text:
Wikibooks talk:Game textbook guidelines

Archived discussions
 * Archive 1, November to early December

Lets get this policy started
Aight, seems like discussion has died down. But there are still game guides that don't look so good out there, so we need some policy right now to at least begin cleanup of the poorly made guides. To start things off, I say that guides contain more guide material than appendicies. Just that seems to be where game guides ususally go. --Dragontamer 20:59, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

 * You know, I actually like this approach better. Raise the standards, not get rid of it all.  If we want the game guides to be taken seriously, they should be something that would be almost an academic study of the game, not just a page of cheat codes or hacks that would allow you to cheat in multi-player games.  History of the game, earlier games that "inspired" the game design (no software is written in a vaccum... it all has some history to some earlier piece of software), and the philosophy of why the game was designed would be useful.  A brief interview of the game designer would be interesting as well, or perhaps a summary from other sources if it can be found.

 * Strategies and statistical analysis would also be very useful. One game guide I like is Monopoly which does this kind of detailed strategy without copying the game rules.  --Rob Horning 18:59, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

 * Now that would be something even I might support. :-) -- LV (Dark Mark) 19:58, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

 * I think the idea of an all-encompassing book is great, as long as the guide content doesn't get buried--most of our visitors are still only wanting to know how to finish a particular level or beat that final boss. However these individual sections must still be longer than (and "superior" to?) their existing Wikipedia entries. GarrettTalk 21:12, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

 * Funny, I've know people who have written the philosophies of why you should choose XXX maple story character over another. Brute force for Warrior, Technology superiority for Crossbowmen, etc. etc. :) Strategy analysis has been done in fighting games such as Dead of Alive; why the "slope" offers an advantage, how to take advantage of a "slope", and tiers in SSB:M have been created based on frame-by-frame analysis of the game. I think it is possible to do that :)

 * Now something that has been brought up is the "cookbook" style books, geared towards video games. That is, that book right now that is being written about Fighting Game moves. I'm sure there has to be a way to include that here? Or is it good enough to clean up the fighting-game moves into histories and patterns of the common attacks? d df f punch == long range from Mortal Kombat Lu Kang but has been used in Street Fighter for Ken/Ryu and the like? --Dragontamer 23:12, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

There are many more ways to teach somebody how to play a game other than walkthoughs. For instance, you can have incremental hints, in-game help, practice your skills et cetera.--Branko 16:20, 8 January 2006 (UTC)

 * Exactly. But I'm sorry to be ignorant, but I don't see your point :-/ Maybe you want to make it a requirement that all game guides should include more than just a walkthough? --Dragontamer 16:27, 8 January 2006 (UTC)

 * I was merely agreeing to the above, and stating a couple of further ways that games can be taught. As for requirements, I believe in as little requirements as possible.--Branko 17:32, 11 January 2006 (UTC)

Proposed Policy: Game Books must be more than just a common walkthough or databases
Every game has its own walkthough already, be it at GFAQs or some other random place on the internet.

Idealy, games guides should include stuff that is useful not only to the gamer, but stuff that is useful for the game developer. This does not necessarily have to be formulas; for example, a breakdown of the AI in pac-man so that the gamer can predict where the ghosts go would be more than enough to fit this requirement. --Dragontamer 14:28, 26 December 2005 (UTC)

Proposed Policy: Game Books must be well formatted
Basically, just organize the book so that you can click on "level 10" and you'd have a walkthough of it right there and then. --Dragontamer 14:28, 26 December 2005 (UTC)

Proposed Policy: Spoiler-free in regards to storyline
No story should be spoiled by the guide. However, cheats and level guides aren't exactly "spoilers". If a "spoiler free" section is made in the book, then it should not contain the "answer" to any puzzle. --Dragontamer 22:48, 26 December 2005 (UTC)

 * I'd say this is an impossible requirement, and one that doesn't make a lot of good sense to try in many cases (for example, you may fight a boss who was earlier an ally). If you're doing a walkthrough, you will be giving spoilers.  A better idea may be to put a spoiler warning around major info of that sort, or to put a general spoiler warning on pages which may contain spoilers.  --Gabe Sechan 22:08, 29 December 2005 (UTC)

 * Aight, i can settle for that. --Dragontamer 00:32, 30 December 2005 (UTC)

How about the Fighting Game Moves guide?
sigh... OK. There I was sitting and working on this wikibooks project that I started last night, and made considerable progress on, when in the middle of editing a new entry, I see "You have one new message." So I go check it out, and there's a message from LV that reads "Good Luck!" and I thought, "how nice." So out of curiosity, I clicked on LV and went to his discussion page, where I saw the comment about game manuals, and followed that to the Staff lounge page, and ultimately ended up here. After reading everything that LV had to say, I honestly can't tell if LV's good luck was genuine or sarcastic. Why did I end up here starting this project? Well, one day I went over to the Ken Masters page on wikipedia and proceeded to add some of his move lists, which were promptly deleted from the page, much to my chagrin. So I thought about it, read the wikipedia policies, and read the wikibooks policies, and concluded that wikibooks would be precisely the place to work on such a project, and it could be even better and bigger than if I had done it on wikipedia in the first place. And there were other video game manuals on the site so it seemed like the perfect place. I made sure to cross reference everything between my WB pages and the appropriate WP pages and so forth. I was relatively happy... until I read a message that wished me good luck. Funny how that works.

Look, I can understand the desire to have serious content on WB. It certainly would help to make WB one of the more valuable and worthwhile resources on the internet compared to the crap that's out there. But serious is in the eye of the beholder, and I find the topic I am writing about, namely fighting game moves, to be a serious topic. After all, I'm a game developer, and I take such topics seriously. Will everyone who visits WB consider the topic a serious one? Probably not. Will some people who visit WB consider it serious? Well, if I did, I don't see why someone else out there would not. I'm sure I could find many books on WB that are about subjects that I don't consider serious subjects, but are here none the less. Who is the arbitor of "serious"? Is it the person who owns and runs WB? Is it a right your earn only after you have contributed a certain amount of text? Is it open to the public forum? Here's my biggest question: What does it really hurt to have not-so-serious topics in WB? Is it causing an increase in the cost of running WB? Is it slowing the site down? If someone didn't do a search for game manuals, would they even know that they existed in the first place? How does their exsistance stop casual readers from using WB the way it was intended? Just food for thought. I figured if I could find a book on a subject in Barnes and Nobles, or Waldenbooks, then it would be appropriate for me to offer similar content on WB for free.

I'm not going to work too hard on this project now if it has the potential to be deleted. And if it went away, I would be sad, but I've got other projects that I can work on. But the if the existance of the page helps even just a few people, isn't it worth having around? Isn't that the point, to help readers? That's what I thought it was for... Plotor 22:09, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

 * The "good luck" was the ending of the standard Wikibooks welcome template. I didn't mean anything sarcastic about it at all. I am sorry if you took it as such. -- LV (Dark Mark) 22:35, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

 * The scope of Wikibooks is starting to be very difficult to assign. I really don't know what to say about that guide you are starting, and as far as I could tell, it is in good shape. I know I used your guide as an example in my argument; but I'm sorry that I didn't know it existed (seriously, I didn't). But now that it is there.

 * As for the basics, I know User: Jimbo Wales is basically the guy in command here. He is the creator of wikipedia, and is part of that board thingy (not too sure about things). Things are getting confusing as far as I could tell on this, and I'd hate to loose a contributor to this project; especially that I know you are doing a good job (so far) with your guide.

 * As far as arguments are, I hope you understand the Jokebook incident? Its organization is similar to yours IMO (a cookbook style organization that has little "teaching" value and won't be used in a classic kind of class). As far as I know, the current test for what is on Wikibooks is "Will it be used in a class?"

 * Now, I don't really agree with that test, but that is what seems to be what most people follow. Strange that we have at least 2 bookshelves on games that technically don't follow that test :-/

 * Well, lets me put the situation straight now. Wikibooks is going through a policy defining period, and not everyone believes Video Games should be on Wikibooks, and not everyone agreed on it before. The issue has however; been brought out by 3 deletes by User: Jimbo Wales, 2 obviously bad books that proclaimed racism, and 1 book called the Jokebook. The Jokebook is really the only real controvercial delete left, but the Jokebook authors simply moved the Jokebook onto another site an now the debate has shifted over to Video Games.

 * That is the situation in a nutshell. In my opinion, you are doing a great job on your guide, and I'd like to see it done. IMO, it would be better if you had a page on attack patterns, d--df--f punch for example, tends to be a long-range attack in Fighting Games. That way, it is useful to both Video Game players, and can be used in a Video Game Design class as the best "User Interphase" design. This is strictly opinion however, so I can't really guarentee a yes/no answer to your guide unless the admins/sysops get in here and agree with me. --Dragontamer 22:42, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

 * Yes, don't let MY opinions on matters affect your editing. WB is under some confusion right now, but hopefully things will be worked out soon. The Board is meeting this week, so hopefully we will have some closure on these issues. For now, just keep plugging away. If you, or anyone, has any questions, please feel free to ask me. -- LV (Dark Mark) 22:47, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

 * Oh, and believe me, I know what you are going through right now. When I got here, I started working immediatly on my MapleStory guide, then the whole Jokebook incident started up. I understand what it is like to feel that your stuff is about to be deleted. What I reccomend is to learn everything you can, and try to argue your point why it should be here. Also, you wouldn't have to worry about an immediate deletion; usually the admins give a couple of days for anyone to download the stuff before it is deleted. Even then, if something is "deleted", admins can still view what used to be there. So your work will still be saved, and I guess that is what counts. -Dragontamer 22:57, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

For (Wikibooks should include game guides)

 * Game strategy guides qualify as how-to guides, and Wikibooks includes those.
 * Wikibooks should include instructional material, including game guides, even if it can only be read outside of school.
 * Wikicities is not a sister project of Wikibooks, so it is incorrect to imply that because Wikicities exists, we should move game guides from Wikibooks to Wikicities.
 * Related to the above point, there is no other Wikimedia sister project other than Wikibooks that would be able to host game guide content, baring the possibility of creating a whole new Wikimedia sister project exclusively for this sort of content.
 * Potential contributors can use the guides to become familiar with how to edit Wikibooks. Some contributors might be less afraid of damaging a game guide, rather than the calculus textbook.
 * The game guides can attract readers to Wikibooks who might become contributors to other parts of Wikibooks.
 * Some games are studied in schools, especially Chess. Also, schools for video game developers study existing video games.
 * College major areas of study include video game theory and game design in some Universities. Some Game Design courses include:
 * UAT bachelors degree in Video Game design
 * Full Sail Game Design Major (BTW, 1st major univserity to offer game design major)
 * History of Computer Game Design at Standford University
 * University of Wales Computer Game Design Major
 * Discussion of a Master's Degree in Video Game Design at Southern Methodist University
 * Video Game Design Curriculum at Cornell University
 * Wikibooks should include sports because many schools have sports teams.
 * Many schools have extracurricular activities for groups of gamers. Some student government associations recognise these gaming groups.
 * Wikipedia includes games, so Wikibooks should too. If a Wikipedia article exists, it ought to be reasonable to make a NPOV Wikibook on the same subject, given enough source material to work with to add enough content for a full book-length project.
 * Students want to learn games. Wikibooks should include game guides so that these readers are satisfied.
 * Game guides will help in the future the growth of Wikibooks. (Including game guides simply makes Wikibooks larger.)
 * It would be difficult to remove or transwiki a potential of 2 bookshelves, Games Bookshelf  and  Computer and video games bookshelf
 * German Wikibooks chose de:Go as book of the month. Other games at Wikibooks in other languages:
 * fr:Solution, truc et astuce de jeu vidéo video games
 * de:Regal:Diverse games
 * de:Regal:Sport sport -- de-WB changed subjects -- Juetho 09:29, 5 February 2015 (UTC)
 * de:Regal:Spiele games
 * Bandwidth issues for hosting and serving Game Guide content really is trivial and elimination of all game guides is not going to make much of an impact on server performance for any Wikimedia project.
 * Gaming guides and Wikijunior are two relatively isolated development groups so there is not going to be any real impact on Wikijunior regardless of what decision is made on gaming guides. Besides, future directions of Wikijunior are going to open up a seperate domain like http://www.wikijunior.org that is already live.  It is more likely that kids are going to start on Wikijunior and then discover the gaming guides later, especially given the limited content on Wikijunior at the moment.
 * The actual transwiki (if it takes place) would be a minor inconveniance compared to the backlash of the readers and editors when they find out they are no longer welcome here.
 * Writing textbooks should be encouraged. As it it, Wikibooks is woefully lacking in finished content. Chasing away potential authors is a bad idea.
 * FUD arguments against should not count. Many of the arguments against focus on fears that something bad will happen if game books are allowed here. For instance, Wikiversity might split if it has to share the same room with game books, or children might read game books instead of the especially designated children's text books. These are problems that can be tackeld when we get there.

Against (Wikibooks should exclude game guides)

 * Game guides are random guides on a subject that someone likes (see WB:WIW) so they are not allowed at Wikibooks.
 * It doesn't matter if the games themselves are on Wikipedia. That is an encyclopaedia, this is not. The most editing article on WP is George W. Bush. Do we need a Wikibook on how to become the U.S. President? There is an article on Ann Coulter. Do we need a Wikibook on How to Talk to a Liberal (If you Must)? Just because something is germane to WP does not make it germane for WB.
 * Yes, classes may be offered on video game design, but a textbook for those classes would not include multiple complete walkthroughs and cheat codes. Maybe one or two examples within a larger video game design book, but not one for every game available.
 * Entertainment is not academic. Because game guides instruct the reader in how to entertain oneself, they cannot qualify as academic, which makes them less useful for Wikibooks. (Instructing the reader to entertain others might be academic. Game development instead of game strategy.)
 * The game guides waste bandwith. Excluding them would reduce the stress on the Wikimedia servers.
 * Game guides harm Wikijunior because children may read them instead of Wikijunior.
 * There is no school class for videogame strategy anywhere. So Wikibooks cannot allow video game guides, even if its allows other game guides.
 * Game guides reduce the standard of Wikibooks. Removing all game guides would reduce the scope of material on Wikibooks, which would have several benefits. Wikipedia would be discouraged from moving material to Wikibooks during "articles for deletion". Contributors would have more interest in Wikibooks because Wikibooks would be more academic.
 * Moving game guides to Wikicities would help Google ads fund Wikicities. Though Wikicities is not a Wikimedia project, some Wikibooks contributors are also Wikicities contributors who support both Wikibooks and Wikicities.
 * There are other places to go if you want to find video game guides.
 * Just because something is easy, does not make it right. People claim the sheer difficulty of transwikiing an entire bookshelf should stop it from being done. Cleaning up after vandals is hard, should we just stop doing that too? Also, one can use Special:Export and Special:Import to help in transwiki.

Double-edge Arguments (Arguments that can be viewed to support either side)
Here is a quote of User:Aya on Wikibooks talk:Policies and guidelines. One could argue that this is the appropriate location for game guides, or that they should be moved to yet another wiki.

''It all started with the project now hosted at en.wikipedia.org. The idea being to collaboratively create a generalized encyclopedia with no (apparent) limitation on its scope. ... At some point, someone (perhaps Jimbo?) decided this was going to get in the way of creating an encyclopedia, so a number of other Wikimedia projects were set up, in the hopes that this data could be transferred to a more appropriate location. ... Over time, some content was transferred, while some was not. Since each project had its own 'what is/isn't' page, users changed its scope over time as well. The endless cycle continues today:''

 * 1) Create a new wiki
 * 2) Create a badly-defined scope
 * 3) Fill it with inappropriate content
 * 4) When it becomes unmanagable, goto 1

Strategy Wiki
I'm not sure if this has been raised or not, but a move of all game guides to Strategy Wiki may help to improve the quality of all the game guides while freeing up space and bandwidth on the Wiki Book servers. The guides would receive much more attention and would be better placed than in an academic area. Jackhynes 21:47, 10 January 2006 (UTC)

 * I've never heard of this site before (you must be new) but yes that's certainly another possible destination. When and if the time comes we may even end up lining up all the contenders and then voting between them, who knows? Anyway, thanks for the heads-up, I'm enjoying the OOT guide already. :) GarrettTalk 04:12, 11 January 2006 (UTC)

Video game walkthroughs to be removed from Wikibooks
Please see these postings from Jimbo. These manuals need to go (except if they can be shown to be of clear educational value - and maybe none of the walkthroughs we have meets that criterion, though there may be the odd exception).

This is a decision of Jimbo's based on Wikimedia Foundation's charter. Therefore, whilst the details of how it is implemented are open for discussion, and it is clear that Jimbo is happy for there to be sufficient time for the content to find a new home (or new homes) before it is removed from wikibooks, the general principle (that content should be educational) is not open for debate.

As this move is likely to have general interest, I suggest discussion on it is directed to the Staff Lounge, Jguk 07:49, 22 April 2006 (UTC)

 * Actually I do not recall anything in the Wikimedia Foundation charter being invoked, and User:Jimbo Wales did not invoke its position as the President (or whichever title) of the Wikimedia Foundation. However, the removal of video game guides appears to have broad support. Do discuss it at the Staff Lounge. --Kernigh 17:29, 23 April 2006 (UTC)

 * To be clear, Jimbo said "They are a violation of the educational mission charter of the Wikimedia Foundation!" on Wikibooks talk:Computer and video games bookshelf, Jguk 19:03, 23 April 2006 (UTC)

 * I cannot believe that is why totally perfect game books are being deleted. Well I think then the mission charter of Wikimedia Foundation needs to be changed. Biographies of indiviuals on Wikipedia are kept, & they are at such a high quality. Biographies of indiviuals have NO educational value, and they are still kept! How can people delete these books?!!???? Education is within the eye of the beholder. Games improve handeye coordination. How are books which help you achieve a certain goal in a game, games improve handeye coordination, not be educational?!!?!??!!100110100 of Wikipedia198.161.51.112 20:19, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

Expanding and revising this guideline
The whole debate over video games has missed the mark entirely, in my opinion. This guideline was established well before the debate over video games was brought up by Jimbo, and it seems as though he didn't even know it existed or what direction that Wikibooks was going. I propose that we as Wikibooks contributors help define these guidelines and now try to make them more official policy instead as to what is considered acceptable for a Wikibook about video games.

This topic should not be forbidden, but instead the standards for what might be considered acceptable should be raised and narrowed. Mind you, this in effect becomes a sort of WB:WIW policies that apply specifically for this one bookshelf.

One "policy" that I think needs to be move to an enforced standard is that video game walkthroughs should be specically prohibited. That seems to be Jimbo's largest argument against video game books, and I would agree that they are not only non-textbook in nature, they are non-book in nature as well. These are in essence video game reviews, and that is something that should not be on Wikibooks, and reviews of this nature have been repeatedly culled from Wikibooks for a number of reasons. Art reviews and book reviews have also met similar fates in this regard.

A general deletion of all content on the video game bookshelf is simply pig-headed and wrong. That is deleting content strictly because of its topic, and does not follow any sort of guideline of any kind.

I think other areas should be addressed by this guideline. The whole point here is that authors who try to create a Wikibook should know in advance what is considered acceptable, and things like the Pokedex should not have been allowed to develop to the degree that it had before objections occured. Obviously some specific policies need to be established over acceptable content with this topic, and that is something that has occured with other collaborative projects in the past, including on Wikipedia. Because of the actions of a few, we have to be much more restrictive in this particular area than with other topics on Wikibooks. --Rob Horning 11:48, 13 June 2006 (UTC)

 * What do you propose should stay and what should go? If we prohibit walkthroughs, and if we prohibit reviews, then what else is there to write on the topic of individual games? Besides perhaps an annotated discussion of the story or the dialog in a particular game, I can't imagine what else we would have here. --Whiteknight (talk) (projects) 14:21, 13 June 2006 (UTC)

 * Hmmm... it would seem that an "annotated discussion of the story or the dialog in a particular game" would be more germane in an encyclopedia article. I'm thinking Rob has the right idea. We can have plenty of books on the design of the game, the history involved in making it, any real-life implications of the game, other issues dealing with the game, plus a brief summary of the plot/characters if warranted. The topic is fine, the content is what needs to be judged. -- LV (Dark Mark) 16:40, 13 June 2006 (UTC)

 * I think that you are trying to walk a fine line, and are setting yourself up for future problems. "Real life implications of the game" and "Other issues dealing with the game" reek to me of ambiguity and--worse yet--of NPOV violations. The design of a videogame, like books on the design of any other peice of software, belong on the CS bookshelf (possibly with a cross-reference on the art bookshelf), not a specialized VG bookshelf. The entire subject of videogames is certainly not a taboo subject, but if we cut out all the fat, there is virtually no reason to keep a separate bookshelf around for it. --Whiteknight (talk) (projects) 16:53, 13 June 2006 (UTC)
 * Well then perhaps we don't need to have a separate shelf. -- LV (Dark Mark) 16:56, 13 June 2006 (UTC)
 * Although, now that I think about it, perhaps a good way to handle many of these games would be to have one main textbook (Video Games/Video Game Design/Issues in Video Game/Some other title) with each particular game as a chapter. Kind of like a book of case studies. Maybe chronological? Start with something like Pong/Atari-type games, move to NES (Mario Brothers/Duck Hunt), yadda yadda yadda, Playstation2 (Grand Theft Auto/Madden football... and yes, I know these have been around longer than PS2 ;-)), X-Box 360 (whatever the hot game of the moment is?). That way games could be looked at, but in an academic sort of way. Pinnacle games could be looked at with a few oddballs thrown in. This doesn't have to be the only game book on WB, but I think this would be a good start to show games have a place. Anyone wanna help start building a list of topical games? I already have pointed out a few to start. Thoughts? -- LV (Dark Mark) 16:55, 13 June 2006 (UTC)
 * This has been a long standing issue on Wikibooks as well, wheither a topic should be confined under one title or if multiple Wikibook titles can be created. Perhaps at this time, just to prove the point, video games should be put under a single book, especially if we can't find too much content from the individual Wikibooks that currently exist that don't fit the restrictions of no or very limited walkthroughs.  If somebody wants to make, for instace, the Doom book that goes into detail about John Carmak and ID software, and does a scholarly textual exposition on the topic of Doom as a game, I don't see what the problem is.  There is material available to write such a book, and I think there is value to having something like that here on Wikibooks.  This is about raising standards and noting that Wikibooks that are about video games need additional restrictions precisely because this has been abused in the past.  BTW, I do think that a general Video Game book that goes into the chronilogical order of video game design, starting with Space War (written about a decade before Pong) and ending up with MMORPGs would be a fun and interesting book.  --Rob Horning 00:19, 15 June 2006 (UTC)

This initiative of Rob's to regularise the situation, which includes WB:WIW and a new How-to book guidelines, is, in my view, to be welcomed. It would be good to emphasise that Wikibooks is for textbooks, and making it clear that "textbook" is to be given its normal, wide meaning. As Jimbo has noted, a game manual or walkthrough is not a textbook, but it is possible to have a textbook on game design or game strategy generally. I have made a number of suggested amendments (including a name change) to help reflect this.

I also wish to add that I think the point about potentially merging some of the content is a good one - so that we don't end up with a separate wikibook relating to study on each game, and instead having a smaller number of books describing aspects of different games, Jguk 17:39, 16 June 2006 (UTC)

Added metric for what is acceptable here
Meh, I'm not sure if I should even comment on this, it almost seems like a minor edit, but just incase anyone disagrees with my edit, discuss it here. The only issue I can see that we run into is Chess strategies, as most strategy books for humans suck for computers. --Dragontamer 19:41, 16 June 2006 (UTC)

 * The only disagreement I have with it is that I don't think the answer to your question is conclusive on the point, although it would be a good indicator as to whether it is appropriate to Wikibooks. I've therefore toned it down a bit, but kept the implication, Jguk 20:13, 16 June 2006 (UTC)

Is there a notability criteria for games to have books on them here?
I've noticed that there's absolutely no mention of this anywhere in any of the Wikibooks policies I can find, and none on these guidelines. Well, for instance, take this freeware ASCII game that just had its first public release, Dwarf Fortress; it would plainly never pass, say, Wikipedia's notability guidelines on anything. Even though the version is technically an alpha, though, it's been in the works for around four years and is rather large and complex. Would it be approprate to write a textbook on it here? (The game could certainly support a large and detailed textbook, despite what it might sound like; my only real question is if such a low-profile games should have guides here in the first place.) My guess is no, but I couldn't find a single policy that would make its low profile an issue, so I thought that at least asking here could lead to the policies getting clarified. --Aquillion 21:15, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

 * You have to understand that the notion of a "textbook" doesn't have anything to do with the notability of the game. Even the most notable games in the world simply don't get "textbooks" here on wikibooks. A "textbook" is a book that can be used as a companion text for a course of study in an accredited institution. For example, you could write a book that involves a completely obscure game, if you taught a greater lesson, and if the book could be used in a course. Also, we don't cater to hypothetical courses, such as "they could possibly teach this somewhere". Now, there are courses about video game design, but there are simply not courses on video game playing. Now, since this game you are talking about is in an alpha version, and is currently being developed, it is possible (albeit unlikely) that you could write a textbook on the rigours of videogame development, the fine points of videogame story line writing, The user-interaction methodology for a text-based game (or for that matter, the methodology for designing a text-based interface to any software program). In short, it has more to do with the way you write your textbook, and less about the object on which you write. --Whiteknight (talk) (projects) 00:12, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

 * Nonetheless: we'll need a metric to distinguish between Chess and other games. I'm all ears; and so is the policy. Jimbo himself said Chess is allowed on wikibooks; and i'm sure we all agree to that. But what we don't know... is where do we draw the line?
 * An edutainment game (Reader Rabbit for example) should be allowed on Wikibooks IMO; even if it is a video game; and a book on the act of playing the game as well. Finally; a well made game should be documented in a book somewhat. --Dragontamer 20:54, 7 September 2006 (UTC)

title: Wikibooks talk:Game textbook guidelines


text:
Cookbook:Yeasted Rolls II

Bread

Ingredients

 * 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
 * 1¼ cups (300 ml) lukewarm milk
 * 1 tablespoon white sugar
 * 3 cups (360 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
 * ¼ teaspoon salt
 * 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

Procedure

 * 1) In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the milk and add the sugar.
 * 2) In another bowl, sift the flour and salt together and add the cooled melted butter.
 * 3) Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture, turn out onto a floured counter, and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
 * 4) Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm, draft free place to 45 minutes.
 * 5) Turn dough out onto the freshly floured board and shape into 9 balls. Place dough balls into a buttered and floured 9-inch square pan. Let them sit, covered, for another 15 minutes to rise again. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
 * 6) Bake for 15–20 minutes until browned and puffed. Split open and serve warm.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Cookbook:Yeasted Rolls II


text:
Cookbook:Olive Oil Bread

A quick, easy bread that works well with Italian foods and pastas. Try forming the dough into a round ball or a long loaf for French Bread.

Ingredients

 * ½ cup warm water (110°F / 45°C)
 * 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
 * 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar
 * 1 teaspoon salt
 * 4 tablespoons olive oil
 * 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

Procedure

 * 1) In a large bowl mix together the warm water, yeast, sugar, salt, and olive oil.
 * 2) Stir in 2 cups of the flour in order to make a soft ball.
 * 3) Knead in additional flour so that dough is soft and not sticky.
 * 4) Place kneaded dough in a medium size greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled in size.
 * 5) Punch down dough, and form into ball or loaf shape.
 * 6) Place onto a greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise for 15–20 minutes.
 * 7) Preheat the oven to 375° F (190°C).
 * 8) Bake in the preheated oven for 30–40 minutes, until golden brown.
 * 9) For a glazed, shiny effect, brush one egg white and one tablespoon of water (mixed) onto the bread 5 minutes before completion.

title: Cookbook:Olive Oil Bread


text:
Talk:Rhetoric and Composition/The Stages of the Writing Process

Talk 1
Hi, this is "Old Word Wolf" speaking. Yes, there's much that could be better organized and clarified, as the prior speaker (below) points out in several specific ways. I cannot address all his/her points because I haven't gotten that far yet -- but I will, I promise.

My initial contribution, right now, is a strong distaste for the intro's reliance on the phrase "good writing." Good implies a moral quality, although I know that's not the intention here. If no one objects, I'll change it to a more precise adjective, depending on the context: clear writing, precise writing, etc., along those lines.

Also, there's a major difference in meaning between "complicated" and "complex," and I think the introductory text really means "complex." Writing, in all its forms is arguably quite complex, but it is often quite UN-complicated. Most modern organizational frameworks are not complicated; many sentence patterns are not complicated; many arguments are simple and straightforward, i.e., uncomplicated.

My observations here are not meant to discredit or detract from the valuable contribution prior writers have made to this section. Quite the opposite. O.W.W. (m.j.tarnowski)

Talk 2
I think the term "mode" is confusing here when talking about steps or activities in the writing process. Most compositional theorists use "mode" to describe the generic "types of writing" -- ie definiton, narration, cause and effect, etc. I wouldn't quibble over this word if it weren't used within the same discipline to mean something much different. Thus, I've replaced "mode" with "steps" or "activities."

What's up with the "5 criteria" section coming right in the middle of the preview of the process? Is this promise carried throughout rest of wikitext? if not, it maybe should go away -- it seems thrust in willy nilly with no hookup or followup to surrounding content.

Also, the "materiality and genre" subchapter heading seems out of place in "process" here -- unless it is going to be written (hasn't been done yet)specifically on how these elements affect the writing process. There is quite a substantial discussion on analyzing assignments and deciphering/negotiating "modes" that seems to do the job. I suggest deleting this section unless someone can make it unique and a seamless part of the other steps in the writing process section.

Finally, I am waaaay confused about how revising and editing are presented. Maybe I'm being overly simplistic, but isn't it somewhat accepted that "revising" is changing text at the macro level, "editing" is changing at the sentence level," and "proofreading" is looking for typos and formatting errors? If not, I will totally back off. But if others agree with me about this distinction, i think we should revamp and reorder these sections...even though we are emphasizing recursivity, which is cool, i think the order should be drafting, revising, editing, proofreading........

this is what i was taught in grad school about the levels of the process, and it is the way i teach my students, which is a hard task, since they come from hs with the notion that doing "editing" on the sentence level is the first and only process they need while drafting...is a better way to look at this, going from higher concerns to lower concerns?

First off, I'm not sure who is speaking above. However, I'm not familiar with your description of "revision" and "editing." Editing is considering changes that should be made to a document, whereas revision is actually making changes. Professional editors usually don't actually revise a document--that's up to the writer. Proofreading is simply the "last scan" of a document to check for typos and such (at that point, no major changes should be necessary). --Mattbarton.exe 18:38, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

Someone has been adding chapters here. Do we really want to add these chapters? I think the one on collaboration is a good idea. I'm not sure if the "Materiality and Genre" section is a duplicate of the "Analyzing Assignments" chapter under Writing Apps, though. --Mattbarton.exe 18:41, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

Research misspelled
Towards the end of the second paragraph of the "research" section.

Introduction vs Overview
At some point, the title of the first heading was "Overview", later changed to "Introduction". As this section is a sort of summary of the book, and, AFAIK, summaries of this sort are typically titled "Overview", I have reverted "Introduction" to "Overview". An overview can be likened to a birdview of a landscape; it provides a big picture of what is to come, leaving out the detail. --Dan Polansky (talk) 09:10, 6 June 2008 (UTC)

spelling...
In the 2nd paragraph of Research...the word research is spelled incorrectly twice.

major omissions
typical of web articles on this subject but incomplete and suboptimal approach given as the final answer

Above the heads of first year college students?
"Churchill grew so irritated at pedants telling him..." Do first year college students know the meaning of "pendants"? I thought it was a typo at first. I looked up the word, and the meaning is appropriate, but it might read more easily if it just said "people telling him" or another word that everyone knows. --Polintr (discuss • contribs) 21:39, 8 December 2011 (UTC)


text:
Operating System Design/Preface

Numerous Universities offer courses on the design and programming of Operating Systems Kernels. This textbook is designed for the students of such courses. Please note, however, that while this book is aimed at individuals who hope, either professionally or as a hobby, to work on programming operating systems in the future, it should not be used as an organisational space for creating a new operating system. Rather, this book is aimed at discussing key issues in the design of Operating Systems, and existing theories about doing so effectively, from a Neutral Point of View.

Also, this Wikibook is focused on single-box operating systems. None of the TOP500 computers are like that — most of them distribute their operating system in the way described in the Building a Beowulf Cluster Wikibook (many boxes in one building), and even more widely geographically distributed systems are also becoming important.

If you are interested in creating new operating systems you might want to check out...

On Wikibooks:
 * Subject:Operating systems
 * Linux From Scratch
 * The Linux Kernel
 * Embedded Systems/Real-Time Operating Systems
 * Embedded Control Systems Design/Operating systems
 * RTEMS for Embedded Software Developers
 * Embedded Systems/Atmel AVR/Operating systems and task managers
 * X86 Assembly
 * Forth

Other Wikis:
 * OSDev Wiki
 * Plan 9 wiki
 * SharpOS wiki
 * How to Make a Computer Operating System

Some new OS's:
 * MenuetOS project
 * C# Open Source Managed Operating System
 * TUNES Project: Redefining Computing
 * A long list of academic OS development projects

Discussions:
 * Writing your own operating system
 * "So if I wanted to try and make my own operating system how would I go about it?"
 * OS development

A few links and tips: "Create your own Operating System!"

Previous: Contents — Next: Introduction

title: Operating System Design/Preface


text:
Operating System Design/Kernel Architecture

The kernel is the core of an operating system. It is the software responsible for running programs and providing secure access to the machine's hardware. Since there are many programs, and resources are limited, the kernel also decides when and how long a program should run. This is called scheduling. Accessing the hardware directly can be very complex, since there are many different hardware designs for the same type of component. Kernels usually implement some level of hardware abstraction (a set of instructions universal to all devices of a certain type) to hide the underlying complexity from applications and provide a clean and uniform interface. This helps application programmers to develop programs without having to know how to program for specific devices. The kernel relies upon software drivers that translate the generic command into instructions specific to that device.

An operating system kernel is not strictly needed to run a computer. Programs can be directly loaded and executed on the "bare metal" machine, provided that the authors of those programs are willing to do without any hardware abstraction or operating system support. This was the normal operating method of many early computers, which were reset and reloaded between the running of different programs. Eventually, small ancillary programs such as program loaders and debuggers were typically left in-core between runs, or loaded from read-only memory. As these were developed, they formed the basis of what became early operating system kernels. The "bare metal" approach is still used today on many video game consoles and embedded systems, but in general, newer systems use kernels and operating systems.

Four broad categories of kernels:
 * Monolithic kernels provide rich and powerful abstractions of the underlying hardware.
 * Microkernels provide a small set of simple hardware abstractions and use applications called servers to provide more functionality.
 * Exokernels provide minimal abstractions, allowing low-level hardware access. In exokernel systems, library operating systems provide the abstractions typically present in monolithic kernels.
 * Hybrid (modified microkernels) are much like pure microkernels, except that they include some additional code in kernelspace to increase performance.


text:
Bartending/Alcohol/Spirits

Spirits are one of the main ingredients in mixed drinks, along with other alcoholic beverages, mixers and garnishes. They are prepared by distillation from a fermented substance such as fruit, vegetables, grain, sugar cane, cactus juice, etc. The word spirits generally refers to distilled beverages low in sugars and containing at least 40º proof / 20% ABV (alcohol by volume). (In Germany distilled beverages as low as 15% ABV (30ºproof) are considered spirits.)

1½ ounces of 40% ABV / 80ºproof spirits contains about 1 American Standard Unit of Alcohol (which is 14 grams of alcohol, or about 18 ml/0.6 ozs. by volume). This is much higher than the United Kingdom's unit which is 7.9 g/10 ml. This must be borne in mind when calculating units of alcohol in drink recipes.

 * Brandy
 * Cachaça
 * Gin
 * Rum
 * Schnapps
 * Tequila
 * Vodka
 * Whisky

Brandy

 * 40-60% ABV (80-120º proof)

Brandy (short for 'brandywine', from Dutch brandewijn—'burnt wine') is a general term for distilled wine. In addition to wine, this spirit can also be made from grape pomace or fermented fruit juice. Unless specified otherwise, brandy is made from grape wine. It is normally consumed as an after-dinner drink. Brandy made from wine is often colored with caramel coloring to imitate the effect of long aging in wooden casks; pomace and fruit brandies are generally drunk un-aged, and are not usually colored. Cognac is the most highly regarded spirit in this category.

Cachaça
With Cachaça you make the famous long drink Caipirinha. Cachaça is made by the distillation of fermented squeezed sugar cane, and is a very common drink in Brazil. It is also called Pinga or Aguardente. People drink it mostly pure, straight up, room temperature, no ice, nothing on it, on a very small glass like tequila type glass, or vodka type glass. In Brazil it is an inexpensive drink, but not in Europe, since it has to be imported. There are some old brands that can cost quite a lot. It can be found in many supermarkets all around Europe. A simple drink can be made with Cachaça, honey and lemon, serve in the same small glass, no ice, room temperature. Cachaça can be used also as an ingredient in many long drinks, called Batidas (shaken) with fruits, sweet condensed milk, and a lot of ice. The most famous long drink is Caipirinha, very refreshing, and very strong: one whole lime cut in 8 equal parts (don´t peel), two soup spoons of sugar, squeeze both inside a glass with a thick stick, smash the lime with the sugar until all the juice is mixed with sugar, (serve with the cutted lime wedges on stick bagasse in the glass)(use a long glass type, or short fat glass), add a lot of Cachaça usually 60-70ml, and a lot of ice, mix, drink, and forget.

Gin
Gin is a spirit, or strong alcoholic beverage. It is made from the distillation of an agricultural source and juniper berries, which provide its distinctive flavor. The taste of ordinary gin is very dry, and as such it is frequently mixed with other beverages. It should not be confused with sloe gin, a sweet liqueur traditionally made from sloes (the fruit of the blackthorn) infused in gin.
 * 37.5% ABV (75º proof)

The most common style of gin, typically used for mixed drinks, is "London dry gin", which refers not to brand, marque, or origin, but to a distillation process. London dry gin is a high-proof spirit, usually produced in a column still and re-distilled after the botanicals are added to the base spirit. In addition to juniper, it is usually made with a small amount of citrus botanicals like lemon and bitter orange peel. Other botanicals that may be used include anise, angelica root, orris root, cinnamon, coriander, and cassia bark. The dry character and forward juniper flavor of these gins allows them to be mixed with comparatively sweet ingredients without becoming overwhelmed, whereas sweeter or more subtle gins might disappear, making the cocktail more like a vodka cocktail with none of the classic aromatic gin character.

A well-made gin will be very dry with a smooth texture lacking in harshness. The flavor will be harmonious yet have a crisp character with a pronounced juniper flavor.

Compound gin is gin where the juniper flavoring is added to the neutral spirit and there is no re-distillation

Rum
The production of rum dates back to the seventeenth century. It is distilled from either fermented sugarcane-juice or fermented molasses, and can be nearly colorless and faintly aromatic with a light body, or dark brown with a heavy body, flavorful and having a rich aroma.
 * 37.5 - 57% ABV (75 - 114º proof)

Most of the world's rum comes from the Caribbean. Puerto Rico is home of the white or silver rum which is clear and light in body and flavor. Puerto Rican golden and amber rums have a deeper color and flavor, while Jamaican and Cuban rums are rich and full-bodied.

The distillation process decides the flavor and aroma of the rum, with continuous- or patent-still distillation giving a light-bodied rum, and the traditional pot still a richer and heavy-bodied rum. Some rums are given additional flavor by the addition of herbs, spices or fruits.

The color of the rum depends on how the rum is aged. Most rum is aged in charred oak casks giving it a brownish or yellowish color, frequently enhanced with caramel, while rum aged in steel tanks remains colorless.

In bartending, rum is one of the most important liquors. It is used in a variety of classic cocktails including the Cuba Libre, Mai Tai, Daiquiri and Piña Colada. It can also be served neat (straight) or on the rocks.

Schnapps

 * 20 - 40% ABV (40 - 80º proof)

Schnapps is a type of distilled beverage. The word "schnapps" is derived from the German word Schnaps and refers to usually clear alcoholic beverages distilled from fermented grains, roots, or fruits, including cherries (Kirschwasser), apples, pears, plums, and apricots. German Schnaps has no sugar or flavoring added, but American schnapps typically do have these additives. German Schnaps has a light fruit flavor and is similar to eau-de-vie. Its alcohol content is usually around 40% by volume.

American schnapps (such as peach schnapps and butterscotch schnapps) are different from true German Schnaps. They are produced by a method that does not involve fermentation. They are made from grain alcohol, to which flavoring and sugar are added. Their alcohol content can be as low as 15% by volume.

Tequila
Tequila is a spirit made primarily in the area surrounding Tequila, a town in Mexico. It is made from the Tequila agave - the blue agave. Tequila is most often made at a 38–40% alcohol content (76–80º proof), but there are also several varieties of Tequila produced with 43–46% alcohol content (86–92º proof).
 * 40% ABV (80º proof)

Tequila is technically a type of Mezcal. While the agave hearts are roasted or grilled in the production of standard Mezcal, the agave is instead baked in the production of Tequila. Thus, Tequila does not have the distinctive smokey flavor typically found in a Mezcal.

Mexican law no longer requires that tequila be entirely composed of blue agave distillates, and lower-quality tequilas known as mixtos may contain up to 49% other, more cheaply obtained distillates, resulting in many off-flavors and a generally unpleasant taste. These tequilas are often labeled as "gold", and are often artificially coloured to resemble the natural gold color of aged tequilas such as reposados and anejos. Be sure to only purchase tequila which is clearly labeled "100% de agave", even for mixing purposes.

Many people prefer the simpler but more vegetal taste of blanco (un-aged and clear colored, also known as silver or platinum) tequilas for cocktails, but slightly aged reposado tequilas may do equally well, so experiment. However, anejo tequilas (aged longer in a series of different barrels) are almost always very complex and subtle, and should be drunk neat or on the rocks, as mixing them would mask much of their interest and be a waste.

Vodka
Vodka is purified by distillation from a fermented substance such as grain or molasses, and it usually has an alcohol content of 35% to 50% by volume (70 - 100º proof). Vodka consists primarily of water and alcohol (ethanol), and sometimes various flavorings. Most other spirits are defined by using a specific grain, vegetable or fruit. Although vodka is traditionally known for being produced from grains, potatoes and grapes, it can actually be created from nearly any other vegetable or fruit.

While most spirits are distilled until reaching the desired proof or alcohol content, vodka is instead distilled until it is almost entirely ethanol. At this point, there are no other properties in the spirit to impart any flavors or odors, aside from the ethanol itself. The ethanol is then mixed with water at a ratio of approximately 40:60. This is why vodka is traditionally known as being flavorless and odorless, making it a popular spirit for use in cocktails.

Whiskey

 * 40 - 53.5% ABV (80 - 107º proof) and higher (barrel proof)

Whisky (Scottish Gaelic: uisge-beatha}, or whiskey (Irish: uisce beatha), refers to a broad category of alcoholic beverages that are distilled from fermented grain mash and aged in wooden casks (generally oak).

Different grains are used for different varieties, including: barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and maize (corn). Whisky derives from the Gaelic word for "water" (uisce or usige), and is called in full uisge-beatha (in Scotland) or uisce beatha (Ireland), meaning "Water of Life". It is related to the Latin aqua vitae, also meaning "water of life". It is always Scotch whisky, and Irish whiskey; other countries may use either spelling.

Types of whisky
Whisky or whisky-like products are produced in most grain-growing areas. They differ in base product, alcoholic content, and quality.

Scotch whiskies
Scotch whiskies are generally distilled twice, though some are distilled a third time. Laws in many countries require anything bearing the label "Scotch" to be distilled in Scotland and matured for a minimum of three years in oak casks. Whiskies do not mature in the bottle, only in the cask, so the "age" of a scotch is the time between distillation and bottling. This reflects how much the cask has interacted with the whisky, changing its chemical makeup and taste. If Scotch whisky is from more than one cask, and if it includes an age statement on the bottle, it must reflect the age of the youngest whisky in the blend. Many cask-strength single malts also omit the age as they use younger elements in minute amounts for flavoring and mellowing.
 * The two basic types of Scotch are Malt and Grain.
 * Malt is whisky made entirely from malted barley and distilled in an onion-shaped pot still.
 * Grain is made from malted and unmalted barley along with other grains, usually in a continuous column still. Until recently it was only used in blends—but there are now some "Single Grain" scotches being marketed.
 * Malts and Grains are combined in various ways
 * Vatted malt is blended from malt whiskies from different distilleries. If a whisky is labeled "pure malt" or just "malt" it is almost certain to be a vatted whisky.  This is also sometimes labeled as "Blended Malt" whisky.
 * Single malt whisky is malt whisky from a single distillery. However, unless the whisky is described as "single-cask" it will contain whisky from many casks, so the blender can achieve a taste recognizable as typical of the distillery .  In most cases, the name of a single malt will be that of the distillery (The Glenlivet, Glenmorangie, Bowmore), with an age statement and perhaps some indication of some special treatments such as maturation in a port wine cask.  Some single malts (often made to attract a premium price from less sophisticated drinkers abroad) will be given a special name.
 * Blended whiskies are normally cheaper whiskies made from a mixture of Malt and Grain whiskies.   A whisky simply described as Scotch Whisky is most likely to be a blend in this sense.  A blend is usually from many distilleries so that the blender can produce a flavor consistent with the brand, and the brand name (e.g. Bell's, Chivas Regal) will usually not therefore contain the name of a distillery.  However, "Blend" can (less frequently) have other meanings.  A mixture of malts (with no grain) from different distilleries (more usually called a vatted malt) may sometimes be referred to as a "Blended Malt", and a mixtures of grain whiskies with no malts will sometimes carry the designation "Blended Grain".

Japanese whiskies
Japanese whiskies generally fit within the Scotch tradition and can be categorised using the above typology.

Irish whiskeys
Irish whiskeys are generally distilled three times and must be aged in wooden casks for a period of not less than three years. Unpeated malt is almost always used, meaning they have none of the smoky character of scotch, and are more suitable for mixing.

Canadian whiskies
Canadian whiskies have the regulatory requirement of being aged for at least three years in a barrel. Most Canadian whiskies are blended multi-grain whiskies.

American whiskeys
American whiskeys include both straights and blends. To be called "straight" the whiskey must be one of the "named types" listed in the federal regulations and aged in oak casks for at least two years. The most common of the "named types" are;
 * Bourbon, which must be made from at least 51% corn (maize), aged in new charred oak barrels, bottled at 80 proof or higher, and produced in Kentucky.
 * Tennessee, which is identical to Bourbon whiskey, with the exception of being made in Tennessee and undergoing the Lincoln County Process (filtering through maple charcoal).
 * Rye, which must be at least 51% rye.
 * Corn, which is made from a mash made up of at least 80% corn (maize). The whiskey is distilled to not more than 80 percent alcohol by volume. It does not have to be aged but, if it is aged, it must be in new uncharred oak barrels or used barrels. Aging usually is brief, i.e., six months. During aging the whiskey picks up color and flavor and its harshness is reduced.

 * All straight American whiskeys except straight corn whiskey must be aged in new casks that have been charred on their inside surface. American blended whiskeys combine straight whiskey with un-aged whiskey, grain neutral spirits, flavorings and colorings. These definitions are part of U.S. law. Not defined by the law but important in the marketplace is Tennessee whiskey, of which Jack Daniel's is the leading example. It is identical to bourbon in almost every important respect. The most recognizable difference is that Tennessee whiskey is filtered through sugar maple charcoal, giving it a unique flavor and aroma.

Pure pot still whiskey
Pure pot still whiskey refers to Irish whiskey made from a combination of malted and unmalted barley and distilled in a pot still.

Indian whisky
Indian whisky is an alcoholic beverage that is labeled as "whisky" in India. Much Indian whisky is distilled from fermented molasses, and as such would be considered a sort of rum outside of the Indian subcontinent.

title: Bartending/Alcohol/Spirits


text:
Clarinet/Clarinet Basics

Clarinet Basics
The clarinet is one of the harder woodwind instruments to learn how to play well. One must balance tone, embouchure, tonguing, and good technique all at the same time, while trying to adjust the clarinet the way you want it due to it having the most variables of any other woodwind instrument. It is believed that clarinetists should have a list of priorities that they need to accomplish in a certain order to become refined clarinetist; this particular order is the same order that's in this chapter.

The clarinetist needs to create a good solid airstream; without airflow, the clarinet doesn't work. This is its "breath of life", both literally, and metaphorically. Without a good solid airstream there is no possible way that any clarinetist can produce the desired fluid tone that the clarinet is famous for. A good solid airstream is one of two key elements in creating a good tone.

After the player can give a consistent airstream, next is acquiring a good embouchure. Embouchure is the second aspect of creating a good tone and is the airstream's doorway into the clarinet. The embouchure holds the reed and mouthpiece in check, regulates the tone, the tuning and poises the tongue to articulate when necessary.

Once a clarinetist has achieved the first two objectives, next is learning how to poise the tongue and how to articulate. Most clarinetists aren't taught how to correctly articulate. Thus the articulations are sloppy, usually fat, and it becomes easier and easier to fall behind in tempo when it comes to playing.

Now that everything is right with the face of the clarinetist, he or she can now work on technique. This is when the clarinetist learns what fingerings should go with what note combinations. How to get past complex rhythms, and just become an all 'round better musician. This step must not be the focus until the preceding steps are completed.

The above is a lay out of how the clarinetist should approach learning this fine instrument. Theoretically the clarinetist should work on all of these aspects at once. Although, beginners should concentrate on one step at a time, while still touching the others, then go in order from there.

Kларинет/Основи свирања

title: Clarinet/Clarinet Basics


text:
Operating System Design/Kernel Architecture/Monolithic Kernel

The monolithic approach is to define a high-level virtual interface over the hardware, with a set of primitives or system calls to implement operating system services such as process management, concurrency, and memory management in several modules that run in supervisor mode.

Even if every module servicing these operations is separate from the whole, the code integration is very tight and difficult to do correctly, and, since all the modules run in the same address space, a bug in one module can bring down the whole system. However, when the implementation is complete and trustworthy, the tight internal integration of components allows the low-level features of the underlying system to be effectively utilized, making a good monolithic kernel highly efficient. Proponents of the monolithic kernel approach make the case that if code is incorrect, it does not belong in a kernel, and if it is, there is little advantage in the microkernel approach. More modern monolithic kernels such as Linux, FreeBSD and Solaris can load executable modules at runtime, allowing easy extension of the kernel's capabilities as required, while helping to keep the amount of code running in kernel-space to a minimum. It is alone in supervise mode.

The monolithic operating system is the earliest and most common operating system architecture. Every component of the operating system is contained in the kernel and can directly communicate with any other (i.e., simply by using function calls). The kernel typically executes with unrestricted access to the computer system. OS/360, VMS and Linux are broadly characterized as monolithic operating systems. Direct intercommunication between components makes monolithic operating systems highly efficient. Because monolithic kernels group components together, However it is difficult to isolate the source of bugs and other errors. Further, because all code executes with unrestricted access to the system, systems with monolithic kernels are particularly susceptible to damage from errant or malicious code.


text:
Operating System Design/Kernel Architecture/Microkernel

The microkernel approach is to define a very simple abstraction over the hardware, with a set of primitives or system calls to implement minimal OS services such as thread management, address spaces and interprocess communication. All other services, those normally provided by the kernel such as networking, are implemented in user-space programs referred to as servers. Servers are programs like any others, allowing the operating system to be modified simply by starting and stopping programs. For a small machine without networking support, for instance, the networking server simply isn't started. Under a traditional system this would require the kernel to be recompiled, something well beyond the capabilities of the average end-user. In theory the system is also more stable, because a failing server simply stops a single program, rather than causing the kernel itself to crash.

However, part of the system state is lost with the failing server, and it is generally difficult to continue execution of applications, or even of other servers with a fresh copy. For example, if a (theoretic) server responsible for TCP/IP connections is restarted, applications could be told the connection was "lost" and reconnect, going through the new instance of the server. However, other system objects, like files, do not have these convenient semantics, are supposed to be reliable, not become unavailable randomly and keep all the information written to them previously. So, database techniques like transactions, replication and checkpointing need to be used between servers in order to preserve essential state across single server restarts.

Microkernels generally underperform traditional designs, sometimes dramatically. This is due in large part to the overhead of moving in and out of the kernel, a context switch, in order to move data between the various applications and servers. It was originally believed that careful tuning could reduce this overhead dramatically, but by the mid-90s most researchers had given up. In more recent times newer microkernels, designed for performance first, have addressed these problems to a very large degree. Nevertheless, the market for existing operating systems is so entrenched that little work continues on microkernel design.

Examples

 * GNU Hurd
 * MINIX


text:
Handbook of Genetic Counseling/Breast Cancer - Ashkenazi Jew

Breast Cancer - Ashkenazi Jew

Introduction

 * How are they, did they have any problems finding the place?

Contracting

 * Find out what she knows about cancer and testing.
 * Review family history
 * Review medical history
 * What cancer is, how it happens
 * Talk about the specific risks to your family
 * Talk about the testing options and what it can tell you.
 * Talk about management

Family history

 * Names of relatives
 * Cousins?
 * Daughters' screening practices?
 * Any more details about age of living uncles (paternal and maternal)
 * Bilateral/unilateral cancers?
 * Any idea about country paternal great-grandmother is from?
 * Anyone else with cancer?
 * Could we get documentation of the sarcoma or brain tumors?
 * Any leukemias?
 * Any pancreatic, melanoma?

Medical history

 * How is she doing currently?
 * What are current screening practices? mammograms, self exams?
 * Any surgeries?
 * Any hospitalizations?
 * Medications?
 * Exercise/diet?

Psychosocial
(throughout)

 * Recently diagnosed with cancer/ currently undergoing treatment. How are you dealing with all of this?
 * Who do you go to for support?
 * Many family members with cancer. How did that impact your idea of risk?
 * Have you talked about this appointment with your family?
 * Are you concerned for your own health, what are your concerns/fears?
 * Have you considered the implications to the rest of your family?
 * Have you thought about what if it wasn't familial? How will you feel if testing is not warranted?

Causes of breast cancer

 * Basic definition: the uncontrolled growth of cells.
 * Divisions
 * 70-80% = sporadic (just happens to people for no connected reason -no previous family history)
 * 20-30% = familial
 * chance alone
 * genetic susceptibility
 * shared environment
 * combination
 * 5-10% = inherited - this is what we are concerned about and can help you test for
 * BRCA1
 * BRCA2
 * other genes?
 * Genes and chromosomes
 * People -> genes -> nucleotides = CAGT
 * chromosomes = instruction manual
 * genes= instructions
 * amnio acids = words
 * nucleotides = letters
 * Two copies of every chromosome, every gene.
 * Dominant Inheritance (50%)
 * Cancer is actually caused by a change in a tumor suppressor gen*= they control cell growt*When both copies of the gene are changed (have a mutation) they cannot stop cell growth = tumor. (Two-hit hypothesis)
 * Two different ways it can be affected
 * acquired
 * inherited
 * The genes
 * Chromosome 17 (BRCA1)
 * Chromosome 13 (BRCA2)

Who do we offer testing for - at greater risk?

 * More than one family member with cancer*
 * Single woman with breast and ovarian
 * Woman with bilateral breast cancer
 * Early onset age of cancer (<50)
 * Ovarian cancer at any age
 * Ashkenazi Jewish*
 * Odd cancers - male breast cancer, laryngeal cancer

Based on your family history

 * What do you think you risk of being a carrier is?

Familial chance of risk

 * Background risk of BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation carrier for As*Jewish heritage
 * 1/40 is a mutation carrier
 * Three common mutations
 * BRCA1 - 185delAG (1.0%)
 * BRCA1 - 5382insC (0.15%)
 * BRCA2 - 617delT (1.5%)
 * BRCAPRO - 28.0% chance of carrying BRCA1 or BRCA2
 * BRCA1 - 9.5%
 * BRCA2 - 18.5%
 * Couch model
 * avg age of dx 50-55 = 12.7% for BRCA1
 * Shattuck-Eidens greater than 2 br. c*greater than 51 dx = 13% for BRCA1
 * Claus Model (risk for your daughters to develop cancer) - based only on their mother.
 * Describe the numbers using the chart with the client* (get this chart!!)
 * 0.2% by age 29
 * 0.8% by age 39
 * 2.3% by age 49
 * 4.9% by age 59
 * 8.2% by age 69
 * 11.0% by age 79 -lifetime risk.

Cancer risks (for carriers of BRCA1/2)

 * Three types of risk
 * population risk
 * age based risk
 * lifetime risk
 * Risks associated with dev. Breast cancer
 * General pop. Lifetime = 11%
 * BRCA1/BRCA2 lifetime = 87%
 * Jewish carriers - 56% lifetime
 * BRCA1/BRCA2 age 40 = 20%
 * BRCA1/BRCA2 age 59 = 59%
 * BRCA1/BRCA2 age 70 = 82%
 * Risk of dev. Second primary breast tumor BRCA1
 * age 50 = 48%
 * age 70 = 64%
 * Risk of second breast cancer with BRCA2
 * 50% lifetime risk
 * Ovarian cancer risk
 * General pop lifetime = 1-2%
 * age 50 w/ BRCA1= 29%
 * age 70 w/BRCA1 = 44%
 * Jew. Pop= 16%
 * age 70 w/BRCA2 = 15-20%
 * Other cancer risks
 * Prostate cancer = 30% (gen. pop = 17%)
 * laryngeal cancer, pancreatic cancer = slight increase
 * Jewish pop. prostate cancer=16% (depending on mutation - see results session outline)
 * Colon cancer slight increase
 * Male breast in BRCA2 age 70 = 6% (pop.=0.1%)

Testing

 * The actual test
 * Ashkenazi triplet test (direct mutation analysis)
 * $375
 * BRCA1/BRCA2 sequencing
 * after triplet screen = $2380
 * Reasons to test
 * improved risk management
 * answer ? about the cancer risk
 * Info for family members
 * Lifestyle choices
 * Reasons not to test
 * psychological distress
 * worries of discriminations of employment/insurance
 * change in family dynamics
 * guilt complex
 * survivor guilt
 * false sense of security
 * Limitations of testing
 * The possible results of As*Jew. panel
 * positive result
 * negative result - may be one of the 17% who do not have the common mutations. Strong indication to do sequencing.
 * the possible results of sequencing
 * positive, known mutation
 * negative result - not informative unless we know a previous mutation
 * mutation of unknown significance - it is a mutation but we don't know what it means.
 * not all mutations are detected
 * results are a probability, not a certainty.
 * Two types of testing
 * Research
 * free
 * only tests some of the genes
 * detects 50% of mutations
 * takes 6-12 months
 * Clinic
 * expensive ($2400 for first relative)
 * sequences entire gene
 * takes 3-6 weeks (one month)

Discrimination Issues

 * Health insurance
 * passage of HIPAA (Health insurance portability and accountability act)
 * for groups plans
 * protects from a change in individual charge based on genetic testing
 * genetic testing results can not be viewed as a previously existing condition
 * doesn't prevent access to genetic info.
 * doesn't prevent insurers from demanding testing as a coverage condition
 * doesn't prevent group rate hikes
 * doesn't provide protection if you are outside a group plan.
 * doesn't cover life or disability issues

Results

 * Positive for deleterious mutation
 * Negative for mutation
 * means that for the areas tested, there is no gene mutation.
 * ONLY definitive if thee is a known mutation in the family
 * Possibility of other genes that we don't know about.
 * Variant of unknown significance

Management

 * Breast recommendations for at risk family members
 * monthly self breast exam (starting at age 18)
 * clinical surveillance - every 6-12 months (starting at age 25)
 * annual mammography (age 25-35)
 * prophylactic mastectomy
 * reduces risk
 * Ovarian screening
 * Pelvic exam
 * Transvaginal ultrasound -every 6-12 months (staring at age 25-35)
 * more sensitive than transabdominal ultrasound
 * minor discomfort (bladder is empty)
 * assess abnormal structural findings
 * ovarian volume
 * cyst wall thickness
 * septal structure
 * CA-125 testing - every 6-12 months
 * measures a chemical in your blood - glycoprotein antigen - shed in blood stream from ovarian cancer cells.
 * level is elevated ½ patients with stage I ovarian cancer
 * level is elevated in 90% of patients stage II ovarian cancer
 * sensitivity is low
 * specificity is low due to other contributing factors
 * prophylactic oophorectomy
 * eliminates primary ovarian cancer risk (but residual could have cancer)
 * induces menopause
 * Colon screening
 * colonoscopy every 3-5 years starting age 50
 * annual fecal occult tests


text:
User talk:Nov ialiste~enwikibooks

Thanks, for posting the english translation in the de.wikipedia (if it really was you)! I've already translated it into german!

Image:Wizoz ear.jpg
Could you insert image copyright tags to the images you uploaded? I think PD-old would be suitable. --Derbeth talk 09:25, 17 November 2005 (UTC)

UK Constitution
Have you considered voting for UK Constitution and Government again this month, as it has been renominated. It really is a very good book.Dolive35 15:53, 19 February 2006 (UTC)

Move pages
You seem to be copying many pages, so...

There should be move tab next to the "History" tab on this wiki. The "move" feature is the correct way to move pages.

Otherwise:
 * There are two copies of pages, and users can edit both of them, thus causing an accidental fork.
 * Administrators will have to temporarily delete pages to merge their edit histories.

Thanks, --Kernigh 00:15, 4 April 2006 (UTC)

Aside: Books possibly in contravention with WIW
You wrote: do the multiple hands of Wiki Foundation follow what the others have done?

First, as an aside, there is no "Wiki Foundation". You probably meant Wikimedia Foundation. Words like wiki, Wikipedia, Wikimedia, MediaWiki are not the same; it is explained at Names.

My impression is that communication between the English-Wikibooks project and the Wikimedia Foundation is poor, and that the persons administering the Wikimedia Foundation mostly give no attention to anything outside English Wikipedia. Actually, there is at present no mechanism for me to track news in other Wikimedia projects. Not the defunct Reports, not the http://www.wikizine.org. Even if I read Wikisource:News, I would still need news from English Wikiquote. --Kernigh 03:41, 3 May 2006 (UTC)

The language in Novial WP is not Novial
Hi, I just followed your requests for supporting Novial wikipedia and came to it. However all the texts you are pasting there are not for that wiki as they are in English. -- Bggoldie 08:49, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

In fact most of the texts I have posted are in Novial (translations from English Wikipedia).There is one special reference section which is what you saw. It contains the original description (which was written in English) of the Novial language and an ongoing project to translate it into Novial.

By the way the voting for that Wikipedia ended months ago and it as approved. Novialiste 10:53, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

Hi. I'd like to learn Novial. Is it possible to mail you or speak on MSN or IRC with you? I want somebody with who I can practice speaking to. Thanks! 198.54.202.246 05:05, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Your account will be renamed
Hello,

The developer team at Wikimedia is making some changes to how accounts work, as part of our on-going efforts to provide new and better tools for our users like cross-wiki notifications. These changes will mean you have the same account name everywhere. This will let us give you new features that will help you edit and discuss better, and allow more flexible user permissions for tools. One of the side-effects of this is that user accounts will now have to be unique across all 900 Wikimedia wikis. See the announcement for more information.

Unfortunately, your account clashes with another account also called Nov ialiste. To make sure that both of you can use all Wikimedia projects in future, we have reserved the name Nov ialiste~enwikibooks that only you will have. If you like it, you don't have to do anything. If you do not like it, you can pick out a different name.

Your account will still work as before, and you will be credited for all your edits made so far, but you will have to use the new account name when you log in.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Yours, Keegan Peterzell Community Liaison, Wikimedia Foundation 23:33, 17 March 2015 (UTC)

Renamed
 This account has been renamed as part of single-user login finalisation. If you own this account you can |log in using your previous username and password for more information. If you do not like this account's new name, you can choose your own using this form after logging in: . -- Keegan (WMF) (talk) 05:18, 19 April 2015 (UTC)

title: User talk:Nov ialiste~enwikibooks


text:
Handbook of Genetic Counseling/CADASIL

CADASIL

CADASIL = Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and

 * Leukoencephalopathy (destruction of myelin sheath covering nerves)
 * Microangiopathy (disease of the arteries) mainly affecting the brain

Contracting

 * Welcome and Introductions.
 * I understand you have come to discuss your family history of CADASIL disease.
 * Why have you sought out genetic counseling at this point in your life?
 * What do you already know about CADASIL? How familiar are you with your family history? What reading/research have you done on your own? Why are you interested in genetic testing?
 * What are you hoping the test can tell you? What are you planning to do with the information? How will the results affect your life?
 * Set agenda: get a little more information about your family, review CADASIL, talk about the different kinds of testing available (what they can tell us, how sensitive they are, how much they cost), and help you make a decision about testing

Intake

 * Review medical history
 * Any health concerns? Any problems with migraines, depression, TIA's, high blood pressure, memory loss?
 * Has you doctor been screening you for any signs or symptoms?
 * Have you ever had a brain MRI? Skin biopsy?
 * Review family history

Disease Characteristics

 * Symptoms (variable phenotype)
 * migraine headaches (w/ or w/out aura-- sensations of lights, voices or numbness) (40 to 60%)
 * recurring TIA's and strokes (>80%)
 * cognitive and behavioral disturbances (extent is variable)
 * psychiatric disturbances (depression, personality changes) (~30%)
 * dementia (subcortical type - memory disturbances, psychic slowing, loss of initiative) (>85% in patients older than 65)
 * pseudo-bulbar palsy -- slurred speech, difficulty with swallowing, weakness of face, tongue, and swallowing muscles, a tendency for uncontrollable laughter or crying, and brisk jaw and gag reflexes due to the degeneration or loss of the lower motor neurons (in the brainstem) that supply nerves to the muscles of the throat, larynx, face etc.
 * epilepsy (10%)
 * diffuse white matter lesions and subcortical infarcts on neuroimaging
 * Ages of Onset
 * Variable (even within the same family)
 * Mid-Adult onset (30's - 60's)
 * extensive testing has identified individuals who have relatively mild disease, or may even be clinically unaffected in the 7th or 8th decade
 * Progression/Stages of disease
 * migraines first occur at a mean age of 26
 * TIA's and stroke beginning, on average, at 45 years of age (range 20-60's)
 * Cognitive decline can start as early as 35 years of age (by age 45, more than 50% of patients have it)
 * Dementia/severe cognitive deficits by age 65
 * Death usually in the 7th decade

Genetic Etiology

 * Due to mutations in the NOTCH3 gene (19p13.2-13.1)
 * identified in >90% of patients
 * all pathogenic sequence alterations result in the gain or loss of a single cysteine residue (95% of mutations are missense)
 * penetrance is probably 100%
 * Autosomal dominant inheritance
 * affected person has a 50/50 chance of passing it on to each child
 * de novo mutations are rare
 * Prevalence is unknown
 * some 200 families have been described from all continents, but most have been of European origin
 * many families are likely undiagnosed or misdiagnosed

Testing

 * Diagnostic Testing
 * Neuroimaging (MRI)
 * diffuse periventricular and deep white matter lesions
 * subcortical infarcts in white matter, basal ganglia, and brain stem
 * external capsules and temporal lobes are often affected
 * Leukoencephalopathy is often present on MRI before developing symptoms
 * When white matter abnormalities are absent on MRI of a person older than 35 years of age, CADASIL is usually excluded.
 * Sensitivity 89-93%, specificity 45-86%
 * Skin biopsy (Electron Microscope evaluation)
 * electron dense granules in the media of arterioles
 * granular osmiophilic material in the media
 * Sensitivity 45%, specificity 100% (false negative rate is unknown)
 * New immunostaining technique has a sensitivity of 96% and specificity of 100%
 * Genetic Testing
 * Available on clinical basis at Athena and CHOP
 * Identifies 90-95% of mutations
 * Scanning of the 5 exons with the highest mutation frequencies (3, 4, 11, 18, 19) detects 87% of patients with skin biopsy-confirmed CADASIL
 * When testing at-risk people, an affected family member should be tested first to confirm that the mutation is identifiable by currently available techniques.
 * To get the most information, we need to know an identified mutation in an affected relative
 * Otherwise, we will not be able to rule CADASIL out completely (even with a negative genetic test because we won't know if you have a mutation that they just couldn't find)
 * Possibility of a variant of uncertainty
 * Prenatal testing is available for identified mutations (uncommon request since adult-onset disorder)

Psychosocial Counseling

 * Motivations for testing (reproduction, career, financial matters, need to know)
 * Testing is not useful in predicting age of onset, severity, type of symptoms, or rate of progression
 * How will you feel if you pay the money to have the testing, but we don't really know the answer for sure?
 * Future life plans
 * Concern about insurance/employment discrimination
 * There is no preventative or symptomatic therapies available
 * many neurologists prescribe salicylates - no studies on whether these have any effect on preventing stroke
 * angiography and anti-coagulants are contraindicated because they may provoke cerebrovascular accidents

What if this turns out to not be CADASIL? What if it is something else we cannot test for?

 * Make decision and establish plan for testing and follow-up

Resources

 * GeneClinics handout
 * United Leukodystrophy Foundation, Inc.
 * 2304 Highland Drive
 * Sycamore, IL 60178
 * 1-800-728-5483 or 815-895-3211
 *

 * (personal family webpage)
 * (online support group)
 * -- research project on cadasil at UCLA

MRI

 * Approximately 90% of individuals with CADASIL will show white matter abnormalities
 * CADASIL can usually be ruled out in individuals over age 35 if no abnormalities are found on MRI

Skin Biopsy (electron microscope evaluation)

 * Detection of a substance called granular osmiophilic material in the small blood vessels is diagnostic
 * Substance only detected in about half of individuals with CADASIL
 * Immunostaining is being developed which detects approximately 96% of individuals with CADASIL

Genetic Testing

 * Mutation scanning and sequencing available for up to 23 of the 33 exons in NOTCH3
 * If a disease associated mutation is found in an asymptomatic individual than the individual will likely develop symptoms eventually
 * If a disease associated mutation is not found in an asymptomatic individual than we don't know if it is because they didn't inherit the mutation present in the family or if a mutation was not found due to limitations of the test
 * Therefore it is best to test a family member with CADASIL first
 * Chance that a variant of uncertain significance could be identified

title: Handbook of Genetic Counseling/CADASIL


text:
Handbook of Genetic Counseling/Canavan Disease: Heterozygote Screening

Canavan Disease: Heterozygote Screening (2002)

Contracting

 * What do you know about Canavan Disease?
 * What are your concerns? What do you hope to learn?

Etiology and Natural History

 * Also called aspartoacylase deficiency or spongy degeneration of the brain
 * Caused by deficiency of aspartoacylase enzyme
 * Encoded by the gene ASPA
 * Found at chromosomal locus 17p13
 * Responsible for hydrolyzing N-acetylaspartic acid (NAA) into aspartic acid and acetate
 * Expressed throughout body but mainly causes problems in central nervous system
 * Build-up of NAA in brain
 * Causes demyelinization leading to evidence of clinical symptoms
 * ASPA mutations
 * Over 30 different mutations have been identified
 * Three common mutations
 * Account for 99% of disease causing alleles in Ashkenazi Jewish population and 55% of disease causing alleles in other populations
 * Includes E285A, Y231X, and A305E
 * Null mutations make no aspartoacylase, missense mutations make less active forms
 * No strong genotype-phenotype correlation but missense mutations not as severe as null mutations
 * Autosomal recessive inheritance
 * If both partners heterozygous for a mutation, each pregnancy has a 25% risk of resulting in a child with Canavan disease
 * Explanation of autosomal recessive inheritance

Incidence and Carrier Frequency

 * Most reported cases are individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish descent
 * Carrier frequency about 1 in 40 to 1 in 60
 * Incidence is about 1/6400 to 1/13,456
 * Carrier frequency in general population is not known but assumed to be much lower than 1 in 40 (Maybe 1 in 300?)

Clinical Features

 * Infants appear normal early in life
 * Developmental delay apparent at 3-5 months of age
 * Particularly delayed in motor skill development
 * Can laugh and smile, reach for objects, and raise their head but may lose those skills
 * Hypotonia, seizures, and poor eye contact develop by sixth month
 * May not learn to sit, stand, walk, or talk
 * Can learn to interact socially but are sometimes irritable
 * Sleep disturbance and feeding difficulties begin as they get older
 * Macrocephaly
 * Life expectancy is variable
 * Varies from few years to the teens or beyond
 * Depends on clinical course of disease and medical care
 * Some studies have reported three forms
 * Neonatal, infantile, and late-onset
 * More recent studies show that disease usually begins in infancy with highly variable rate of disease progression
 * Neuropathology
 * CT or MRI in infancy may be normal
 * Later studies will show diffuse, symmetrical white matter changes and possible involvement of cerebellum and brainstem
 * Subcortical spongy degeneration
 * Distorted mitochondria

Testing
-Genzyme forms are in the red crate in the student room
 * Diagnostic testing
 * Increased levels of N-acetylaspartic acid (NAA) in urine
 * Measure using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
 * Can also find elevated levels in blood and cerebrospinal fluid of older children
 * Aspartoacylase enzymatic activity
 * Can be measured in cultured skin fibroblasts
 * Affected patients have unmeasurable activity
 * Carriers have about ½ normal activity
 * Not detectable in white blood cells
 * Cannot be used for prenatal diagnosis because normal enzyme levels very low in amniocytes and CVS tissue
 * Can do molecular testing to confirm diagnosis
 * Molecular testing
 * Primarily used for:
 * Identify specific mutation in affected individuals
 * Carrier testing of individuals of Ashenazi Jewish heritage
 * Carrier testing for individuals with affected family members and their spouses
 * Prenatal testing for at-risk pregnancies
 * Most labs use a two allele panel for testing
 * Some labs use three allele panel
 * Detects 99% of mutations in Ashkenazi Jewish population
 * Detects only about 55% of mutations in other populations
 * Testing for remaining mutations is on research basis only
 * Population Screening
 * Initiated for Jewish individuals of reproductive age recommended by American College of Medical Genetics and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
 * Couples and partners who are carriers can be made aware of risks and status before having children
 * In the US and Canada, 27 labs offer testing
 * Genetics and IVF Institute - Fairfax, Virginia
 * Ashkenazi Jewish Recessive Disease panel
 * Blood samples only (5-10 cc in lavender topped tube)
 * Ship at room temperature
 * Package to screen for most common mutations causing Tay-Sachs, Gaucher Disease, Canavan Disease, and Cystic Fibrosis
 * Screens for 3 most common Canavan mutations
 * No prenatal diagnosis
 * Turn around time is 10-14 days
 * Canavan Disease testing
 * Blood samples same as above
 * Amniotic fluid:
 * <15 weeks send 2 confluent T25 flasks
 * >15 weeks send 5 ml unspun fluid and keep backup cultures at our facility
 * CVS send 5 mg cleaned CV tissue and maintain backup cultures
 * Ship at ambient temperature
 * Turn around time 7-10 days
 * If carrier status of parents determined at another lab, must also send parental blood specimens as controls
 * Laboratory Corporation of America - Research Triangle Park, NC
 * Have primary testing and distribution center in Cincinnati
 * Canavan Disease
 * Blood sample (7 ml in lavender topped tube)
 * Screens for only 2 mutations
 * Send specimens at room temperature
 * Jewish Heritage Profile 1
 * Blood sample (8 ml in lavender topped tube)
 * Screens for mutations causing Canavan Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Niemann-Pick, and Tay-Sachs
 * Ship at room temperature
 * Medicare and other carriers may not recognize this procedure as covered health care
 * Jewish Heritage Profile II
 * Blood sample same as above
 * Screens for mutations causing Canavan Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Fanconi Anemi (Type C), Gaucher, Niemann-Pick, and Tay-Sachs Disease
 * Medicare and other carriers may not cover this test
 * Not appropriate for non-Ashkenazi Jewish individuals
 * Genzyme Genetics: http://www.genzymegenetics.com/Our-Services/Reproductive-Testing/aj-carrier-test.aspx
 * Ashkenazi Jewish Panel
 * Specimen Requirements:
 * 1. Blood: ACD-A (yellow-top) or EDTA (lavender-top) tube. Adult: 10 ml whole blood for one test, 30ml whole blood if ordering multiple tests. Turnaround Time: 10-14 days
 * 2. Mouthwash: Please Note: Patient should not eat, drink, smoke or chew gum for at least one hour prior to collection (see specimen kit for detailed instructions). Mouthwash samples can be sent when ordering up to two tests. When ordering more than two tests, blood samples are required. Mouthwash cannot be used for Tay-Sachs disease carrier screening as Tay-Sachs enzyme analysis requires a blood sample. 10 ml of Scope® mouthwash that has been swished vigorously for at least one minute. Collect in orange-top 50 ml polypropylene tube. Turnaround Time: 10-14 days
 * Tests for Bloom syndrome, Canavan disease, Cystic fibrosis, Dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase deficiency, Familial dysautonomia, Familial hyperinsulinism, Fanconi anemia group C, Gaucher disease, Glycogen storage disease type 1a, Maple syrup urine disease, Mucolipidosis type IV, Nemaline myopathy, Niemann-Pick disease type A, Tay-Sachs disease, Usher syndrome type III, Usher syndrome type IF
 * Can also order each test individually, although very expensive
 * Ship at room temperature via FedEx
 * Prenatal testing
 * Molecular testing if specific ASPA mutation has been identified in both parents
 * If one partner is a known carrier but status of the other partner is unknown, measure the level of NAA in amniotic fluid at 16-18 weeks
 * Research testing
 * Supposedly available for mutations not tested for by clinical studies
 * Duke University Medical Center does NOT offer research testing
 * NYU School of Medicine may offer research testing
 * Haemek Medical Center in Afula, Israel

Management

 * No cure
 * Treatment focuses on support, nutrition, hydration, management of infectious diseases, and protection of the airway
 * Feeding tube if swallowing difficulties
 * Seizures treated with anticonvulsants
 * Physical therapy
 * Minimizes contractures
 * Maximize abilities and seating posture
 * Other therapies to enhance communication skills
 * Gene therapy
 * Studies with a mouse model are being used in gene therapy trials
 * Gene transfer to brain of two children with Canavan Disease
 * Using non-viral vector
 * Procedure well tolerated and some biochemical, radiological, and clinical changes may have been seen

Differential Diagnosis

 * Alexander's Disease, Tay-Sachs disease, metachromatic leukodystrophy, and glutaric acidemia may have similar clinical symptoms
 * Laboratory or molecular genetic testing can be used to distinguish from these diseases
 * Spongy degeneration of the brain found in some viral disorders can also be distinguished by testing

Psychosocial Issues

 * Past experiences with family members with Canavan Disease
 * DNA banking, particularly if an individual is diagnosed based on elevated NAA levels but molecular testing does not identify a mutation
 * Feelings about preimplantation genetic diagnosis and termination
 * Daily management of an affected family member
 * Financial pressures
 * Lifestyle changes necessary to care for an affected child
 * Guilt, depression

Resources

 * Canavan Foundation
 * 110 Riverside Drive #4F
 * New York, NY 10024
 * Phone: 877-4-Canavan
 * Email: canavandisease@aol.com
 * [Web: www.canavanfoundation.org]

 * National Foundation for Jewish Genetic Diseases, Inc
 * 250 Park Ave, Ste 1000
 * New York, NY 10177
 * Phone: 212-371-1030
 * Email: NFJGD@aol.com
 * [Web: www.nfjgd.org]

 * Jacob's Cure: A Fight Against Canavan Disease
 * PO Box 52
 * Rye, NY 10580
 * Phone: 914-502-4249
 * Email: info@jacobscure.org
 * [Web: www.jacobscure.org]


text:
Handbook of Genetic Counseling/Cancer

Cancer

Cancer Epidemiology Data

 * Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells. All cancers are genetic, but not all are inherited. It is a multifactorial disorder, caused by both genetic and non-genetic factors.
 * Cancer is a very common disease. 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will develop some form of cancer in their lifetimes. The most common cancer sites are lung, breast, prostate, and colon.
 * In the U.S., approximately 175,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year (50,000 of these are in women under 40).
 * In the U.S., 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer over their lifetimes. Average age of developing cancer is 62. 2/3 of the women will be over 55 years old.
 * Genes are on chromosomes and they come in pairs (1 mom, 1 dad). Autosomal dominant, so 50/50 chance of inheriting the gene. Explain tumor suppressor genes, oncogenes, mutations.
 * About 5-10% of all breast cancer is hereditary. About 20% of it is familial (combination of different genes and environment). Most cancer is sporadic.
 * Familial clustering is more common than hereditary breast cancer. A combination of genes from both sides of the family plus environmental factors.
 * Our job is to figure out where your cancer lies. Of the hereditary type, 2/3 is caused by BRCA1 (45%) and BRCA2 (35%) mutations (increases the risk up to 85%).
 * Management: mammograms at age 40, physician exam twice a year, self-exams monthly.

Cancer Pedigree Questions

 * A pedigree is our "physical exam". Gives us clues as to whether the cancer is hereditary. It's important to know who has AND who doesn't have cancer.
 * "Tell me about your experience" or "Tell me what happened"
 * Very specific questions about the cancer in different family members
 * Age at diagnosis
 * Current age & screening practices
 * Age at death & specific cause of death
 * Primary site of cancer (type, location, stage, laterality)
 * Metastasis or any new primary cancers
 * Methods of treatment/surgery
 * Any types of precancerous lesions
 * Ethnic background
 * Environmental exposures
 * Lifestyle issues (diet, exercise, stress)
 * Screening habits of "unaffected" relatives
 * Any other medical conditions that may be associated with cancer
 * any family hx of early heart attacks, blindness, deafness, birth defects, or multiple miscarriages
 * Things that make us suspicious. . .cancer across one or more generations, multiple people affected in the same generation, early age of onset (before 50)
 * Need a medical release for pathology reports, clinic notes, autopsy reports, death certificates, etc. for verification.

title: Handbook of Genetic Counseling/Cancer