Classical Swine Fever
Posted by: දිල්මිණී on: May 3, 2009
- In: Health| LIfe| Philosophy
- 2 Comments
Importance
Classical swine fever (CSF) is a highly contagious and economically significant viral disease of pigs. The severity of this disease varies with the strain of the virus, the age of the pig, and the immune status of the herd. Acute infections, which are caused by highly virulent isolates and have a high mortality rate, are likely to be diagnosed rapidly. However, infections with less virulent isolates can be more difficult to recognize, particularly in older pigs. These infections may be relatively mild, and can resemble septicemias caused by other agents, as well as other diseases. In some herds, the only symptom may be poor reproductive performance or the failure of some pigs to thrive. The wide range of clinical signs and similarity to other diseases can make classical swine fever challenging to diagnose. Although classical swine fever was once widespread, many countries have eradicated this disease from domesticated swine. Reintroduction of the virus can be devastating. In 1997-1998, an outbreak in the Netherlands spread to more than 400 herds and cost $2.3 billion to eradicate. Approximately 12 million pigs were killed, some in eradication efforts but most for welfare reasons associated with the epidemic. The United Kingdom experienced a CSF epizootic in 2000, and minor outbreaks were reported in Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Germany in 2001. North America is also at risk for the introduction of this disease, which is still endemic in much of South and Central America, including parts of Mexico. Because intensive swine production practices are used in the U.S., there may be extensive movements of pigs at different phases of production. This increases the potential for direct or indirect contact between pigs from different sources. Both factors increase the risk of virus spread. In addition, trade has become globalized, and international passenger travel and immigration have grown, increasing the risk of accidental introduction.
Etiology
Classical swine fever (hog cholera) results from infection by classical swine fever virus (CSFV), a member of the genus Pestivirus and family Flaviviridae. Only one CSFV serotype has been found, but minor antigenic variability has been demonstrated between viral strains. This virus is closely related to the ruminant pestiviruses that cause bovine virus diarrhea and border disease. Other pestiviruses have also been described recently.
Species Affected
Classical swine fever affects domesticated and wild pigs. All feral and wild pigs, including European wild boar and collared peccaries, are thought to be susceptible.
Geographic Distribution
Classical swine fever is found in much of Asia, some Caribbean islands, the African countries of Madagascar and Mauritius, and much of South and Central America. This disease has been eradicated from the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and most of western and central Europe. CSFV is endemic in wild boar in parts of Europe; the significance for domesticated pigs is controversial.
Transmission
Classical swine fever is highly contagious. Infected pigs are the only reservoir of virus. Blood, secretions and excretions (including oronasal and lacrimal secretions, urine, feces and semen) and tissues contain infectious virus. Virus shedding can begin before the onset of clinical signs, and occurs throughout the course of acute or subclinical disease. Chronically or persistently infected pigs can shed virus continuously or intermittently for months. Transmission between pigs occurs mainly by the oral or oronasal routes, via direct or indirect contact. CSFV is often spread by feeding uncooked contaminated garbage. Animals can also be infected through the mucous membranes, conjunctiva and skin abrasions. CSFV can be spread by genital transmission or artificial insemination. Infected carrier sows may give birth to persistently infected pigsThe virus can also be spread on fomites, and mechanical spread by insects, birds and other wild or domesticated animals may occur. Airborne transmission seems to be possible over short distances; however, the maximum distance the virus can spread is unclear. While aerosol transmission occurred only within a radius of 250 meters (820 feet) in one study, transmission could occur up to 1 km (0.62 miles) in another. CSFV is moderately fragile in the environment; this virus is reported to survive for three days at 50ºC (122 ºF) and 7 to 15 days at 37ºC (98.6ºF). Estimates of its survival in pens and on fomites under field conditions vary. Some studies suggest that virus inactivation occurs within a few days, while others describe survival, under winter conditions, for up to four weeks. CSFV can remain infectious for nearly three months in refrigerated meat and for more than four years in frozen meat. In this proteinaceous environment, this virus does not appear to be inactivated by smoking or salt curing. Reported virus survival times in cured and smoked meats vary with the technique, and range from 17 to more than 180 days.
Incubation Period
The incubation period can range from 2 to 15 days, depending on the virulence of the strain, the route of inoculation and the dose. Under field conditions, disease may not become evident in a herd for 2 to 4 weeks or longer.
Clinical Signs
The signs of classical swine fever vary with the strain of virus, and the age and susceptibility of the pigs. More virulent strains cause acute disease; less virulent strains can result in a high percentage of chronic, mild or asymptomatic infections. Although highly virulent strains were once more prevalent, most epizootics are now caused by moderately virulent strains. Older animals are less likely to show severe symptoms than younger pigs. Some breed-specific differences have also been reported. Acute swine fever is the most severe form of the disease. In this form, common symptoms include a high fever [41o C (105o F)], huddling, weakness, drowsiness, anorexia, conjunctivitis, and constipation followed by diarrhea. Pigs may be in coordinated or exhibit an unsteady, weaving or staggering gait, which progresses to posterior paresis. Some pigs may vomit yellow, bile- containing fluid, or develop respiratory signs. The abdomen, inner thighs, ears and tail may develop a purple cyanotic discoloration. Hemorrhages can also occur in the skin. Severe leukopenia usually occurs soon after disease onset, and convulsions may be seen in the terminal stages. Pigs with acute classical swine fever often die within one to three weeks.
Diagnosis
Clinical
Classical swine fever should be suspected in pigs with signs of septicemia and a high fever, particularly if uncooked scraps have been fedor new animals have been added to the herd. This disease may also be considered in herds with other symptoms, including breeding herds with poor reproductive performance and disease in piglets. It can be difficult to differentiate classical swine fever from other diseases without laboratory testing. Differential diagnosis
The differential diagnosis varies with the form of the disease, and includes African swine fever, porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome, porcine circovirus associated disease (especially porcine dermatitis nephritis syndrome), hemolytic disease of the newborn, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, thrombocytopenic purpura, anticoagulant (e.g. warfarin) poisoning, salt poisoning, Aujeszky’s disease (pseudorabies) and parvovirus infections. Septicemic diseases such as erysipelas, eperythrozoonosis, salmonellosis, pasteur-ellosis, actinobacillosis, and Haemophilus parasuis infections must also be considered. Congenital infection with the pestiviruses that cause bovine virus diarrhea or border disease can resemble classical swine fever.
Laboratory tests
Classical swine fever can be diagnosed by detecting the virus, its antigens or nucleic acids in whole blood or tissue samples. Viral antigens are detected by direct immunofluorescence (FAT or FATST test) or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). The virus can also be isolated in several cell lines including PK-15 cells; it is identified by direct immunofluorescence or by immunoperoxidase staining. Reverse transcriptasepolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests are used in some laboratories. The ruminant pestiviruses that cause bovine virus diarrhea and border disease can occasionally infect pigs nSerum neutralization tests, or immunoperoxidase procedures that use monoclonal antibodies, can differentiate CSFV from these viruses. They can also be distinguished using genetic methods such as RT-PCR. Serology is used for diagnosis and surveillance Antibodies develop after 2 to 3 weeks, and persis lifelong. For this reason, serology is most useful in herds thought to have been infected 30 or more days previously It is particularly helpful in herds infected with less virulent strains, where viral antigens may be more
difficult to find. The most commonly used tests are virus neutralization tests, which include the fluoresce antibody virus neutralization (FAVN) test and the neutralizing peroxidase-linked assay (NPLA), and various ELISAs. Antibodies against ruminant pestiviruses may be found in breeding animals; only tests that use monoclonal antibodies can differentiate between these viruses and CSFV. The definitive test for differentiation is the comparative neutralization test. Congenitally infected pigs are immunotolerant and are negative on serology. Companion ELISAs have been developed for marke vaccines, but have limitations in their sensitivity and ospecificity.
Source :www.cfsph.iastate.edu
Over the rainbow
Posted by: Lasitha Silva on: April 19, 2009
- In: LIfe
- 2 Comments
Somewhere, over the rainbow, way up high.
There’s a land that I heard of Once in a lullaby.
Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue.
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.
Someday I’ll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops, Away above the chimney tops.
That’s where you’ll find me.
Somewhere, over the rainbow, bluebirds fly. Birds fly over the rainbow,
Why then – oh, why can’t I?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow,
Why, oh, why can’t I?
Await me, Belgrade…
Posted by: Lasitha Silva on: April 13, 2009
I got selected to the World University Games 2009, the Universiade 2009. This time its Belgrade, Serbia. Apart from the workload I had during the past months, I managed to do some training for the trials. Lucky me!. I’m in the team.
How ever there are several concerns in my mind. The ticket isn’t affordable for all, so that the selectors have reduced the number of participation. My university provides with the registration fee and the tickets. But not all universities here in Sri Lanka got such policy.
There were 6 participants in two disciplines for the Bangkok Universiade including myself from the University of Moratuwa, my university. But this time only two to my knowledge, myself and my batch mate swimmer.
But unfortunate me! My GF didn’t get her place in the team as expected. She’d recovered now.
Well, hope for a better Universiade this time. I dont need less GPA this time. Hard work to be done, preparation needed. This is a milestone semester of my Uni life and I need courage and commitment from within.
Seems tired to even think about it. Only 1+ month for my CIMA exams. Need a sigh of relief soon after the huge bulk.
Currently I’m working on the training report. Its a cracking mess now with only 10 pages out of the 40+ required. Yes I’m doing the BSc. in IT, I’ve got to commit.!!!
Until then, await me Belgrade!!!
The EU is a high tax area – on average
Posted by: Lasitha Silva on: April 8, 2009
The European Union, taken as a whole, is a high-tax area. In 2006, the last year for which detailed data are available, he overall tax ratio, i.e. the sum of taxes and social security contributions in the 27 Member States (EU-27) amounted to 39.9 % of GDP (in the weighted average; see Table 1); this value is about 12 percentage points above those recorded in the United States and Japan. The EU taxto- GDP ratio is high not only compared with these two countries but in general; amongst the major non-European OECD members, only New Zealand has a ratio that exceeds 35 per cent of GDP1. The high EU tax-to-GDP ratio is not a new phenomenon; it mostly dates back to a strong upward trend in the 1970s, and to a lesser extent also in the 1980s and early 1990s, which was closely linked to the growing share of the public sector in the economy in those years. In the later 1990s, first the Maastricht Treaty nominal convergence criteria and subsequently the Stability and Growth Pact encouraged the adoption of a series of fiscal consolidation measures. In a number of Member States, the consolidation process relied primarily on restricting or scaling back primary public expenditure, in others the focus was rather on increasing taxes (in some cases temporarily). At the end of that decade, a number of countries took advantage of buoyant tax revenues to reduce the tax burden, through cuts in the personal income tax and social contributions, but also in the corporate income tax. The overall tax burden decreased perceptibly from 2000, but generally only for a couple of years. Efforts to reduce taxes permanently gradually lost steam; reductions in tax ratios, fairly aggressive in 2001, became less significant in subsequent years and mostly stopped altogether in 2005. Cyclical factors contributed to slow the decline in tax ratios after 2002; particularly from 2004 onwards, growth in the EU reaccelerated, boosting the revenue of pro-cyclical taxes; in addition, Member States strove to reduce their deficits, which probably led them to postpone tax cuts. Overall, one may conclude that, in the last decade, the upward trend in taxation has largely been stopped, but has been reversed in few countries only.
Corporate income tax rates continue their rapid decline throughout the EU
Since the second half of the 1990s, corporate income tax (CIT) rates in Europe have been cutforcefully . This trend has continued in 2008, as shown by an 0.9 percentage point drop in the EU-27 average. The cut was even stronger in the euro area (1.2 points), whose rates nevertheless remain somewhat higher (at 26.5 %, the EA-15 average is almost three points above the average for the Union as a whole). Seven Member States countries cut the corporate tax rate in 2008, most prominently Germany (-8.9 points to 29.8 %) and Italy (-5.9 points to 31.4 %). No country increased the CIT rate.
Although the downward trend has been quite general, corporate tax rates still vary substantially within the Union . The adjusted statutory tax rate on corporate income3 varies between a minimum of 10 % (in Bulgaria and Cyprus) and a maximum of 35 % in Malta, although the gap between the maximum and the minimum has shrunk since 1995. As in the case of personal income tax, the lowest rates are typical of countries with low overall tax ratios; consequently, the new Member States tend to have low rates (with the notable exception of Malta, which is also the only Member State, together with Sweden, not having changed its CIT rate since 1995). The reverse is, however, not true: unlike in the case of the personal income tax, the two Member States with the highest tax burden, Denmark and Sweden, display corporate tax rates that are not much above the average. This is linked to the adoption by these countries of Dual Income Tax systems, which by nature tax capital income at a moderate rate.
Source : http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs
News for DIABETES patients…
Posted by: Lasitha Silva on: March 26, 2009
A type 2 diabetes drug taken orally and in widespread use for more than a decade has been found to have distinct advantages over nine other, mostly newer medications used to control the chronic disease, according to a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins.
In their report, published online July 16 in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, the Hopkins team found that metformin, first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1995 (and sold as Glucophage, Riomet and Fortamet), not only controlled blood sugar levels but also was less likely to cause weight gain and more likely than others to lower bad cholesterol levels in the blood.
Researchers say these health benefits are important because they can potentially ward off heart disease and other life-threatening consequence from diabetes. More than 15 million Americans have type 2 diabetes.
“Sometimes newer is not necessarily better,” says lead study author Shari Bolen, M.D., an internist at Hopkins. “Issues like blood sugar levels, weight gain and cost could be significant factors to many patients struggling to stay in good health,” says Bolen, an instructor at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
In what is believed to be the largest drug comparison of its kind, the scientists showed that all of the commonly used oral medications worked much the same at lowering and controlling blood sugar levels, and were equally safe. But metformin stood out because it offered the same level of effectiveness without lowering glucose measurements too much, and it did so for a lower price.
Metformin was found to lower LDL or bad cholesterol by about 10 milligrams per deciliter of blood, while newer medications studied, such as pioglitazone (Actos) and rosiglitazone (Avandia), or so-called thiazolidinediones, were found to have the opposite effect, increasing levels of the artery-clogging fat by the same amount.
Researchers say the main drawbacks to metformin are digestive problems and diarrhea. Previous reports have found evidence that the medication leads to the buildup of lactic acid in the blood in people with moderate kidney or heart disease, and they note that it should not be prescribed to anyone with either of these conditions. The main advantages to both newer thiazolidinediones were a small increase in HDL or good cholesterol, and less too-low blood sugar levels than three other older, cheaper drugs studied — glimepiride (Amaryl), glipizide (Glucotrol), glyburide (Micronase, DiabBeta, Glynase PresTab) — known as second-generation sulfonylureas.
Annual treatment with metformin or the sulfonylureas, they note, costs on average $100, roughly one-fourth the cost of oral diabetes medications FDA-approved since then, including the two newer thiazolidinediones, both approved in 1999. (Their price is expected to drop once generic versions become available.)
“When you are dealing with an epidemic like diabetes, it is important for people to weigh their treatment options with their physician and to make informed decisions about which medication best suits their needs,” says Bolen.
In the study, Bolen and her colleagues reviewed the scientific evidence from 216 previous studies and compared each drug for its clinical effectiveness, risks and costs. In addition to metformin, the thiazolidinediones and sulfonylureas, drugs included in their analysis were repaglinide (Prandin), miglitol (Glyset), acarbose (Precose), and nateglinide (Starlix).
Among the team’s other findings were that glimepiride, glipizide, and glyburide led more frequently to too-low blood sugar levels than the other drugs. The sulfonylureas and acarbose appeared to have no effect on bad cholesterol. And except for metformin and acarbose, drug treatment led to an increase in weight from 2 to 11 pounds.
Researchers also noted the increased risk of heart failure, albeit small (less than three people in a hundred), in people taking thiazolidinediones who did not have a history of heart disease. They also caution that despite recent reports about the potential for increased risk of heart attack from rosiglitazone, there is not yet sufficient information to verify the finding.
Researchers say further studies are needed to compare the long-term effectiveness of one treatment to another and to compare drug effects on quality of life and life expectancy. Additional research will also be needed to compare these findings with results for injectible medications for diabetes, most notably insulin, which was not included in the latest report.
The study, conducted solely at Hopkins, was supported with funding from the federal Agency for Health Care Research and Quality. The agency has posted the analysis, along with a question-and-answer document, on its Web site at http://www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/reports/final.cfm. And the consumer watchdog publication, Consumer Reports, has posted a related report at http://www.CBestBuyDrugs.org.
Besides Bolen, other researchers involved in the study were Leonard Feldman, M.D.; Jason Vassy, M.D., M.P.H.; Lisa Wilson, B.S., Sc.M.; Hsin-Chieh Yeh, Ph.D.; Spyridon Marinopoulos, M.D., M.B.A.; Crystal Wiley, M.D., M.P.H.; Elizabeth Selvin, Ph.D.; Renee Wilson, M.S.; Eric Bass, M.D., M.P.H.; and Frederick Brancati, M.D., M.H.S.
For additional information, go to
http://www.hopkinshospital.org/Diabetes/
http://www.annals.org
http://www.diabetes.org
IAAF B- Scholarship for athletes.
Posted by: Lasitha Silva on: March 24, 2009
For the goals for future, the world athletics governing body IAAF has introduced a scholarship in three categories. This article is on the B-Project which is an idea of the IAAF president Lamine Diack.
IAAF ‘B’ Standard Project
President Lamine Diack has set the goal for the IAAF that at least one athlete of each Member Federation be capable of achieving the ‘B’ Qualification Standard for the World Championships in Athletics or the Olympic Games.
This is an ambitious objective considering the level of the performances to be achieved and the fact that nearly half of the IAAF Member Federations have not yet achieved this level.
Athletes deemed to have a chance to achieve the ‘B’ Standard in an event will be offered one of 3 programmes:
· Short Term programme – Those who are close to the set ‘B’ Standard objective could participate in short term preparation, usually accompanied by their personal coach (3 months duration).
· Medium Term programme – Designed for athletes who have the potential to achieve the ‘B’ Standard with one year of specific preparation (one year duration).
· Long Term programme - Athletes currently under the age of 23 who obviously need longer time to achieve the ‘B’ Standard will be offered this programme (two, or more, years duration).
In all three programmes, the IAAF will ensure access to adequate facilities, coaching and competition.
You will find in the right hand side column a
Please Note: Individual athletes, coaches or other interested parties should contact their National Federation for further information. Only IAAF Member Federations may make application for an athlete and National Federations will submit an application for those athletes who are deemed eligible.
Should you need any further information related to this project please contact, in the first instance, your National Federation. Then, if needed:
IAAF Member Services Department
17 rue Princesse Florestine
BP 359
MC98007
Monaco Cedex
For a more detailed description of the ‘B’ Standard Project, including Entry Standards and Application Form please click
PDF
Source : iaaf.org
“Obama’s rhetoric not enough” says Iranian leader..
Posted by: Lasitha Silva on: March 24, 2009
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Saturday he sees no change in U.S. policy toward Iran despite the U.S. promise of a “new beginning.”
Khamenei said a change in rhetoric is not enough, and Washington must practice what it preaches, according to the English-language Press TV channel in Iran.
He also promised that Iran will change its policy if the United States does so as well, Press TV reported.
Khamenei’s comments, which he made in a televised address to mark the start of the Iranian New Year on Friday, come a day after U.S. President Barack Obama reached out to Iran in a videotaped message.
A spokesman for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad condemned U.S. foreign policy Friday in response to the video.
Obama’s message spoke of “new beginnings” with the promise of a new year.
“My administration is now committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of issues before us, and to pursuing constructive ties among the United States, Iran and the international community,” the president said in his message Friday.
Obama said the United States seeks engagement with Iran that is “honest and grounded in mutual respect.”
The president’s message is part of a dramatic shift in tone from that of the Bush administration, which branded Iran as part of an “axis of evil” along with North Korea and Iraq. It also echoes Obama’s inaugural speech in which he told the Muslim world, “We seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.”
Ahmadinejad said last month that Iran would welcome talks with the United States “in a fair atmosphere with mutual respect.”
Khamenei also said world powers have come to realize they are not able to block Iran’s nuclear progress. He looked back on the February 25 testing of Iran’s first nuclear power plant, at Bushehr, as one of the “joyful developments” of the past year.
Last month, the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security released a report saying that Iran has reached “nuclear weapons breakout capability” — it has enough uranium to make a nuclear bomb.
The report was based on an analysis of data from the International Atomic Energy Agency. However, an IAEA official who asked not to be named cautioned against drawing such dramatic conclusions from the data, saying Iran’s stock of low-enriched uranium would have to be turned into highly enriched uranium to be weapons-grade material. That hasn’t been done, the official said.
The United States has had tortuous relations with Tehran since the Islamic revolution in 1979.
Meanwhile, the widow of the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, died Saturday morning after a long period of illness, the Iranian-run Islamic Republic News Agency said.
A funeral for Khadije Saghafi was scheduled to be held Sunday in Tehran and she was set to be laid to rest in Khomeini’s tomb, the agency reported.
Khomeini was the leader of the 1979 revolution that led to the toppling of the shah of Iran and the ushering in of an Islamic state. He died in 1989.
Source : yahoo news
UAE has its uniqueness…
Posted by: Lasitha Silva on: March 17, 2009
- In: LIfe| Philosophy
- 1 Comment
The family unit in the United Arab Emirates is an important social unit for an Arab. Loyalty to family or surname influences all aspects of family life and society United Arab Emirates. The Arab honor and respect for his family, particularly children. Therefore, it is very paternalistic, patriarchal and hierarchical, with elders and parents who make the decisions.
UAE national families are large, with families citing God going from one to procreate. Therefore, the bigger the better, giving economic and spiritual benefit. Children, when growing older are expected to care for parents, especially for children that much to bear the financial burden, if necessary. Also, it is noted thatlarger families demonstrate the virility of the father.
As far as fidelity passes, family comes first, then clan and tribe. The UAE nationals also reflect national identity and, moreover, are proud of their culture. There is also a strong loyalty to the royal families. Demonstrating this includes photos of the leaders in all walks of life. The UAE Nationals his beloved founding father, Sheikh Zayed, and there was massive show of grief over his death. The people still comment on their generosity for what he did for them and for the construction of the UAE.
Women
Women are respected in the UAE society, as they are the ones who bring life in the world, and raise children. This perception is lost in the west, where it is seen that they are subordinate to men, but increasingly, woman are most prominent in the workplace and in other walks of life. Some guidelines for the West are: respect for privacy and the role of women in society; stand when a woman enters the room, and I understand that there are many households in different areas of residence, so that when you visit a house, you wouldn’t socialize with women.
Things that men should not include:
- Do not talk publicly professionals UAE National Women, unless it is business related. You will understand that when they are allowed to cross the limit, when approached to discuss other matters
- Do not shake hands with a UAE National female, unless prompted.
- Suffice it to say, not flirting, touching or embracing women
- Do not look at women or maintain eye contact
- Do not ask an Arab man about his wife or female members of his family
of course, it’s better to be strict in yourself first, to understand the situation, and with Western values, and an increasingly diverse society to make up, things are changing, but traditions remain and what is best to take this into account.
Source: www.articlesbase.com
Team building-Out-of-the-box
Posted by: Lasitha Silva on: March 16, 2009
- In: Business| Education
- 5 Comments
Working in a team environment provides an excellent opportunity to develop invaluable skills, positive energy and innovative approaches to problem-solving. The best of these activities uses the dynamics of play and the right amount of humor to encourage brainstorming abilities. In short, an atmosphere of playfulness and a team building exercise with a built-in ‘fun factor’ helps relieve individual and group stress. Without stress, team skills can flourish.
The oft-used term ‘out-of-the-box thinking’ refers to the ability to generate new ideas, as opposed to derivative ones. To think that creatively, individuals and teams must have their intellectual boundaries removed. They must have the freedom to scatter their toys on the floor and make a mess. As a game designer, I find that ‘making a mess’ is often the only way to discover new approaches to solving a problem.
In a team building game, an amount of structure is obviously needed to achieve desired results. However, as with any game design, team activities can be cleverly created with enough ‘play room’ that a real fun factor exists. If the teams feel free enough, perhaps to the point where they don’t notice the structure of the exercise, they will have the play experience we are seeking. This is why very cleverly designed games have what I call ‘Invisible Rules’, a set of rules that are so seamlessly integrated that they never hamper the experience. If team members feel too restricted by rules, they may resist contributing fully and this undermines the activity’s purpose.
The freedom to play is often accompanied by, and supported by, a healthy sense of humor. This combination of play and lightheartedness is difficult to beat.
As Psychologist Rollo May puts it, “Humor is a healthy way of feeling a ‘distance’ between one’s self and the problem.” Finding ways to laugh as we confront challenges gives us perspective-often allowing us to find solutions more quickly”.
When the challenge is difficult, stress will only makes the climb to the top of the mountain much harder. Determination without humor is a recipe for disaster. Humor keeps the mind and spirit flexible enough to cope with sudden changes and longer-term issues. In a team setting, a group that is laughing together is already getting a head-start on the team building process. They trust each other. They have relaxed their individual egos. Laughing together is an immediate way to begin bonding. Play becomes more productive with humor as an undercurrent.
Anyone that a plays a game seriously may concentrate and win that game, but in a team environment, individual victory is not the focus. It is more important to learn to work together, grow together, and explore new options for problem-solving. It is less about winning than it is about trying new approaches. This requires freedom to play. This requires laughter along the way!
Source:www.phillyhops.com/articles
A teenager goes wild again..
Posted by: Lasitha Silva on: March 12, 2009
- In: LIfe
- Leave a Comment
A teenager who went on a bloody rampage in his old school had announced his intentions on the Internet just hours earlier, it emerged Thursday as Germany mourned the 15 people he gunned down.
“I have weapons here and tomorrow morning I will go to my old school and really whip up a storm,” Tim Kretschmer said in a chat room, according to the interior minister of the state where Wednesday’s massacre took place.
“I have had enough of this crummy life … Always the same. People are laughing at me, no one recognises my potential … You will hear about me tomorrow. Make note of the name of the place: Winnenden,” the 17-year-old said.
The entry, made in a conversation with another 17-year-old from Bavaria who told his father about it after the shooting, was made at 2:45 am (0145 GMT), said Heribert Rech, interior minister of Baden-Wuerttemberg state.
Less than seven hours later, at around 9:30 am, Kretschmer entered the school in Winnenden near Stuttgart, armed with a handgun taken from his father’s bedroom and more than 100 rounds of ammunition.
He killed eight girls, one boy and three female teachers, mostly expertly with shots to the head. He then fled, hijacked a car and randomly shot dead three bystanders.
Three hours later Kretschmer was dead after a manhunt ended in a shootout 30 kilometres (20 miles) away. State police chief Erwin Hetger said it was believed he had turned the gun on himself.
Kretschmer went into one classroom three times, the Bild daily said. On the third visit he told the class: “Aren’t you all dead yet?” A teacher threw herself in front of a female pupil — and was shot by the gunman, Bild said.
The bloodbath left Germany in shock. Flags flew at half mast across the country, and in Winnenden hundreds of candles were left outside the school.
Thousands of people packed churches for special services on Wednesday night and a vigil was held outside the school on what Chancellor Angela Merkel called “a day of mourning for all of Germany.”
“Our thoughts go out to the families and the friends. We are thinking of you and we are praying for you,” she said.
Details also emerged on Thursday on Kretschmer’s background.
His father is a successful businessman who employs 150 people at a packaging firm, according to police, but his son found it difficult to fit in at school and had few friends.
“He was simply not accepted by anyone and just sat all day in front of his computer,” Mario, a schoolmate, told German television station N24.
Reports also said he was very keen on computer shooting games — especially the violent “Counter-Strike” — and had become a real-life crack shot at the shooting range where his father was a member.
After leaving school last year, Kretschmer had enrolled on a course to train as a salesman. He regularly worked out at the gym and belonged to a sports club.
“He was completely unremarkable, there was nothing in his background to suggest this could have happened,” Rech said. Fellow students described him as “quiet” and “reserved,” even “friendly.”
His father owned more than a dozen guns, all locked away except the nine millimetre Beretta pistol that caused the carnage.
Rech said Kretschmer had “destroyed the soul of an entire school and ripped into the heart of a town.”
The school remains cordoned off and there have been calls for it to stay closed for ever.
The tragedy brought back haunting memories of a similar bloodbath in Erfurt in eastern Germany in 2002 that left 17 dead, including the gunman, and reheated a debate over gun control.
Gun laws were tightened after Erfurt and there have already been calls for even stricter laws and a ban on violent computer games.
Wolfgang Dicke, a police gun crime expert told Spiegel: “Our gun laws can barely be tightened because they are already so tight.”
But a Bild editorial said: “The best laws in the world are useless, if parents do not know what is going on in their children’s heads, what they are thinking and dreaming and what are their fears.”
QWERTY
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