, Paris.

LeConte, J.L. 1861. Classification of the Coleoptera of North America. Prepared for the Smithsonian Institution. Part I. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, 136:1-214.

Peck, S.B. 2005. A Checklist of the Beetles of Cuba with Data on Distributions and Bionomics (Insecta: Coleoptera). Arthropods of Florida and Neighboring Land Areas. Vol. 18. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Gainesville.

Quiel, G. 1909. Zwei neue Coleopteren aus dem baltischen Bernstein (Eozän bezw. unteres Oligozän). Berliner Entomologische Zeitschrift, 54:49-52.

Sadowski, E.-M., Schmidt, A.R., Seyfullah, L.J., and Kunzmann, L. 2017a. Conifers of the ‘Baltic amber forest’ and their palaeoecological significance. Stapfia, 106:1-73.

Sadowski, E.-M., Seyfullah, L.J., Wilson, C.A., Calvin, C.L., and Schmidt, A.R. 2017b. Diverse early dwarf mistletoes (Arceuthobium), ecological keystones of the Eocene Baltic amber biota. American Journal of Botany, 104 (5):694-718. https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.1600390

Sakai, M. 2005. Trichodesma michioi (Coleoptera, Anobiidae, Anobiinae), a new anobiid species from the Ryukyus, Japan. Elytra, 33 (1):42-46.

Viñolas, A. and Masó, G. 2007. Nuevas especies de los géneros Trichodesma LeConte, 1861 y Gastrallus Jacquelin du Val, 1860, del África Austral (Coleoptera, Anobiidae). Animal Biodiversity and Conservation, 30(1):53-70.

White, R.E. 1982. A Catalog of the Coleoptera of America North of Mexico. Family Anobiidae. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.

Zahradník, P. 2007. Ptinidae (without Gibbiinae and Ptininae), p. 339-362. In Löbl, I. and Smetana, A. (eds.), Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera. Elateroidea - Derodontoidea - Bostrichoidea - Lymexyloidea - Cleroidea - Cucujoidea. Volume 4. Apollo Books, Stenstrup.

Zahradník, P. and Háva, J. 2014a. New Ptinidae (Coleoptera: Bostrichoidea) from Baltic amber with a list of known fossil species. Studies and Reports, Taxonomical Series, 10(2):629-646.

Zahradník, P. and Háva, J. 2014b. Catalogue of the world genera and subgenera of the superfamilies Derodontoidea and Bostrichoidea (Coleoptera: Derodontiformia, Bostrichiformia). Zootaxa, 3754(4):301-352. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3754.4.1

Zahradník, P. and Háva, J. 2017. Three new species of Trichodesma LeConte, 1861 from Baltic amber (Coleoptera: Ptinidae: Anobiinae). Folia Heyrovskyana, Series A, 25(1):89-92.


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947 tocUnlocking the secrets of the thylacine: The skeletal atlas of an iconic marsupial

Kaylene Butler

The thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus), sometimes referred to as a Tasmanian tiger (due to the striped pattern on its back) or the Tasmania wolf (due to the dog like appearance), is one of Australia’s most iconic extinct mammals. Thylacines are thought to have gone extinct in the wild by the 1930s, with the last surviving captive animal having died in 1936. This was due, to a mass-extermination of the thylacines across Tasmania. Sadly, despite their now iconic nature and more recent public interest, very few useful specimens exist in collections and a complete atlas of the skeleton of the Thylacine has never been published. This is where a recent PE paper by Natalie M. Warburton, Kenny J. Travouillon, and Aaron B. Camens comes into play.

A complete skeletal atlas

The recent paper by Dr Warburton and her team provides a record of the skeletal anatomy of the Thylacine. Having a reliable reference for future studies is incredibly important for the Thylacine as Dr Warburton explains:

Having reliable and accessible reference material is really important in order to answer lots of palaeontological questions. From the basics of "what is this bone?” and “who did it belong to?”, to understanding the patterns in bone morphology that correspond to adaptations for different behaviours versus those that correspond to phylogenetic patterns.”

figure1Thylacine skeleton, WAM M195 (M3318) (Figure 1 of Warburton et al. 2019).

A complete atlas such as this is incredibly important for palaeontologist and biologist to be able to complete their research in cases where they cannot access the original specimens. “Ideally we would have access to lots of complete comparative specimens when we are working, but often times this is just not practical” Dr Warburton says, “Even when working with access to museum collections, there are often limited numbers of complete skeletons available, and this is particularly the case for relatively rare or extinct species.”

Is it a Thylacine?

Perhaps the greatest value is that this atlas will allow for easier identification of Thylacine specimens, particularly those often overlooked in the fossil record. Dr Warburton says:

“An atlas, such as the one we have put together for the Thylacine, provides a very valuable resource for those trying to make decisions about whether or not the bones they have found are likely to be from a Thylacine, and if not, how the bones compare in the morphology in such a way that might give clues to who the bones did belong to. Little bones, such as epipubic bones [part of the pelvic area], fabellae [a small boke in the leg] and chevron bones [part of the tail] are also something that are often overlooked, but can turn up in fossil deposits - often they might end up in the bag of unidentified bony bits that no one ever looks at; we have included illustrations of these as well.”

Any good comparative atlas should include photos of bones from multiple angles. “By providing photos of each bone from many different angles, it will help in the identification and comparative study of even fragmentary bones” Dr Warburton explains.

figure17Sacral and caudal vertebrae SAMA M1960. 1, complete sacro-caudal series, dorsal view; 2, sacrum and proximal caudal series, dorsal view; 3, first caudal vertebra (Ca1) cranial view; 4, Ca1 dorsal view; 5, Ca1 lateral view; 6, eighth caudal vertebra (Ca8) ventral view; 7, Ca8 cranial view; 8, Ca8 lateral view; 9, examples of proximal, middle and distal chevron bones from ventral and dorsal views. Scale bar equals 20 mm (Figure 17 of Warburton et al. 2019).

Not a tiger, not a dog, not just from Tasmania

Despite one common name being the Tasmania Tiger, the Thylacine is bears little resemblance to an actual tiger. However, the skeleton does share incredible physical resemblance with dogs or wolves.. Despite this, the thylacine is actually a marsupial (the group that includes kangaroos, possums, quolls and koalas)! We discussed this common misconception with Dr Warburton:

“Thylacines do look very much like dogs - this similarity is an exquisite example of convergence between a marsupial and the eutherian “dog” (family CANIDAE), and reflects evolution towards a similar ecological niche; that of a pursuit predator. However, as well as functional patterns, the skeleton and teeth also preserve many characteristics of taxonomic significance.”

figure4Skull of WAM M195 (M3318). 1, right lateral view; 2, left lateral view. Scale bar equals 20 mm (Figure 4 of Warburton et al. 2019).

Dr Warburton explains that there are several differences between marsupials and eutherian mammal skulls including: nasal bones that expand, rather than converge towards the back of the nose; auditory bullae (a hollow bony structure on that encloses parts of the middle and inner ear) principally formed from the alisphenoid bone; the lachrymal duct (tear duct) positioned outside the orbit on the expanded lachrymal bone and more! “The post cranial skeleton (everything below the skull) also has lots of little features that reflect the fact that the Thylacine is a marsupial, not a dog - most obviously, the presence of epipubic bones [pelvic bone], but also the bones of the wrist and ankle, length of metacarpal and metatarsal bones, and the list goes on” say Dr Warburton.

For those interested in deep-diving into marsupial morphology, many of these features are clearly labelled in the new atlas of the Thylacine skeleton.

The name Tasmania Tiger or Wolf is also somewhat of a misnomer given that the Thylacine was not solely restricted to the state of Tasmania. Although by the time European settlers arrived Thylacines no longer occurred on the mainland, Dr Warburton points out that “Thylacines were represented in rock paintings and fossil deposits across the Australian mainland until between 3-4 thousand years ago.”

A treasure hunt for new information

Creating a new atlas of the skeleton of the Thylacine was not always easy. “In conducting this research, it also became a bit of a treasure hunt through the museum archives to actually workout where the specimens came from” Dr Warburton explains “Kenny [Travouillon] eventually tracked down letters that indicated that the specimen ID on at least one of the WAM skeletons was incorrect, and so we have clarified the origins of these specimens too.”

Dr Warburton was also surprised by some of the convergent similarities between eutherian mammals and Thylacines:

“Having not spent a lot of time looking at Thylacine bones before, I was struck by how strongly convergent many of the limb bone features are with cursorial [limbs adapted for running] eutherian mammals - Features like the really anteriorly projecting greater tubercle of the humerus, and much more digitigrade stance of the carpal and tarsal regions. Then there are the epipubics – in comparison to all other terrestrial marsupials they are tiny, and I think these suggest that Thylacines were moving their trunk and hindlimbs much more like cursorial placental mammals do than other marsupials.”

figure22Right Humerus SAMA M1960. 1, cranial view; 2, caudal view; 3, lateral view; 4, medial view; 5, proximal view; 6, distal view. Scale bar equals 20 mm; NB 5 and 6 not to scale (Figure 22 of Warburton et al. 2019).

Dr Warburton hopes that “by providing detailed labels of many morphological features on the bones, it will help those that are not familiar with detailed bony anatomy to make sense of terms that are often described, but not necessarily well illustrated, in the (sometimes very old) literature that we often work with.” She hopes that this will be a really valuable reference work for all those (new and old) who study this iconic marsupial and, in general, the evolution of mammal bones.

To learn more about these fossils, check out the original PE article here.


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The best coffee cup ever.

Here’s a truth about me that you probably already know: I really like coffee. (I also really like tea, cats, cakes, and chocolate, though I do not consume cats. As opposed to the other things.) I like the varieties best that have little acidity. I drink it with milk, and like it strong enough to get a good coffee taste with a bit of bitterness, but not too strong – the “French” or “Norwegian” coffee at the Textile Forum is usually too much for me, and I water it down. (A lot.)

I also like coffee cups. There are so many funny, fancy mugs in our household that even though we do have “proper” coffee cups that match the rest of our tableware, we usually grab one of the non-matching mugs. Well, more or less non-matching, as there are a few sets – one with cartoon animals doing seasonal stuff, with the mugs aptly labeled “spring”, “summer”, “autumn”, and “winter”, and one set of two cups where one is “pro!” and the other “contra!”

And from that rich assortment of cups, there are a very few that sort of belong only to the most patient husband of them all (as in only he is using them and we also don’t give them to guests to use), and a few (admittedly a few more) that are mine and mine alone. Because they are my favourites. (One of these, curiously, used to be a favourite of his, until I sort of usurped it, and it has been ages since he last drank out of it.) Another favourite is a raku-ware cup that a friend gave to me on my last birthday, hitting several sweet spots at once – my love for raku and handmade things, my love for nice and rather large cups, and my colour preferences. Yet another one is a souvenir cup I brought home from a visit to a conference in Poland, years ago.

All these have one thing in common – they are a bit or a significant bit larger than the usual coffee mug (which in turn is much larger than a normal coffee cup). There’s just one of my fave mugs that is normal mug-sized… but it’s still the coolest coffee cup ever:

That’s tea stains in the cup. I had a cuppa tea before I had coffee. Sue me.

I bought this a few years ago at the game fair in Essen, in the comics area. It’s the ultimate cup for a coffee-loving archaeologist, and in case you are one or know one or just need that cup too anyways, here’s the webshop where you can get it. (The shop is in German, but it should be straightforward enough.) There are a few more nice cups in that shop, too, and not all of them have a strictly German pun such as this one. (Ziehen, in German, both means “to draw” if you are talking about a gun, and “to steep” if you are talking about tea.) Enjoy. Don’t blame me if you end up with another mug or two. (These things are herd animals anyway. Just like spinning tools. Or bicycles. Right?)

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Paper PC Picks – Holiday 2015: neyya Smart Ring

PPC Crop

neyya Smart Rings

Finger-flickin’ good? The new neyya Bluetooth smart ring is easy enough to use, but quite sophisticated inside. Users can tap or swipe its 25.5mm capacitive touchpad to start or end phone calls, click through PowerPoint presentations, launch Siri on an Apple iPhone, control music, control GoPro Hero or ROKU devices and perform other tasks. It can also be used for handsfree selfies.

The neyya is weather resistant and comes in three ring sizes and two colors (Gold, $179; Titanium-chrome, $139). The unit gives silent vibration feedback to alert users of incoming calls (or specific callers) and charges wirelessly. Free iOS, Android and Windows apps are or will be available soon.

©Copyright 2015, Robert S. Anthony, Stadium Circle Features

PPC Crop 2

Paper PC Picks – Holiday 2015: Roost 9V Smart Battery

Roost 9V Smart Battery

Roost 9V Smart Battery

The Roost 9V Smart Battery takes an existing smoke or CO2 detector and makes it “smart” enough to send alerts to a smartphone. The $35 lithium Roost is the same size as a standard 9V battery, but has a Wi-Fi adapter on the bottom which links to a home network. If the alarm goes off, the Wi-Fi adapter wakes up and sends an alert through the cloud to all linked smartphones and tablets. A free app monitors the battery’s status and lets users share smoke-alarm alerts with friends and neighbors. A $65 Roost two-pack is also available.

©Copyright 2015, Robert S. Anthony, Stadium Circle Features

Roost 9V Smart Battery

Roost 9V Smart Battery goes into any standard smoke alarm.

Don’t Get Stopped at the Gate: Keep Some Power in Your Pocket

Lepow Moonstone External Battery

Lepow Moonstone External Batteries

There are many ways to miss a flight, but a dead cell phone shouldn’t be one of them.

Unfortunately, new TSA security regulations for some foreign airports require that cell phones and other electronic devices be turned on while going through security. Devices that cannot power on won’t be allowed on flights. This rule doesn’t currently affect domestic U.S. flights; just some incoming international flights from certain destinations.

Innovative Technology Justin Slim Power Bank

Innovative Technology Justin Slim Power Bank

One way to avoid such hassles is to travel with an external battery–one that connects with your phone or tablet via a standard USB cable. As long as you keep these portable power banks charged, you’ll always be able to give your device enough juice to power up and get through security. The good news is that many power banks are slim, stylish and inexpensive.

When shopping, keep an eye on a battery’s milliampere-hour (mAh) rating, which gives you an idea of which devices it can charge and how long it can keep them going. For example, Innvovative Technology estimates that its Justin-brand 2,000 mAh power banks provide enough power to add nine hours of talk and web surfing time to a smartphone and its 6,000 mAh units will increase smartphone time an extra 27 hours or add five hours of web, audio and video time to a tablet. For the sake of comparison, note that the internal battery of an Apple iPhone 5s is rated at 1,560 mAh.

Powerocks Magicstick

Powerocks Magicstick

Innovative Technology’s Justin Slim Power Bank barely makes an impression in a jacket pocket but has enough room inside for a 2,000 mAh battery. Four LEDs let you know how much of a charge it has left.

Moonstone power banks from Lepow (photo at top) are encased in smooth, polished plastic and come in an assortment of colors and power capacities. Moonstones comes in 3,000 mAh, 6,000 mAh and 9,000 mAh versions and provide two USB ports: one standard and one higher-powered, fast charge port. Thus you could charge a smartphone on one port and a tablet on the other. Moonstones are roughly three inches square but vary in thickness.

Also colorful and stylish are the Magicstick power banks from Powerocks USA. The purse-size small cylinders house a 2,800 mAh battery and come in a choice of eight colors.

Champ Bodyguard Battery Rechargeable Power Bank

The Champ Bodyguard Power Bank includes a personal alarm and a flashlight.

The Champ Bodyguard Battery Rechargeable Power Bank adds a flashlight and a personal alarm siren to its capabilities as a 2,200 mAh lithium ion portable battery.

Some coffee shops and restaurants, like the ones in New York’s Madison Square Garden and a few Starbucks locations in Boston, now offer wireless charging hotspots built into some of their tables. Place a compatible smartphone or battery on the right spot and the device will charge up without wires.

Duracell Powermat GoPower Overnighter

Duracell Powermat GoPower Overnighter

The Duracell Powermat GoPower Overnighter charges smartphones and tablets with a standard USB cable, but the unit itself can be charged via an AC adapter or computer USB port or wirelessly by placing it on a Duracell or compatible wireless hotspot or charging station. The 4,400 mAh battery has a single USB port and comes precharged for immediate use.

Rayovac 2-Hour Power Pack

Rayovac’s inexpensive 2-Hour Power Pack doesn’t even need a USB cable. The small unit has a built-in micro USB port and plugs directly into your smartphone. Instead of a built in rechargeable battery, it uses a removable Rayovac CR123a battery, which you may be able to find at an airport electronics stores should your unit run down at the wrong time. A similar version with a connector for the iPhone 4S and earlier iPhones is also available.

Like the Lepow Moonstone, the Anker 2nd Gen Astro series chargers can charge two devices at the same time via two USB ports. Anker’s PowerIQ technology in the 2nd Gen Astro (6,000 mAh), Astro2 (9,000 mAh) and Astro3 (12,000 mAh) identifies the device connected to each intelligent USB port and adjusts the charging current accordingly.

Anker Astro

Anker 2nd Gen Astro

The Anker 2nd Gen Astro series units lack buttons: To wake them up you simply shake them. A circular power readout lets you know how much of a charge is left inside.

Of course none of the above power banks will do you much good at the airport security gate or anywhere else unless you remember to charge them regularly. So power up and happy travels.

 Text © Copyright 2014, Robert S. Anthony, Stadium Circle Features

Exclusive: Motorola Moto X Software Update Cures Its Wired Headset Headaches

Moto X lead small

The affordable, yet sophisticated Motorola Moto X succeeds in making life with a smartphone as simple, colorful and touch-free as possible, but until recently it stumbled with one of the most basic of all cell phone accessories: wired headsets with microphones.

Fortunately, a new Moto X system software update cleans up the glitch, allowing these headsets to work as they should. The free update is now being pushed out to AT&T and T-Mobile handsets. Moto X owners can wait for the notification screen to pop up or scroll through the phone’s settings to the “About Phone” section, where they can manually initiate the update.

When a Moto X with the original system software was tested with apps such as Skype and voice recorders, it often failed to recognize wired headsets with built-in mics. The earpieces would go silent and the mics wouldn’t transmit audio.

To see if your Moto X still has the original system software, download Skype and try this: Plug a wired headset with a mic to your Moto X and make a voice call to the “Echo/Sound Test Service” entry that’s preinstalled as a contact in Skype. Once connected, try to listen to the automated recording and try to record your voice when prompted.

If you have the original system software, you won’t hear and thing and won’t be able to make the recording. Try the call again without the headset–Skype should work fine. Skype and Motorola public relations representatives were contacted for comment about the wired headset problems; neither responded.

A Moto X which once failed the Skype test now works perfectly after the five-minute software, which also cures other Moto X issues, was installed.

The wired headsets used for testing included Audiofly AF45 and Lenovo 57Y4488 earbuds and a Native Union Pop Phone handset. The above problems were limited to wired headsets with mics–they did not occur with wired headsets without mics or with wireless Bluetooth headsets.

The wired headset problems were ironic since the Moto X, which has three built-in microphones, actually works very well with voice-activated apps such as Google Now since one of the mics is used for noise cancellation. With the new software update, the Moto X becomes an even better value.

Moto X headset 1

Overall, the Moto X is a remarkable smartphone with good looks–which can be customized–and quality high-end features like a sharp, 4.7-inch display and a 10-megapixel camera. (Click here for full review).

Text and photos Copyright 2013, Robert S. Anthony, Stadium Circle Features

Motorola Moto X: Fun, Friendly & Fast Enough

Motorola Moto X

Motorola Moto X

Motorola’s Moto X smartphone is an admirable balance of style and usability. It doesn’t try to outdo Samsung, Apple and others in the race to squeeze in as many high-tech features as possible but instead aims to please with its hand-shaped curves, cool voice-activated features and touch-friendly camera.

The Moto X succeeds as a sophisticated mainstream smartphone but is no speed demon. Its user-friendliness and simplicity are apparent from the start: Instead of a cluttered home screen, the Moto X offers pretty much a plain vanilla Android home screen that allows the new owner do the customizing. And that’s not surprising since Motorola Mobility is now a division of Google, the maker of Android software.

To start the camera, you pick up the phone and twist your wrist twice–that’s it; the Moto X immediately switches to camera mode. To take a photo you can touch any part of the screen–there’s no need to hunt for a shutter button. The Moto X’s 10-megapixel camera uses Motorola’s ClearPixel technology, which allows each sensor to gather 75 percent more light, thus making it possible to get clear photos even in low-light situations. according to Motorola.

The Moto X can be customized with numerous color combinations for its keys and shell (including an all wood case available later this year) by ordering the unit via the Moto X website, which only offers AT&T units at the moment. Since the Moto X is manufactured in Fort Worth, Texas instead of somewhere overseas, online buyers can expect to see their new phones–already initialized with their Google accounts–in four days or less, according to Motorola.

Motorola's Moto X can be ordered in a variety of color combinations.

Motorola’s Moto X can be ordered in a variety of color combinations.

“We think this represents a very interesting future,” said Rick Osterloh, senior vice president for product development at Motorola during a press event in New York. He said the Moto X is aimed at “the mainstream user,” not the feature-frenzied geek.

Rear of Motorola Moto X.

Rear of Motorola Moto X.

The Moto X uses what computing power it has fairly efficiently. It runs Android version 4.2.2 and has a dual-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon processor. Other top-shelf smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S4 have quad-core processors, but they also have more sensors and higher-resolution screens, making the additional processor muscle necessary.

Moto X Active Display

The low-power Active Display mode on Motorola’s Moto X.

The Moto X is built with what’s called the Motorola X8 computing system. It’s a set of eight processor cores assigned to different tasks. Why is this important? By using different cores for different tasks, the entire processor doesn’t have to be awake all the time–each core wakes up as it’s needed. This design extends the life of the Moto X’s 2200 mAH battery to a full day of average use, according to Motorola.

Two of the processor cores are used for basic application processing (this is what makes the Moto X a “dual-core” smartphone) and four are used for graphics processing, thus speeding up video and photo functions. The other two cores take care of voice commands and sensors like the accelerometer and the ambient light sensor and help the Moto X detect how fast you’re moving and what you’re doing with the phone.

When tested with voice commands, the Moto X worked very well and was able to verbally answer questions about the time, the weather, directions, baseball scores and many other queries. The quality of the speech detection is aided by the phone’s three microphones, which work together to cancel stray noises and enhance voices.

A useful Active Display shows notifications in a simple, low-power mode, thus letting you know if you have incoming e-mail, text messages or other items even when the phone is in standby mode.

The Moto X lists for $199 (16GB of user memory) or $249 (32GB) with a two-year plan and is sold by AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and US Cellular and major retailers.

Do you have a Moto X? How do you like it so far? Comment or vote:

Text and photos Copyright 2013, Robert S. Anthony, Stadium Circle Features

Ten Pinterest tips from a user with 1.2 million followers: Me!

The number of followers on my Paper PC Picks hot products board on Pinterest now rivals that of Mashable and The Verge.

The number of followers on my Paper PC Picks hot products board on Pinterest now rivals that of major tech websites such as  Mashable and The Verge.

I don’t like to toot my own horn, but I’m quite proud of the CNET story on how I amassed 1.2 million followers on Pinterest.  My Paper PC Picks board on Pinterest has proven to be an excellent vehicle for quickly posting short stories on new gadgets that I see at press conferences and trade shows.

Journalist Robert Anthony, who has 1.2 million followers after less than a year on Pinterest, offers up some of the latest thinking on the platform.

According to Repinly, I’m now one of the most popular Pinterest pinners in the world. I only have you, the readers, to thank for that.

Me on Repinly

Click here to read the CNET piece. And thanks for your support.

Copyright 2013 Robert S. Anthony, Stadium Circle Features

Victim of Bad Timing, Sol Republic Pulls ‘Headphone Shootout’ from 2013 CES

“In light of Friday’s tragic event, we are updating the venue for our CES press event.
We are deeply saddened and our thoughts remain with the families
of all those affected during this time.” — Sol Republic

* * *

The 2013 International CES, the nation’s largest consumer electronics trade show, doesn’t arrive in Las Vegas until next month, but the effects of the Dec. 14 grade-school mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., have already reached forward and caused headphone maker Sol Republic to cancel a press event which would have been staged at a gun range.

Sol Republic, maker of fashionable and customizable headphones, had scheduled a Jan. 6 media-only event in which the press would have been invited to The Range 702, which bills itself as “the largest indoor shooting facility in Nevada.”

Note: Original invite: Press event will NOT be held at the gun range.

Original invite to Sol Republic “headphone shootout” event. The press preview will no longer be held at the gun range out of respect for those affected by Dec. 14 mass shooting in Newtown, Conn.

The event, booked long before the Dec. 14 mass shooting, would have included a preview of Sol Republic’s upcoming audio products and a chance for attendees to take target practice with the chance to win Sol Republic headphones.

Unfortunately the invite arrived in journalists’ email inboxes on Dec. 14 just as news was breaking that 26 people, including 20 children, had been shot and killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. by a gunman who later committed suicide. Sol Republic soon decided that a gun range event even weeks after the mass shooting wouldn’t be appropriate.

In a short email circulated Dec. 17, Sol Republic’s press agency said the company would still hold a media event at CES, but at a different, yet undecided location.

The 2013 International CES (formerly called the International Consumer Electronics Show) officially runs from Jan. 8 to 11, but will be preceded by two press-only days. During a November press preview, Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, which runs the show, said the show would feature more than 3,000 exhibitors. He added that based on early registrations, attendance was “on track” to match last year’s 153,000 attendees.

Copyright 2012, Robert S. Anthony, Stadium Circle Features,