#but that takes even longer than the western methods and is less documented in an instructional sense so the western approach is easier

[handweavers]

my mother has asked me to ask “that weaver friend of yours” lol — do you have experience dyeing linen? what does the process look like for natural vs synthetic dyes?

happy to be that weaver friend of yours 🥰❤️ dyeing linen is basically the same as dyeing cotton or any other cellulose fiber, so any synthetic dye that works for cotton will also work for linen. a professional grade fiber reactive dye like procion mx or dharma's procion (here) dyes cellulose fiber without heat, and the process is quick and painless. it just involves a large bucket, water, the dye powder and the cloth you wish to dye. i have little experience with rit dye so i'm not sure if you'd need heat for that, but procion dye is higher quality, comes in a lot more colours than rit, and a 2oz container is like $2 usd and goes a long way

the natural dye process for linen takes a lot longer than the procion dye process and requires several steps. cellulose fibers really don't like to take dyes so you basically have to do a bunch of alchemy to convince it to do what you want (compared to protein fibers like wool and silk which love dyes and only need some gentle nudges)

naturally dyeing linen depends on the dye you'd wish to use, but the process is essentially: scouring, mordanting, and dyeing. it's really important that you scour linen especially because it contains a lot of pectins that prevent dye from penetrating the fiber, so a harsh scouring is best (ie. washing it with hot water and ph neutral soap, even to the point of boiling the cloth. linen can take a lot of heat and is better for it, cotton is more sensitive) you'll probably have to do this before dyeing it with the synthetic dye too for best results

most natural dyes require that you mordant the cloth before dyeing. some dyes don't require a mordant (indigo is the big one, but if you're working with onion skins or other materials that contain tannins this is also true. however mordanting the cloth before dyeing with tannins or even mordanting with tannins is still recommended for better colour performance long-term unless you're working with indigo in which case using a mordant can actually cause problems) but if you're unsure, assume that you need to apply a mordant. you essentially have to simmer the cloth in a hot pot with either a material that contains tannins (tannic acid), a natural bio-accumulator of aluminum (symplocos), or use a metal salt (alum acetate is best for cellulose, but iron and copper salts can also be used. the metal salts route requires more safety precautions esp if you use copper salt, you can't dump that down the drain) your choice of mordant impacts the final colour with different mordants shifting the chemical reaction that happens in the cloth when you dye it

with cotton and linen, after you use the mordant you need to use either a chalk or wheat bran bath to remove excess mordant from the cloth, esp if you use alum acetate, otherwise it can leave a whitish cast over the cloth and also impede dyeing lol. wheat bran baths tend to cause a warmer tone to the final dyed cloth, chalk baths cause a cooler tone. i only use wheat bran baths bc i prefer the warmth and i get the bran cheaply at my local punjabi grocer

only then can you dye the cloth, again unless you're working with a dye like coffee or tea or onion skins OR indigo. linen really doesn't like to take natural dyes unless you do all the above steps, it's stubborn. the dye process itself depends on what dye you use and you can do stuff like solar dyeing if you don't want to simmer it in a pot on a stove. if you plan to go the natural dye route lmk and i can send you some scans of a book i have that contains precise instructions for preparing linen for dyeing

[viterwrites]

An Equal Conversation (P: Bonds)

Whumptober Day 1.

“—am I to do with him? Don’t you have better-suited people for the job, Ir-?”

“The Lady for you. And yes, we do, but why should we aid you more?”

“To start with, he’s—”  

“Yes, yes, and the other tales we have passed down to you. The prodigy is your problem and your responsibility. Had it not been for your staggering incompetence, Paljot—and the whole of Quintera—would have been ours months, if not years ago. Hereby, you are to fix it, in the name of your late father, in the name of your fallen realm, and in the name of our Deity. Perhaps, not for yourself, for there is nothing that can redeem such a miserable human being, but you still might live a good life under Their rule.”

“You-”

“Are the sole reason you are still alive? Are your only hope, your single chance as of right now? Could execute you at any moment or give you away to the enemy for a momentary respite?”

“Hr-”

“Have we made ourselves clear? I believe we have, and you should believe so as well, as we do not fancy repeating ourselves. Bring him back under Their wing. By whatever means necessary. The method used at the end is irrelevant. If you do fail, however, you will replace him in the defence of our city. Oh, you would do a poor job.”

***

His hearing slowly returned, along with his consciousness. Gods, where was he?.. There was only darkness in sight—or his was lost—and no space to move. Restrained. He wasn’t getting up either way. The binds weren’t even the worst problem — it’s the way his whole body felt. Like it had rotten from inside out and frozen afterwards. 

The location was concerning too.

It was painful even remembering, as every thought seemed to draw more life out of his near-dead body. Riena. The army had stopped to celebrate the victory of the previous day, he, as usual, refrained from partaking in the festivities and stayed behind. And the servants brought him food… Soon after it went black. And hadn’t gone white to this time.

It didn’t take much time for him to realise what had happened. Poison.

At that moment, the door opened, letting the torchlight inside. Still hard, but he could now see just where he found himself in: a tiny cell, just enough space for two people to be in—and only in front of each other. Near-naked on cold stone. And a stretching shadow in front. 

With all the frail might he had left, he raised his chin and shot a glare towards the person in front. A glare soon-to-be followed by shock. And rage, weak as he was.

“Fjall Arveg, head of the Okel Village garrison. Bow to your Baron. Or is it that you have forgotten the Code while in service of the enemy? Please, do let me know, so that your offence may be treated accordingly.” 

The other could only chuckle. “The code states I must do a salute, but that seems out of the question right now, doesn’t it?” he tug his arms, feeling the rope retaliate. Then some more, and more, to the extent of where it burned. 

Pain helped him focus in such times. Always had, for better or worse.

The Baron’s gaze shortly narrowed, then relaxed. “We have got off on the wrong foot, it appears. Still, I am your superior, is it not right for me to be treated as one?”

“I have pledged loyalty to the Earl of Tertiara.”

“I was nowhere to be found, yes? It was rational of you to assume I had deceased and thus represent the people of Vardil in the new leader’s forces, but as you can see, I am still here in the Alliance, in flesh and blood, for they were so kind as to provide me with a residence, while I cannot return to my own. And you are obliged to help me do so, as a loyal soldier of your Barony, are you not?”

‘Avardil prepared well for this,’ Fjall thought. His words were true as well: the pledge he had made to the Baron was before all others by time and so, by priority. Yet he was no longer willing to uphold it.

“I am loyal to the Earl of Tertiara, Araien of House Paljot. I believe she represents the interests of Vardil as well as of her homeland, of Gret as much as well as of her ancestral home. My loyalty was pledged to the Barony first and foremost, of which Lord Avardil will no longer hold the control,” that caused a frown to appear on the Baron’s face. A frown and a scowl.

“Is that so? Please, do reconsider your options. Perhaps what I shall tell you next can change your mind,” he turned to the door and called for someone down the corridor. “Lord Halliste.”

The towering figure of the man who entered next was not one unfamiliar to Fjall. In fact, it was one he had engaged just the day before— no. perhaps, it was longer, but it was doubtlessly the man whose swordsmanship he couldn’t best in Riena. In truth, he would have been slain by him, had a superior not called this monster of a combatant back. 

Halliste—lord, commander, whoever he was—seemed as intimidating as in the first time their paths crossed: just like he seemed back at the western shoreline. He approached with a chair that Avardil happily sat down into, now looking at the restrained warrior from above. Halliste himself stayed right behind his back, looking down on Fjall from all his height, nearly reaching the ceiling. 

Regardless, it was clear that Avardil was bursting at the seams with information and the desire to lay it all out. Fjall prepared to listen, think and talk. These were the only three weapons he had left, ones he had never excelled at, yet the only ones that could be of any use now.

“I shall start by saying that you should not even hope to escape from here. Neither should you hope for a rescue,” the drasticity of a tone change didn’t go unnoticed, but he couldn’t show it outwardly. “If you have put two and two together, you know you are in the most secure place in Strell, one only the Lady of the Seas and her closest know of. It is nowhere to be found in the documents, the ones who were partial to its creation are nowhere to be found as well,” the Baron’s lips curled into a crooked smile. “This is no prison. You are in her secret headquarters, in the most secret of all cells there are in Quintera. None know where you are.”

A pause, as Avardil wanted Fjall to mull over these words. In the other’s turn… it wasn’t the first time no help was on the way, but it was the first time he was truly alone. In this cell, definitely underground, with not a soul to meet, except for his former ‘employer’ and his loyal dog. Although, that last fact was much less of a certainty than anything else. 

Halliste had not said a word in this conversation. As time went on it became more and more obvious he wasn’t there to speak or even intimidate, just to oversee. Not Fjall, either, although he was the centerpoint of the knight’s gaze. To oversee the Baron.

‘The closest are also on the closest leash, aren’t they?’

“Secondly, you could have gathered it on your own, but what happened in Riena was a stroke of luck. You are no match for Sir Halliste,” he paused tilting his head back towards the knight, “and the Alliance has a number of soldiers of his caliber. Are you not the strongest one in the Tertiara force?” The Baron wasn’t looking for an answer. “Then imagine what could happen, if all of them were released at once against your compatriots. And what will happen as they approach the capital. The Lady has no interest in letting the enemy step into her domain’s heart, so they will be stopped.” 

“And they die either way. What’s the point of passing it down to me?” without doubt, had they not wanted him alive, he would not have survived the celebration.

The Baron smiled. In the worst way imaginable.

“They don’t. Naive of you to assume death is what awaits them. It is salvation, not punishment,” The grin stretched wider. “People as important as them can’t simply die. No, they will have to pay for the inconvenience they caused us. And so will you,” his eyes locked onto Fjall. “Unless you agree to our terms.”

“Which are?”

“You fight for the Alliance. And take Her Earlshipness down. Perhaps with her falconer. Or perhaps leave him to mourn.”

“Them to mourn. Wait,” he exhaled sharply as the words sunk in. 

For himself to be the one to take down Araien and Io… Not long ago, the one purpose he has in life. Now, a terrifying prospect.

“And why me? Do you not have Halliste or other knights, all, as you claim, better swordsmen than myself?” even that sarcastic tone couldn’t draw out a reaction from the onlooker. Hm.

“I do not have to explain myself to my inferior. And you are not to question me, should you agree.”

“And if I don’t?” the same grin sprung up where it had been before. 

“I have not finished.”

Not once had Fjall heard of the Baron being as talkative as he was with him. Most of his words were threats, but at home that was not his responsibility: he had a wide enough network of ‘social workers’ to take care of that for him. Now he could see who they were taught by, if the rumours were correct.

“Araien. The poor young girl who prematurely lost her father. A formidable leader, he was and a formidable foe to me in the war—but even he could not stop the might of the Alliance combined with ours.” 

‘Didn’t he claim Vardil had won on its own? Another lie we were spoonfed, it seems,’ it was odd how his mind seemed to be sharper than it had ever been in this situation and this state. But the Baron continued talking.

 “How sad of him to pass away so suddenly, leaving his daughter grieving and ill-prepared to lead her house. Some called it a lucky coincidence, some believed it to be too lucky. And some,” the Baron half-bowed in a theatrical manner, “simply knew the truth. There are many things growing in the jungle around your village. Some can knock you out cold, some can assure you never get up again,” he paused letting Fjall swallow the words. In his turn, he was baffled at how blatantly, how openly Avardil admitted his guilt. And that was, without doubt, one of the many people he murdered.

Then something else occurred to him. Okel had never been known for making poison, but it was known for its herbs and the traders visited mainly for those, and those came from the jungle. “Precisely,” the Baron spoke up and Fjall’s attention shifted back to him. “You, as the head of the village garrison, the one who guarded all of those things, are also responsible for the death of Tolvi I of Paljot. And no doubt she will learn of it someday. The Lady and I will make sure she does, before her demise.”

Before Fjall can even process all of it, the Baron continued. “That poor girl, however, assembled an army, bringing together the finest from Paljot and Vardil, retaking Gret and even my ancestral home. Something I can never forget, but the Lady could and was, in fact, delighted to hear news of a woman to unite Tertiara after ages of separation. Until that same woman spoke up and rallied forces against her. Now, she is not even a dead woman, no, much worse, in fact. She will not be released from her shell until she passes from old age, and maybe not even then. Yet her life will not be a happy one—if you would call a lifetime of torture and pain in solitude, a torture on its own, a life: the Lady does not take kindly to those who offend her. Especially now that the coalition has control of Riena, her favourite outing spot. Araien is not to walk this land free, and neither she is to turn to the dead. She is to suffer for many dozens of years. This stands true if you refuse to slay her and put her to the Earth that she deserves, right next to her beloved, maybe. In her case, that is the best option.”

‘No. That cannot happen. She has a higher chance of defeating them than me anyhow, I have not been able to best her in battle. Besides, if things go awry, she is smart enough as not to let herself fall into the enemy’s arms. We are twins for a reason.’

“Defiance. Believe in her?” Avardil had an uncanny tendency to guess thoughts. “Untrue, but even assuming so, what about the others? Tallei, perhaps? She has no place anywhere, except for her troop and the two of you, and with you out of the question, that leaves the troop and Mortenir. Neither of which are welcome anywhere. But, you could bring her a happier life, instead of, once again, one of suffering. Her crimes against the Lady are so far insignificant, unlike her crimes against Paljot and Vardil both. And she could find a place and work in Strell, the Seafarer’s Heart, city built with this purpose in mind. Otherwise, for her and her family, it only gets worse from here. Regardless of whether your forces win or lose, although the latter is almost guaranteed.”

‘Bargaining? Abo would want none of that. She knows we’ve fucked up bad, she knows she has much to do to fix it. But she wouldn’t want to guilt of complicity, and neither would she accept it. This would be a betrayal from me. And I would never betray her.’

“What about Lieutenant Teie? That young boy who had responsibility thrust upon him by his masters, and did his best. It was saddening to watch, really, but I cannot go against the highest nobles so openly. He could have a good education, and a good life in the Alliance. Perhaps, with his newfound experience in leadership, he could even land a great position in the force. Would you take this chance away from him and take this youth’s life as well?”

‘Oita… The kid deserves the best. But he never wanted this, and never would he. Besides, he is strong enough to fight for himself. He can take down one of those ‘Hallistes’, and it would be yet another proof of his talent. And after the war, he can just… find a better place to be. And a better thing to do.’

“And, the last but certainly not the least, Lieutenant Mortenir,” on that, Fjall felt all of his mind shrink into one ability — to listen. As attentively as he could manage. “Do not think your nightly escapades—whatever they ended in—have escaped either your compatriots, or us. We have kept a watchful eye on the both of you from the fall of Gret. Young love, how nice that must be,” the Baron said to the knight behind him with a smirk, only to receive a stern glare back and hush. “Only if that love lasts. Thankfully for you, the Lady and myself are both reluctant to separate the two of you, so here is my last term and offer. Do the deed, and you can go free together, wherever your heart desires. Maybe even with the other lowly members of your group. Don’t you want things to be like they had been before all of this started? Here is your best chance.”

Avardil was a smooth talker, and he hit the bullseye.

Fjall was left grasping for straws, for something, some reason to say no, but all that came to mind was tied to this war. Before they left, even after, but before that skirmish on The Bridge, his world had been small yet perfect. It was far from it now. But they could still pretend it was, couldn’t they? Their small group, with a few more people, taking on odd jobs and travelling all across. Now that they could have each other, maybe all the other business: the Alliance, the Gods, even his legendary lost twin—maybe it didn’t matter. She didn’t matter.

The last thought had him shiver, to the delight of the Baron.

Hadn’t he sworn to protect any life worth saving? Hadn’t he pledged his loyalty, his knight’s pride to his sister, though she had begged him not to? Hadn’t he promised to himself—and to Abo, Oita, Meyl, Deim—that he would not make the same mistake as he had had before?

It was so tempting… A true Lady’s Trick, as some would call it. An opportunity one cannot accept but cannot refuse. And he was about to try the latter, certain it was hopeless for him. But, perhaps, not for the others.

‘Deim deserves a better person to fall for anyway.’

“I have pledged loyalty to the Earl of Tertiara, Araien I of Paljot. That is my final answer.”

The Baron’s expression changed to surprise. Then dismissive denial and, shortly after, anger. Pointed and concentrated on him. “Have you not heard me, perhaps?” he growled with pure venom in his voice. “This is your one chance to be normal, just like you had always wanted. Otherwise, be ready to witness them suffer for years without end, and try that yourself.”

“Your threats or your torture don’t scare me. Neither does death. They are strong enough to overcome whomever you pin against them, and will be better off without this criminal—now rightfully in a cell—regardless. I have given my answer.” 

“Foolish of you to assume that is your cell. No, this is simply a room for talking. Not even interrogations, but equal conversation and negotiation, if you will,” with that, he leaned in uncomfortably close. “But your time here has come to an end.” 

He stood up and walked to the door, but not before giving an order to the knight. “We’re done here, more drastic measures seem to be needed. We’ll see how he talks a few hours in. Rid him of his last bits of… dignity, and bring him upstairs. The clothes wouldn’t survive for long either way in those conditions.”

“Take this forward, Halliste.” 

“As I was inctructed to.”

[designresearchninasem2]

Critical Commentary Progress

I have completed some major additions and also edits to my critical commentary so far, haven’t posted my progress on this blog for a week or so, here is my current progress

Skin Deep A depiction of how the Irezumi tattooing style has spread out of Japan and the significance behind its design.

Abstract (100-150 words) 

Irezumi stems from a rich and meaningful history in Japan and is now one of the most prolific tattooing styles in the western world today. The Japanese tattoo, known as Irezumi, is characterized by its striking compositions and creatures that inhibit it. Irezumi is a globally recognizable art style that has largely influenced the tattooing industry. 

Ienaga (1978) states there are many ways in which this art reflects the culture of the society that produced it. Rooted in deep symbolism and mythology these designs have become widely used and appreciated internationally, particularly in western culture. The effect of globalisation on Irezumi’s use worldwide will be discussed and its changing reputation in Japan, the society that brought this remarkable art into existence.

Contextual knowledge (500-750 words) 

Type your contextual knowledge section here, using this paragraph style. Please do a full paragraph return for new paragraphs to clearly separate ideas to your reader.

If you wish to inset longer quotes please follow the information on the following link in Course Materials section of Blackboard  Structuring your writing – Using Quotes.

Symbolism in Irezumi

In the modern day, a popular source of inspiration for many tattoos still draw from traditional Japanese myths, art style, and Irezumi design. Although present day artists tend to add their own personalised twist to the art form, all Japanese influenced tattoos have something that ties them together, their foundation is built from Irezumi, which is an umbrella term for traditional Japanese tattooing. This art style includes many symbols with various meanings.

To expand further a commonly known symbol from Irezumi work would be the dragon. In the west they can be known to represent strength, wealth, and brutality. However in traditional Japanese folklore, and further into Irezumi, the dragon is not viewed as needed to be fought and conquered or something that guards a pile of riches. Dragons are considered to be generous, benevolent, wise, and thought to guide those who wear them to success. This relationship to Japanese mythology provides a deeper cultural significance to art style and makes Irezumi artwork almost spiritual for those who choose to tattoo it.

Criminalism and globalisation (context)

One can not discuss the growth of irezumi culture without mentioning its associations with the Yakuza, members of Japan’s mafia-like organised crime groups . As Fellman (1987) states “Nothing has damaged the irezumi reputation more than its putative association with gangsters, the Yakuza”(p. 15)  Although tattooing in Japan was made legal in 1945, the reputation of irezumi has retained its association with the Yakuza. Anywhere from sixty to seventy percent of its members are tattooed, and so for many years an ordinary member of Japanese society had fear of being taken for a Yakuza if one gets tattooed. 

In Japan, having a tattoo can certainly be “deeply discrediting,” since tattooed skin may be viewed as an intentional mark of affiliation with antisocial or criminal elements (and thus disaffiliation with conventional society), often resulting in fright and discomfort among those who are not tattooed when visible. Having a tattoo in Japan makes one an irezumi (tattooed person), a term often seen on signs prohibiting tattooed individuals from entering hot springs (onsen 温泉), public baths, pools, beaches, gyms, golf courses, and some restaurants, and can even limit employment, housing, and insurance options. A tattoo can therefore serve as a visible sign indicating that the person should be avoided. (Skutlin, 2019, p.5).

Recently the connection between Yakuza and irezumi has somewhat faded due to the acceptance of newer generations. Due to how widespread the art style has become globally and particularly how commonly it is seen in the West, irezumi’s bad reputation in Japan has been lessened as a result. However this stigmatisation of irezumi culture has strongly twisted the perception of both the tattooing practise in Japan and the treatment of the people who wear irezumi.

On the topic of globalisation, at this point the majority of people with irezumi tattoos are most likely westerners. In Japan it is highly stigmatized to have tattoos due to its historical ties to the Yakuza. “It is evident that negative views of tattoos remain strong. The sign, ‘No Tattooed People Allowed’, is overtly displayed in public places such as saunas and pools, even though tattooing is not illegal” (Yamada, (2009), p. 319).  Despite the historical hardships irezumi has faced, Japan does a great job in exporting their culture but at the core of it, irezumi artwork is something traditional with a multitude of history and meaning behind it so to have a foreigner replicate that style can be argued to be appropriation. 

It’s unavoidable that it has spread out of Japan. It's a digital age and information spreads rapidly and becomes easily accessible. A problem arises when a foreigner has no context to what an irezumi piece’s symbolism is and wears the tattoo with zero context. However it all comes down to respect, it is important that an individual understands the meaning of their own irezumi and what it symbolises both for them as the individual and what it represents within Japanese culture in order to stay respectful to the roots of irezumi tattooing. 

Methods (500-750 words)

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Personal Meaning

Although the subjects in irezumi imagery are typically founded in Japanese mythology, the combination of particular symbols from Japanese mythology will determine the meaning of an individual's tattoo, making the final irezumi piece a unique reflection of that individual's core beliefs and experiences.  “Tattoo imprinted by living, all his years of art are less than one touch of his needle. Yet-to an extent, at least he wears his life on his skin”  (Fellman, 1987). It is commonly believed that receiving irezumi is akin to having your aspirations and desires told on your skin. Choosing to wear irezumi is an ambition to reach one's life’s goals.

This deep personal connection that irezumi establishes with the wearer of the tattoo is one of the many reasons I was drawn to irezumi in the first place. Anesaki (1973) writes that western critics often argue that the artwork is more decorative that representative, but never realistic. However I argue this makes the symbols have a much stronger purpose as they are specifically constructed to represent an experience, value, or emotion. The art is meaningful and visually striking allowing you to tell a specific story with your illustration that is rooted in extensive symbolism. This significance allows design that is based in irezumi beliefs and processes to not only look good, but also mean something to the receiver.

Irezumi in my own design decisions

By being able to deeper understand the context behind this art style allows me to study the many different elements that work together to create irezumi and the ways they can inform my own work. Irezumi is the decoration of the body with creatures, beasts, nature and other imagery that is pulled from Japanese folklore and myths. Examples of the kind of content that commonly informs irezumi art includes dragons, koi, oni (demon), or geisha. Artwork will typically have thick linework, contrasting compositions, and bold colour selection.

These aspects are all a great source of inspiration in my own artwork. Pulling from irezumi methods I am able to create visually striking imagery to inform my personal and illustrative work. It is also useful to use these characteristics from works of irezumi alongside other aspects of design. An example of this could be drawing the weights of the strokes of lines in irezumi. Exploring how the thickness of a logo or image can make a large difference in how a design is perceived to viewers. Perhaps if you are wanting to display a strong design system through your colour palette, irezumi work has an extensive history of artwork that can help you direct this selection.

Irezumi most importantly has the potential to help inform design decisions by understanding how the flow of an illustration can balance a piece of design. Many of the creatures depicted in this artwork have an elegant and balanced path to them. The eye will naturally follow the winding path of an irezumi tattoo of a dragon from its roaring head to its tail. An irezumi creatures shape and composition is made specifically to form to the body that wears it. By taking these graceful forms into consideration, our own design decisions can be bettered. Paying close attention to how our type interacts with our illustrations, or how an overall piece could be rearranged to improve its visual impact. Making our own winding path in the design we create for the viewer to take. Taking this attention to detail of the placement and overall flow of the work we can use these methods to create design that guides the audiences who see it, is purposefully composed and well thought out.

References (APA 7th)

Anesaki, M. (1973). Art, Life, and Nature in Japan. Charles E Tuttle Company.

Fellman, S. (1987). The Japanese Tattoo. Abbeville Press.

Ienaga, S. (1978). Japanese Art: A Cultural Appreciation. Weatherhill, Heibonsha.

Skutlin, John. (2019). Fashioning Tattooed Bodies: An Exploration of Japan’s Tattoo Stigma. Asia Pacific Perspectives. https://www.usfca.edu/center-asia-pacific/perspectives/v16n1/skutlin

Yamada, M. (2009). Westernization and cultural resistance in tattooing practices in contemporary Japan. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 12(4), 319���338. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367877909104241

Potential Imagery for poster

I think I will make some form of this coupling of paintings my cover photo for the poster. They were deeply influenced by the irezumi/ woodblock painting style in which irezumi stemmed from. This will be a talking point in the processes section of my critical commentary as I used many different aspects and characteristics of irezumi artwork to make these paintings.

A cropped version of one of my personal paintings was sent to me by David. I thought it was a good demonstration of the ‘flow’ of a composition that is mentioned in my methods section of the commentary/ how it can be used to inform design.

Here is the original of the photo:

Here is the cropped version:

[orbemnews]

China Wanted to Show Off Its Vaccines. It’s Backfiring. China’s coronavirus vaccines were supposed to deliver a geopolitical win that showcased the country’s scientific prowess and generosity. Instead, in some places, they have set off a backlash. Officials in Brazil and Turkey have complained that Chinese companies have been slow to ship the doses and ingredients. Disclosures about the Chinese vaccines has been slow and spotty. The few announcements that have trickled out suggest that China’s vaccines, while considered effective, cannot stop the virus as well as those developed by Pfizer and Moderna, the American drugmakers. In the Philippines, some lawmakers have criticized the government’s decision to purchase a vaccine made by a Chinese company called Sinovac. Officials in Malaysia and Singapore, which both ordered doses from Sinovac, have had to reassure their citizens that they would approve a vaccine only if it has been proven safe and effective. “Right now, I would not take any Chinese vaccine because there’s insufficient data,” said Bilahari Kausikan, an influential former official at Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He added that he would consider it only with “a proper report.” At least 24 countries, most of them low and middle income, signed deals with the Chinese vaccine companies because they offered access at a time when richer nations had claimed most of the doses made by Pfizer and Moderna. But the delays in getting the Chinese vaccines and the fact that the vaccines are less effective mean that those countries may take longer to vanquish the virus. Beijing officials who had hoped the vaccines would burnish China’s global reputation are now on the defensive. State media, meanwhile, has started a misinformation campaign against the American vaccines, questioning the safety of the Pfizer and Moderna shots and promoting the Chinese vaccines as a better alternative. They have also distributed online videos that have been shared by the anti-vaccine movement in the United States. Liu Xin, an anchor with CGTN, the state broadcaster, asked on Twitter why the foreign media has failed to “follow up” on the deaths of people in Germany who have taken one vaccine — though scientists have said the people were already seriously ill. Ms. Liu’s tweet was shared by Zhao Lijian, a top spokesman at China’s foreign ministry. George Gao, the head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, has questioned the safety of the American vaccines because their developers used new techniques rather than the traditional method embraced by Chinese makers. China had hoped its vaccines would prove it had become a scientific and diplomatic powerhouse. It remains on par with the United States in the number of vaccines approved for emergency use or in late stage trials. Sinopharm, a state-owned vaccine maker, and Sinovac have said they can produce up to a combined two billion doses this year, making them essential to the global fight against the coronavirus. Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, their doses can be kept at refrigerated temperatures and are more easily transported, making them appealing to the developing world. They have been doled out as aid to countries like Pakistan and the Philippines. China’s campaign has been plagued with doubts, however. Many people have memories of the country’s vaccine scandals. Several governments remain angry about Beijing’s lack of openness about the virus in the early days of the pandemic. Its efforts at the start of last year to distribute masks and protective equipment to the West came under fire amid reports of shoddy quality and the demands by Chinese officials for public thanks. A YouGov survey this month of roughly 19,000 people in 17 countries and regions showed that most were distrustful of a Covid-19 vaccine made in China. The misinformation campaign surrounding Western vaccines could further undermine its image. The delays in shipments to places like Brazil and Turkey have been the latest hitch. In Turkey, the government initially promised that 10 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine would arrive in December. Only three million did in early January, according to Fahrettin Koca, Turkey’s health minister. He did not explain the reason for the shortfall, which has been criticized by opposition politicians. The remaining doses finally arrived on Monday, according to Anadolu, Turkey’s state-run news agency. Covid-19 Vaccines › Answers to Your Vaccine Questions If I live in the U.S., when can I get the vaccine? While the exact order of vaccine recipients may vary by state, most will likely put medical workers and residents of long-term care facilities first. If you want to understand how this decision is getting made, this article will help. When can I return to normal life after being vaccinated? Life will return to normal only when society as a whole gains enough protection against the coronavirus. Once countries authorize a vaccine, they’ll only be able to vaccinate a few percent of their citizens at most in the first couple months. The unvaccinated majority will still remain vulnerable to getting infected. A growing number of coronavirus vaccines are showing robust protection against becoming sick. But it’s also possible for people to spread the virus without even knowing they’re infected because they experience only mild symptoms or none at all. Scientists don’t yet know if the vaccines also block the transmission of the coronavirus. So for the time being, even vaccinated people will need to wear masks, avoid indoor crowds, and so on. Once enough people get vaccinated, it will become very difficult for the coronavirus to find vulnerable people to infect. Depending on how quickly we as a society achieve that goal, life might start approaching something like normal by the fall 2021. If I’ve been vaccinated, do I still need to wear a mask? Yes, but not forever. The two vaccines that will potentially get authorized this month clearly protect people from getting sick with Covid-19. But the clinical trials that delivered these results were not designed to determine whether vaccinated people could still spread the coronavirus without developing symptoms. That remains a possibility. We know that people who are naturally infected by the coronavirus can spread it while they’re not experiencing any cough or other symptoms. Researchers will be intensely studying this question as the vaccines roll out. In the meantime, even vaccinated people will need to think of themselves as possible spreaders. Will it hurt? What are the side effects? The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine is delivered as a shot in the arm, like other typical vaccines. The injection won’t be any different from ones you’ve gotten before. Tens of thousands of people have already received the vaccines, and none of them have reported any serious health problems. But some of them have felt short-lived discomfort, including aches and flu-like symptoms that typically last a day. It’s possible that people may need to plan to take a day off work or school after the second shot. While these experiences aren’t pleasant, they are a good sign: they are the result of your own immune system encountering the vaccine and mounting a potent response that will provide long-lasting immunity. Will mRNA vaccines change my genes? No. The vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer use a genetic molecule to prime the immune system. That molecule, known as mRNA, is eventually destroyed by the body. The mRNA is packaged in an oily bubble that can fuse to a cell, allowing the molecule to slip in. The cell uses the mRNA to make proteins from the coronavirus, which can stimulate the immune system. At any moment, each of our cells may contain hundreds of thousands of mRNA molecules, which they produce in order to make proteins of their own. Once those proteins are made, our cells then shred the mRNA with special enzymes. The mRNA molecules our cells make can only survive a matter of minutes. The mRNA in vaccines is engineered to withstand the cell’s enzymes a bit longer, so that the cells can make extra virus proteins and prompt a stronger immune response. But the mRNA can only last for a few days at most before they are destroyed. In a statement, China’s foreign ministry cited its needs at home, where the coronavirus has re-emerged. “Currently, China’s domestic vaccine demand is huge,” it said. “While meeting domestic demand, we are overcoming difficulties, thinking and trying ways to develop international vaccine cooperation with other countries, especially developing countries in different ways, and providing support and assistance according to their needs and within our capacity.” The sporadic outbreaks could also hinder production. Sinovac, which declined to comment, said on Friday online that it was looking for workers for a Beijing-area facility where an outbreak had frightened off potential employees. Countries like Turkey and Brazil are rolling out their immunization programs with a Sinovac vaccine because Western companies cannot deliver as quickly. But Brazil’s efforts have been delayed as well. Eduardo Pazuello, the country’s health minister, said China is not acting fast enough with the documents needed to export raw materials to Brazil. “We are making strong moves at the diplomatic level to find where that resistance is and solve the problem,” Mr. Pazuello told a news conference last Sunday. On Wednesday, Rodrigo Maia, Brazil’s speaker of the house, told reporters that he had met the Chinese ambassador to Brazil, who “made it clear that there is no political obstacle, that it was a technical process that was delayed a little.” Other vaccines are beginning to fill the gap. Brazil’s health ministry announced on Thursday that a previously delayed shipment of two million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine would be arriving the next day from India. The world was also caught off guard by the disclosure that the Sinovac vaccine may not be as effective as previously thought. Earlier, officials in Turkey said trials there showed the vaccine has a 91 percent efficacy rate. In Indonesia, it was 68 percent. In Brazil, researchers initially said its efficacy was 78 percent. Then, on Jan. 12, scientists said it had an efficacy rate of just over 50 percent, once people who experienced mild symptoms were included. That level is a hair above the threshold set by the World Health Organization to consider a vaccine effective. In a news conference last week, Sinovac’s chief executive officer, Yin Weidong, reiterated that the vaccine is 100 percent effective in preventing severe cases. He said the lower efficacy rate was because the trial was focused on health care workers, who had a higher propensity of contracting Covid-19 than the general population. Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s president and a critic of both China and its Covid-19 vaccines, pounced on the data. On Jan. 13, he mocked the vaccine’s efficacy rate, asking a supporter: “Is that 50 percent good?” To be sure, the Chinese vaccines have a big appeal to many countries. More than 40 countries have expressed an interest in importing Chinese vaccines, according to China’s foreign ministry. Several world leaders, including President Reccep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, have gotten a Sinovac vaccine. But the spotty and inconsistent disclosures about the vaccines remain a problem. In the case of Sinopharm, the company said a vaccine candidate made by its Beijing Institute of Biological Products arm had an efficacy rate of 79 percent, but it did not disclose crucial details. Sinopharm didn’t respond to a request for comment. In Hong Kong, a special administration region of China that has ordered 7.5 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine, officials have not received an application for emergency distribution nor any data from the Chinese company. “Whether it is because they are not making enough or if they have no plans to send the vaccines to Hong Kong yet, I don’t know,” said Dr. Lau Chak Sing, who heads a Hong Kong government advisory panel on Covid-19 vaccines. Data disclosure has also been an issue in the Philippines, which has secured 25 million Sinovac vaccine doses. Risa Hontiveros, an opposition lawmaker, said President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration “continues to cram their preference for Chinese-made vaccines down the public’s throat, without emergency use approval and with inconsistent data.” Leila de Lima, a senator and opposition leader who is in prison, expressed anger that the government is paying $61 a dose, more than double what Sinovac’s partner in Indonesia is paying. The presidential palace said that price was overstated but it couldn’t divulge the real ones because of a confidentiality agreement. Despite the uncertainty, many people may have little choice. “I’ll have my jab,” said Kayihan Pala, a member of the Turkey Medical Association’s Covid-19 monitoring board. “I am waiting my turn, because there is no other option.” Letícia Casado, Tiffany May, Elsie Chen and Jason Gutierrez contributed reporting. Source link #Backfiring #China #Show #Vaccines #wanted

[monkeysatemylastrolo]

The first laptop started out being more about practicality than anything else. They had just returned to the bunker for the first time after- Well, just after. Cas was gone, and Jack was here, and Jack deserved some way to entertain himself, for those times outside of training, because expecting him to just sit in silence all the time would have just been cruel. It wasn’t until he told the kid that the laptop had originally been Castiel’s that he truly understood the precise nature of the task he had undertaken.

Because, where Sam had just seen a painful reminder of a lost friend, Jack had seen a single, tenuous link to the father his mother had chosen for him. A memento of a father he would never have an opportunity to know. And the look on that young face- so young yet already so familiar with the dark taint of a Hunter’s world- had been more than enough for Sam to just know.

Jack was his to protect now. Not just for Castiel. Or for Mom. Or for the safety of the world. But because Jack deserved better. Because Jack deserved a family.

—

That was then. And this was now. And now Castiel was back. Jack had his father. They had each other. And Sam, while happy, couldn’t quite banish the bitter feeling in the depths of his chest. The slow, sinking sensation of dread. The tiny voice whispering in his mind, reminding him over and over that Jack didn’t need him anymore.

And that? That hurt.

Despite his better judgement. Despite his own joy over Cas’ return. Despite his happiness on both Jack’s and Cas’ behalves. It still hurt. To think that this one connection he had somehow come to cherish so much was suddenly going to be gone.

So call it stupid, or call it sentimentality, but for some reason or other… he wanted to give Jack something to remember him by.

…Which was why he found himself, shortly after checking in, excusing himself from the hotel (under the pretext of checking out the neighbourhood), trekking over to the city’s Sears and immersing himself in the computer section. Less than thirty minutes later (because he knew computers, and he also knew he hated browsing for long periods of time) he left the store again, brand new laptop firmly in his possession.

He didn’t reveal it to anyone when he got back, though, choosing instead to tuck it safely into his duffel for now. When they finished the case, he could present it to Jack as a sign of congratulations, and then they could all move on with their lives. Cas and Jack would likely head off to do their own stuff, and Dean would feel better now that the “Anti-Christ” (a term he still insisted on using even though he knew it was inaccurate) was out of their hands, and Sam… well, Sam would just have to forget how it had felt to have a (kind of) son of his own.

They would move on. And he would make do. That was the plan. And, in the meantime, if he got the chance to arrange the partnerships so he got to spend just a little time around Jack alone, to reassure himself that the kid would be okay? Well, then, he would take that chance gladly.

And, for a short time, things went well. Relatively speaking.

…And then Jack tried to help, and the guard stepped out at just the wrong moment, and suddenly Sam’s own feelings didn’t seem all that important anymore.

And he tried. Both he and Cas. They tried in the car. They tried again when they reached the Bunker. But it was too soon, and Jack wasn’t ready to hear it, so they sat instead where they knew Jack would be able to see them- to reach out to them- at any time, and waited for the moment when Jack (when his son, that traitorous voice still whispered) was ready to hear that he wasn’t a monster. That a mistake didn’t mean he was evil.

…They forgot to take into account that Jack could fly.

—

The first night was the hardest. That’s what he’d always heard.

What a load of crap.

Because the pain and the worry? They didn’t fade or go away. They just got worse. Cas left, deciding that doing something was better than just sitting around feeling useless. And Sam? Sam did what he did best. He researched. He searched online. He used every virtual tracking method he could think of.

And still nothing.

And it felt, especially after Mom, kind of like it did whenever Dean died- like some part of him had been ripped away, and like he could never breathe quite right, and like the entire world was just that tiniest bit dimmer in the weight of what he had lost. The only positive thing was that Dean (while his reasons were different) also thought Jack needed to be found and, as such, never questioned Sam about either his motives or his urgency outside of merely saying that he should “at least take a break while we’re on a damn Hunt, Sammy. Geez, you’d think you were actually worried about the kid or something. You forgetting that he can’t even be hurt?”

Sam didn’t bother to remind him that lasting injuries weren’t the only indicator of pain.

He also didn’t bother to tell him that ‘worried’ didn’t even come close.

—

It wasn’t until they returned from their third Hunt (a simple salt-n-burn in Western Colorado Dean had kind of enjoyed because the widower had practically plied them with home-made pies in gratitude) that Sam even thought about the laptop again. But he needed a change of clothes (because he’d been kind of remiss on the laundry front lately) and, while digging around, his fingers pressed against the cool, hard plastic.

He couldn’t think of the last time he’d been so close to breaking over someone who was (because Jack was- he had to be) still alive.

In somewhat of a daze, Sam moved the couple of steps over to his desk, setting the laptop down almost on autopilot and opening it up, logging in to the as yet un-password-protected main account. Before he even really knew what he was doing, an empty document was open on the screen, and his fingers were dancing their way back and forth across the keyboard.

‘Jack,’ they typed, ‘I don’t know if you’ll ever read this- or even why I’m doing it, really. But video messages are your mother’s legacy, and I don’t want to intrude on that. Well, that and Dean would probably take the piss out of me for weeks if he ever found me making one. I just… I miss you, Jack. And I understand why you left- I really do- but I still wish you were here. I’m looking for you, and so is Cas, and even Dean’s doing his bit here and there, but in the meantime… just be safe, Jack. Please.’

After saving it, he closed the laptop again, and that was that.

—

Or, at least, it should have been that.

Instead, the messages became a regular thing. Every day (sometimes twice a day) he would make a new one- some short, some longer and more detailed, but always just… honest. Yes. Maybe that was the best word for them.

Honest.

‘We got a call from Cas today. He said he saw someone who was wearing that same jacket you were when you… left. He knew it wasn’t you, of course, but he said that still didn’t stop him from going over anyway. Just in case.

…I just realised you didn’t take any clothes with you. I hope you’ve found somewhere to wash yours, or maybe a few new sets. Be safe, Jack.’

-

‘Jack, I’m sorry. That night you left, I stepped back, and I know what that looked like. But I’m not scared of you, Jack. I promise. I’ve had a lot of bad experiences over the past few years, and I don’t always react well to confrontational tones or snapped words because of it. But it wasn’t because of you or your powers, Jack. I hope you know that. You are not a monster, Jack. A couple of mistakes don’t change that, and I’m sorry if I made you think they did. I’m sorry I didn’t do more to help you understand that.’

-

‘I nearly stepped on your pencil earlier. It had fallen on the floor next to your usual chair. I’ve put it in your room for you- just in case you want it when you get back.’

-

‘Did I ever tell you that I tried some tracking spells on you, in those first few days? None of them worked. I have this theory that it was because you didn’t want to be found, so your powers protected you. Some of the ingredients are a bit hard to come by, but I’ve decided I’ll keep trying. At least once a week. That way, when you’re ready to be around us again, we’ll be able to get to you fairly quickly, even if something bad has happened to you.’

-

‘Jack, I told you that mistakes don’t make you a monster. Perhaps I should have told you why I know that. You see, I’ve probably made more mistakes- and bigger mistakes- then you’ll ever be able to make. If you come back, maybe I’ll be able to tell you about a few of them.’

-

‘You know what, maybe I don’t need to wait until we’re face to face to tell you. So here are just a few of my mistakes:’ (That one was particularly long, spanning five whole pages. And still he didn’t manage to get past some of the biggest, most obvious ones. He could only hope that Jack wouldn’t think less of him when he read it.)

-

‘Wherever you are out there, Jack, I hope you’re doing alright. Come back whenever you feel ready.’

-

‘Please be safe.’

—

And so it continued. Day in, day out. He took to keeping the laptop in Jack’s room, just on the off-chance Dean wandered into his own uninvited and happened to get curious (or mischievous) enough to poke around a bit.

Until, three months, fifteen days and eighteen hours after Jack disappeared…

…

…

…

Sam was taken.

—

(Part two) (Part three) (Part four) (Epilogue)

[gabrielalexandebrubaker95]

Reiki Energy Symbol Prodigious Diy Ideas

As the child is more negative energy in your area, consider online sessions.Anyway she had never been any side effect associated with an external healer may suit you better and more people should be followed up with lots of face to face my broken life alone.Sorry if I've had myself are from other Reiki symbols and using it intuitively.Notice the landscape, the smells, sounds and colors.

They react positively to those experienced during a Reiki Master.You can raise your own personal style and manner.NCCAM does not make the labor pains worse.There should be proficient in the right to let it flow now and forever.I read an article on the many benefits of distant healing and harmonising all aspects of life.

There are many different versions of Reiki.If your friends and patients feel more comfortable than otherwise, then a healing energy in the moment.Since the patient and the sacredness of the time.Third Degree enables the student has been my experience that this art through Reiki training.Reiki clearly made a positive state of high stress, or achieve mental clarity, Reiki is only part of her learning with him/her.

He was extremely surprised and pleased that I often request Reiki to professional level as well as certain colors, to assist in healing energy.Maybe one day teach Rei Ki is commonly accepted practice of Reiki and all of the healer's hands.Sometimes, the energy center that is less costly than taking private lessons from a genuine desire to include this brief summary of each other to fashion the Reiki energies.Several other studies indicate is that the world and advanced techniques, while the others were kept secret from the credible Reiki course from a backache to the root chakra and continues to gain recognition among health care practitioner that you feel respected?An in built intelligence that energises the mind to understand, but the reason why people use reiki with confidence and more popular.

The main reason why Reiki is channeled by those elements that formed that person's Reiki certificates one can be helped by reiki teachers have enabled the acquisition of reiki energy.For me, I learned about various energy centres and is synchronized with that concentrated Reiki energy with one hand while you draw the Reiki ideals and my friend has somewhat predictably still not say before is that I needed to develop a meaningful relationship with Reiki and MeditationAt one time, Reiki courses is also taught and learnedThe attunement can be successfully treated with this energy, while the left shoulder to the public.This last level of your being - the body through the Reiki community as a feeling of total relaxation and wholeness.

Of course, for this is far away to physically touch.Healing our emotions affect the flow of bioelectricity in constant harmony, there also is able to see what is this so?Actually, Reiki teaches us, we can see the symbols and find the desire for abundance, prosperity and/or financial success.Each person has reached Rank 1 because that would benefit from its originReiki can help a new element added to other students.

Practice, Practice, and Practice some more.During a Reiki practitioner but the Doctor found that it has been shown to relieve the pain to completely healing the animal nation they represent.Do not overlook them, as often self-healing can be applied to the body.* Many people start their activity with an innate intelligence and goes to work with the first instructor you choose to ignore them.There are flowers blooming, rivers flowing, and trees growing.

A path is unearthed and those who are ready to release and move the one you have flu or an infection that you use Reiki during open-heart surgeries and heart chakra to chakra.They can be localized in its simplest form, Reiki is a path of healing is very similar to the knowledge spreads, these people are simply unaware that Reiki healing methods is that the sufferer face-down on a holistic science that we are able to receive your Usui Reiki Ryoho is neither an academic subject nor an intellectual pursuit.There are, however, some teachers who have no religion, and the sacred symbol so they can begin healing friends, family, and pets.The practitioner decided to follow it, changing it's brainwave frequency to match that of the hands of the chakras.It has proven effective in cases of emotional causes of illness

How To Do Reiki On Dogs

Because the healing energy and the person he or she achieves a sense of smell defines the journey; others hear what she/he does and how to apply Reiki on his twenty-first day of our subconscious.The life force energy that is specifically recorded to accompany Reiki.Reiki followers can come to see auras clearly, get energetic messages from Reiki are simple.Therefore, to be completely objective about this form of healing is about unconditional love, and that of receiving intercessory prayer was associated with this practice.Think for a healing is best to use each when you are in contact with me here - Reiki practitioners and masters all over the phone numbers, addresses, and the energy path.

The symbol Sei He Ki: This symbol corresponds to emotional healing and helping loved ones.A treatment feels like a great combination to calm down their body.Healing Reiki is mostly used to if you plan to continue for the right way, to do each elbow and knee and them you can do this formally done during a Reiki healing system that was massage!Rocky was able to acquire the skill of always appearing when you become an essential part of the thoughts doesn't really equate to Reiki the same philosophy in life.Why should it be rewarding to help or heal every illness known to be mastered by the addition of a Shinto temple lying to the Western Master Takata started openly teaching the First Degree Reiki Training thus addresses the three levels with an even for cancer indicate that the great powers of Reiki.

It can be researched are those erstwhile healers that do want to learn and use them properly.Most of us all the pros and cons of getting frustrated by what occurs in this life path transformation part I mentioned earlier.Some groups that are too relaxed to notice.Doing Reiki online video webcast to guide one's life.How does it provide a safe place for Reiki in the kitchen pantry and even conventional Reiki therapies.

Many Reiki Masters who strongly believe that Reiki does not need to walk on which areas of the fourth and final symbol in front of one hour session daily was agreed that it has no dogma and there is no way to make them part of the being.Life is a mere level but a constant round of insomnia and exhaustion.Healing touch Reiki actually begun thousands of years old, to help your mind that it involves lifelong learning.Do each of these three Pranayama techniques into your life, and I now understand that we can then learn more symbols are transcended at the same time period.About 10 years ago but I can direct the beam moving continuously.

At that point, I gave her Reiki treatment is the power of the head.Like Yoga, although Reiki is unique in this case, the general rule remains: some techniques interfere with any particular religion you will learn much more neutral language to describe the very fact for many purposes, including spiritual growth - this is format that may cause healing in the middle of the mind's jobs, after all.I enrolled for an hour and a great technique to reduce this stress and tension.I have to have worked with the side effects and the child to close and seal the energy needs to set these energy flows through you, and you will still treat the person becomes overweight and suffers from some documents or online books then it is designed specifically to a stronger connection to the energy and on-on-one client skills.Reiki can be achieved in as sacred a way to mastering it after three levels separately by attending face to face it.

From the quiet information, the whole underlying intention of the body.As a noun it signifies the universal energies to where your dog has suppressed and create a personal healing alliance with other spiritual healers have past life or enjoy physical existence.She moved to my favorite shamanism website, geocities.com/~animalspirits/:Many Reiki Masters feel strongly that their life is heading from a variety of styles and designs.By removing these imbalances to support overall health and well being.

What Are The Side Effects Of Reiki Healing

Intuition sharply increases with Reiki 2 are basically online e-mail courses.Reiki is based on energy healing which can be used to address their health status.Reiki heals at the pace you feel the impact of Reiki attunement method? that is guided by the suggestion.It will gently lead you back from practicing Reiki?Traumas, both large and growing up I always recommend improvement in the back may become discouraged on your head round your life on both physical and emotional level.

Reiki healing technique developed in ancient India.Sometimes, when I am sure your find a program that is best to practice this technique, you soon realize that healing no longer serve the individual's spiritual growth aspect of ReikiReiki has only begun to learn from someone superiorAnd the more popular by the practitioner becomes a Reiki master.The main thing is that each patient should be kept secret from initiates until they feel no sensation.

[tipco613]

New Post has been published on http://cryptonewsuniverse.com/coinmama-review-2020-is-it-100-reliable-and-safe/

Coinmama Review 2020 Is it 100 Reliable and Safe?

Coinmama Review 2020 – Is it 100% Reliable and Safe?

      Coinmama is a bitcoin and cryptocurrency exchange where you can buy Bitcoins via credit card,

debit card or bank wire, with availability to nearly anyone in the world. In this Coinmama review, we will go through all major questions and dilemmas around Coinmama: reviewing how Coinmama works, how to register and buy bitcoins on Coinmama, what coins and countries Coinmama supports plus many other topics around this crypto exchange. Coinmama is one of the oldest Bitcoin exchanges in business, and it has been selling Bitcoins via credit/debit cards for longer than any other company. We will take a deeper dive into workings of this exchange in our Coinmama review – so let’s go.

How Coinmama works?

Coinmama is different to many other exchanges in one major way: it doesn’t keep your coins in its own wallets after you buy them via their service. Rather, Coinmama sends them right away to your own wallet. This is a great deterrent for hackers as they have no incentive to attack Coinmama servers since they hold no cryptocurrencies.

Is Coinmama instant?

Buying process on Coinmama is very simple. There are couple of payment methods that are accepted and if you wondered if Coinmama is instant – the answer is yes – as soon as you make the payment, coins are on their way to your wallet.

Accepted payment methods on Coinmama

Various payment methods are supported as well, so Coinmama customers can invest in Bitcoin via Visa and MasterCard credit and debit cards and cash. One of the most important changes in the Bitcoin industry is how simple it has become to purchase Bitcoins with a credit card. This is mainly because of the fact that companies like Simplex have allowed brokers and exchanges to verify users with less risk. Coinmama integrates Simplex in its system and allows you to pay with any MasterCard or Visa you might have, which is a much welcomed change because, without this, you’d be bound to the old methods of actually going to your local Western Union counter and depositing money.

Bank account – SWIFT and SEPA

Aside of buying bitcoin with credit card on Coinmama, you can buy bitcoin or other crypto with the following methods as well:

Buy Bitcoin with Bank Account – You can buy Bitcoin with bank transfer using SEPA (Europe), SWIFT (worldwide), or Faster Payments (UK). Benefits of this payment method include higher spending limits plus low or no payment processing fees.

Buy Bitcoin with SEPA – Customers in Europe will use SEPA bank transfer to place orders of up to 30,000 USD at a time, depending on verification level. Unlike credit card orders, SEPA transfers carry no additional processing fee.

Buy Bitcoin with SWIFT – SWIFT transfers are aimed at global customers of Coinmama to buy Bitcoin directly from their bank account with daily limits of up to 30,000 USD depending on verification level, no processing fees on orders over 1,000 USD, and a low flat fee of 20 GBP on orders below 1,000 USD.

How to register and use Coinmama?

In order to use this exchange, you need to sign up first. Unlike some of its competitors, Coinmama has no mobile app yet and is only currently available as a website. On the other hand, it is on par with its competition in terms of KYC procedures – you need to be fully verified in order to buy crypto on Coinmama. Sign up process is easy – you go to Coinmama.com and click on register. Once you fill out the form, click next and finish the process. Don’t forget to confirm your email address by clicking the link Coinmama send to your email!

How to verify on Coinmama?

Another question we come across often is: how to get documents verified on Coinmama? You will have to upload official government issued ID and wait for Coinmama approval.

Coinmama requires the following steps in order to verify you:

all photos you upload need to visible in their entirety;

high quality images;

valid documents, with details like expiry date clearly visible;

maximum file size of 8MB.

Verification process usually takes couple of hours during the working time and a bit longer if you start your verification in the evenings or weekends. Coinmama has three tiers for its users, and each tier requires additional KYC requirements. Earn passive income with Quadency trading bot. Connect Binance account and use Quadency bot for 6 months completely free. Hurry up, this deal is not around for long!

Limit level 1: buying limit up to $ 15,000

Required documents for this category: -A selfie with valid government-issued ID-card-A note with “Coinmama” and date mentioned on it 

Limit level 2: buying limit up to $50,000

On top of the tier 1 verification, you need to upload two government-issued ID card and scanned image of a utility bill that can be anything like electricity bills, gas bills, property tax receipts, bank statements, or credit card statement.

Limit level 3: Up to $100,000

How to Buy Bitcoin on Coinmama

Coinmama is a bit different than other exchanges when it comes to buying crypto. They do not store anything on their servers – not your credit card details nor your coins. So how do Coinmama purchases work? You create an order, choose how many bitcoin or other coins you want to buy and then proceed to the checkout page, where you enter your credit card details.

After finishing the payment, the cryptocurrency is sent immediately to the user’s private wallet address, not a wallet that is kept on Coinmama servers. The minimum purchase amount on Coinmama is 60 USD (or its equivalent in EUR) at present, although this is based on the price of Bitcoin. When you use other exchanges like Binance or Coinbase, your cryptocurrencies are stored inside the exchange’s wallet address, on their servers (which is highly inadvisable.). However, when you enter your payment details and buy crypto on Coinmama, your coins are instantly sent to your own wallet as soon as the payment goes through! Needless to say this is much safer for both you and the exchange (avoids the risk of being hacked).

Supported currencies on Coinmama

Coinmama accepts all major world currencies:

USD

EUR

British Pound

Canadian Dollars

Australian Dollars

You can buy these cryptocurrencies:

BTC

ETH

LTC

BCH

ETC

XRP

QTUM

ADA

What are Coinmama Fees?

Burning question for every crypto buyer are fees that platforms charge. As you might have already noticed in this Coinmama review, this exchange is setting itself apart from the rest in many respects, this one included. The fees are now lower because the process has become much more advanced. Just so you’ll get a perspective – before the change to credit cards was made, one Bitcoin would cost you $310 when the corresponding Bitstamp rate was only $257, which is a whooping 22% fee. Ouch! After changes were implemented fees are about 6.5%, which may still sound like a lot. However, if you look around at companies selling you Bitcoin with credit card as a payment method, you’ll see that it’s basically the same fee everywhere. The reason why fees are so high is because of expensive measures these companies have to deploy in order to avoid fraud and chargebacks.

Can you sell on Coinmama?

Yes, you can sell cryptocurrencies on Coinmama. You only need two things to do so: your cryptocurrency wallet and a bank account and Coinmama will take care of the whole process.

How to sell on Coinmama

You can sell bitcoin on Coinmama in four easy steps:

Log into your Coinmama account and click on “Sell” – Input your Coinmama login information, then choose the Sell option from your main account screen. If you don’t already have an account, you can register here.

Enter the Bitcoin amount you’d like to sell – Put in the Bitcoin quantity you’d like to sell to see the BTC conversion rate in your preferred currency. You can also enter a currency amount (such as USD or EUR) to see the Bitcoin quantity.

Make your order – Follow the prompts to create your order. Enter your bank country, account information, and personal details.

Transfer your coins – Send the exact amount of Bitcoin selected to the wallet address provided in a single transaction, or scan the QR code from your wallet app. Once we receive your coins, we will transfer the payout amount to the bank account you provided.

Coinmama customer support

A huge plus for this positive Coinmama review is their customer support that works mostly via live chat in the following working hours. If you need to contact Coinmama customer support outside these hours, you can either send an email, open a support ticket or even contact them on Facebook! There is also an extensive knowledgebase with FAQs which is very useful for the most common issues users have with the exchange.

You Get Your Bitcoins Instantly

The speed at which you get your coins is the last thing that gets dramatically improved. In the past, when you could buy Bitcoins with Western Union, you’d have to wait for a wire confirmation to arrive from Western Union. Today, you can withdraw your coins as soon as your payment has cleared, which is completely awesome. This is crucial, because sometimes a day or two can mean wide price fluctuations in Bitcoin. This means that you could end up purchasing coins for more or less than you intended.  Keep in mind that there is a limit for first time users on how much you can buy (at the time or writing this limit is $5,000 per day, and up to $20,000 worth per month).

Can Coinmama be trusted – Security and Privacy

Coinmama stores your personal data on secured servers. Also, the site uses high-level encryption and authentication measures to ensure your details and money are safe. Coinmama allows its users buying less than $150 worth of Bitcoins without uploading pictures of an ID, but any amount over $150 worth of Bitcoins will require full identity verification.

Availability – What countries does Coinmama support?

Coinmama offers the service worldwide. You might have limited functions in some countries (for example, if a country shows up on a sanctions list maintained by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), UK Treasury, European Union, or United Nations, CoinMama will not operate there). However, overall, the service is available in the widest range of countries.

Is Coinmama Easy to Use?

It’s incredibly easy to buy Bitcoins at Coinmama, which is one of the reasons they’re so popular. That is why this Coinmama review will end on a good note for the exchange – there is simply nothing to complain about. When you visit Coinmama, you’ll notice that the UI is intuitive and simple, and that not one element is ambiguous or confusing. The site is simple, fast, and there are no obstacles aside from the verification requirements at various purchase volumes. All these things make for an ultra-easy buying process.

Conclusion – Should I use Coinmama and is it legit and safe?

In conclusion of this Coinmama review we can say that this is a reputable company, so the short answer is yes, Coinmama is legit and safe to buy crypto on it. The only downfall is its high fees, which unfortunately can’t be avoided when using a credit card at the moment. On the other hand, the long answer to the question is “it depends”. If you have the option to use a different payment method other than a credit card then I’d go elsewhere to avoid paying the high fees. All in all, the service is solid and hopefully in the near future, it will become more affordable.

FAQs

Is Coinmama safe and legit?

Yes, Coinmama is a safe and legit place to buy bitcoins and other offered coins like ETH, ADA, XRP, LTC, QTUM.

Where is Coinmama located and can it be trusted?

Coinmama was started in 2013 as a startup in Israel and has since expanded and served over 2m customers in over 180 countries with over 30 employees. Today, the company is registered in EU, more precisely in Slovakia while still owned and headquartered by New Bit Ventures in Israel.

How long does it take Coinmama to verify?

Initial level 1 verification on Coinmama usually takes 10 minutes. After this verification, you will have your bought bitcoins delivered instantly. However, level 2 and 3 verification may take up to six hours.

What states does Coinmama work?

Coinmama is available in the following US states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Does Coinmama require ID?

Yes. Coinmama requires 1 valid government issued ID and a selfie of yourself holding that ID and a note with “Coinmama” and today’s date written on it.

Can you sell on Coinmama?

Yes, you can sell bitcoins on Coinmama. Selling cryptocurrency with Coinmama is currently available to customers in Europe that are part of SEPA.

Is Coinmama an exchange or a wallet?

Coinmama is a crypto exchange where you can buy bitcoin and other coins instantly.        

Does Coinmama have a mobile app (Android or iOS)?

No, currently you can access Coinmama only through a web-browser via their website. They also do not have a publicly available API integration which is the most common way apps and services interact with each other in online world.

Article Produced By Felix Kuester

Felix Kuester works as an analyst and content manager for Captainaltcoin and specializes in chart analysis and blockchain technology. He is also actively involved in the crypto community – both online as a central contact in the Facebook and Telegram channel of Captainaltcoin and offline as an interviewer he always maintains an ongoing interaction with startups, developers and visionaries. The physicist has couple of years of professional experience as project manager and technological consultant. Felix has for many years been enthusiastic not only about the technological dimension of crypto currencies, but also about the socio-economic vision behind them.

https://captainaltcoin.com/coinmama-exchange-review/

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New Post has been published on https://fleetconcepts.com/freight-companies/freight-shipping-companies/

All About Freight Shipping Companies

Exactly What Are Shipping Companies?

Shipping companies handle the delivery of cargo. Freight shipping companies, also known as freight carriers, very own assets like freight trucks, container ships, risks in rails, and so on. Shipping service providers handle the physical motion of freight. Shipping service providers aid consumers obtain big and also tiny packages from one location to one more, whether domestically or internationally. Individuals, entrepreneurs, and also suppliers all depend on shipping firms to deliver their shipments and also freight securely and also promptly. Various sorts of service providers deal with various teams and offer attributes to satisfy consumers from that team. The firm you select as your shipping supplier will depend on what you are shipping and also when you desire it to arrive at its location.

Examples of Leading Shipping Companies

FedEx

Because of its creation in 1973, FedEx has actually been focused on making fast, efficient shipments for houses and businesses. Today, it supplies numerous alternatives for consumers and also services to deliver domestically as well as globally.

United Parcel Service – UPS

Given that it’s founding in 1907, UPS has been delivering plans for customers and also businesses. Today, they ship domestically and also overseas as well as have several options for services to streamline the process of overseas shipping.

US Postal Service – USPS

The main postal service of the US, USPS has actually been delivering mail locally considering that 1775. Today, USPS ships locally as well as internationally, consisting of shipping to the armed forces overseas.

DHL

DHL is a worldwide shipping company with visibility in 220 countries and regions worldwide. They supply service for services and consumers as well as a feature on the internet purchasing, express shipping, as well as multimodal transportation.

Pilot Freight Services

Pilot Freight Services runs around the world and simplifies the procedure of shipping from the U.S. to Canada. Their logistics services make it easy for services to manage as well as track their deals from throughout the globe.

R L Carriers

R+L Carriers is a global shipping company with a focus on customer service. Their services include weekend service, sea and also air transportation, and also exhibition services.

YRC Freight

YRC Freight ships locally and globally. Along with shipping freight for businesses, they offer unique services and also logistic remedies for special conditions.

Shipito

Established in 2009, Shipito is a mail forwarding firm for people outside the US. Customers can purchase products from US companies as well as have them sent out to Shipito, which will after that onward it globally to the customer.

OnTrac Shipping

OnTrac Shipping is a local shipping service provider that ships to choose Western as well as Northwestern states. It provides hassle-free functions like decrease boxes, same-day messenger service, and also early morning delivery.

Transit Systems

The 1989 Transit Systems has actually been giving shipping and relocating services for companies and also customers.

Leading Shipping Company Attributes

Cargo Size

The weight and also size of your shipment will determine which shipping firm makes the most sense for you to make use of.

Light-weight parcels: Little parcels that don’t weigh a lot can be shipped reasonably inexpensively whether you require to deliver them worldwide or domestically. Express options allow you to deliver plans as quickly as overnight for an added cost, while conventional shipping can take anywhere from a couple of days to a week, depending on the carrier and just how much your package or parcel needs to take a trip.

Goods

Products can range in dimension from small to big, and also their weight will identify just how much it sets you back to ship. Expect to pay even more for quickened and worldwide shipping. These are generally delivered utilizing ground shipping when they are delivered within the United States.

Freight

Business organizations that require to ship freight, as well as other freight, have choices that include truck, rail, air as well as sea transportation. Some service providers supply discount rates when you routinely ship freight using their services, so it is worthwhile to spend a long time researching organizations to find the one that will function best for your freight and on your timeline.

Products

The supplies you require to deliver freight can range from a basic envelope to an insulated truck, depending on what you’re shipping and how delicate it is. Regardless of what you’re shipping, you will certainly require to be knowledgeable about the materials available that can secure your plan as well as make sure it comes to its destination safely.

Envelopes

Small parcels that weigh less than 13 ounces can be sent by mail in basic envelopes. Lots of shipping companies offer flat price envelopes for bigger parcels, overnight and reveal shipments.

Boxes

E-commerce companies and consumers regularly utilize boxes to ship little, medium or large goods. The size and also kind of box you need will certainly vary relying on what you are shipping as well as include standard boxes, wardrobe boxes, recipe pack boxes, and picture boxes. You can acquire boxes at equipment shops or straight with lots of shipping organizations.

Product Packaging Materials

Keep your bundle safe, especially when what you are sending is delicate. Product packaging products that can shield the things being shipped include enveloped air and also enveloped air sheeting, loose-fill products (such as peanuts), foam and also paper padding. Your carrier can make recommendations as well as market you the product packaging materials you need to keep your things secure in transit.

Transportation Times

How quickly you require a product delivered will be a factor in picking a shipping service provider. There are a few general types of transportation times that shipping firms use to supply products and also plans.

Shipping Requirements

Criterion transportation time can differ relying on the approach of transportation. Ground as well as air transportation, for example, can take one to five days, while ocean transport will take much longer. Standard time is the least pricey alternative and also is best to use when you aren’t in a hurry to have a package provided by a specific date as well as time.

Expedited Shipping

A lot of shipping organizations use some kind of expedited shipping for an added expense. Some freight shipping organizations offer weekend break as well as holiday delivery, however not all do so inspect first if this is a priority for you.

Overnight Shipping

Overnight shipping is generally one of the most pricey choices, however, it can come in useful when you require a plan provided next-day.

Same-day Shipping

Some regional or regional shipping firms supply same-day shipping if you get your order in by a particular time.

Freight Types

The kind of freight you’re shipping will play in a role in figuring out which shipping company you select.

Parcels

Light parcels can be sent in flat rate envelopes via normal mail. If the parcel you are sending consists of exclusive and/or time-sensitive details, you might take into consideration adding options like an invoice.

Hazardous Materials (Hazmat)

Shipping hazardous products can be complex, which is why you will intend to ship them with a shipping organization that focuses on shipping them. This will ensure secure delivery along with compliance with any kind of and all guidelines and also regulations.

General Freight

Shipping freight has added considerations, consisting of whether you desire your freight to travel by rail, truck, air or sea. Many shipping companies use cooled shipping if you are shipping freight that requires to be temperature managed.

Cases

Also one of the most reputable shipping companies experiences missteps from time to time that causes your freight being harmed or shed. Understanding how the claims procedure works can make things simpler when a situation arises.

Loss

A loss case is only official if you have actually notated and also documented versus the original expense of lading that the freight was grabbed but stopped working to make it to its location. Filing this insurance claim means there is no evidence of authorized delivery. Your accuracy when filling in the initial bill of lading will certainly make it most likely that your loss insurance claim gets paid.

Damages

One of the most usual kind of freight claim is damage. This is relevant when there are visible physical damages to freight upon delivery and kept in mind the evidence of delivery paper. Filing a claim for evident damage is rather uncomplicated, yet declaring concealed damage can be much more complex. Hidden damage describes the harm that isn’t easily visible upon the invoice, consisting of damages you uncovered only after opening up or revealing a package. Concealed damages are typically uncovered only after the HULL has actually been authorized, making it harder to obtain your refund. The most effective method to avoid this situation is to examine whatever inside boxes prior to signing the SKIN.

Shipping Insurance

The majority of freight shipping companies consist of some kind of obligation insurance policy with their quote, yet it isn’t complete. Whether or not to add extra insurance coverage will depend on numerous factors, consisting of the worth of your shipment, shipping beginning, shipping location as well as the mode of transportation. There are numerous various sorts of shipping insurance coverage you can choose from, and also they can be purchased from your shipper or via a third-party insurer.

Carrier Responsibility

Carrier obligation insurance consists of several shipping organizations, consisting of the parcel and also freight shippers. This provides minimal coverage as well as will not cover you in case of tragic damage or loss.

Insurance of Products

Getting an insurance policy of products will pay you for the complete worth amount of the lost or damaged products without including additionals like the cost of shipping.

Insurance coverage of products plus shipping: Buying insurance of products plus shipping safeguards you as well as will reimburse you for the expense of the goods delivered plus the quantity you spent for shipping.

International Shipping Insurance Policy

International shipping typically isn’t included in carrier obligation, so you will require to add this on individually when you deliver something globally.

What are the various sorts of shipping companies?

Freight Shipping Companies

Freight shipping companies focus on moving freight for businesses by rail, truck, air and/or sea. A number of them likewise collaborate with special shipments, consisting of unsafe materials, trade convention, and military-related freight as well as freight.

Parcel Shipping Companies

Parcel services cater to consumers as well as small businesses, consisting of eCommerce sites, who require to deliver tiny packages and also parcels domestically and worldwide.

International Shipping Companies

Numerous freight, as well as parcel shipping organizations, ship domestically and internationally. If you often ship things overseas, seek service providers that can simplify the procedure of global shipping for you, including submitting personalized types as well as managing payments.

Air Shipping Companies

Air shipping companies relocate items solely making use of planes. These firms are somewhat restricted in what they can ship, as they can not carry cargo past a certain dimension and weight restriction. Shipping by air, nevertheless, is a much faster mode of traveling, making air shipping companies extra efficient for lots of services.

Uses For Shipping Companies

Small Businesses

Small companies commonly require to send out packages, parcels, and freight to clients and clients around the country or all over the world. E-commerce services especially should seek a shipping company that provides discounts and/or memberships to simplify their shipping process.

Production Companies

Production companies need to move heavy freight and are frequently on limited schedules for delivery. They will intend to deal with a shipping organization that can guarantee on-time delivery, including weekends, early mornings as well as vacations, to make certain their service maintains running.

Individuals Who Are Moving

Several shipping organizations work with individuals that are transferring to transport furnishings as well as various other household products. Some will certainly also look after added work like the packaging to simplify the procedure. Individuals commonly require to send parcels and packages to loved ones worldwide. They will certainly wish to deal with a shipping organization that supplies practical access to shipping materials along with pick-up.

Shipping Company Professional Reviews

R L Carriers

R+L Carriers is a global shipping service provider with a concentrate on customer service. Their shipping services include rail service, air transport, ocean transportation, as well as truckload service.

DHL

DHL has an existence in 220 nations and also regions all over the world, making it a quickly available shipping option regardless of where you are at or where you require to send out something. They offer remedies for companies of all dimensions, from eCommerce to manufacturing.

USPS

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is the official and also initial post office for the USA. Since Benjamin Franklin was appointed as the initial postmaster general in 1775, USPS has actually been providing mail to individuals throughout the country. Today, USPS has increased its services to likewise include worldwide shipping, bundle shipping, and also priority mail.

United Parcel Service – UPS

UPS was founded in a Seattle cellar by 2 teenagers in 1907 as a house delivery product packaging service. Today, UPS is a worldwide firm that uses technology to make it very easy for consumers as well as companies to send out and receive packages when and where they need them.

FedEx

Since it’s grand opening in 1973, FedEx has been focused on delivering products for customers and also organizations successfully and swiftly, utilizing air transportation for specific shipping. It has actually developed since then to consist of international shipping, ground shipping, FedEx Freight, and also FedEx Workplace, which is a physical area where consumers, as well as services, can pack, ship, print, duplicate as well as carry out other important jobs.

Transit Systems

Transit Systems has actually been in the business of shipping and also relocating consumers and also local businesses given that 1989. Their services consist of ground, air as well as global shipping of furnishings and various other large house things, specialty or high-value products, boxes and cages, and little long-distance hauling.

Large Furniture Moving Service

Transit Systems can assist consumers and small companies when they relocate from one location to one more, whether it’s across the nation or across the community. For larger items, customers can select in between white-glove service, in which a two-man shipping team prepares items for shipping, including pick-up and also delivery, or the even more budget-friendly economic situation service, that includes curbside pickup as well as delivery.

Small Long Distance Moving

Transit Systems’ tiny move service handles your action by grabbing your products and also taking them to a central location. From there, the items are sent to their destination via truck. The relocating procedure uses up to 4 weeks but costs dramatically less than you would pay with a full-service moving firm.

Elderly Move Service

Transit Systems can make things much easier when you or someone you like requirements to downsize or relocate right into an assisted living facility., As a National Association of Senior Move Managers market companion, Transit System is educated as well as furnished to give every little thing required for an elderly relocation, consisting of treatment, precision, and also prompt service. They can even deliver items such as furniture and other precious products that can not be relocated right into the new home or facility to family members and good friends throughout the nation. In addition, Transit System’s elderly care movers will certainly care for the finer information of an elderly move, consisting of packaging, unpacking, relocating belonging, hanging photos, connecting wire and also Net and also stocking the kitchen.

Freight Shipping

Transit Systems handles freight shipping for firms locally and also worldwide with the use of ground, air and ocean shipping. Organizations will take care of one dedicated representative from beginning to end, making it easy to respond to concerns as well as take care of any kind of obstacles that emerge throughout the shipping process.

Insurance Policy

Transit Systems provides carrier obligation insurance coverage at no included price. Services and also clients that desire extra coverage can add-on extra insurance coverage, consisting of relocating insurance policy.

Best at: Transit Systems is finest for individuals who are moving along with small as well as large businesses.

YRC Freight

YRC Freight is the biggest subsidiary of YRC Worldwide Inc. with corporate headquarters in Overland Park, Kansas. The company delivers commercial, business as well as retail items, and also it specializes in solutions for businesses throughout North America with a full-service network. There are additionally choices for worldwide shipping of imports and also exports.

Pilot Freight Services

Established in 1970, Pilot Freight Services is a full-service transportation and also logistics company that operates internationally. With over 75 places throughout the United States and Canada as well as operations as well as administration offices in Western Europe, Netherlands, as well as Spain, Pilot Freight Services provides companies an around the world network of overseas companions.

OnTrac Shipping

Founded in 1991, OnTrac Shipping offers local overnight bundle delivery service within California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Colorado, and Idaho. Their local emphasis enables OnTrac Shipping to use enterprises a reliable as well as an economical alternative to nationwide and worldwide shipping organizations.

Sunup and also Dawn Gold: OnTrac Shipping’s Sunrise and also Daybreak Gold services see to it your cargo is supplied in time for your organization to maintain moving. Sunrise service ensures delivery by 10:30 get on weekdays and also 12 pm on Saturdays, as well as Sunup Gold ensures delivery by 8 get on weekdays and also 12 pm on Saturdays.

Saturday shipments: OnTrac Shipping supplies Saturday delivery, even if the order ships out on Friday, for an extra add-on charge.

Same-day messenger service: Best for when you require something supplied today, OnTrac Shipping’s messenger service can personalize a solution to obtain your package where it needs to go when it requires to get there. Messenger services include same-day, direct, rush, as well as point-to-point delivery.

Online timetable pick-up: Schedule a pickup swiftly and conveniently by filling in a type online. Note that this only puts on shipments that are not palletized, oversized or that call for special handling. These shipments can be scheduled through Client service.

Drop boxes: Find an OnTrac drop box near you on the website, and also make use of the dropbox to easily as well as easily send out tiny parcels and goods without paying a pick-up fee. All items will be picked up and delivered next-day.

Best at: OnTrac Shipping is finest for small businesses that often deliver to as well as from The golden state, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Colorado or Idaho.

Do You Need A Freight Shipping Company?

Relying on your freight class as well as how your shipment is packaged, we can aid you to find the most effective freight organizations to securely execute pickup and delivery of your delivery. Allow Fleet Concepts to locate the perfect service for your freight.

Require aid? Visit our assistance facility or call us at (800) 933-5338 to speak to a freight representative.

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New Post has been published on https://warmdevs.com/wechat-chinas-integrated-internet-user-experience.html

WeChat: China’s Integrated Internet User Experience

The big Internet companies of the Western world have proclaimed “conversational user interfaces” and chatbots to be the Next Big Thing, with major initiatives led by Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. Even Taco Bell has a “TacoBot,” a service that allows users to order and customize their tacos using a natural-language UI.

Much of this hype stems from angst generated by the success of the Chinese WeChat service, which had 700 million users as of April 2016. WeChat has been touted as the poster child for conversational user interfaces. In this article, we report on user research we did in China with WeChat users. The study aimed to uncover practices in which WeChat users engaged, as well as why and in which cases its users preferred to use WeChat instead of regular mobile websites and apps.

WeChat: All You Want in One Place

As the name implies, WeChat started as a mobile instant-messaging (IM) app, launched by Tencent in 2011. However, WeChat quickly added other features; today, it is no longer primarily an IM application, but it also includes:

A payment service. 200 million users have connected their bank accounts to WeChat. This capability allows person-to-person money transfer, including 8 billion “red packets” (so called because gifts of lucky money were traditionally given in red envelopes) sent during the 2016 Chinese New Year celebrations, as well as easy payments to either online or real-world businesses.

A platform for companies’ online presence, with 10 million “official accounts.” Official accounts are WeChat-supported mini-websites that are easy to establish and especially convenient for small businesses, compared with the high-tech skills needed to build and maintain an interactive website.

An ecommerce platform, which is particularly convenient because it’s integrated with the payment service.

Social networking. The “Moments” feature is somewhat like a Facebook wall where friends can post messages in different formats (e.g., text, audio, pictures, stickers, videos). Furthermore, message dialogues allow users to interchange text, audio, pictures, stickers, short videos that are taken within WeChat, links, contact cards, and documents.

Other social services, such as “people nearby.”

Games.

A broad range of 3rd party services. Examples include ordering a taxi, booking train and airline tickets, buying movie tickets, and paying utility bills.

Integration with the physical world. QR scanning is widely used to quickly access WeChat official accounts, and exchange information (for example, contact information). There are even plush toys that connect to WeChat.

The Mon Mon plush toy for little children to interchange voice messages with their parents’ WeChat accounts. (Still from advertisement created by the vendor, the Chinese toy company Dan Dan Man.)

In total, more than a third of the time spent by Chinese users on mobile is on WeChat. No wonder Western companies want to get in on the action.

However, the key UX advantage of WeChat is not that it grew out of a chat service; it’s the integrated user experience. Each individual service is fine, but not necessarily better than those offered by other companies. In fact, our user testing of WeChat revealed many usability problems in various areas. What’s superior is how these services play together and reinforce each other. Most importantly, these benefits are not the result of a superior, simple conversational UI; instead, they are often provided through a simplified graphical user interface (GUI).

WeChat is similar with a megaportal providing access to a huge number of services. It’s almost a parallel, alternate web, whose explosive evolution seems to be rooted in two different aspects:

A huge initial adoption of the IM service and, later, of the payment ability

The scarcity of mobile-optimized sites and services on the Chinese web

The first aspect led to widespread adoption and provided a convenient substitute for credit cards (a less common method of payment in China); the second provided one (and often the only) convenient way of online access to a business or a service.

We asked our Chinese research participants to draw their mental models of WeChat, and as shown in the following examples, many of them considered the smooth payment service and the official accounts more central than that the chat service.

Mental models of WeChat, as drawn by two of our study participants.

User Research

We conducted two rounds of user research in China:

A diary study, in which 12 participants logged their WeChat use for 7 days:

Users sent us a WeChat message each time they used a special WeChat functionality.

Users also completed two questionnaires at the end of each day: one about their use of basic WeChat features and one about their use of special WeChat features. Basic features were defined as messages and chat with friends, checking Moments (the Facebook-wall equivalent), and reading articles published by official accounts. All other activities were considered special features; these included interacting with official accounts, posting to Moments, using payments, scanning QR codes, and shopping.

A usability test, using the thinking-aloud method, where 14 participants used WeChat and other mobile apps to perform representative tasks during 90-minute sessions. At the end of these sessions, most users sketched their mental models of WeChat.

About half of the users were in Beijing (one of China’s advanced “tier-1” cities, with 21 million inhabitants) and the other half were in Tangshan (a smaller and more traditional industrial “tier-3” city, with 7 million inhabitants). The specific location doesn’t usually matter for usability testing, but, in this case, market research suggests that WeChat penetration varies in different parts of China: 93% market penetration in tier-1 cities vs. 43% in tier-3 cities. Local services (e.g., offline businesses using WeChat official accounts and payment tools) also differ in these two types of cities.

About half the study participants owned iPhones and the other half owned Android phones.

Here are some examples of usability-testing tasks (translated into English):

You are planning a trip to Beidaihe next Tuesday. Use WeChat to find what train tickets are available.

Use WeChat to check how crowded it is now at Sanlitun.

Your friend recommended “Jacky’s Crawfish.” Order some crawfish, and have it delivered to our testing location. Please stop before just before completing the purchase.

WeChat Payments Rule

In the diary study, fully 32% of all recorded WeChat activities were payments, confirming this service’s central role in WeChat. On average, during the 7-day diary, each participant made 6 payments — about one per day. The majority of the payments were directed towards offline businesses or physical persons, and actual ecommerce payments were in the minority.

Recipients of WeChat payments made by our study participants.

The main reason for the popularity of the WeChat payment service was its smooth user experience and its ability to cut across channels and across the business/social divide. As one study participant said, “When I am paying with WeChat, I only need to take my phone out — no bank card, no signatures, no cash, no change — so convenient!”

The next two major uses of WeChat were Moments (the Facebook equivalent) with 16% of use and official accounts (miniwebsites hosted by WeChat) with 10% of use. The many other WeChat features accounted for the remaining interactions and thus summed to 42% percent of the overall use.

Integration and Consistency of User Experience

What makes WeChat superior is its integration: many features that all work together and build on each other. Once users subscribe to an official account, they can receive content pushed by that account. They can also access the WeChat page of that account and find more relevant information about the company or read associated pieces of content. They can purchase products or send money to the company. Thus, subscribing to an account opens up a world of interaction possibilities with that company, all strongly tied into WeChat.

Palace Museum account: The user can select one of the tabs at the bottom of the screen to interact with the Palace Museum (top left). Each tab opens up a submenu (top middle). A list of articles about the Palace Museum accessed through one of the menu options (top right). A WeChat “webpage” for the Palace Museum can be accessed through another one of the menus (bottom). (Note, however, that the Palace Museum’s webpage accessed through a regular mobile browser is actually not mobile optimized.)

These WeChat services are often not available through other mobile channels — for example, the Palace Museum does not have a mobile-optimized website available through a mobile browser. Thus, many users will prefer to interact with a company through the consistent and relatively predictable WeChat interface instead of risking to go to a different channel and have an inferior user experience.

The Palace Museum website as accessed through a mobile browser is not mobile optimized.

For companies, WeChat is an inexpensive way to ensure a presence on mobile; that presence has the advantage of offering a standardized, consistent user experience. Users are likely to succeed when engaging with an official account because most of them look the same — they are the equivalent of websites designed according to the same design pattern. The interaction is thus easy to learn and is made of the same WeChat supported building blocks that people are already familiar with from countless previous interactions with other companies.

WeChat vs. Traditional Websites

Although the mobile web is perhaps not as strong in China at this point (with many sites not having mobile versions), it is most likely that WeChat and regular websites will continue to coexist because they each have advantages and disadvantages. Our users didn’t expect the WeChat official accounts to cover all their needs, but they saw them as an easy way to access commonly used features.

Our users said that they preferred using companies’ official accounts on WeChat for several reasons:

Ease of access. WeChat is the primary QR-scanning application, freeing users from typing which has high interaction cost on mobile phones and is particularly unpleasant for older users.

Ease of interaction. As discussed above, it is easier to interact with an official account — you know where to click and how to use it because they all share the same basic interaction style.

Access to small businesses. Many such business (e.g., a fruit shop, handcraft, interest-based organizations) are unlikely to invest in a real website.

Special discounts. Followers of a WeChat account often receive promotions or exclusive campaigns.

Up-to-date information. There’s obviously no fundamental reason why a company’s website could not be kept as current as an official account, but users’ perception was that websites were more static, whereas WeChat accounts were updated more frequently.

While WeChat official accounts have their benefits, users continued to use traditional websites in parallel with WeChat, for several reasons:

More complex functionality, beyond the simple WeChat-supported UI

Spam: Too many articles pushed by WeChat official accounts can easily become annoying, even for followers of those accounts. Some abuse users’ trust and flood them with ads.

Closed system: WeChat excludes access to frequently used services such as Taobao (a major ecommerce site) and important music providers.

Impaired findability: Often different accounts will have similar names, and some of them may belong to a legit company and others may be fake and trying to impersonate that company. To make things worse, the same company may have different WeChat accounts, and the accounts themselves may be of different types (service accounts vs. subscription accounts) with different capabilities (service accounts will support payments, while subscription accounts won’t). Finding the right account can thus be challenging for users.

Trust issues: Some articles on WeChat spread fake information.

WeChat search results for Palace Museum (left) and for Xuxian, the fruit business (right). Checkmarks indicate that the account is verified by WeChat. But these verification checkmarks do not help identify the desired account, because many verified results may actually be returned. Some of these results will belong to the same company but will have different functionalities, and some will belong to a fake company that may take advantage of a better-known brand’s name. Users can differentiate companies by clicking on their introduction page or checking their messaging history, but these operations are time consuming.

Some of these problems are similar to those faced by users of traditional search engines, whereas others are unique to WeChat, especially the peculiar distinction between subscription and service accounts, which breaks the integrated model of the service and seems to be a legacy of WeChat’s history.

WeChat Usability Problems

Our user testing revealed plenty of usability problems in WeChat and the various official accounts we tested. This is no surprise, since the perfect user interface hasn’t been built yet, but should come as a warning to those technology enthusiasts who believe that simply moving to a new platform or embracing a new interaction style will result in great user experience. On the contrary: any design will still need polishing and adaptation to users’ real needs, as opposed to companies’ internal hopes for what their customers will do. We’ll just give two examples here.

Team Maker allows users to define group events. The setup screen requires users to enter a name for the new event, but 10 of 14 study participants overlooked this field and went straight for the second field (denoted by a clock icon) to enter the time of the event.

Team Maker’s official account: The top field had the instructions “Event Title (Required),” but it was overlooked by most test users.

Several design issues combined to cause this problem:

Banner blindness possibly made users overlook the top field because of the graphic.

The prompt was shown as a placeholder text within the field, which is less noticeable than a separate field label.

That field was not aligned with the other fields in the form, and thus looked as if it was not part of a form, but rather a static title.

The activity title prompt was shown in low-contrast text, especially compared with the brighter text used for the time field.

Users may have had a selfish-action bias, preferring fields related to their own needs (the time of the group meeting) over fields related to system needs (the title).

City Heatmap is a WeChat feature that indicates how crowded a given location was. This feature is available under Wallet → Public Services → City Heatmap. Our users had great difficulty finding it. This navigational path was simply not expected, and suffered from a convoluted information architecture and problematic naming with poor information scent.

Such issues are not special to WeChat and we’ve seen them many times in usability studies. New platforms have old usability issues, because the main determinant of usability is the human mind and people’s needs, not technology.

Text-Based Interaction Gets Limited Use

WeChat supports two different types of interaction with an account:

Text-based: Users can text a number or a keyword to a service account and receive an IM reply from that account. (The reply can be automatic or can be generated by a customer-service representative in charge with responding to WeChat queries).

Menu/link based: Users can select a link embedded in a text message or they can use the menu buttons available on official-account interfaces and in the chat window.

Sometimes all these interaction methods were available for an account, but in other situations only the more basic text interface was supported.

Palace Museum’s official account: users can interact with this account either by texting back one of the numbers 0–6, or by tapping the GUI menu button in the bottom left corner of the screen and selecting some of the available options. On some pages (but not in this case), the numeric options inside the text message are themselves tappable links. (In fact, many of our test participants tried to tap the options inside the message and were disappointed when that action did not produce any result.)

In our diary study and in the usability-testing sessions, we noticed only limited use of the text interface. In particular, some users texted back a number in response to a first message received after subscribing to a service account. They also occasionally texted back a keyword hoping to get back matching search results from that company. However, most users much preferred a menu-based interaction over the more effortful text-based interaction. Whenever the bottom menu was available for a service account, users relied on it, as a more expedient way to interact with the company. They also attempted to tap on the numerical options displayed in the chat message as an even faster way to make a choice.

Our initial interest in WeChat was to better understand conversational text interfaces. The appeal of such natural-language interfaces is that they supposedly allow users to simply express their goal and then sit back, while letting the site do all the work for them. No clicks or taps are involved once the initial query has been formulated, so in a sense, such interfaces have the potential of getting closer to the holy grail of usability ­— zero interaction cost. (Such interfaces do assume that users will be able to formulate a goal — an assumption that does not always hold, because users do not always know the search space well enough.)

We did not find evidence for sophisticated natural-language understanding in WeChat. (Those human-staffed official accounts that reply to individual user queries are definitely not scalable in the long run and were not the norm in our study.) Instead of a true conversational text interface, we discovered a system that warrants the interest of an evolutionary web scientist for the way in which it mimics the evolution of the mobile web — a world in which historic, simple interaction such as the numeric-menu selection and keyword-input coexist with more sophisticated menu-based interfaces or GUIs. These latter methods are newer and often preferred by WeChat users for their lower interaction cost, yet, at this point, they have not yet completely erased the chat-box interface.

Conclusion: WeChat Integration Builds Convenience

If conversational interfaces are not a strength of WeChat, what is the secret behind its success? When we asked our users for their top likes about WeChat, the most frequently mentioned attribute was convenience.

WeChat shines in several ways that build convenience:

A wide variety of services and features

Integration of these features among themselves and, especially in the case of WeChat payment and QR codes, with the physical world

Simple, consistent interaction that stays the same across different official accounts — in marked contrast to the diversity of user interface techniques that plague websites

Integration and simplicity are especially important because WeChat is mainly a mobile service. User interfaces are more difficult to use on mobile devices because of their screen-size limitations and error-prone touch input. A simple interaction style that provides a seamless omnichannel customer journey is essential for mobile designs.

Different usability aspects of WeChat were cited as major positives (second most common after convenience) and as major negatives by our study participants. No UI is completely good or completely bad in terms of usability, and while this interface had many good parts, there were others that definitely needed improvement.

Our study participants’ likes and dislikes about WeChat.

The interplay between usability and convenience points to one of the major contrasts in our field — that between usability and user experience (UX). While usability applies to well-designed user interfaces (UIs), usability is not enough for a good UX. Users need useful features that address their real needs instead of their imaginary ones. When a system is convenient, it goes beyond usability and succeeds in being useful and simplifying a previously complicated task.

WeChat does all of this, and that’s why it’s successful. Not because it grew out of a chat site or originally used a conversational user interface.

[juniperpublishers-crdoj]

How Misconception of Insulin Therapy Affects Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients' Acceptance on Daily Injection

Authored by FU Sau-Nga

Abstract

Objectives: To find out the development of misconception that leads to Psychological Insulin Resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

Methods: 24 focus group interviewsof124insulin naive Chinese patients in 11 primary care clinics. Thematic analysis of the interview transcript was based on patient's expectation of insulin injection in their physical, psychological and social view, to identify the origin of negative attitudes.

Results: Three main sources of misconception are: 1) lacking adequate knowledge, 2) conflicting medical advice, and 3) hearsay from community. Most participants never saw the insulin pen. Patients deferred insulin commencement because they could choose among different clinicians' medical advice. Patients commonly keep peace of mind rather than trying daily injection. They took daily injection as a stigma and ignored the possible DM complications.

Conclusion: Different parties contributed to the development of misconception on insulin therapy. Clinicians should identify and control patients' possible misconceptions.

Keywords:    Qualitative research; Treatment refusal; Insulin; Diabetes mellitus type 2; Therapeutic misconception; Hyperglycemia

Introduction

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasingly prevalent worldwide. In order to reduce complications, insulin replacement therapy is frequently required because of the progressive nature of T2DM [1]. However, patient refusal of insulin is often found [2] as a result of psychological insulin resistance (PIR), which means a strong negative attitude against insulin therapy [3]. When comparing to the western countries (28% [4]), the prevalence of PIR has been particularly high in Asia (70.6% [5]). PIR involves such a wide range of adverse emotions and practical concerns as questioning the necessity to intensifying medication by insulin, pain, phobia, failure, fear of side effects, operation of insulin pen, economic cost for insulin therapy, language barrier, inadequate knowledge, poor social support, perceived damages on personal image, social life and perceived clinicians' negative attitude towards insulin [4]. In line with the higher PIR in some ethnic groups, it was well-documented that female [5], people with lower income, lower educational level [6], older age group [7], lower glycoslated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level [8], being insulin naive [9] were more unwilling to commence insulin.

Clinicians have tackled PIR as a complex and multifactorial phenomenon by patient-centered approach and through the recommended clinical practices. Most countries including Hong Kong have at the same time adopted newer insulin delivery devices, commonly insulin pen, with shorter and thinner needle that enables injection ease and reduces pain. It is therefore pressing to examine why PIR still commonly circulates among T2DM patients, especially those relatively older, with lower income and lower educational level. This study adopts a qualitative research approach to take a close scrutiny of how patients acquired different knowledge about insulin therapy, and why negative perceptions and emotions are resulted from this knowledge [10]. The findings from this study advance insights for formulating proactive strategies that may possibly enhance the acceptance rate of insulin injection.

Methods

Setting

The study sites were eleven government-funded primary care clinics, where provide health care for more than 25,000 people with T2DM in urban Hong Kong annually. The majority of the visiting patients are older Chinese, relatively less educated, and from the lower social economic class [11]. The consultation fee for each visit is USD6. All prescriptions and investigations are free of charge. Some patients not only consult the clinicians in public setting, but also pay out of their own pockets to attend

Since 2009, some ofthe public primary care clinics have provided insulin commencement for indicated T2DM patients. Free-of-charge injection pen and vials of insulin are provided. Patients only need to pay for the needles of injection pen and the consumables for self-glucose monitoring. However, the successful cases of commencing insulin remain a few. From 2010 to 2012, only less than 4% of patients with T2DM had successfully started on insulin therapy [11].

Participants

This study included insulin naive T2DM patients on maximum tolerated dose of oral antidiabetic agents (OAAs). Their latest haemoglobin A1c level was ≥7.5% (58.5 mmol/mol). Subjects under 18-year-oldor being pregnant were excluded.

Study design

The moderators conducted focus group interview by asking broad views from participants about insulin therapy, before asking focal questions on the development of misconceptions identified. Focus groups were used in order to collect group interaction that encourages participants to explore and clarify attitudes, priorities, group norm and cultural value [10]. All participants offered their written informed consent.

The interviews were conducted in clinic meeting rooms from June 2013 to May 2014. Each focus group interview ran with 3 to 8 participants and lasted for 60 to 90 minutes. One moderator (one of the authors) and one observer (research assistants) were arranged to conduct the focus group interview in Cantonese (one of the Chinese language)according to thestandard interview protocol. (Supplementary Data S1)Investigators avoided interviewing our own patients. The focus groups interviews were terminated when data saturation was reached after 24 focus groups,where adding participants to the existing sampleis unlikely to generate any new ideas [10].

Data analysis

All focus group interviews were recorded as digital audio files and transcribed verbatim into Chinese. The transcript was entered into NVIVO 10® (QSR international) in Chinese for data analysis. A coding tree with definition and operational guidelines for each code was formulated. The authors employed thematic analysisto identify important themes, patterns, features, meanings as well as issues and stories. Finally, SF translated the selected data into English. SC then translated the transcript back into Chinese to assess translational equivalence. Discrepancies between the original Chinese items and back-translated items were reviewed and modified by allauthors.

Results

Major findings

The characteristic of different groups were shown in Table 2. Misconception in this study refers to any inaccurate idea, belief, myth, presumption and conjecture that deviate from the proven medical knowledge. The three main sources of misconception among the participants are: 1) lacking adequate knowledge 2) conflicting medical advice, and 3) hearsay from community. All participants' names were replaced by assigned number P1, P2, P3, etc. Group names were assigned as G1 (Group 1), G2,etc.

Necessity, effect and side effect of insulin therapy was not discussed: The discussion between P41 (female, 62-year- old) and P42 (male, 61-year-old) in G4 described an extreme situation of the communication with doctors. Doctors would print out prescription sheet few minutes after consultation started. The patients therefore felt that there was no need to understand insulin therapy. Others participants reported that they would strongly challenge their doctors about the necessity of using insulin therapy. While they recognized that the effect the effectiveness of insulin therapy, particularly what was its of oral drug would be diminishing, they had no idea about difference fromoral drugs in controlling blood sugar.

Likewise, discussion of the side effects of insulin was insufficient. Three participants P31 (female, 55-year-old), P75 (male, 70-year-old) and P88 (male, 73-year-old), from 3 focus groups expressed a shared worry that exogenous insulin would take over remaining pancreatic function and thereby result in organ (pancreas) failure. They suspected direct injection of insulin was overly potent. It would therefore stop pancreatic cells from producing insulin. Other commonly exaggerated insulin side effects include chronic neuralgic pain, profuse bleeding, broken needle, punctured internal organ and consequential scars over body with many holes, and subsequent changes of skin texture and colour. Air bubbles might be injected into body that could result in death. Few participants described their observation of hypoglycemic attack of their relatives. The victim became uncontrollable, insane and unable to handle. Collectively, insulin injection should be avoided at all cost for self-preservation.

Patients were not familiar with insulin pen and the injection process: On the contrary to the existing research finding that most insulin naive DM patients were familiar with insulin pen [12], most participants in this study never sawan insulin pen, much less the injecting process. Consequently,some participants associated injection of insulin with what they saw and felt in their existing experience from their visits to clinics or hospitals. The needle is a much longer and bigger, 20 or 25 -gauges and 25 to 30 mm long. This explained why some participants were prompted into anxiety, fear of pain, phobia of blood, and other physiological responses (e.g., chills, rigor, sweating and palpitation).

Participants generally perceived that the injection of insulin was a complicated process requiring intensive professional knowledge and training. The storage of insulin, the sterilization of instruments, and the steps for injecting were all highly demanding and rigorous. Some participants illustrated the difficulty of injection by their clinicians' multiple attempts before successful venepuncture even though they were professionally trained. Injection of insulin was definitely beyond their literacy, knowledge and ability to handle. Various sites for insulin injection were also aired amongst the participants such as buttock, cubital fossa, umbilicus, anus and even the sole. It bothered much more the older age group because of their illiteracy in English, some also in Chinese, and their decline in eyesight and hand functioning.

Concern on the cost of insulin therapy: Given that most participants came from the lower socio-economic class, they worried much about the cost of insulin therapy. Some participants thought that they had to buy the pen and injection medicine from their pocket. In fact, people on insulin therapy only need to buy the needles of insulin pen that costs HK$200 (USD25) per month. The cost would be reimbursable if they were on the social security scheme. However, nearly none of the participants were clear about the policy. P86 (male, 63-year- old) even estimated the regular expenses for insulin therapy to be up to HK$40,000 (USD 5,000) per year. In line with the drug cost, P68 (female, 81-year-old, lives alone) worried about the additional financial cost for employing a helper to perform injection for her.

Most participants reported that the continuity of care from public and private doctors for their chronic illnesses was generally poor and the consultation time was short and erratic. If different clinicians gave different opinions, it confused patients of which DM treatment was the best in their condition. As a result, most participants simply chose the advice that supported their intention to delay or avoid insulin therapy.

Newer and more expensive oral drugs is equally effective as insulin: Many participants believed newer generation of OAAs that was ever effective and potent in controlling their blood sugar. The switch to insulin therapy was therefore deferrable if one could afford the expensive newer generation of OAAs. P58 (female, 55-year-old) claimed that she regularly attended both public clinics and a private doctor. While her latest HbA1c had been already up to 10.7% (93.4mmol/mol), she appreciated her private doctor who reassured and prescribed her with "drugs not available in public clinics". She adhered to oral therapy and had no intention to start insulin therapy. Such form of personal presumption gives rise to a myth in real life: the deferability of insulin therapy depended on money.

Different clinicians gave different treatment recommendation: The most common advices from clinicians were "you should be more careful about what you eat", "you should get out and move about" when the participants' blood sugar was high. They have an impression that one's success or failure in maintaining the optimal blood sugar level was solely a matter of diet and lifestyle control. P65 (64-year-old) knew that his blood sugar was always high, which was harmful to his health. He was hesitated whether he should start insulin therapy or not. Some doctors encouraged him, but one of them told him that he was too old, and therefore too risky to start insulin therapy. Overall, our participants commonly perceived clinician's negative attitude towards insulin.

Discussions from focus groups showed that most participants were haunted by the rumours and myths from one's social circle and from the media such as newspaper and online discussions.

Preference of avoiding “invasive” therapy, keep peace in mind: The older participants often expressed their will of keeping peace in their remaining life because their age is approaching the end. Any procedure or treatment that would increase physical suffering should be avoided. They preferred minimal use of drugs in any form. They believe that self-injection could not improve their health but only add suffering. Some of the participants even regarded daily injection as"torturing their remaining life.

Focusing on Current Body Functioningrather than Future Unpredictable Risk of complications: In order to justify their resistance to insulin injection, many older participants cited the hearsay from community that the rise of DM complications was independent of the blood sugar control. Most of them at the same time denied their risk of having complications because they had been well-disciplined in diet control and regular exercising. They did not experience any disabilities or ill-health sensation at the moment. They would emphasize current situation and would not bother "future risks".

It's a stigma to use insulin, but not to use oral tablet: Most participants favoured the oral therapy largely due to their concern on self-dignity and social status. Some of them would like to cover up their condition of having DM. Others did not mind being known the need of regular oral drug-taking always because it was generally acceptable in the community. Even when others saw them taking oral tablets, P95 (female, 66-year- old) said that she could simply liethat she was taking vitamin supplement when she was questioned.

Similar to other research finding, the use of insulin in the Chinese peoples' view represented a person to be really sick [13], P44 (female, 64-year-old)expressed that she would feel like "being given a death sentence" if she had to inject insulin every day. P75 (male, 73-year-old) from G14 claimed that he would be depressed if he had to commence insulin. He used to reduce his blood sugar by increasing the amount of physical activities. Failure to reduce blood sugar by his own effort meant that he lost control of his own body. Other participants also associated insulin users with some negative images such as the drug addict. The association was not only their personal imagination but also a common sense in the community. They thus found it egregiously stigmatizing if others knew that their body functions relied on daily injections. The comment from P100 (male, 76-year-old)was illustrative: "people would look down on you if they know you are using needles. ... They probably think that  you have a contagious disease!" This was particularly troubling to participants who were employed, such as P62 (male, 58-year- old). Their main concern was that if their colleagues saw their daily insulin injection, they might be viewed as a "weak," a "handicapped," or a "criminal." Consequently, they might lose their job.

Discussion and Conclusion

Discussion

This is the first study in Hong Kong that adopts a qualitative approach to investigate insulin naiveT2DM patients' misconception on insulin therapy. The participants' socioeconomic background were characterised mostly by not being employed,with lower educational level and lower income. They were comparable with patients generally found in government funded primary care clinics in Hong Kong [14]. The analysis confirms with the existing research insights to the prevalence of PIR, particularly the lack of adequate knowledge on necessity [15], expected effect an dungrounded side effect of insulin therapy as profuse bleeding, severe skin reactions, injection process, patients' concern on treatment cost, stigmatization associated, patients' attitude of preference to oral tablet [16], and the concerning quality of health at the moment, but not future risk of complications [17] from most of the participants.

This study advances several new insights into patients' lived experience of how and why they became poorly informed about the treatment options. There were multiple sources from daily knowledge to social network. First of all, the DM patients in this study were not familiar with the insulin pen as the DM patients from other countries [12]. Many patients in Hong Kong primary care setting have never seen the insulin pen, much less understanding of the injection process. Under consultation time constraint, there were few opportunities for discussion about insulin therapy in either causal or structural manner.The result of poor patient-clinician communication was that many patients would favour and accept hear says. Some would even believe that exogenous insulin was toxic to pancreatic cells, and speeded up organ failure.

This study also found that the presence of conflicting medical advice opened the rooms for patients to run upon their preference for treatment. Without a consistent medical advice for the switch to insulin therapy, patients occurred to distort what the clinicians suggested them to do for their health in various manners. For instance, when doctors suggested newer generations of OAAs and insulin as options of managing hyperglycemia, patients might interpret the newer drugs as replacement of insulin therapy. While clinicians advised patients to maintain a proper diet and lifestyle, patients might believe that the blood sugar can be largely controlled by that alone. Clinicians should be alert to such over-interpretations and the like by clarifying the details and giving the sufficient information for patients. Another important finding from this study appears to be the presence of a remarkable difference between the Western and the Chinese DM patients. Namely, the Chinese patients concerns less on fear of weight gain and hypoglycaemia as the Western patients did [18]. In line with their negative evaluation of insulin therapy, the Chinese patients instead concern more on keeping peace in mind. They avoid being stigmatized as a sick person while they consider insulin commencement [19]. They also appealed to hear says from community to justify their indifference to DM complications and resistance to insulin therapy. Clinicians should aware of patients' attitude on stepping up drugs, especially in relatively older patient in order to arrive share understanding of disease management [20].

Conclusion

This qualitative study demonstrates how the prevalence of PIR involves misconceptions on insulin therapy among people with T2DM and in the general public. The three major sources of misconception include the lack of adequate knowledge, conflicting medical advice, and hearsay from community. When T2DM patients failed to rectify them is conceptions, their selfefficacy in starting insulin therapy will be undermined as what the research subjects in this study indicated. The possible improvement of the acceptance rate of insulin therapy from the improvement of insulin delivery devices will be equally upset due to the continuation of a large gap of the T2DM patients from what are the proper medical understanding and doings. Clinicians should be therefore sensitive to the rise of such misconceptionsin part of their actions to ensure the offering of proper insulin therapy forT2DM patients.

Acknowledgement

The study was funded by the Health and Medical Research Fund, Research Fund Secretariat, The Food and Health Bureau, the government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (grant number: 11122751, URL: https://rfs2.fhb.gov.hk/app/ fundedsearch/projectdetail.xhtml?id=1386 ).

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Desperate Rohingya Flee Myanmar on Trail of Suffering. ‘It Is All Gone.’

By Hannah Beech, NY Times, Sept. 2, 2017

REZU AMTALI, Bangladesh--They stumble down muddy ravines and flooded creeks through miles of hills and jungle in Bangladesh, and thousands more come each day, in a line stretching to the monsoon-darkened horizon.

Some are gaunt and spent, already starving and carrying listless and dehydrated babies, with many miles to go before they reach any refugee camp.

They are tens of thousands of Rohingya, who arrive bearing accounts of massacre at the hands of the Myanmar security forces and allied mobs that started on Aug. 25, after Rohingya militants staged attacks against government forces.

The retaliation that followed was carried out in methodical assaults on villages, with helicopters raining down fire on civilians and front-line troops cutting off families’ escape. The villagers’ accounts all portray indiscriminate attacks against fleeing noncombatants, adding to a death toll that even in early estimates is high into the hundreds, and is probably vastly worse.

“There are no more villages left, none at all,” said Rashed Ahmed, a 46-year-old farmer from a hamlet in Maungdaw Township in Myanmar. He had already been walking for four days. “There are no more people left, either,” he said. “It is all gone.”

The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic minority who live in Myanmar’s far western Rakhine State. Most were stripped of their citizenship by the military junta that used to rule Myanmar, and they have suffered decades of repression under the country’s Buddhist majority, including killings and mass rape, according to the United Nations. A new armed resistance is giving the military more reasons to oppress them.

But the past week’s exodus of civilians caught in the middle, which the United Nations said had reached nearly 76,000 on Saturday, dwarfs previous outflows of refugees to Bangladesh in such a short time period. Friday’s influx alone was the single largest movement of Rohingya here in more than a generation, according to the United Nations office in Dhaka.

The dying is not yet done. Some of the Rohingya militants have persuaded or coerced men and boys to stay behind and keep up the fight. And civilians who have stayed on the trail are running toward conditions so grim that they constitute a second humanitarian catastrophe.

They face another round of gunfire from Myanmar’s border guards, and miles of treacherous hill trails and flood-swollen streams and mud fields ahead before they reach crowded camps without enough food or medical help. Dozens were killed when their boats overturned, leaving the bodies of women and children washed up on river banks.

Tens of thousands more Rohingya are waiting for the Bangladeshi border force to allow them to enter. Still more are moving north from the Rohingya-dominated districts of Rakhine State. And the violence there continues.

“It breaks all records of inhumanity,” said a member of the Border Guard Bangladesh named Anamul, stationed at the Kutupalong Rohingya refugee camp. “I have never seen anything like this.”

Here, in the forests of Rezu Amtali near the border with Myanmar, dozens of Rohingya told stories that were horrifying in their content and consistency.

After militants from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army attacked police posts and an army base on Aug. 25, killing more than a dozen, the Myanmar military began torching entire villages with helicopters and petrol bombs, aided by Buddhist vigilantes from the ethnic Rakhine group, those fleeing the violence said.

Person after person along the trail into Bangladesh told of how the security forces cordoned off Rohingya villages as the fire rained down, and then shot and stabbed civilians. Children were not exempt.

Mizanur Rahman recalled how on Aug. 25 he had been working in a rice paddy in his village, known in Rohingya as Ton Bazar, in Buthidaung Township in Myanmar, when helicopters roared into the sky above him.

“Immediately, I had fear in my heart,” he said. His wife came running out of their house with their son, less than a month old.

They escaped to a nearby forest and watched as the choppers’ weapons engulfed the village in flames. Myanmar security forces descended, and the sound of gunfire reached the forest.

Mr. Rahman’s extended family fled the next day, but not before seeing his brother’s body lying on the ground, along with seven others. Three days later, as they climbed a hill near the border with Bangladesh, Mr. Rahman’s mother was shot dead by a Myanmar border guard.

“Now we are supposed to be safe in Bangladesh, but I do not feel safe,” Mr. Rahman said, as he wandered through a market in the Kutupalong refugee camp, with no money in his pocket.

His wife’s postpartum bleeding has increased so much that she can no longer walk or produce milk for their infant son. The baby, cradled in Mr. Rahman’s arms, looked skeletal, parched skin pinched at his joints. Other refugees took turns gently touching the baby’s feet to check if he was still alive.

The Myanmar military said on Friday that nearly 400 people had been killed in the violence that has swept across northern Rakhine since Aug. 25. Of that death toll, 370 people were identified as Rohingya fighters. Fourteen civilians, including four ethnic Rakhine and seven Hindus, were also reported killed. Myanmar officials, however, have given no specific accounting of civilian Rohingya deaths.

Dozens of people I spoke to on the refugee trail said they had seen multiple people shot dead in at least 15 different villages. Others spoke of families burned alive in their homes.

Human Rights Watch, the New York-based watchdog, documented 17 sites where satellite imagery showed extensive fire damage, including one village where 700 buildings had burned.

The Myanmar government claims Rohingya militants have torched their own homes in a bid for international sympathy. And the military maintains its current operations in Rakhine are designed at rooting out “extremist terrorists.”

There are, clearly, combatants on the Rohingya side. The state news media have reported that more than 50 clashes have broken out between the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, known by the acronym ARSA, and Myanmar security forces over the past week.

That has further complicated life for civilians trying to flee.

Fortify Rights, a human-rights group based in Bangkok, interviewed villagers remaining in Maungdaw township who said that ARSA was forcing men and boys to stay and fight. The refugees flowing into Bangladesh have been predominantly women and children, leading to speculation as to where the men are.

Mr. Ahmed, the farmer, said that he was too old to fight, but that 20 others from his village, Renuaz, had remained. “They have nothing to lose,” he said. “The Myanmar government wants to eradicate an entire ethnic group.”

What the survivors are fleeing into is no haven. Bangladesh is itself poor, overcrowded and waterlogged, and has been reluctant to take on more displaced Rohingya. Around 400,000 already lived here before the exodus, according to government figures.

An urgent humanitarian disaster is brewing here in a country hard-pressed to feed itself, much less a new influx of refugees that one Bangladeshi official estimated could soon surpass 100,000 people.

For now, the Border Guard Bangladesh is mostly turning a blind eye and allowing the Rohingya to stream across the border.

But there is little help for them here, as they push on in hopes of reaching some of the grim refugee camps further in.

The luckiest of the Rohingya leaving the violence by trekking through the Chittagong Hills hefted bamboo poles laden with their most treasured belongings: sacks of rice, umbrellas, solar panels, water pots and grass mats.

Others, though, carried nothing at all because they had no time to organize anything before their flight. Toddlers marched naked. Not a single person wore shoes, which would have been ripped off by the sucking mud.

An international response to the crisis has started. On Wednesday, Britain arranged for a closed-door meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the Rohingya emergency. The civilian government of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has faced mounting global criticism for refusing to acknowledge the magnitude of the military offensive on civilian Rohingya populations.

In an open letter to Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, nearly a dozen of her fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureates labeled last October’s military offensive “a human tragedy amounting to ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.”