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Immature germ cells in semen - correlation with total sperm count and sperm motility
Priya S Patil, Rajendra S Humbarwadi, Ashalata D Patil, Anita R Gune
Department of Anatomy, Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College and University, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India
Date of Web Publication 5-Sep-2013
Background: Current data regarding infertility suggests that male factor contributes up to 30% of the total cases of infertility. Semen analysis reveals the presence of spermatozoa as well as a number of non-sperm cells, presently being mentioned in routine semen report as "round cells" without further differentiating them into leucocytes or immature germ cells.
Aim: The aim of this work was to study a simple, cost-effective, and convenient method for differentiating the round cells in semen into immature germ cells and leucocytes and correlating them with total sperm counts and motility.
Materials and Methods: Semen samples from 120 males, who had come for investigation for infertility, were collected, semen parameters recorded, and stained smears studied for different round cells. Statistical analysis of the data was done to correlate total sperm counts and sperm motility with the occurrence of immature germ cells and leucocytes. The average shedding of immature germ cells in different groups with normal and low sperm counts was compared. The clinical significance of "round cells" in semen and their differentiation into leucocytes and immature germ cells are discussed.
Conclusions: Round cells in semen can be differentiated into immature germ cells and leucocytes using simple staining methods. The differential counts mentioned in a semen report give valuable and clinically relevant information. In this study, we observed a negative correlation between total count and immature germ cells, as well as sperm motility and shedding of immature germ cells. The latter was statistically significant with a P value 0.000.
Keywords: Immature germ cells; round cells; semen; total sperm count
Patil PS, Humbarwadi RS, Patil AD, Gune AR. Immature germ cells in semen - correlation with total sperm count and sperm motility. J Cytol 2013;30:185-9
Patil PS, Humbarwadi RS, Patil AD, Gune AR. Immature germ cells in semen - correlation with total sperm count and sperm motility. J Cytol [serial online] 2013 [cited 2023 Feb 1];30:185-9. Available from: https://www.jcytol.org/text.asp?2013/30/3/185/117682
Reproduction is the fundamental biological process of life essential for the continuation of the species. It depends on the fertility status of the male and female partners involved. As the prevalence of infertility is increasing, the brunt of infertility management is felt by the medical field. Worldwide surveys have shown that almost one in every seven couples faces problems of infertility. In India, the infertility rate is 9% of the reproductive population, which means almost 12 to 18 million couples visit infertility clinics annually for treatment. Of the total infertility cases, 50% are due to the male factors. Hence, in andrology, rapid advances with a lot of sophisticated and expensive newer diagnostic methods are emerging. This requires a very sophisticated infrastructure and trained personnel which may not be available at peripheral medical centers. Further this battery of investigations leads to a huge financial burden on the couple as well as the society which is beyond the reach of the economically compromised population in a developing country like India. In such a scenario, semen analysis forms the basic, cost-effective, and non-invasive investigation for screening of such a large number of patients.
In a semen sample, apart from spermatozoa there may be a variable number of non-sperm cells. In a routine semen report, they are mentioned as "round cells" without further differentiating them into leucocytes or immature germ cells. This could be because of the difficulty in identifying and differentiating those cells in an unstained wet preparation. [1] They could be either inflammatory cells, most commonly leucocytes or cells of immature spermatogenic series. The WHO manual for semen analysis quotes that if the round cells are more than 1 × 10 6 /mL, they should be differentiated to see for leucocytes. [2] Review of the literature clearly indicates that a differentiation of "round cells" into cells of spermatogenic and non-spermatogenic origins is important for a more accurate semen report. [3],[4],[5] The inclusion of all "round cells" into one group may increase the risk of misinforming the treating clinician. [6] Hence, there is a need for initial screening and differentiation of round cells into immature germ cells and leucocytes with a simple and cost-effective method. The aim of the present work was to study the round cells by a simple staining method and their differentiation and quantification into leucocytes and immature germ cells and then comparing these with sperm counts and motility.
Semen jars, glass slides, centrifuge, fixative, Leishman stain, and microscope with an oil immersion lens were used. After the approval of the ethical committee, primary data was collected. It comprised of 120 semen samples collected in the laboratory from males coming for semen analysis for routine infertility work-up, at the Medical College Hospital laboratory and other private laboratories on request during the period of 24 months starting from August, 2009. A written, informed consent was obtained prior to collection and samples were collected by masturbation into a clean wide-mouthed plastic semen container. Semen parameters were recorded. Using a drop of semen, smears were prepared by the feathering method given in the 5 th edition of the WHO manual for semen analysis. [7] Smears were stained by the standard staining method using Leishman stain. [8],[9],[10] The round cells were counted and differentiated into immature germ cells and leucocytes. The data was tabulated in the master chart.
Routine semen parameters like the total count and motility were recorded. Smears in duplicate were seen under oil immersion lens of microscope for differential counts of round cells into immature germ cells and leucocytes. Cells were identified according to their size, shape, and morphology. [3],[6]
Immature germ cells mainly seen were primary spermatocytes, identified by their large size, large spherical nucleus with wooly appearance and evenly distributed chromatin granules [Figure 1]. The next common were spermatids which were smaller, round to oval cells with a dark nucleus [Figure 2]. Sometimes occasional bi-nucleate cells-secondary spermatocytes-were also seen. Leucocytes were differentiated by their smaller size and multilobed nuclei.
Figure 1: Primary spermatocytes (Leishman stain, x100)
Figure 2: Spermatid (Leishman stain, x100)
The cases were divided into four groups based on total sperm counts as shown in [Table 1].
Table 1: Distribution of cases according to total sperm counts
The differential counts in each group are shown in [Graph 1] [Additional file 1]. Group II was further divided into group IIA , which showed immature germ cells and group IIB which showed only leucocytes. It was seen that in group I and group IIA, which had a normal total count, the average number of round cells were 3.6 and 4.3 million/mL out of which average number of immature germ cells were 3.2 and 3.6 million/mL, respectively. While in group III, the round cells were 3.5 million/mL out of which 2.8 million/mL were immature germ cells. In group IIB, there were no immature germ cell rather all leucocytes with an average of 1.2 million/mL. In group IV, having azoospermic cases there were 0.8 million/mL round cells in which all were leucocytes and no germ cells were seen. In all other groups, the number of leucocytes averaged between 0.4 and 0.8 million/mL.
The round cells were counted as percentage of the total count and it was seen that their percentage went on increasing as the total counts went on decreasing. Statistical analysis of correlation showed that there was weak negative correlation between immature germ cells and total counts with Pearson correlation coefficient −0.130 and the X2 test showed no statistical significance, P = 0.128.
The percentage of immature germ cells steadily increased as the total counts decreased. The total count was compared with the immature germ cells expressed as percentage of the total count, it showed negative correlation and the results were such that the ratio of germ cells to total counts is more informative than the germ cell counts alone [Table 2].
Table 2: Group-wise distribution of percentage of immature germ cells
There was a negative correlation between motility and sperm count with a correlation coefficient of −0.441 and was statistically significant by the X2 test with P = 0.00.
The occurrence of leucocytes was correlated with total sperm counts and showed a negative correlation with Pearson correlation coefficient being −0.262.
In clinical andrology, the basic investigation for male infertility is semen analysis which gives a lot of information. In this study, our results showed that all the patients had round cells in their semen in the range between 2.8% and 8.2% of the total count. Our results are comparable to the study by Fedder et al. [3] who mention that non-sperm cells form less than 15% of the total count. The round cells were further studied by using a simple staining method---Leishman stain. The review article by Johanisson et al. [9] which evaluates the morphological differences between "round cells" in semen states that, there is no difference between the size and shape of neutrophils as seen on peripheral blood smears and stained semen smears. The Leishman stain is routinely used in the laboratories for staining blood smears and the pathologist is well versed with the methodology. Keeping this in mind we have used the Leishman stain for the differential counts in semen. [8]
The differential counts of round cells showed that out of the total round cells, 80% to 90% were immature germ cells and 10% to 20% were leucocytes. The studies by Fedder et al., [3] Gandini et al., [1] and Ariagno et al., [11] reported similar values. When the total count and occurrence of germ cells was correlated it showed a negative correlation. This compares favorably with a study by Fedder et al. [3]
Our results of correlation between germ cells and motility are also similar to those observed by Auroux et al. [12] who found a negative correlation between number of non-sperm cells and initial sperm motility and a positive correlation between immature seminal line elements and teratozoospermia. Hence, the presence of immature germ cells and low motility can be the cause of male sub-fertility in spite of normal sperm counts. The inclusion of immature germ cell concentration in every semen analysis report will definitely be a useful tool in the diagnosis of the cause of infertility. Moreover, the counting of these cells could be a good indicator of a dysfunction at the testicular level. It may give us information about germ cell maturation arrest which is associated with increased shedding of germ cells from spermatogonia to spermatocytes and spermatids in semen.
The occurrence of leucocytes was correlated with total sperm counts and showed a negative correlation, such a negative correlation was also seen in the study done by Politich et al. [13] The findings in a study by Wolff [14] mention that the prevalence of leucocytospermia more than 10 6 /mL was seen in approximately 10-20% of patients of male infertility and the presence of white blood cells (WBCs) can affect sperm function. According to WHO manual, 1 × 10 6 /mL is considered the threshold value for leucocytes in semen. The results in our study can be suggestive of inflammatory condition of male genital tract. Thus, this simple, cost-effective test can aid the diagnosis and justify the use of antibiotics.
The inclusion of immature germ cells and leucocytes in the semen analysis done for the initial screening of patients of male sub-fertility can help to categorize the patients. Depending on this, those having leucocytospermia can be subjected to further investigations like reactive oxygen species or immunofluorescence microscopy. Some patients are sub-fertile even when the sperm counts are normal and may have high immature germ cell counts. These patients can be segregated and further analyzed for cytogenetic studies for sperm deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage or DNA fragmentation index which may be the cause of sub-fertility. [15] This will enable the use of sophisticated and expensive tests on a select group of cases, hence reduce the financial burden on the patients as well as work load on the laboratories.
The method of staining the centrifuged pellet of semen can be used in samples from non-obstructive azoospermic patients. This can be a very simple method to identify germ cells in these cases. In this study, there were six azoospermic samples all having absence of fructose and immature germ cells which confirmed obstructive azoospermia. Thus, the presence of germ cells can easily and definitely differentiate non-obstructive from obstructive azoospermia. [16]
Recent research in andrology has advanced to such an extent that the immature germ cells (spermatids) in semen samples from azoospermic cases can be injected into the oocyte by intra-cytoplasmic sperm-injection technique producing viable embryos. This is really a boon for the azoospermics. The germ cells can also be identified and isolated, then used for in-vitro culture. By recent micro-manipulation techniques, these immature cells can be used for in-vitro fertilization. [17] These isolated germ cells can be studied by cytogenetics for chromosomal aberrations - numerical or structural. Various andrological pathologies like cryptorchidism and testicular cancers can be diagnosed, for example data regarding hyperploidia of chromosome one in seminoma and carcinoma in-situ of testis could aid the diagnosis by studying the germ cells in semen instead of going for invasive testicular biopsies. [1] Hence, the identification and isolation of immature germ cells can be useful for diagnosis, treatment, and research purposes.
To conclude, round cells and their differentiation into immature germ cells and leucocytes can add valuable and clinically relevant information to the semen report, which could be obtained by rather cheap yet quite rewarding simple staining procedures. The differential count must be included in every semen analysis report, which is performed as an initial screening test of the masses. In a developing country like India, with a huge load of patients, it serves as the cost-effective screening test so as to clinically evaluate and correlate infertile males so that only a select number of cases can be subjected to sophisticated, expensive, or invasive investigations as per the need. This reduces the social and economical burden on the couple and the family. The immature germ cells in semen can be identified, separated and isolated for diagnostic and cytogenetic studies. Furthermore, many studies can be undertaken from different parts of our country for correlation of germ cells with total count and motility, their further clinical follow-up regarding treatment and pregnancy outcome, and can be used in future for sperm micro-manipulation and in-vitro fertilization techniques.
It gives me great pleasure to express my deepest sense of gratitude to my revered teachers Dr. R. S. Humbarwadi, Dr. Mrs. Ashalata D. Patil and Dr. Mrs. Anita R. Gune, for their support throughout the study. I owe my thanks to all my colleagues at the Department of Anatomy and respected Dean, Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Kolhapur.
1. Gandini L, Lenzi A, Lombardo F, Pacifici R, Dondero F. Immature germ cell separation using a modified discontinuous Percoll gradient technique in human semen. Hum Reprod 1999;14:1022-7.
2. Cooper TG. Semen analysis: An overview. In: Kvist U, Bjo L, editors. Manual on Basic Semen Analysis. 4th ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2002. p. 4.
3. Fedder J, Askjaer SA, Hjort T. Nonspermatozoal cells in semen: Relationship to other semen parameters and fertility status of the couple. Arch Androl 1993;31:95-103.
4. Jassim A, Festenstein H. Immunological and morphological characterization of nucleated cells other than sperm in semen of oligospermic donors. J Reprod Immunol 1987;11:77-89.
5. Tomlinson MI, Barratt CL, Bolton AE. Round cells and sperm fertilizing capacity: The presence of immature germ cells but not seminal leukocytes are associated with reduced success of in-vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril 1992;58:1257-64.
6. Phadke AM, editor. Clinical atlas of sperm morphology. 1st ed. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers; 2007.
7. World Health Organization. WHO laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen, 5 th ed. Geneva: WHO Press 2010.
8. Dacie John V, Lewis SM. Preparation and staining methods for blood and bone-marrow films. In: Gorman J, editor. Practical Haematology. 8th ed. Hongkong: Churchill Livingstone; 1995. p. 85-91.
9. Johanisson E, Campana A, Luthi R, de Agostini A. Evaluation of 'round cells' in semen analysis: A comparative study. Hum Reprod Update 2000;6:404-12.
10. Williams MA, Wick A, Smith DC. The influence of staining procedure on differential round cell analysis in stained smears of human semen. Biotech Histochem 1996;71:118-22.
11. Ariagno J, Curi S, Mendeluk G, Grinspon D, Repetto H, Chenio P, et al. Shedding of immature germ cells. Arch Androl 2002;48:127-31.
12. Auroux M. Nonspermatozoal cells in human sperm: A study of 1243 subfertile and 253 fertile men. Arch Androl 1984;12:197-201.
13. Politich JA, Wolff H, Hill JA, Anderson DJ. Comparison of methods to enumerate white blood cells in semen. Fertil Steril 1993;60:372-5.
14. Wolff H. The biologic significance of white blood cells in semen. Fertil Steril 1995;63:1143-57.
15. Agarwal A, Bragais FM, Sabanegh E. Assessing sperm function. In: Nagler HM, editor. Urologic Clinics of North America: Male Infertility - Current Concepts and Controversies. Elsevier, Division of Reed Elsevier, Noida, U.P. India 2008. p. 157-71.
16. Roy S, Banerjee A, Pandey HC, Singh G, Kumari GL.: Application of seminal germ cell morphology and semen biochemistry in the diagnosis and management of azoospermic subjects. Asian J. Andrology 2001, Jun:3:157.
17. Kahraman S, Polat G, Samli M.: Multiple pregnancies obtained by testicular spermatid injection in combination with intracytoplasmic sperm injection.Human Reproduction 1998;13:104-110.
Priya S Patil
Department of Anatomy, Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Kolhapur - 416 006, Maharashtra
[Table 1], [Table 2]
1 Quantitative karyological analysis of immature germ cells from ejaculate with normal sperm count
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8 Molecular Changes Induced by Oxidative Stress that Impair Human Sperm Motility
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9 Therapeutic options in male genital tract inflammation
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10 Short abstinence: A potential strategy for the improvement of sperm quality
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11 A technical assessment of the porcine ejaculated spermatozoa for a sperm-specific RNA-seq analysis
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12 Classification, causes, diagnosis and treatment of male infertility: a review
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13 Shedding Light on the Nature of Seminal Round Cells
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Patil PS
Humbarwadi RS
Patil AD
Gune AR
Immature germ cells; round cells; semen; total sperm count


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31 Days Of Horror 2020 80s Movie Challenge Films Halloween Seasonal
80s Movie Challenge Week 39: Ghostbusters (1984)
2nd October 2020 31st October 2022 Paul Childs 0 Comments 1980s, 80s, eighties, nostalgia, vhs
Welcome back 80s Fans! Today #80sMC joins forces with our annual #31DoH as we begin looking at five weeks of horror films from your favourite decade. This week Paul reminisces about one of his favourite films with 1984's Ghostbusters.
What did you want to be when you grew up? I went through several phases at different points in my life: Astronaut, Chef, Journalist, Computer Game Programmer, Toy Tester, Archaeologist, Train Driver and probably many more I can't remember. However, there was a brief period in time – I think it will have been around late 1987 and the UK TV premiere of Ghostbusters on Boxing Day – that I decided I was going to be a Parapsychologist.
I remember that Christmas really well. I had seen Ghostbusters once before, at the cinema. It must have been on the summer 1985 re-release run as Ghostbusters first came out in December 1984 in the UK and I remember seeing the film while away on our summer holiday in Bournemouth. A trip to the pictures was often part of our annual summer getaway. We saw cinematic delights like Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom, Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol, Lethal Weapon 3 and Superman III in such a fashion.
And my nightmares are STILL haunted by that last one, 37 years later. Thanks, parents.
I loved the action and comedy of Ghostbusters but was terrified by it in equal measure too. Gozer's Terror Dogs, in particular, I found especially affecting. As I was ten and a little older, I didn't have to share the family room with my parents and brothers, fighting over who got the top bunk or the camp bed. I had a whole double bed all to myself in a second room which I shared with my nan. Great, I thought at first. That was until the kids went to bed and the adults stayed up in the hotel lounge. Suddenly my newly found freedom from my brothers wasn't so welcome. At one point I had to go to the toilet. This was in those old-fashioned guest house style of the hotel, where the loo was outside in the hallway, not in the room. All the way to the toilet and all the way back I could feel the red eyes of the Terror Dogs watching me, waiting and ready to strike.
I made it back to the room without incident, climbed into bed and cowered under the sheets until I eventually drifted off to sleep. It wasn't until an hour or two later when the adults came to bed that I woke up. I peered out from under my duvet to see what the noise was. With retrospect I know it was my nan in her nightgown, and I'm sure I knew the truth at the time. But to my overactive imagination, this is what was in the room with me:
Thank goodness I'd already been to the bathroom as I may very well have soiled myself there and then! The rest of the week in that hotel was spent cowering at every dark shadow and unexplained creak because not only were those Terror Dogs constantly on my mind but the next day, as we were walking down the street, we happened to go past a video store with a poster in the window. I can't find the exact poster – I've looked for years and never been able to find it (let me know in the comments below if you remember it). That particular poster was for the home video release of The Twilight Zone: The Movie and it featured this pant-wettingly "memorable" scene:
Great Scott! This scene still gives me the willies now! As does the mouthless girl and the animated chase through hell. Shudder.
So that was the first time I saw Ghostbusters and I was DESPERATE to see it again. It wouldn't be until two and a half years later, and the premiere on 26th December 1987, that I would see it again. And I couldn't wait. That Boxing Day we spent the day with my other grandparents, along with my Uncle Keith, Auntie Catherine and cousins Stuart and Andrew (in fact the very same Stuart who wrote the wonderful tribute to Stand By Me for us just a few weeks back). It was a fairly standard Christmas gathering, as these things go. We all brought our favourite gifts with us. My little brothers and cousin Andrew had their toys, but Stuart was already in his teens and I was on the cusp, having eschewed toys earlier that same year for more noble possessions like hair gel, albums, sports bags, blank tapes and the like (you can actually read the story of when I stopped getting toys for Christmas on the Haunted Generation website).
But despite having just celebrated my first ever Christmas without receiving toys, all the other traditions seemed to be intact. A walk in the woods with Grandpa? Check. A full turkey dinner with the choice of trifle or Christmas pudding for dessert (not to mention the obligatory hilarious jape of saying "What do you mean, 'Or'?" when offered one or the other)? Check. Board games after dinner? Check.
Settle down as a family to watch the big Christmas movie premiere? Check? Check!? CHECK!?!?
Nope. Uncle Keith felt that goggling at the box for two hours was family time wasted and a far more worthwhile fashion to employ that time was to continue with the games. But this time he wasn't going to settle for any of that frivolous nonsense like Ker-Plunk, Ghost Castle or Space Attack. No. We were going to spend the next two hours playing something educational. Like Canasta or Rummy.
Yawn.
And let's be honest; why wouldn't you play Rummy when the only alternatives are Bed Bugs or Pop-Up Pirate?
This was not fair! I had to see that film that night. Now this being the 80s, and before you ask, OF COURSE, I'd set a timer at home and loaded the VHS recorder with a blank tape that I got for Christmas the day before (it was the law in 1987 that all nearly-teenagers got at least one pack of blank cassettes as a stocking filler). But THAT WASN'T THE POINT! I wanted to see it NOW!
I pleaded my case. Eloquently, I think. And lost. We played cards until Uncle Keith and family went home. Hoping to catch at least the ending, I flicked on my grandparents' TV. It was The Dame Edna Christmas Experience. What a perfect ending to the day. I had to wait until the next day to watch my recording.
It was every bit as glorious as I remembered, but being a big brave nearly-thirteen-year-old, not as scary anymore. Well, I say every bit as glorious – but something seemed off. I wasn't sure what that was until the confrontation in the Mayor's office. I was expecting a penis joke. As a ten-year-old, Venkman calling Walter Peck "Dickless" had been one of the single funniest things I had ever heard. As a boy of not-twelve-for-much-longer, it was still the absolute pinnacle of high comedy and I was already chuckling to myself in anticipation.
And then I realised what was amiss. This was an edited for TV version. Instead of that utterly hilarious exchange, the following happened:
STANTZ: Everything was fine with our system until the power grid was shut off by Wally Wick here.
PECK: They caused an explosion!
MAYOR: Is this true?
VENKMAN: It's true, your honour. The man is some kind of rodent, I don't know which.
Wally Wick? WALLY WICK? Who the hell is Wally Wick? Yes, I get that Wally is an affectionate or even derogatory take on Walter, and yes, Wick sounded a little like Peck. But where does the rodent come into it all? I've tried for over thirty years to find out who Wally Wick is and all I can uncover is a bunch of similar questions from like-minded fans of the film. If you can shed any light on the Wally Wick Mystery, please to let me know in the comments below.
What's fascinating about this TV edit of Ghostbusters though is that, unlike other famously edited-for-TV movies including Die Hard, Beverly Hills Cop, Robocop and Aliens, the rude words are not just dubbed over by bad impressions of the characters, Director Ivan Reitman actually shot family-friendly alternative versions of the more adult scenes. These can all be viewed on the special features of various Ghostbusters DVD and Blu-Ray releases.
Other alternatives include Sigourney Weaver's Dana Barrett exclaiming a far more kiddie-friendly alternative to "Oh shit!" when she's being dragged into the kitchen by a possessed chair, Venkman triumphantly exclaiming "What a knockabout of pure fun that was!" instead of "We came, we saw, we kicked its ass!" after the gang catch their first ghost and the gang discussing getting the sailor Mr Stay Puft drunk instead of laid.
Because if this was happening to you, your first choice of words would also be "Oh no"…
But you know what, even with the genitalia-related humour and rude words unceremoniously replaced, Ghostbusters was still every bit the knockabout horror adventure I remembered. Eventually, I wore the tape out from playing it so often but that only resulted in me being able to quote it verbatim (of course I replaced the censored bits with what I knew to be the correct words) and by that time (Christmas 1990 when I was nearly-sixteen and well into movie collecting) Columbia released a special double-bill of Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II on VHS. I got that for Christmas and could watch the glorious, uncut version of Ghostbusters as often as I wanted. And I did. Until I got the DVD, and then the Blu-Ray which came with a digital copy. It was the digital copy I tried to watch last night on Google Play through the YouTube app on my TV but it kept getting stuck on the Columbia logo so the lesson we can learn from this is Physical Media Rules, Digital Media Sucks!
As an aside, that double bill VHS was such an odd release. In between the two films was a full-length episode of the old black and white 1943 Batman serial. If I recall correctly I was the episode Poison Peril (although happy to be proven wrong if anyone knows otherwise) and you had to fast forward through seventeen minutes of it if you wanted to watch both films in one go. Annoying.
Watching it again as an adult is a different experience. Back in 2007, I'd hoped to run a series of film nights in the local church hall, showing old family films but inviting the younger kids who hadn't seen them. In the end, we only did Raiders of the Lost Ark and Ghostbusters (although we planned to do Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Back To The Future too) and then life got in the way. However, as we sat there watching Ghostbusters on the big screen (the non-family friendly version – oops) all the adults and parents cringed at the quite dirty sexual innuendos that are peppered throughout the film. Afterwards though, when asking the kids if there were any questions they wanted to ask, preparing ourselves to talk about why Venkman's behaviour towards women is not okay, or to explain away why that ghost was unzipping Ray's fly, but there was only one thing they wanted to talk about. How come all the heroes smoke so much.
And it's true. We hadn't picked up on it as growing up in the 70s and 80s generally meant smoking was pretty much a part of normal life but if you watch it again there's barely a scene in the entire film where one of the good guys isn't lighting up.
I was going to finish off by regaling you with some interesting behind the scenes tales but, to be honest, if you like that kind of thing, you'd be far better off checking out the superb Cleaning Up The Town documentary which takes a very affectionate look at the making of Ghostbusters. Instead, I'll leave it there. I started #80sMC as much for us to tell our stories and memories of seeing these amazing films for the first time, if not more so, than for giving you the lowdown on how they were made.
I will end though by telling you about what happened with my desire to become a parapsychologist. I learned by heart the whole list of things Janine tells Winston he must believe in to work for the Ghostbusters (UFOs, astral projections, mental telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full trance mediums, the Loch Ness monster and the theory of Atlantis). I got books out of the library on many of them and watched an awful lot of Arthur C Clarke style TV shows. However, after mentioning my chosen career path at a church youth group, I was told I really shouldn't be into that kind of thing. Soon after that, I received a good grade for a piece of nonfiction work in my English class, My teacher, Miss Porch, said that it was good and I should think about journalism for a career. That was the end of that, before I decided I wanted to be a chef after cooking a nice cake.
That particular dream was over but the film was still as good as ever. To me, Ghostbusters is a very special movie, which has been a part of my life for over three-quarters of it and I hope to continue watching it, quoting it, laughing at old jokes I know and spotting new stuff I'd missed, for a long time to come.
Come back next week for more spooky 80s fun with Chris Lupton. We hear he's been guzzling coffee by the barrel load to stay awake, although we were disappointed to find out it wasn't so he could work around the clock to bring you an amazing article, but because he was feeling a little nervous about visiting the Land of Nod after watching 1984's A Nightmare On Elm Street.
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Paul Childs
As well as writing for Den of Geek and Your Truth, Paul also runs Badgers Crossing, a site for ghost stories. He loves the 1980s and thanks to a keen interest in Public Information Films he has never been electrocuted or set himself on fire.
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On April 29, 1970 the Liberals took back the National Assembly in Quebec in a provincial election which gave them 72 seats, the reigning Union Nationale 16 seats, the Creditistis 13 seats and the new separatist party, the Parti Quebecois 7 seats. The PQ had won the second highest percentage of the vote at 24% but their support was mainly spread across the urban ridings. Many supporters of the separatist cause were bitterly disappointed by what seemed an unfair electoral result.
By the end of May a bombing spree had blasted it's was across Montreal with 9 explosions rocking office buildings and homes. The new Liberal Premier Robert Bourassa blamed the attacks on frustrated separatists protesting the election results. Two FLQ cells felt that more had to be done then setting bombs and that the next level of escalating the terrorism would be to kidnap prominent public figures or symbols of the establishment.
Stopping the police and other authorities from investigating the kidnapping and searching for the kidnappers.
The Bourassa government was thrown into a flurry of action and discussion concerning the demands and what direction the government should take. Pierre Laporte, the Deputy Premier of Quebec, announced the Quebec governments denial of the FLQ demands and on October 10 he was kidnapped, by the Chénier Cell, from his home. Bourassa and the rest of his cabinet when into a lockdown.
The FLQ and the Quebec separatists called for a general strike to support the kidnappers in the universities and rallies to show their backing of the terrorists actions. As the army arrived the pressure in Quebec began to build and on October 17th word was called into a radio station that Pierre Laporte had been executed and his body could be found in the trunk of a car near the airport. The police found his murdered body and the entire nation went into shock as the ghastly image was broadcast across the country. Bourassa called on Prime Minister Trudeau to invoke the War Measures Act and have the army come in to re-establish order.
Trudeau began to take pressure from the press about the arrest of suspects and potential FLQ affiliates which climaxed on the steps of the Parliament buildings when the reporter Tim Ralfe suggested that government officials should leave themselves open to kidnapping and murder in the name of individual rights and then challenged Trudeau to state how far he was willing to go, to which Trudeau responded, "just watch me".
By December 2nd the location of James Cross and his kidnappers had been discovered and after negotiating with the terrorists he was released in exchange for the kidnappers safe conduct to Cuba. The murderers of Laporte were captured in late December including Paul Rose and they were tried and convicted.
After these actions and the shocking murder of Laporte, the violent terrorist actions of the FLQ began to decline dramatically as legitimate political action by the Parti Quebecoise began to accelerate.
During the crisis 453 people were arrested under the War Measures Act and some were held for over 3 weeks. The question of civil rights vs. the right of the legitimately elected government of a state to defend itself had been one of the central questions which is still debated today.
The Parti Quebecoise was elected in 1976.


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The CUNY Film Festival at Macaulay Honors College, Contributor
The official film festival of CUNY's 24 college campuses
Macaulay Honors the CUNY Filmmakers
04/13/2016 12:15 pm ET Updated Apr 14, 2017
By Robert Small
I am the current Director of the Macaulay Honors College New Media and Digital Content Lab that is part of the CUNY educational system. To understand Macaulay you need to realize that Macaulay is not a separate school from the rest of CUNY. It is an honors institution for CUNY students who show they have exceptional abilities and keep a high GPA. The school is made up of students who have their home base campus at one of 8 CUNY institutions; Baruch, Brooklyn, City, Hunter, Queens, Lehman, College of Staten Island and John Jay College.
The New Media and Digital Content Lab currently offers a 2-semester course. The first is a theory approach to the academics of branding, storytelling and marketing, the second is more of a hands-on, trial by fire, sink or swim approach to the theories taught in the first. In the 2nd semester our student's main task is producing and marketing the 8th Annual CUNY Film Festival at Macaulay Honors College. This is the toughest assignment they will get all year and if successful, students will receive the Digital Content Strategies Fellow when completing both semesters.
Almost 500,000 students make up our educational institution. To have one festival that merges the creativity and interest from such a large group of people is a great thing and as an assignment it's a little scary. All those lectures and discussions about community building, story telling, demographics and rolling out the creative plan to grow the audience will be put to the test. The students of Macaulay were ready for the challenge. The toughness and resourcefulness of our students is reflective of what New York City is all about. We are the perfect sample of why people know and love this city all over the world. We represent it all. Multi-everything! Multi cultured, rich-poor, black-white, straight-gay, male-female...on and on. Everyone has a place in this university and this great city. So how do we do entice such a diverse audience to participate in one festival? The Macaulay students step up!
First we took the necessary steps of getting the "call for submissions" posters designed and out on social media as well as through word of mouth at the television and media departments throughout CUNY's 24 campuses. We designed and created a new website at www.cunyff.org. The site needed content, so we created it. Our students interviewed directors, created 2 min documentary pieces for our website, shared them on social media and industry blogs. Next Macaulay joined forces with WNET and the CUNY Film Festival became part of their short film event, a transmedia effort further growing our audience and giving the filmmakers more exposure. This very blog on the Huffington Post is another development in the growth of the festival. We also solicited and received support from traditional media outlets; AMC Networks, WNET, MTV Networks, Frederator Studios, Shine Global, BBC America.
Remembering the core reason we do all this work is the belief in the filmmakers and their art. As we learned in our marketing theory lectures you must know your product and it's audience. This involved watching all 150 films entered this year. In doing this, I got to see our world through the eyes of the generation that is about to inherit it. Some films were better done than others but as a group and a spirit they were all amazing. Though it did surprise me that there were no comedies. That's for a different article I guess. The films offer up young views of lost love, race relations, incarceration, homophobia, aging, selfishness, exploitation, sex, love and fear. These visions and voices realized in the form of great animation, documentaries, narratives and experimental films will be honored at the April 16th awards gala at Macaulay Honors College. Hopefully due to the efforts of our lab the audience and impact may be double the audience of last years festival. A great learning experience for all... with popcorn!
Education News Art New York City Students Distilled Perspective


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The opening ceremony for the 2018 Commonwealth Games took place on the evening of Wednesday 4 April in the Carrara Stadium, Gold Coast. As mandated by the Commonwealth Games Charter, the proceedings of the ceremony combined the formal opening of the sporting event (including hoisting of the flags, parade of the athletes and welcome speeches) with an artistic performance to showcase the host nation's culture. The 2018 Games were formally opened by Charles, Prince of Wales. Jack Morton Worldwide was given the contract to produce the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The theme of the opening ceremony was Hello Earth and directed by David Zolkwer.

The ceremony began at 20:00 AEST and lasted almost three hours. It was watched by an estimated worldwide television of 1.5 billion. The principal sections of the artistic display represented Australia's Indigenous culture, Gold Coast's Surfers Paradise, wildlife and theme parks. A medley of Australian classics were played live by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Youth Orchestra and Gold Coast Youth Orchestra during the parade of nations. Popular Australian recording artists such as Christine Anu, Delta Goodrem, Katie Noonan and Ricki-Lee Coulter performed at the ceremony. The opening ceremony was seen as a tremendous success and worldwide praised.

Preparations
Three Australian companies: Specktak International, World Events, Dae Global and one American company Jack Morton Worldwide (JMW) submitted bids to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) to produce the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. On 27 December 2015, the GOLDOC announced they chose Jack Morton Worldwide to produce the ceremonies of the games. This sparked a controversy as the head of all the three Australian Companies Ric Birch, head of Spectak, David Atkins, head of Dae Global and Julie Brooks, head of World Events questioned to GOLDOC that why an American company (JMW) was chosen for the production of ceremonies which was going to happen in Australia. Ric Birch, who co-ordinated the ceremonies of the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, called for a review of the decision to overlook three Australian companies to present the ceremonies at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. GOLDOC's head of communications Marcus Taylor said that JMW is an international company which have been working in Australia since 1983 and have a range of experiences in producing the ceremonies of events as they have previously done for 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

On 22 November 2017, the GOLDOC revealed some of the key artistic personnel working on the ceremonies of the games. The creative team for the opening and closing ceremonies consisted of a roster of renowned individuals. Leading the ceremonies team as Artistic Director and Project Director was David Zolkwer, Head of Jack Morton Worldwide Public Events. David previously led the teams for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Australian singer Katie Noonan, winner of five ARIA music awards and former lead singer of Brisbane based band George, was given the role of the Music Director of the ceremonies. Katie said "I'm a fiercely proud Queensland musician; I think we make some of the best music in the world and indeed some of the best art in the world. There's some truly world class dance and music being made here, so it's a good time to focus on our (cultural) identity and realise that we're really good at what we do." She has served as the Artistic Director of the Queensland Music Festival since 2015.

Nathan M. Wright served as the Head of Choreography and Staging Director for the opening ceremony. Nathan is a highly respected choreographer and performer who has worked on large-scale events extensively, including choreography for the opening and closing ceremonies of both the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in London and the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The role of Executive Producer for the ceremonies was given to Merryn Hughes. Merryn has also served as the Executive Producer for the ceremonies of the 2015 Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea and the closing ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Dignitaries in attendance

Proceedings

Countdown
The opening ceremony started with a countdown from 65000 years quickly to 10–1 seconds. When the countdown is finished, a very large firework exploded in the middle of the ground of the Carrara Stadium.

Hello Earth
Australian Actor Jack Thompson spoke about the history of Earth along with holding an illuminated globe.

When he finished his narration, he then placed the globe in the ground which was covered with beach sand. The image of earth was projected on the ground showcasing the movement of winds, oceans, wind currents and large mass of land. A group of girls stood at the image projection of land and raised their right hands. The large mass of land immediately separated into seven continents. After the separation of land masses, a white humpback whale "Migaloo" was shown swimming across the oceans and diving into the land of Australia.

Four Winds
World-renowned didgeridoo player William Barton played his instrument at the top of the Q1 tower. Hip-hop artist Mau Power from Thursday Island in the Torres Strait and Australian singer Christine Anu sang the song "My Island Home" along with Four Winds Didgeridoo Orchestra. A group of dancers holding small glowing spheres danced along with the song. When the song finished, the dancers immediately stood adjacent to each other forming the shape of Australian land boundary. Christine Anu sang the same song at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics and in the opening ceremonies of the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney.

Welcome of dignitaries
Charles, Prince of Wales, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation Louise Martin, Chairman of GOLDOC Peter Beattie and President of Commonwealth Games Australia Sam Coffa entered the stadium and welcomed with a huge applause by the audience. Australia's National Flag along the Australian Aboriginal Flag and the Torres Strait Islander Flag were hoisted in the stadium and Australian national anthem "Advance Australia Fair" was sung in an unusual way. While the anthem was sung, the image of the Australian coat of arms symbol was projected on the sand stadium's ground.

Totem ceremony
After the history of Earth segment, the traditional totem ceremony was showcased. This part of the ceremony represented the moment of reconnecting and regeneration. It showcased a ritual in which the ceremonial knowledge of the totemic system was passed down from past ancestors and elders, through present elders, to the future elders. Performers from the Bangarra Dance Theatre and performers from the Bangarra's "Rekindling" programme performed a dance with shields. Rekindling is an intensive dance-based education program for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander secondary students. After the dance performance, a large firework exploded in the middle of the stadium's ground.

Surfer's Paradise
After the Totem ceremony segment, the Surfers Paradise scene was shown. A group of people wearing swimsuits gathered into the stadium along with props such as umbrellas, deck chairs, and beach towels. The image of the scenery of beach was projected onto the stadium's ground. Australian singer Ricki-Lee Coulter performed the song "Technicolor Love" and the people wearing swimsuits danced on the song.

Parade of Nations

Following tradition, the host of the previous games, Scotland entered first, followed by the rest of the European countries competing. Following this, all countries paraded in alphabetical order from their respective regions. After the European countries entered, countries from Africa, the Americas, Asia, the Caribbean, and lastly Oceania marched in. The host nation of Australia entered last. The Parade of Nations track, designed by Cairns based Torres Strait Islander visual artist Brian Robinson, was a specially commissioned artwork drawing on indigenous and local culture and mythology, featuring stars, surfboards, sea animals and shells. The young Surf Lifesavers of Australia, popularly called as the "Nippers", escorted the athletes carrying a surfboard bearing the country name.

After the parade of Commonwealth Nations, Australian singer Katie Noonan sang "You're Welcome Here" with playing a piano backed by the Gold Coast Choir. She was also the musical director of the opening and closing ceremonies of the games.

Smoking ceremony
Contemporary aboriginal artist Luther Cora performed a traditional smoking ceremony with his family. The smoking ceremony is an ancient and enduring custom still practiced widely among many Indigenous Australians. It involved burning various native plants to produce smoke. It was mentioned in The Guardian that the meaning of the ceremony was to cleanse oneself by bathing in the smoke and connect with each other and with the land. It was also about connecting with good spirits.

Hoisting of the CGF flag
The Commonwealth Games flag was brought into the stadium by six athletes namely Dominican high jumper Brendan Williams, South African para swimmer Natalie Du Toit (para-sport representative), New Zealand professional racing cyclist Alison Shanks, Canadian high jumper Nicole Forrester, retired Scottish rugby union player Colin Gregor and Scottish women's hockey player Rhona Toft. The six athletes were also appointed to the CGF Athlete Advisory Commission on 3 April 2018. Australian singer John Farnham's song "You're the Voice" was played when the athletes entered into the stadium with the flag. John Farnham performed the same song at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

Oath
Australian lawn bowls athlete Karen Murphy took the athlete's oath, while Australian netball coach Lisa Alexander took the coaches oath and athletics official Desmond Johnston took the officials oath.

Speeches
Chairman of GOLDOC The Hon. Peter Beattie AC gave a speech about the games and welcomed the athletes.

After him, President of the CGF Dame Louise Martin gave a speech about the games. She started her speech by telling about her own experiences when she was an athlete representing Scotland at the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth. She also stated that the 2018 Commonwealth Games were the first International Multi Sport Event to have equal medal opportunities for both men and women and the first Games to include a Reconciliation Action Plan, respecting and recognising the first nation peoples of the entire Commonwealth. Further she added that the games were the largest fully inclusive para-sport medal events programme ever at a Commonwealth Games; the largest at any international sports event.

Queen's Baton and opening of the games
The Queen's baton, which contained the message letter written by Queen Elizabeth II at the Buckingham Palace in London, was brought into the stadium in the kombi van by Australian former swimmer Susie O'Neill AM. She then went to the centre of the stadium. Images and videos of popular Gold Coast attractions were projected on the ground of the stadium such as feeding lorikeets, skydiving, dreaming in the ocean, walking in the treetops, and riding the rollercoaster. After that, she handed over the baton to Australian former cyclist Brad McGee OAM, who took it to Australian wheelchair racer Kurt Fearnley AO. Kurt after parading it around the stadium, handed over to Australian netballer Liz Ellis AO, who then took it to Australian hockey player Brent Livermore OAM. Finally, Brent handed the baton over to Australian hurdler Sally Pearson OAM. She received a large applause from the audience as she lives in Gold Coast. She went to the dais along with the baton and hand it over to Louise Martin. Louise removed the Queen's message from the baton and handed to HRH Prince Charles. Charles read out the message and declared the competition officially open.

In the end
Australian singer-songwriter Delta Goodrem performed her song "Welcome to Earth". After her performance, a large number of people gathered at the stadium and Sigur-Rossy music was played. A large white whale Migaloo shaped balloon was brought into the stadium. Images of Antarctica and the Great Barrier Reef were projected on the whale shaped balloon. The artwork was designed by Delvene Cockatoo-Collins, the artist who also designed the medals for the Games. Australian singer Ruel sang his song "Golden Years" and fireworks exploded on the roof of the stadium. Delta Goodrem's "Together We Are One" remix version single was played after Ruel's performance and a large number of fireworks exploded on the roof of the Carrara stadium and also near The Star Gold Coast hotel.

Music
Katie Noonan, winner of five ARIA music awards, was Musical Director of the opening ceremony of the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The soundtrack was produced by Michael Tan, who was appointed the role of Musical Arranger and Composer.

The ceremony featured the performances of singers, orchestras and songs of Australia in order to give an exposure of Australian music around the world and to showcase the culture of Australia. In the Four Winds segment, Australian singer Christine Anu and Torres Strait rapper Mau Power covered the song "My Island Home" which was one of the hit songs in Australia in 1995. Australian pop singer Ricki-Lee Coulter sang "Technicolor Love" during the Surfer's Paradise segment in order to showcase the fun thriving beach life of Gold Coast.

During the parade of nations, an orchestral medley of Australian classics were played by the members of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Youth Orchestra and Gold Coast Youth Orchestra which were led by conductor John Foreman. The songs played by the orchestras were INXS's "Need You Tonight", Men at Work's "Down Under", The Church's "Under The Milky Way", Little River Band's "Reminiscing", Alex Lloyd's "Amazing'', The Divinyls' "I Touch Myself", Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out of My Head", Australian Crawl's "Reckless" and Stevie Wright's "Evie".

Katie Noonan performed a song "You're Welcome Here" after the parade of nations. "You're The Voice", recorded by Australian singer John Farnham and one of the biggest hits in 1986 in Australia was played by the orchestra when the CGF flag was brought into the stadium. Australian pop singer Delta Goodrem, winner of nine ARIA music awards, performed the official theme song of the opening ceremony "Welcome to Earth".

Reviews
The Courier-Mail said "Gold Coast finally welcomed the world to its biggest ever party with a dazzling Commonwealth Games opening ceremony". The New Daily said the opening ceremony had "wowed" the fans on the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast Bulletin called the opening ceremony as "dazzling" and "welcomed the world to its biggest ever party". The West Australian said that the "Spirits gone high" in the Gold Coast after the opening ceremony. The SBS called the ceremony as "dazzling" and the ABC said that the opening ceremony had "signaled great start for the 2018 Commonwealth Games".

Foreign reaction was overwhelmingly positive. The BBC said the 2018 Commonwealth Games started with a "colorful" and "spectacular" opening ceremony. The London Evening Standard said the games began with a "spectacular opening ceremony paying tribute to region's Aboriginal history." The Daily Telegraph reported "Gold Coast Commonwealth Games began with every symbol of Australiana".

The Firstpost said "Opening ceremony of Commonwealth Games 2018 celebrates indigenous culture, beaches and diversity". The Times of India provided live updates of the ceremony in their official website and at the end commented "What a spectacular welcome Gold Coast has given to the participating teams!". The Hindu said "...the opening ceremony of the XXI Commonwealth Games on Wednesday night was painted with colour and gaiety....". They also commented "The pageant showcased the Australian tradition and culture in all its glory".

The CNN reported "Commonwealth Games' opening ceremony celebrates Australia's Indigenous culture". However, the CNN also commented that the Commonwealth Games are regarded as an enduring reminder of British imperialism. As it was raining for few minutes at the beginning of the opening ceremony, the Toronto Star noticed and commented "Commonwealth Games begin after rain drenches spectators at Gold Coast opening ceremony".

Technical aspects
Norwest productions was the official audio supplier for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games. A large optocore fibre network was used for site-wide signal distribution by the company. Stagekings, a Sutherland Shire company provided the sets and staging for the opening ceremony. The company constructed most of the structures, from the speech stages, flag stages, the sand centre-piece, the sand surround (compete with smoke effect and light ring), the parade path, mobile lifeguard tower, the beach showers, lecterns, the Royal Box, Migaloo's buggy, even the glowing globe that Jack Thompson used to open the show. Cairns based Torres Strait Islander visual artist Brian Robinson designed the Parade Track in the Carrara stadium.

Controversy
Some 15,000 tickets for the event had the wrong day printed on them (Thursday), instead of the correct date (Wednesday).

See also
1982 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony
2006 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony
2000 Summer Olympics opening ceremony

References

External links

Opening Ceremony
Commonwealth Games opening ceremonies
Ceremonies in Australia
Articles containing video clips

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Although the role of the federal government in gifted education is minimal, NAGC works with state and local advocates to pursue opportunities in Congress and at the U.S. Department of Education to increase federal support of gifted and talented learners.
Visit the legislative update page to learn more about NAGC's initiatives.
Advocates for gifted and talented learners are the most powerful force for change in Congress. Members of Congress respond to constituent interests and need to hear from voters about issues of concern in order to take action to support them. Your voices are necessary to ensure that your Congressional delegation understands the needs of gifted and talented and high-potential students in your state. Communication with your elected federal officials is part of the shared responsibility envisioned in the right to petition the government granted in the United States Constitution.
Learn more about communicating with elected officials.
Visit the websites for the House of Representatives and Senate for contact information for your Representative and Senators.
Read the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Join the NAGC Legislative Action Network to become more involved at the federal level.
The House of Representatives and the Senate conduct their work through a system of committees that consider legislative proposals, make adjustments, and send the bills to the full House or Senate for final passage. Education issues are handled by the House Education and Workforce Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. The Congress works on a two-year cycle to pass legislation and bills that do not become law must be reintroduced in the next cycle. The Congress also works annually on appropriations bills that provide funding for federal programs and agencies. The U.S. Constitution assigns different responsibilities to the Senate and House (such as approving treaties), which also affects their work.
Learn more about how a bill becomes a law.
Learn more about pending education legislation on the House Education and Workforce Committee and the Senate HELP Committee websites.
Track the status of legislation through the Library of Congress.
The Executive branch divides its work between multiple federal agencies. Education matters are addressed mostly by the U.S. Department of Education, which implements programs passed in federal education law (e.g., Title I grants to school districts; Pell grants for college tuition). The Department of Education also administers a system of education research grants through the Institute for Education Sciences and collects national data on schools, students, and teaching through the National Center for Education Statistics.
Search the U.S. Department of Education website.
Browse the Federal Register, the daily journal of federal agency activity.


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A 'New Breed' of Remedial Math Education
By Heather Boerner
Math emporium offers a new model for helping students prepare for the rigors of college-level mathematics.
Remedial education, particularly remedial math education, remains one of the biggest, most persistent stumbling blocks for entering college students in search of higher education.
Try as they might, educators have struggled to develop a system that promises to get students up to speed on college-level math concepts. Continued struggles often knock students off course.
A budding partnership between Austin Community College (ACC) and McGraw-Hill looks to change all that. Announced at the 2014 EDUCAUSE Annual Conference in Orlando last month, the math emporium boasts access to 600 individual learning stations where students can receive individualized instruction focused on specific areas of need.
Such reforms have become urgent in states such as Texas, where lawmakers have passed legislation more closely tying community college funding to student performance.
Historically fewer than half of ACC's remedial math students completed the college's three-semester remedial program.
Program administrators say the emporium, part of the college's high-tech ACCelerator lab, will enable students to advance more quickly into for-credit education, upping the chances that participating students go on to achieve their academic goals.
"We can't afford not to be successful when the percentage of students who are not persisting through remedial math and going on to success is so high," says Stacey Guney, director of the ACCelerator program.
Through its partnership with McGraw-Hill, the college integrated the publisher's technology-based ALEKS adaptive education program, which helps each student target specific concepts or areas of reform.
The emporium essentially eliminates ACC's three-semester remedial education model, replacing it with a single 16-week course featuring 12 different learning objectives — four objectives for each semester. A knowledge assessment lets students and instructors know exactly where students stand on each objective.
As students work through the program, they're notified when they achieve an objective at 90 percent mastery. That's higher than the C-average, or 70 percent mastery, students were required to achieve as part of ACC's traditional remedial education program. The system also allows instructors to monitor progress, noting when students have trouble with a particular topic so that they can step in to provide additional help.
Total redesign
To Guney, the emporium is more than just another technology-enhanced mathematics program; it's a completely new way of delivering developmental education.
"The feeling here is that things are just different," she says of the program, noting that the emporium "doesn't look, feel, smell, or act like a classroom in the traditional sense."
When students walk into the ACCelerator lab, built in an old JC Penney near campus, there are no rows of desks or separate rooms. What walls there are are made of glass. Staff members, instructors and remedial math tutors patrol the open space in red shirts or vests. Twenty-three remedial math instructors hold class in two, shorter weekly sessions or in one long session on the weekends.
Some students have mastered the art of being invisible and sitting in the back of the class.
Educators don't stand up in front of students and lecture. Rather they spend the majority of their time reacting to what the students — and ALEKS — tell them. Educators also meet individually with students to discuss their progress and offer access to tutoring where more remediation is needed.
So far, the approach is working. In the first month of the emporium, 92 percent of students passed objective one; 33 percent passed objective two, and 28 percent passed objective three. Twelve percent of students completed the entire first semester, mastering all four objectives.
At the end of the 16-week course, administrators will review completion rates and decide if the program is worth expanding.
The goal, says Guney, is to eliminate any excuse for failure.
"Some students have mastered the art of being invisible and sitting in the back of the class," she says. "There is no back of the class here."
How does your college approach remedial education? Tell us in the Comments.
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Heather Boerner
is a contributor to the 21st-Century Center.
Fast Tracking Remedial Coursework
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Solving the Remedial Math Problem
Remedial Math Project Keeps Students Coming Back
Accelerated Learning Program Improves Remediation
A Call to Action on Math Placement Policies
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Lebanon's PM Hariri shelves resignation, easing crisis | Reuters
Fwire Reuters Nov 22, 2017 20:42:31 IST
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Saad al-Hariri on Wednesday shelved his decision to resign as prime minister at the request of President Michel Aoun, easing a crisis that had deepened tensions in the Middle East. Saad al-Hariri who suspended his decision to resign as prime minister talks at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Aziz TaherHariri made his announcement after returning to Beirut for the first time since he quit abruptly on Nov. 4 in a broadcast from Saudi Arabia. Top Lebanese officials have said Riyadh forced him to quit and held him in the kingdom. Riyadh and Hariri deny this. At the presidential palace near Beirut, Hariri said he hoped his move would lead to "a responsible dialogue ... that deals with divisive issues and their repercussions on Lebanon's relations with Arab brothers." Hariri said all Lebanese sides must commit to keeping the country out of regional conflicts, a reference to the Iran-backed Hezbollah political and military movement. Hezbollah's regional military role has greatly alarmed Saudi Arabia, Hariri's long-time ally. "I presented today my resignation to President Aoun and he urged me to wait before offering it and to hold onto it for more dialogue about its reasons and political background, and I showed responsiveness," he said in a televised statement. The resignation had shocked even Hariri's aides. He returned to Lebanon late on Tuesday night after French intervention. Aoun, a political ally of Hezbollah, had refused to accept the resignation because it happened in "mysterious circumstances" abroad. He had called Hariri a hostage in Riyadh. REGIONAL RIVALRY Hariri appeared to express relief that Aoun had not accepted the resignation right away. He thanked Aoun on Wednesday for respecting constitutional norms and "his rejection of departing from them under any circumstances". The resignation pitched Lebanon to the forefront of the regional rivalry between Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Islamist Iran, which backs Lebanon's Hezbollah, and raised concerns of a protracted crisis. In his resignation speech, Hariri had cited fear of assassination, and attacked Iran along with Hezbollah for sowing strife in the Arab world. Hundreds of Hariri supporters packed the streets near his house in central Beirut, waving the blue flag of his Future Movement political party. The Sunni leader told them he would "stay with (them) ... to be a line of defence for Lebanon, Lebanon's stability and Lebanon's Arabism". "His presence in the country alone brings stability," said Manar Akoum, 26, as she stood with the celebrating crowd. Hariri's resignation was followed by a steep escalation in Saudi statements against the Lebanese government, which includes Shi'ite Hezbollah. Riyadh said the government as a whole - not just Hezbollah - had declared war against it. Saad al-Hariri, who announced his resignation as Lebanon's prime minister from Saudi Arabia reacts as he talks with Lebanese President Michel Aoun while attending a military parade to celebrate the 74th anniversary of Lebanon's independence in downtown Beirut, Lebanon November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Mohamed AzakirWestern governments including the United States struck a different tone, affirming their support for Hariri and the stability of Lebanon, which hosts 1.5 million Syrian refugees - nearly one in four of the population. "The United States welcomes the return of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri to Lebanon," a State Department official said on Wednesday. Washington is also encouraged by Hariri's discussions with Aoun and his statement reaffirming his commitment to Lebanon's stability, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Ahead of his return to Beirut, Hariri had stressed the importance of the Lebanese state policy of staying out of regional conflicts, notably Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is battling Iran-backed Houthi fighters. Slideshow (4 Images)PRESERVING LEBANESE "COEXISTENCE" Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who had also called for Hariri's return, said on Monday his group was open to "any dialogue and any discussion". Nasrallah also issued his clearest denial yet of any Hezbollah role in Yemen. A senior source in a political alliance that includes Hezbollah said Hariri's move on Wednesday would start a breakthrough in the crisis. "This step is not detached from the framework of a complete solution whose features will appear in the coming days," the source told Reuters. Lebanese dollar bonds, which had fallen in response to Hariri's resignation, gained following Wednesday's announcement. A government minister from the United Arab Emirates, a close ally of Saudi Arabia, said Lebanon must implement its policy of keeping out of Middle East conflicts in order to get out of its own crisis as well as regional troubles. "The main problem facing that is the selective implementation of (this) principle and the functional Iranian role of Hezbollah outside the Lebanese framework," Anwar Gargash, minister of state for foreign affairs, wrote on Twitter. Cyprus, where Hariri had briefly stopped on his journey home, said it would attempt to help defuse the crisis. "Our common objective is stability in Lebanon, stability in our area. Within this context ... the President of the Republic will undertake some initiatives precisely to promote this objective: stability in Lebanon," Cypriot government spokesman Nikos Christodoulides said. Hariri took office last year in a power-sharing deal that made Aoun head of state. He arrived in Beirut in time for independence day celebrations on Wednesday morning, taking the premier's seat alongside Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Hariri said he looked forward to "real partnership with all the political powers, in placing Lebanon's interests high above any other interests" and preserving coexistence among Lebanese.
This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.


Windows 95 : In the current scenario, PCs have become very common set up due to the growth when it comes to the internet communication technology. Also, one should keep it in mind that during the period of the 90s, thus the things now were different from today. In this period, thus the program is mainly ensured that the experience with machines gone well was considered to be the Windows 95. For your information, therefore the Windows 95 was favorite OS boosting up the PCs during the time.
Now, most of them may feel these first experiences when it comes to these machines. As per the fact, thus the Operating System is not only said to be the popular ones among the users. Also, it was popular with the company which ends the entire support after the six years journey successfully. After so many years of its dismantling, it is the time for you to experience the nostalgic feel. Yes, Windows 95 is getting ready to give its amazing comeback on PCs. Thus the comeback of Windows 95 for this time as an application is going to excite the people for sure.
Allow users to download: According to the recent sources, thus the developer shared a link of Windows 95 to download. If you are looking for getting the real experience of Windows 95, then this is the right time for the people to make use of it on their present computers.
For your information, thus the application version of Windows 95 comes up with classic applications as well as games.
Also, one can experience the classic stuff like Phone dialer, solitaire, MS Paint and more nostalgic giving applications featured in it to offer.
It is simple to download the file by visiting the trustable sites and run the application on Windows OS, MacOS and Linux as per the convenience.
Most of them aren't aware of the Windows 95 application which has been developed using Electron. Thus the GitHub project is mainly allowing the developers in terms of creating the application with the help of programming languages. One should keep it in mind that this is not an official application to download. However, when it comes to usage, it will be going to offer the best thing than expected for sure.
It is the crucial thing to know that the Windows 95 is not the first time getting back but the developers have developed a specialized version of this Windows 95 and then they got the OS which is running on the Xbox one, smart watch and Apple watch interestingly.


Welcome to 1707 St. John's Rd, Innisfil where the beautiful shores of Lake Simcoe are only a leisurely stroll away. This charming 3 bedroom, 1 bath bungalow is perched on a large, landscaped lot close on the outskirts of Alcona, yet close enough to the amenities of Innisfil Beach Rd.
Fresh white siding and an emerald green steel roof (2007) make for great curb appeal in this home. The interior is painted in neutral colours, making the property move-in ready. Off the foyer is a living room with large windows. A pass through to the kitchen makes for easy conversation with the chef in your family. At the rear of this home is a very generous dining room and family room, the perfect space for entertaining friends and family.
This home has three good sized bedrooms, with the master bedroom tucked away on the opposite side of the living room for added privacy. A light and airy full bath with shiplap walls sits adjacent to the two family bedrooms.
The deep backyard boasts a 32'x18' above ground pool with extensive decking for summer staycations. A barbecue cabana extends off the deck, bringing shade and weather protection for all seasons. Beyond the pool and deck there is plenty of room for kids to play, as well as a garden shed for storing seasonal tools.
Envious upgrades like an on-demand hot water heater, a high end NTI boiler unit (less than 2 yrs old) and newly installed heating and air conditioner units make this property an easy choice!


Painting is one of favorite things to do. It relaxes me, helps me focus and allows me to be creative without worrying what people think about my work. It's my art it's my expression!
Throw Back Thursday. This painting was done about 2011 and its acrylic on canvas. This was when my husband and I were living in California, I could paint outside and it was nice because we lived not to far from the bay and behind our apartments was a marsh that filled up with the bay water every afternoon. It was a beautiful site to see so many different bird species come out to feed on the fish that washed up.
I'n not sure why I painted tulips that day but it was nice for me. I gave this painting away as I did with most of them before moving to Nevada. These days I don't paint as much due to job, family. But I do make the time!
What do you love to do that only matters to you? A little bit of happiness will do you allot of good!


The 2018 Chamber Legislative Report is intended to serve as a report and recap of our advocacy work on member-identified public policy initiatives that are key to the success of the business community. Through member support, the Chamber is committed to be actively engaged on your behalf in Pierre during the legislative session. Over those nine weeks, we evaluate all 533 bills and communicate with the house and senate leadership and bill sponso9re to better understand the issues and to have an impact on the solutions. The main body of the narrative takes our 2018 Legislative Platform and outlines bills under each of the major categories and subcategories. The Chamber has two major documents that guide our work: the policy statements and the 2018 legislative platform.
We thank our Issues Management Council, the Legislative Issues Council and the Board of Director for their guidance and support in developing the documents that support out advocacy activities.
To access the report in its entirety, please click here.


why is my transferred footage so dark and contrasty?
I've just transferred my footage from my canon t2i into FCP 7 and it looks horrible. I've transferred a from this camera a number of times and it's never done this before so what am I doing wrong? On the left is the video as it looks if I simply open the .mov in quicktime (and as it looked in camera). On the right is what the image looks like transferred to Apple ProRes 422 and opened in FCP.
Re: why is my transferred footage so dark and contrasty?
I think we may be missing some information here... as in the changes made to your machine since you last ingested footage in FCP.
Perhaps an OS update. Perhaps a totally new OS. A new card in the machine. A quicktime update. Who knows. If you can provide that, we stand a much better chance at a diagnosis.
The one viewed in quicktime looks blown-out and over-exposed. The one in FCP looks more evenly exposed buy you could certainly play with it in the 3-way color corrector to make it look more like the first shot. I'm not sure I'd want to, though.


Attending the Mobile World Congress Event annually has been the feature of BroadNet Technologies . Therefore, just like the preceding years, which, as a matter of fact, turned out glorious success, the Company is now gearing up itself for the MWC Event, which is around the corner. To be precise of the exact date and venue of the event, the glorious event, as usual, will be held in Spain, Barcelona from 27 February to 2 March 2017. The Event is just the ticket for every company to display the up-to-the-minute achievements and innovations they have achieved and made respectively in the mobile-related world.
So any organization and enterpriser that is keen to display their innovations in the increasingly competitive world of mobile technology, Mobile World Congress is the ultimate opportunity! It is not a must to be a member of the MWC in order to participate in the Event.
Mobile World Congress acts as a catalyst to highlight your products and services across1 million + key decision makers in a high-tech mobile exhibition fair in Barcelona. While you showcase your mobile-related products/services, you get the Olympian opportunity to deliver excitement with technology demonstrations, paradigms, and more.
- Exposure to 101,000+ industry attendants.
- Visibility to 3,600 + press & media.
Mobile World Congress is the most popular and esteemed exhibition of the top leaders of the mobile industry. The Event is organised by the GSMA and is held every year in Barcelona, Spain, in late February. Considering the MWC Event, which took place the last year, it attracted 100 000+ attendees, 2000+ exhibitors and was populated by 3, 600 + members of international press and media.


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Pre-Judgment Interest: The Sometimes Forgotten Damages
When assessing damages in a maritime personal injury case, pre-judgment interest should be included as an element of a plaintiff's damages. Depending on the case, the pre-judgment interest can be substantial. Since pre-judgment interest can be determined very easily on a plaintiff's special damages, which include out of pocket expenses, past wage loss, medical bills, prescriptions, etc., defendants will have a very hard time disputing the amount of pre-judgment interest on these particular damages.
Under the general maritime law, injured parties are normally awarded pre-judgment interest. When allowed, pre-judgment interest is considered an element of damages in admiralty, part of full and fair compensation to the injured party. See Gulf Oil Corp. v. Panama Canal Co., 481 F.2d 561, 570-71 (5 Cir. 1973); Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock Corp. v. The M/Y La Belle Simone, 537 F.2d 1201, 1204 (4 Cir. 1976). Full compensation has long been recognized as a basic principle of admiralty law, where " [r]estitutio in integrum is the leading maxim applied by admiralty courts to ascertain damages resulting from a collision." Standard Oil Co. of N.J. v. Southern Pacific Co., 268 U.S. 146, 158, 45 S.Ct. 465, 467-68, 69 L.Ed. 890 (1925) (citing The Baltimore, 75 U.S. (8 Wall.) 377, 385, 19 L.Ed. 463 (1869)) by compensating "for the loss of use of money due as damages from the time the claim accrues until judgment is entered," West Virginia v. United States, 479 U.S. 305, 310-311, n. 2, 107 S.Ct. 702, 706, n. 2 (1987). An award of pre-judgment interest helps achieve the goal of restoring a party to the condition it enjoyed before the injury occurred. The President Madison, 91 F.2d 835, 845-846 (CA9 1937).
A district court has discretion to award and should award pre-judgment interest, unless the limited exception for "peculiar" or "exceptional" circumstances exists. City of Milwaukee v. Cement Division, National Gypsum Co., 115 S.Ct. 2091, 2095-96 (1995); Yarmouth Sea Products Ltd. v. Scully,131 F.3d 389, 395 (4th Cir. 1998)(award of pre-judgment interest affirmed); Noritake Co., Inc. v. M/V Hellenic Champion, 627 F.2d 724 (5th Cir. 1980). "Under maritime law, the awarding of prejudgment interest is the rule rather than the exception, and, in practice, is well-nigh automatic." U.S. Fire Ins. Co. v. Allied Towing Corp., 966 F.2d 820, 828 (4th Cir.1992); Reiss v. One Schat-Harding Lifeboat No. 120776 #??1, 444 F.Supp.2d 553 (D.S.C. 2006); Todd v. Schneider, 2003 WL 23514560, 2004 A.M.C. 409 (D.S.C. 2003); Gehlken v. McAllister Towing & Transp. Co., 2007 WL 2332487 (D.S.C. 2007). However, the award of pre-judgment interest in admiralty cases rests within the sound discretion of the district court. See Gardner v. The Calvert, 253 F.2d 395, 402-03 (3 Cir.), cert. denied, 356 U.S. 960, 78 S.Ct. 997, 2 L.Ed.2d 1067 (1958). Prejudgment interest will be awarded even if the plaintiff is found to be comparatively negligent, or the existence of mutual fault exists. City of Milwaukee v. Cement Div., Nat. Gypsum Co., 515 U.S. 189, 199, 115 S.Ct. 2091, 2097 (1995); Schumacher v. Cooper, 850 F.Supp. 438 (D.S.C. 1994).
Peculiar circumstances preventing the award of pre-judgment interest have included a plaintiff's responsibility for "undue delay in prosecuting the lawsuit." General Motors Corp. v. Devex Corp., 461 U.S. 648, 657, 103 S.Ct. 2058, 2063 (1983); Protogyrou v. Lines, 42 F.3d 1386 (Table), 1994 WL 673635 (4th Cir. 1994). The United States Supreme Court has held that the existence of a legitimate difference of opinion on the issue of liability is merely a characteristic of most ordinary lawsuits and hence, not an extraordinary circumstance that can justify denying pre-judgment interest. City of Milwaukee, 515 U.S. at 199, 115 S.Ct. at 2097. Under the Suits in Admiralty Act, prejudgment interest is not allowed. U.S. v. United Continental Tuna Corp., 425 U.S. 164, 96 S.Ct. 1319 (1976). Typical other examples of "peculiar circumstances" cited by courts include a damages award substantially less than that sought, complex legal and factual issues, and a bad faith claim. See Nunley v. M/V Dauntless Colocotronis, 863 F.2d 1190, 1204 (5th Cir.1989); Phillips Petroleum Co. v. Stokes Oil Co., Inc., 863 F.2d 1250, 1258 (6th Cir.1988); Orduna S.A. v. Zen-Noh Grain Corp., 913 F.2d 1149, 1157 (5th Cir.1990)("equitable considerations which caution against an award" may also constitute "peculiar circumstances"). In light of the Supreme Court's ruling in City of Milwaukee, some of these decisions have more than likely been overturned.
There are several different methods courts use in determining how to calculate pre-judgment interest. A court can charge a defendant pre-judgment interest at the maximum legal rates of interest as set by a state law. United States v. M/V Zoe Colocotroni, 602 F.2d 12, 14 (1 Cir. 1979) (failure to award higher commercial rate instead of statutory maximum no abuse of discretion); Proctor v. Tsao, 164 F.3d 625 (Table), 1998 WL 708689 (4th Cir. 1998). Accordingly, district courts are not bound by state statutory maximums in setting the rate of pre-judgment interest in admiralty cases, and indeed have been urged to follow the interest rate prevailing commercially. United States v. M/V Gopher State. Other methods of calculating pre-judgment interest exist, which include using the same method of determining post-judgment interest under federal law found at 28 U.S.C. § 1961. In re M/V Nicole Trahan, 10 F.3d 1190, 1994 AMC 1253 (5th Cir. 1994). Post-judgment interest can be determined by using the current Treasury Bill interest rate. In re Amoco Cadiz, 1992 AMC 913, 981 (7th Cir. 1992), held that the pre-judgment rate is the market rate which the plaintiff must pay to borrow money. Another method is to set pre-judgment interest at the average prime rate, compounded over the period of the loss. BP Exploration & Oil, Inc. v. Moran Mid-Atlantic Corp., 147 F.Supp.2d 333 (D.N.J. 2001). There are also local district court rules in some jurisdictions that govern the amount of pre-judgment interest to be awarded. If the issue of how to determine the prejudgment interest rate has not been decided in a particular jurisdiction, then it is important that evidence be introduced that shows the cost to the plaintiff of borrowing money. This can occur through the testimony of a client, an economist or a banker.
In the event that an admiralty case is brought in state court, then the admiralty rule with regards to a plaintiff being entitled to pre-judgment interest should be applied. A plaintiff who files an admiralty case in state court is entitled to pre-judgment interest as well.
Pre-judgment interest is an element of damages that is unique to the maritime law. As such it is often overlooked by plaintiffs and should be requested in settlement demands and at trial, like any other element of damages.
S. Scott Bluestein of Charleston, South Carolina is a former Chairman of the Admiralty Section.


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Q: Grassmannian inside a hyperkahler manifold I am currently looking at stratified Mukai flop. Roughly speaking, this is a construction that, starting with a grassmannian $G$ inside a hyperkahler $X$ produces a birational manifold $X^*$ (with a dual grassmannian $G^*$ inside). The easiest example is the standard Mukai flop, namely the case in which the grassmannian $G$ is a projective space $\mathbb{P}^n$.
I was looking for a concrete example of this situation.
In the case $G=\mathbb{P}^n$, I can construct such an example starting from a rational curve $C\cong\mathbb{P}^1$ inside a $K3$ surface $S$. The Hilbert scheme of points then provides $C^{[n]}\cong\mathbb{P}^n\subset S^{[n]}$.
What about a generic grassmannian $G=G(k,n)$ with $k\neq1,n-1$?
Thank you very much for any comments, remarks and answers.

A: This is just the general case of the example from my comment above.  Let $S\subset \mathbb{P}^g_{\mathbb{C}}$ be a K3 surface of degree $2g-2$ that contains no curve that spans a $\mathbb{P}^r$ with $r<g-1$.  Any such curve would be contained in (many) hyperplane sections of $S$, hence would have degree $< 2g-2$.  So if $\text{Pic}(S)$ is generated by $[\mathcal{O}_{\mathbb{P}^g}(1)|_S]$, then $S$ contains no such curve.
Now let $G$ be the Grassmannian of dimension $2g-2$ parameterizing linear subspace $\Lambda\subset \mathbb{P}^g$ of dimension $g-2$.  There is a morphism $G \to \text{Hilb}^{2g-2}_{S/\mathbb{C}}$ by $[\Lambda] \mapsto [\Lambda \cap S]$.  Since $\text{Hilb}^{2g-2}_{S/\mathbb{C}}$ has dimension $4g-4$, $G$ is a maximal isotropic subvariety of $\text{Hilb}^{2g-2}_{S/\mathbb{C}}$.  So it does not factor through any projective spaces embedded in $\text{Hilb}^{2g-2}_{S/\mathbb{C}}$.
Edit. I originally had an incorrect comment here speculating on a modular interpretation of the Mukai flop.

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