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Coping with Male Pattern Baldness

The purpose of this book is to provide support and advice for those of us who have fallen victim (or perhaps been saved) by male pattern baldness. For more information on the causes, please refer to a different source, as the aim of this work is personal acceptance.

Why me?
Baldness can strike a man at any age. It has been reported that baldness can begin anywhere from the early teen years onward into adulthood. Of course, the earlier this happens, the more likely it will have a negative affect on the individual's self esteem and consequent social interactions. This results typically in one of a few possible courses of action.

 * 1) The person becomes depressed, and takes no action.
 * 2) The person gets angry, and withdraws from social interaction.
 * 3) The person becomes desperate, and invests large (or small) amounts of money in supposed baldness cures, treatments, and procedures.
 * 4) The person pretends/acts like nothing has changed, and is unaffected.
 * 5) The person takes steps to hide their hair loss without attempting to "cure" it.

The most common question that one facing male pattern baldness will ask himself is "Why me?". The fact is, male pattern baldness is hereditary. Other forms of hair loss however, do not fit under this category. So one has to ask themselves, are any of my relatives bald/balding? One cannot simple follow the idea that baldness comes only from the mother's father. Baldness can be inherited from a father, grandfather, or even through the mother as a recessive gene.

Is there any hope my hair will grow back?
Pay very close attention this. There is no scientifically proven, 100% completely effective cure for baldness.

Once a hair follicle has died, it will never grow back, or begin to produce new hairs. However there are many misconceptions about baldness. For example:

 * If I shave my head, the hair will grow back thicker
 * Hairs grow in cycles, right now my hair follicles are in a resting phase
 * I'm not balding, I'm just thinning

Lets analyze these for a moment. First, the idea that shaving your head will make your hair grow back thicker is completely false. There is absolutely no evidence to support this, nor does it make any sense on a scientific level.

Secondly, yes, hair does grow in cycles. What you need to realize is that if you are visibly balding, that means you have lost at least half of your hair. This kind of hairloss is not related to the on and off growing cycles of normal healthy hair cells. It is normally to lose hairs every day, but when this amount begins to exceed what is normal, visible hairloss will occur.

Lastly, balding and thinning are the same process. They are just different stages of progression. Some people experience a thinning of hair in certain areas of the head, whilst others will experience a complete loss of hair in certain parts. If your hair is becoming thinner, this means that your hair follicles are either dying, or becoming weak and consequently only producing tiny, often colorless hairs. Note, some people claim that in this phase, dying your hair produces the illusion of more hair. Others counterclaim that these colorless "baby hairs" are not able to retain the pigment from the dye.

As we speak, companies are currently researching a new technique that is being called "Hair Cloning", and sometimes "Hair multiplication". Until this becomes a commercially available and scientifically proven reality, this should not be considered as a realistic alternative to accepting your baldness.

Will anybody ever find me attractive?
This may come as a surprise to those of us who have just begun to lose our hair, but the answer is yes. Even if you are young, It is a 100% certainty that you can still be attractive to other people and potential partners. Let's consider a few reasons as to why this is:

 * 1) People are attracted to men for reasons beyond hair only, specifically
 * 2) Intelligence
 * 3) Charisma
 * 4) Personal Style
 * 5) Social skills
 * 6) Education
 * 7) Wealth and power
 * 8) Muscle mass/Body Physique
 * 9) Eyes, voice, etc.
 * 10) Baldness can be seen as a sign of masculinity and heightened testosterone
 * 11) Some people are specifically attracted to bald men
 * 12) Some people are completely unconcerned with hair, and instead focus on other traits

If you are only beginning to bald now, or have been bald for a longer period of time but have not taken action on the matter, a good piece of advice is to create an action plan. The most important purpose of an action plan is to build, maintain, and/or restore your confidence and self esteem.

The first step of your action plan is to accept yourself for who you are. You are an individual with a potential that is only limited by your personal desire. You can be, or you already are an attractive person to someone.

Say no to drugs, rugs, and plugs!
Most men that lose their hair go through a phase where they believe that they are a special case, and that they can in fact change their fate and cause their hair to stop falling out. That they are not like every other poor fool who has lost their hair. It is during this phase that the individual is most likely to invest in products which claim to repair, restore, regrow, or otherwise cure baldness completely. Lets look at a few of the more common options that claim to repair or restore hair:

 * 1) Chemicals: Rogaine, Propecia, Avacor, etc.
 * 2) Supplements: Saw Palmetto
 * 3) Surgery: Hair transplant, scalp reduction, etc.
 * 4) Others: Laser treatment, scalp massage, etc.

Of course there is a plethora of other products and services that are targeted towards men facing male pattern baldness. But the specifics of these individual products are not important to the scope of this document and are well documented in Wikipedia articles.

Other products and services exist today which are designed to hide and conceal hair loss. Some of these options are:

 * Scalp coloring products (Such as Topik)
 * Hair pieces, Toupees, etc.
 * Artificial hair thickening sprays

The purpose of these products again is not to cure baldness, but to conceal it's existence completely with varying degrees of success. Generally speaking, no matter what you decide to do, the end result will almost always be the same. You will have lost considerable amounts of money depending on the route you choose, your body may be permanently altered in a way that limits your future options (Surgery only) and may cause bodily harm, and you will be left unsatisfied, and with lower self confidence than before.

title: Coping with Male Pattern Baldness


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User:Kellen/Categories

This is mostly what we already have, but ive added random stuff if it occured to me. trying to think out problems that arise with this many categories... Feel free to add/modify. Kellen T 08:39, 6 August 2005 (UTC)

It is my inclination that type/ingredient/origin should be disjoint; that is, there should be a category "desserts" and a category "pies" and not "dessert pies"

Type of cuisine seems to fall under the "by meal" designation -- cakes are almost always for dessert, but failing that, the type could be cross-categorized under meals.

Existing top-level categories under "recipes" (DO NOT MODIFY)

 * American Snacks
 * Appetizers
 * Dumpling recipes
 * Salsa recipes
 * Batter recipes
 * Beverages
 * Cocktails
 * Nut and Grain Milks
 * Bread
 * Muffin recipes
 * Breakfast recipes
 * Burrito recipes
 * Casseroles
 * Chili recipes
 * Chutney recipes
 * Cobbler recipes
 * Cocktails
 * Confections
 * Fudge recipes
 * Curry recipes
 * Desserts
 * Cake recipes
 * Dessert pies
 * Mousse recipes
 * Pudding and Custard recipes
 * Vegan desserts
 * Vegetarian desserts
 * Featured recipes
 * Fritter recipes
 * Holiday recipes
 * Hanukkah recipes
 * Thanksgiving recipes
 * Icing recipes
 * Jam and Jelly recipes
 * Lasagne
 * Omelette recipes
 * Pancake recipes
 * Pasta
 * Lasagne
 * Pastries
 * Pies
 * Dessert pies
 * Pot pies
 * Tart recipes
 * Recipes by diet
 * Atkins
 * Raw recipes
 * Vegan recipes
 * Vegan desserts
 * Vegan soups
 * Vegan stews
 * Vegetarian recipes
 * Vegan recipes
 * Vegan desserts
 * Vegan soups
 * Vegan stews
 * Vegetarian desserts
 * Vegetarian main dishes
 * Vegetarian soups
 * Vegetarian stews
 * Recipes by ingredient
 * (SEE BELOW)
 * Recipes by origin
 * Asian recipes
 * East Asian recipes
 * Chinese recipes
 * Japanese recipes
 * Korean recipes
 * Mongolian recipes
 * Estonian recipes
 * Middle Eastern recipes
 * Iraqi recipes
 * Lebanese recipes
 * Palestinian recipes
 * Russian recipes
 * Southeast Asian recipes
 * Indonesian recipes
 * Thai recipes
 * Vietnamese recipes
 * Ukrainian recipes
 * Caribbean recipes
 * African recipes
 * Middle Eastern recipes
 * Moroccan recipes
 * South African recipes
 * European recipes
 * Albanian recipes
 * Belgian recipes
 * Bulgarian recipes
 * Danish recipes
 * Dutch recipes
 * English recipes
 * Estonian recipes
 * French recipes
 * German recipes
 * Greek recipes
 * Hungarian recipes
 * Irish recipes
 * Italian recipes
 * Polish recipes
 * Portugese recipes
 * Portuguese recipes
 * Romanian recipes
 * Russian recipes
 * Scandanavian recipes
 * Swedish recipes
 * Scottish recipes
 * Slovenian recipes
 * Spanish recipes
 * Ukrainian recipes
 * Welsh recipes
 * Yiddish recipes
 * North American recipes
 * American recipes
 * Californian recipes
 * Midwestern recipes
 * Native American recipes
 * Southern recipes
 * Southwestern recipes
 * Canadian recipes
 * Central American recipes
 * Salvadoran recipes
 * Jamaican recipes
 * Mexican recipes
 * Pacific recipes
 * Australian recipes
 * New Zealand recipes
 * South American recipes
 * Argentine recipes
 * Brazilian recipes
 * Brazillian recipes
 * Chilean recipes
 * Colombian recipes
 * Peruvian recipes
 * South Asian recipes
 * Indian recipes
 * Taiwanese recipes
 * Salads
 * Salad dressings
 * Sandwiches
 * Beef sandwiches
 * Sauces
 * Salad dressings
 * Sausage recipes
 * Scone recipes
 * Side dishes
 * Soups
 * Beef soups
 * Borschts
 * Chicken soups
 * Vegan soups
 * Vegetarian soups
 * Stews
 * Beef stews
 * Chicken stews
 * Veal stews
 * Vegan stews
 * Vegetarian stews
 * Vegetable dishes

END EXISTING

 * Recipes
 * Recipes by Meal and Type
 * Breakfast
 * Brunch
 * Lunch
 * Snacks
 * Tea
 * Appetizers (??)
 * Dinner
 * Dessert
 * Cakes
 * Pies
 * Recipes by Ingredient
 * Meat
 * Poultry
 * Chicken
 * Turkey
 * Duck
 * Bacon (?)
 * Beef
 * Frog
 * Horse
 * Lamb
 * Dog
 * Pork (ham goes here too?)
 * Rabbit
 * Sausage (or should this be in misc since it's processed?)
 * Vegetables
 * Artichoke
 * Basil (here or in spices?)
 * Beet
 * Cabbage
 * Carrot
 * Chile (the spicy ones)
 * Cucumber
 * Eggplant
 * Fiddlehead
 * Garlic
 * Mushroom
 * Okra
 * Onion
 * Potato
 * Pumpkin
 * Radish
 * Rhubarb
 * Spinach
 * Tomato
 * Turnip
 * Yam
 * Seafood
 * Shrimp
 * Shellfish
 * Mussels
 * Oysters
 * Crab
 * Fish
 * Salmon
 * Tuna
 * Halibut
 * Grains
 * Rice
 * Barley
 * Oats
 * Fruit
 * Avocado (here or elsewhere or both?)
 * Banana
 * Coconut (this really a fruit?)
 * Fig
 * Dates (fruit?)
 * Lemon
 * Lime
 * Orange
 * Peach
 * Plum
 * Raisin (or listed under misc since its processed? same for currants?)
 * Tangerine
 * Ume
 * Pear
 * Apple
 * Berries
 * Strawberries
 * Blueberries
 * Boysenberries
 * Dairy
 * Milk
 * Cheese
 * Yogurt
 * Eggs
 * Ostrich
 * Turkey
 * Legume
 * Peanuts (crosslist)
 * Beans
 * Black Beans
 * Soy Beans
 * Pinto beans
 * Lentils
 * Peas
 * Alcohol
 * Beer
 * Wine
 * Marsala
 * Red
 * Chianti
 * White
 * Fortified Wines
 * Sherry
 * Port
 * Cognac (i dunno)
 * Brandy
 * Coffee
 * Espresso
 * Nuts
 * Walnuts
 * Almonds
 * Cashew
 * Peanut
 * Spices (?)
 * Paprika
 * Vanilla
 * Cardamom
 * Ginger
 * Cinnamon
 * Rosemary
 * Saffron
 * Sweeteners (special ones?)
 * Molassas
 * Agave
 * Honey
 * Misc
 * Mayo
 * Marijuana
 * Nutritional Yeast
 * Tapioca
 * Tofu (?)
 * Chocolate
 * Tea
 * Marshmallows
 * Ice Cream
 * Peanut Butter
 * Pickles
 * Olives (are they a fruit? wtf?)
 * Olives (are they a fruit? wtf?)

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

title: User:Kellen/Categories


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Diagnostic Radiology/Musculoskeletal Imaging/Metabolic Basic/Sickle cell disease or variant

Chwechweechw, ahotutuo, nwiiwii, and nuidudui are names the native Africans have for centuries called sickle cell disease. The disease has persisted in relatively high incidence among this population because of its "protective" effect against malarial parasite infection. Although individuals with the sickle cell gene are not immune to infection, they are afforded an advantage at resisting serious illness. Invasion by the merozoites of the red cells of individuals with sickle cell disease or trait causes sickling of the cells which triggers their destruction in the spleen before the parasite can gain access to the systemic circulation.

In 1910, Dr. James Harrick described a patient from the West Indies with anemia, whose red cells were "sickle shaped," and thus introducing the western hemisphere this unique hemoglobinopathy.

Etiology
A point mutation of the B-globin gene produces a missense mutation yielding a substation of valine for glutamine at the 6th codon and the production of Hemoglobin S. Hemoglobin S in the deoxygenated state undergoes aggregation and polymerization with in the red cell, leading to the sickle formation of the cell membrane along with problems of cell volume regulation and endothelial adhesion.

Sickle cell disease is autosomal recessive. In the individual with homozygous HbS, sickling causes severe organ damage and reduces life expectancy here in the United States to less than 50 years. Eight to ten percent of African-Americans carry the trait, and 0.2% of this population is affected by the disease.

Pathophysiology
The primary pathological results of this hemoglobinopathy are hyperbilirubinemia, anemia, and vaso-cclusive disorders. The latter two, along with their sequelae, are of most importance when considering musculoskeletal radiographic features of the disease.

 * Chronic Anemia
 * Marrow hyperplasia
 * Acute anemia and Vaso-Occlusive Disorders
 * Bone infarction
 * Secondary Osteomyelitis

Marrow Hyperplasia
Any anemic state has the potential to cause persistent red marrow in abnormal locations. Sickle cell patients retain the majority of their marrow as red cell forming, and in severe cases even the commonly fatty marrow epiphysis may be involved.

The systemic oxygen requirement may also cause expansion of existing red marrow, leading to enlargement of marrow spaces. As with persistant red marrow, this is a finding common to any severe chronic anemic state. The classic manifestation is the "hair on end" appearance and widening of the outer table of the skull by expansion of marrow in the diploic space seen on radiography and MR.

Fig. 1 The above four MR images demonstrate extensive marrow hemosiderosis, AVN of the right hip and both knees, and bone infarcts in both femurs.

Bone Infarction
Flow patterns in the marrow predispose it to infarction. The slowing of blood flow through the marrow space allows for regional hypoxia and thus sickling of red cells, leading to infarction. The proximal epiphysis of long bones, especially the humerus and femer is the most common location of infarction in sickle cell patients. Vertebral osteonecrosis and the formation of "fish vertebrae" is a classic finding.

The most significant consequence of infarction is osteonecrosis. Osteonecrosis during childhood can lead to abnormal development, and during adulthood it may cause osteoarthritis or joint destruction. Age, the presence of leg ulcers, previous ostyeonecrosis of the humeral or femoral head, and higher hemoglobin levels all raise the risk of developing osteonecrosis.

Fig. 2 Osteonecrosis and collapse of multiple thoracic vertebral end plates, giving the appearance of "fish vertebrae" in this 28 year old woman with sickle cell disease and recurrent bone pain.

Fig. 3 Humeral head infarction and osteonecrosis in a 50 year old female with sickle cell disease

Fig. 4 The two above films are of a 38 year old female with bilateral hip pain showing bilateral femoral head infarcts and osteonecrosis with subchondral collapse of the superior femoral articular surface.

Osteomyelitis
Individuals with sickle cell disease are predisposed to osteomyelitis secondary to ischemic injury of both bone and GI tract. This results in a high incidence of seeding of infarct beds with GI flora, most commonly Salmonela; as opposed to the more common cause of osteomyelitis in the general population, S. aureus.

Osteomyelitis is difficult to distinguish from bone infarction, and occurs much less commonly. Findings on plain film are nonspecific and include periostitis and osteopenia. MR is the preferred method for evaluation and demonstrates high signal on T2 weighted images and STIR. The most sensitive study is a T1 fat saturation study performed post gadolinium. Abnormal enhancement in this series is indicative of infection.


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Diagnostic Radiology/Musculoskeletal Imaging/Joint Disorders/Ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) represents a chronic inflammatory disease, primarily affecting the axial skeleton and secondarily affecting the appendicular skeleton. It typically presents in men, 15–35 years old. Remember it as the least erosive and most ossifying arthropathy. Joint ankylosis is the hallmark, as the name less than subtlely suggests. Some details on different pieces of anatomy: SI joints are radiographically involved first, bilaterally and symmetrically. Joint edges have a serrated "postage stamp" appearance due to tiny erosions, which start on the iliac side, due to the thinner cartilage, then progress to the sacral side.

Radiologic Findings
Erosions are much less than seen with other spondyloarthropathies.

The synovial portion of the SI joint, i.e. the anteroinferior 1/2 to 2/3 of the joint, ankyloses first, followed by the ligamentous portion. Ankylosis of the posterosuperior ligamentous portion is considered to look like a "star."

Other findings you might see in the pelvis, if you're not overwhelmed by those SI joints and a glimpse of the spine, are ossification of ligamentous attachments in the iliac crests and ischial tuberosities, classically giving a purported "whiskered" look. That sounds cute doesn't it. Looks just kind of fuzzy to me. The symphysis pubis can show tiny "serrated" erosions like the SI joints, before it ankyloses. Purportedly, ~25% of ankylosing sponylitis eventually has symphysis pubis involvement. Probably since SI joints are the first radiographic evidence of AS and the pelvis is being imaged for that, lumbosacral AS involvement is typically seen first, as we see on the above pelvis radiograph, although apparently the thoracolumbar junction can be the first site of involvement in the spine for AS. Involvement progresses cranially to involve the entire spine. At first, there is slight erosion of the vertebral body corners with secondary sclerosis, giving a classic squared vertebral body with "ivory" corners.

The ivory corners disappear, not unlike true elephant ivory has, leaving simply square vertebral bodies. There is an explanation for these ivory corners, even if I can't explain where all the elephants' ivory went. The outer portion of the annulus fibrosus, i.e. Sharpey's fibers, ossify first. Apparently this may not always be seen radiographically, but decreased ROM will suggest this to an astute radiologist. The ossification progresses deeper to involve the longitudinal ligaments, resulting in the classic syndesmophyte seen with AS, linking adjacent vertebral bodies.

Disc spaces tend to remain normal at first, with no loss of height, but they may eventually calcify. Apophyseal joints in the spine can be involved, if they choose to, with resultant erosions followed by ankylosis. All spinal ligaments can eventually ossify giving the classic "bamboo" spine.

Once you get a bamboo spine, a classic sign is that of the "tram track," namely the syndesmophytes and ossified ligaments between spinout processes look like "tram tracks." We get a hint of that here in the pelvis.

For further details on tram tracks, talk to MSK Fellow Durkee, as he does a thorough job at explaining trams. One point to remember, as forgetting it could give grave results, is that odontoid erosions can be seen with AS. Atlantoaxial subluxation can be seen as well. So, don't jump to conclusions and label someone with "arthritis" and such cervical findings with RA, when in fact they may have AS. The bamboo spine, though, would probably give away the diagnosis.

A couple of things to be aware with AS. As with DISH, intubating someone with an ankylosed C-spine can result in horrendous fracture with paralyzing results. Similarly, fracture in the thoracolumbar region can result in pseudoarthrosis. This can also result from an area that failed to ossify. At this area one can see DDD, erosion, and bony sclerosis. These findings can resemble severe DDD, discitis/osteomyelitis, or "neuropathic" spinal disease. Now that you are aware of the possibility of pseudoarthrosis, you can consider that as a possible diagnosis too.

Moving beyond the axial skeleton, the hip is the most common appendicular joint involved. Two kinds of patterns can be seen when the hip is involved, i.e. nondestructive and destructive. Kind of reminds me of relationships. The former is fortunately more common, as hard as that is to believe sometimes. In AS the hips are involved bilaterally and symmetrically, with, surprise surprise, ankylosis being the characteristic feature. There can be no joint space loss, or uniform joint space loss with axial migration of the femoral head.

Tiny erosions can be seen, but overall the femoral head contour is preserved. Pre-ankylosis there will be a osteophyte collar with normal mineralization, while post-ankylosis the phytes go byebye and the bones become osteopenic. The destructive hip is unilateral and insidious, resulting in marked destruction of the femoral head prior to ultimate ankylosis. The shoulder is the next most frequent appendicular joint involved. Again we see destructive and nondestructive patterns. With the latter there is a normal humeral head ankylosed to the glenoid with much ossification of the coracoclavicular ligament. With the destructive type there is a "hatchet" erosion of the humeral head. Not that I know what a hatchet blow looks like, but I think sometimes I could benefit from having such a weapon.

With the hatchet shoulder, ankylosis will eventually occur after much destruction has been wreaked. The knee is involved in ~30% of longstanding cases, not because they're standing, but, well you know what I mean. The AC, sternoclavicular, and sternomanubrial joints can all be involved. Purportedly only ~10% of longterm AS shows elbow, hand, and feet involvement. In all of these less involved joints, erosions, if present at all, are slight, with minimal bone sclerosis, but as you guessed, intra-articular ankylosis is the characteristic. Progression of an ankylosing joint tends to be rapid.

Take Home Points

 * 1) Normal mineralization pre-ankylosis; subsent osteopenia post-ankylosis.
 * 2) Subchondral bone pre-ankylosis.
 * 3) Erosions are not significant part of the picture, but if seen are small and focal.
 * 4) No subluxation.
 * 5) No subchondral cysts.
 * 6) Ankylosis, as the name suggests.
 * 7) Bilateral, symmetrical.
 * 8) First axial: SI joints, then spine, starting lumbar and progressing to cervical. Later appendicular, in decreasing prevalence: hips, shoulders, knees, hands, and feet.


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Diagnostic Radiology/Musculoskeletal Imaging/Joint Disorders/Psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a type of inflammatory arthritis that affects around 20% of people suffering from the chronic skin condition psoriasis. It occurs more commonly in patients with tissue type HLA-B27. Treatment of psoriatic arthritis is similar to that of rheumatoid arthritis. More than 80% of patients with psoriatic arthritis will have psoriatic nail lesions characterised by pitting of the nails. Psoriatic arthritis is said to be a sero-negative spondyloarthropathy.

Psoriatic arthritis can develop at any age, however on average it tends to appear about 10 years after the first signs of psoriasis. For the majority of people this is between the ages of 30 and 50, but it can also affect children. Men and women are equally affected by this condition. In about one in seven cases the arthritis symptoms may occur before any skin involvement.

As well as causing joint inflammation, psoriatic arthritis can cause tendonitis and a sausage-like swelling of the digits known as dactilytis.

 * 2-17% of patients with psoriasis get arthritis
 * skin lesions and arthritis are often asynchronous: 80-85% of pts have skin lesions first
 * synovial inflammation leading to bony proliferation at joint margins
 * inflammation at the ligamentous attachments: enthesopathy
 * Age of onset usually 30–45 years, no gender preference

Poor prognosis

 * late age of onset
 * five or more effused joints
 * high immunosuppressive medication use

Good prognosis

 * ESR < 15 mm/h

Labs

 * HLA B27 positive in 60-80% of psoriatic spondylitis and 20% of peripheral PsA
 * CRP - usually elevated
 * may be elevated: acute serum amyloid A (A-SAA)
 * ANA may be mildly elevated
 * Rheumatoid factor negative (or mildly elevated with titer<1/40, which is cut-off for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA))

Pattern of Presentation

 * 1) asymmetric oligoarthritis: > 50%
 * 2) polyarthiritis with predominantly DIP involvement (classic): 5-19%
 * 3) symmetric seronegative polyarthritis simulating RA: up to 25%
 * 4) sacroiliitis and spondylitis resembling Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS): 20-40%
 * 5) arthiritis mutilans with resorption of the phalanges: 5%

Onset may be insidious (66%) or acute (33%) mimicking gout or septic arthritis

Early Findings

 * normal
 * soft tissue swelling: sausage fingers or fusiform swelling about finger joint
 * usually no osteoporosis (˙≠ RA)
 * prominent erosions in marginal areas of joints
 * Perisostitis in metaphysis and diaphysis
 * asymmetric paravertebral ossification of thoraco- lumbar junction (from vertebral body to body ˙≠  AS: corner to corner)
 * bone scans may show hot spots prior to radiographic abnormality

Distribution of radiographic findings

 * synovial or cartilaginous joints and tendon attachment of axial and appendicular skeleton (= Reiter = AS ˙≠ RA)
 * unilateral or asymmetric (˙≠ RA) at the hands and feet
 * upper and lower extremity joints (˙≠ Reiter: more commonly lower extremity only)
 * DIP, PIP of hand and foot commonly affected
 * Abnormal phalangeal tufts and calcaneus (characteristic)
 * If axial skeleton: most commonly sacroiliac (SI) and spinal joints

General findings

 * Soft tissue swelling
 * No osteopenia (˙≠ RA)
 * Joint space may be widened or narrowed
 * Severe marginal erosions gnawing away bone towards the center of the joint are typical
 * Pencil-and-cup appearance of small joints of hand and feet (DDX: RA, leprosy, sarcoid)
 * Bone proliferation (=other seronegative spondylarthropathies = gout): spiculated, frayed, paintbrush appearance (˙≠ RA: no bone deposition)
 * Perisostitis in metaphysis and diaphysis (= Reiter= Juvenile RA =infection) sometimes accompanied by condensation of bone
 * Intraarticular osseous fusion ( AKA bone ankylosis) (DDX: erosive OA, RA (carpus and tarsus), infection, other seronegative spondylarthropathies)
 * Enthesopathy of calcaneus (Achilles tendon), femoral trochanters, ischial tuberosities, malleoli, olecranon, patella, femoral condyles.
 * Tuft resorption of the distal phalanges of the hands and feet (characteristic) (DDX: scleroderma, thermal injury)

Erosions

 * Start at joint margins, tend to be severe
 * Proceed centrally into joint
 * Result in irregular osseous surfaces: lack of apposition of adjacent bone margins (˙≠ OA)
 * Wrist abnormalities not so common in psoriasis

Calcaneus

 * Erosion and proliferation of posterior or inferior surface
 * Radiodense area postero-inferior due to retrocalcaneal bursitis
 * Achilles tendon may be thickened.

SI joints

 * 30-50% of patients with PsA
 * erosions and sclerosis of SI joints
 * bilateral lesions are more common than unilateral

Spine

 * asymmetric paravertebral ossification of lower thoraco- lumbar junction (from vertebral body to body ˙≠ AS: corner to corner)
 * Syndesmophytes are greater in size, asymmetric distribution, away form vertebral column ˙≠ AS
 * squaring of vertebral bodies, apophyseal sclerosis uncommon ˙≠ AS
 * Cspine abnormalities may be extensive: facets, discovertebral, proliferations along anterior surface, atlantoaxial subluxation, dens erosions.

Scintigraphy

 * Bone scans may show abnormality prior to radiographs
 * asymmetric ˙≠ RA
 * DIP, PIP >> SI, calcaneus

Fig. 1 Lumbar spine showing bilateral sacroiliitis

Fig. 2 Psoriatic arthritis with proliferative osteophyte on heel

Fig. 3 T1-weighted sagittal MR of psoriatic involvement of retrocalcaneal bursa and distal Achilles tendon

Fig. 4 T1-weighted sagittal MR of psoriatic involvement of retrocalcaneal bursa and distal Achilles tendon

Fig. 5 Radionuclide bone scan in a patient with psoriatic arthritis and a swollen 5th finger. This delayed image shows markedly increased uptake in the 5th finger.

Fig. 6 Hand film from same patient shows swollen 5th digit from psoriatic arthritis.

Fig. 7 Detail view of 5th finger from same patient shows erosions from psoriatic arthritis.


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Applications of ICT in Libraries/Supporting Reader Development

This page is designed for the use of students undertaking the Level 7 PDA (previously called Diploma) in Applications of ICT in Libraries.

This qualification was developed by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) and are validated by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)

Supporting Reader Development is an optional unit in the programme.

Information regarding the background to the courses, content and certification opportunities can be obtained by following the old (Diploma ICTL) or Level 8 PDA (Advanced Diploma ICTL) links.

Further information can be obtained from angela.lees@sqa.org.uk

= Objectives of reader development =

In recent years libraries have moved towards fostering reader development, a more reader-centred approach. A good definition of reader development is:

active intervention to:

 * increase people’s confidence and enjoyment of reading
 * open up reading choices
 * offer opportunities for people to share their reading experience
 * raise the status of reading as a creative activity

(See http://www.openingthebook.com/reader-centred-library)

Add alternative definitions below.

= Reader development techniques =

Reader development is not about reading “better” books, in the sense that these are more worthy literary titles - the objective is that the reader relishes the reading experience and reads the books with a sense of satisfaction. Reader development can involve:

 * reading promotions
 * use of genres
 * literacy initiatives
 * reader centred selection skills

Reading promotion
It is important at the outset to distinguish between reading promotion and reader development.

A reading promotion aims to market a small number of titles while reader development sells the whole reading experience and what it can do for you, rather than promoting individual books or writers.

That said, however, reading promotions can still play an important role as part of a wider reader development programme, as they can alert readers to titles which they might otherwise remain unaware of.

Reading promotions may be local (within the library or local authority library service), national or even international. Reading promotions focus on small or moderate numbers of book titles which are grouped together and marketed as a list or reading pathway for the client group. This group might be adults, younger clients or clients with special needs or specific language requirements. Sometimes, language, subject or publisher links them together.

Although reading promotions are not reader-centred (their objective is to increase sales or issues), they do bring books to the attention of readers and may attract new readers because of their display and supporting print materials. Grouping books together in a promotion centres the reader’s attention on them and will lead to increased client use of this stock.

Activity: Find some examples of recent book promotions in which your library service has participated. Discuss with colleagues what was successful or unsuccessful about these promotions.

Current book promotions
There are so many book promotions that we could not attempt to give a comprehensive listing. However, here are three examples of current book promotions which could be applicable to public libraries, together with our comments on these. Maybe some of them were included in your list.

Richard and Judy’s Summer Reads
http://www.richardandjudybookclub.co.uk/

Celebrities Richard and Judy promote reading through their Summer Reads and Book Club. Whilst this is a small range of titles, these titles receive a high profile in the media and outlets like supermarkets, bookshops, stations and airports. It is always important to be aware of what is in the media spotlight, as requests from clients will follow. Richard and Judy’s titles are contemporary paperback fiction.

Welsh Book Council
http://www.cllc.org.uk/hafan-home

This website promotes access to books by Welsh publishers and contains useful reading suggestions for readers. It is important that local/national authors and publishers are promoted to encourage and sustain the growth and development of the local/national cultural industry. In addition Welsh/Gaelic language material should be made available to meet the needs of readers.

Mills and Boon
http://www.millsandboon.co.uk

Mills and Boon publishers are well known for their range of romantic fiction. Their website includes a large number of titles but it will only appeal to a limited group of readers and has a commercial rather than reader-centred objective. = Genre =

A genre is a “family” group of books which share style, form, or content, e.g.: crime fiction.

Activity: List other fiction genres which are common in public libraries.

Fiction genres
When you look round any bookshop or library, you see that it is possible to group fiction into many genres. New genres emerge all the time – a few years ago, for instance, “chick lit” was unheard of; now it is one of the best selling fiction genres. The most common fiction genre groupings are:

 * literary fiction
 * crime
 * romance
 * fantasy and sci-fi
 * blockbusters
 * historical
 * short stories
 * westerns
 * defined by country, e.g.: Canadian literature

Arranging collections by genre
Many libraries organise part of their fiction collection by genre and the identifying spine labels for the different genres (e.g.: a gun for crime) will be familiar to many library clients. Libraries do this to help clients who habitually read, for example, crime novels. This means that clients regularly go to the same area of stock for their reading material and can miss out on wider reading choices.

Some might argue that arranging the non-fiction stock using a classification system removes the need for genres in this area of the library. However, many libraries use genres for some of their non-fiction stock. Common examples are biographies and travel books.

For the client who is completely focused on one genre it is undoubtedly helpful if they find all the books in this genre in one place in the library. But the disadvantage of this approach is that it can discourage more adventurous reading.

The client may never look beyond the few shelves which contain the selection of “his/her books”, even though other books elsewhere could be of interest to them. While some clients will always limit their reading choices to a particular genre, others can, with support, can be led to enjoy reading across a wider range.

= Literacy initiatives =

Literacy initiatives can make a significant contribution to reader development. Such initiatives exist at both local and national level.

There are many literacy initiatives related to education. These include the National Literacy Strategy, National Priorities for Education and Literacy Hour.

The ability to read fluently is an important life skill and opens doors to better job prospects, improved economic prospects and more leisure choices. In the UK, the issues are about low levels of literacy rather than illiteracy, but 23% of adults in the UK struggle with basic literacy.

The website of the National Literacy Trust, http://www.literacytrust.org.uk has lots of statistical information. Good functional literacy is important to the well being of individuals as well as the economy of the country and reading/writing abilities are essential for everyday tasks such as writing shopping lists, texting and using medicines properly.

Government initiatives to improve literacy in education include the introduction of the Literacy Hour. The National Literacy Trust was established in 1993 to improve skills, confidence and pleasure in reading. The NLT goes wider than formal education and there are well-developed national networks for Adult Literacy and Numeracy support and development.

Activity: Go to http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/projects_networks and look at the details of the latest literacy initiatives applicable to libraries. Choose those of interest to your own library service and consider how you could use them as part of reader development.

Examples of literacy initiatives
In England, The Reading Agency brings libraries and adult literacy together in partnership and promotions include Got Kids? Get Reading! and First Choice.

The Reading Agency runs an annual literacy initiative - the 'Six Books Challenge' aimed at adults and learners in further education.

You can find out more at http://readingagency.org.uk/adults/quick-guides/six-book-challenge/

In Scotland, the Big Plus brand promotes adult literacy and numeracy. There is a partnership between Communities Scotland’s Learning Connections and libraries which is developing projects, collections and providing training.

http://www.thebigplus.com/about/About_The_Big_Plus

Activity: Browse through the following literacy related websites for younger clients. Do any of them have activities which you could link into or adapt for your library service? Note: most of these sites give links to other related sites which may also provide you with inspiration.

The Child Literacy Centre			http://www.childliteracy.com

My home library					http://www.myhomelibrary.org

= Reader-centred stock selection =

When choosing stock it is important that you consider the reading preferences of clients. Using reader-centred selection skills in general stock selection is good practice. You will keep your clients’ reading preferences in mind as you take account of current demands, gaps in stock, levels and formats of stock and the condition and currency of stock. You may need to think about developing specific areas of stock. You may also need to select specific items or generate lists for individual clients and their meeting their needs should be the focus.

Later we’ll discuss what is involved in carrying out an interview with the client to establish their reading history and preferences and in building a reader-profile. Following on from that you will draw on your knowledge of the reading resources available in order to develop a reader-centred list or pathway. Here we discuss some of the resources which are available to assist you in stock selection.

Activity: Make a list of the range of resources which are available to you when you are selecting stock to recommend to a reader whose reader-profile you have established. Remember you can be accessing stock which already exists in your library service or you may be ordering new stock for the client.

Resources
For stock within your library service you will use the library catalogue and themed lists such as the Quick Reads collection for emergent readers:

http://www.quickreads.org.uk/

To identify new stock you can use online sources – there are many online selection tools which are useful in locating resources which your own service does not have. Examples include:

Scottish Bibliographies Online: 		http://www.scotlandsculture.org/sbo/sbo.htm

Which Book - for widening fiction choice (with reviews from library staff)

Other resources for assisting in stock selection include:

 * catalogues of other libraries
 * bibliographies
 * review journals
 * publishers’ lists
 * pre-publication lists
 * specialist suppliers
 * showroom and bookshop visits
 * trade publications

Library catalogues
Online library catalogues can assist you in your search for appropriate material. Most UK library catalogues can be searched via the Internet.

The UK Public Libraries Page http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/square/ac940/weblibs.html is a useful resource, linking to the web-available catalogues.

Some services “clump” together the catalogues of several libraries. A single-search interface is used to cross-search multiple catalogues in a single search action, such as http://www.ni-libraries.net/ for Northern Ireland or CatCymru for Wales http://library.wales.org/catcymru/

Bibliographies
A bibliography is a list of materials on a particular subject or by a particular author.

The publication, in either printed or electronic format, is usually arranged by author, date or subject, and provides information such as author, title, publisher and date of publication. This can then be used to identify sources and place orders for clients.

Activity: Find out which bibliographies are held in hard copy in your library service and consider how each might be of use to you for reader-centred stock selection.

Review journals
Review journals offer more information about books, articles or research than is found in bibliographies. A review will summarise the contents and make an evaluative statement about its contribution within its context. Good examples include newspapers such as:

The Sunday Times 	http://www.timesonline.co.uk

The Guardian 		http://www.guardian.co.uk/

Remember though, however respected the journal or reviewer, reviews are the views of one individual and so need to be evaluated carefully.

Publishers’ lists
Publisher’s websites and lists offer useful information. Caution must be exercised when using these to select material as publishers and booksellers have a commercial imperative. So you must always apply your selection criteria.

Books from Scotland (http://www.booksfromscotland.com) is supported by Publishing Scotland’s website and highlights new books as does their Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/BooksfromScotlandcom/28776550495) and Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/scottishbooks). They also have an RSS news feed.

Pre-publication lists
These lists offer useful information about forthcoming publications.

However, library staff know that they must be especially careful when using information from pre-publication lists as these lists may be produced many months before an item is actually published. In the interval between the pre-publication list and the actual publication of the item, the date of publication, length, format and price may change.

Specialist suppliers
Specialist suppliers are used to ensure that range and depth is developed within collections. This might be a particular interest, specialist language material, dual language material, or alternative formats such as Braille or for emergent readers.

Showroom and bookshop visits
Visits to showrooms and bookshops offer the opportunity to browse through the books. The downsides are that the range is limited to what is available in stock and that it takes considerable time and travel to select from a wide range of stock effectively and efficiently.

Trade publications
The Bookseller is a weekly trade publication, which lists new publications and forthcoming titles http://www.thebookseller.com


text:
High School Mathematics Extensions/Financial Options

Introduction
We have all heard of at least one stock exchange. NASDAQ, Dow Jones, FTSE and Hang Sheng. Less well-known, but more useful to many people, are the futures exchanges. A stock exchange allows stock brokers, also known as investment advisors, to trade company stocks, while futures exchanges allow more exotic derivatives to be traded. For example, financial options, which is also the focus of this chapter.

An option is a contract that gives the holder the choice to buy (or sell) a certain good in some time in the future for a certain price. What are options for? Initially, they are used to protect against risk. But they are also used to take advantage foreseeable opportunities, like what Thales has done1.

Thales, the great Greek philosopher, was credited with the first recorded use of an option in the western world. A popular anecdote suggests, in one particular year while still in winter, he forecasted a great harvest of olives in the coming year. He had next to no money, so he purchased the option for the use of all the olive presses in his area. Naturally, when the time to harvest came everyone wanted to use the presses he had optioned! Needless to say he made a lot of money out of it.

Basics
An option is a contract of choice. You can choose whether to exercise the option or not.

If you own an option that states
 * You may purchase 1 kg of sugar from Shop A tomorrow for $2

suppose tomorrow the market price of sugar is $3, you would want to exercise the option i.e. buy the sugar for $2. Then you would sell it for $3 on the market and make $1 in the process. But if the market price for 1 kg of sugar is $1, then you would choose not to exercise the option, because it's cheaper on the market. Let us be a little bit more formal about what an option is. In particular there are two types of option:
 * Call Option
 * A call option is a contract that gives the owner the option to buy an 'underlying stock' at the 'strike price', on the 'expiry date'.
 * Put Option
 * A put option is a contract that gives the owner the option to sell an 'underlying stock' at the 'strike price', on the 'expiry date'.

In the above example, the 'underlying stock' was sugar and the 'strike price' $2 and 'expiry date' is tomorrow. We shall represent an option like below
 * {C or P, $amount, # periods to expiry}

. For example
 * {C,$3,1}

represents a call option with strike price for some unspecified underlying stock expiring in one time-unit's time. A time-unit here may be a year, a month, one day or one hour. The important point is the mathematics we will present later does not really depend on what this time-unit is. Also, we need not specify the underlying stock either. Another example
 * {P,$100,2}

represents a put option with strike price $100 for some unspecified underlying stock expiring in 2 time-units' time.

Now that we have a basic idea of what an option is, we can start to imagine a market place where options are traded. We assume that such a market exists. Also we assume that there is no fee of any kind to participate in a trade. Such a market is called a frictionless market. Of course, a market place where the underlying stock is traded is also assumed to exist.

Info -- American or European
 Actually there are two major types of options: American or European. An European option allows you to exercise the option only on the 'expiry date'; while the American version allows you to exercise the option at any time prior to the 'expiry date'. We shall only discuss European options in this chapter.

Arbitrage
Another very important concept is arbitrage. In short, an arbitrage is a way to make money out of nothing. We assume that there is no free-lunch in this world, in other words our market is arbitrage-free. We will show an example of how to perform an arbitrage later on in the chapter.

The real meat of this chapter is the technique used to price the options. In simple terms, we have an option, how much should it be? From this angle, we will see that the arbitrage-free requirement is a very strong one, in that it basically dictates what the price of the option should be.

Option's value on expiry
Pricing the option is about how much is it worth now. Of course the present value of an option depends on its possible future values. Therefore it is vital to understand how much the option is worth at expiry, when it is time to choose whether to exercise the option or not. For example, consider the option
 * {C,$2,1}

it is the call (buy) option that expires in one week's time (or day or year or whatever period it is supposed to be). How much should the option be if the market price of the underlying stock on expiry is $3? What if the market price is $1? It is sensible to say the option has a value of $1 if the market price (for the underlying stock) is $3, and the option should be worthless ($0) if the market price is $1. Why do we say it is sensible to price the option as above? It is because we assume the market is arbitrage-free. Also in a market, we assume With those assumptions, we show that if you price the option any differently, someone can make money without using any of his/her own money. For example, suppose on expiry, the market price for the underlying stock is $3 and you decide to sell the option for $0.7 (not $1 as is sensible). An intelligent buyer would do the following: He/she made $0.3 and at no time did he/she use his/her own money (i.e. balance never less than zero)! This is a free lunch, which is contrary to the assumption of a arbitrage-free market!  Exercises  1. In an arbitrage-free market, consider an option T = {C,$100,1}.
 * there is a bank that's willing to lend you money
 * if you repay the bank in the same day you borrowed, no fee will be charged.
 * i) How much should the option be on expiry if the price of the underlying stock is $90.
 * ii) What if the underlying stock costs $110 on expiry.
 * iii} $100?

2. Consider an option T = {C,$10,1}.
 * i) On expiry, would you consider buying the option if it was for sell for $2 if the underlying stock costs $12?
 * ii) What if the underlying stock costs $13.

3. Consider the put option T = {P,$2,1}. On expiry the underlying stock costs $1. Jenny owns T, she decides on the following actions
 * Borrow $1
 * Purchase the underlying stock from the market for $1
 * Exercise the option i.e. sell the stock for $2
 * Repay $1

Did she do the right thing? 4. In an arbitrage-free market, consider the put option T = {P,$2,1}.
 * i) On expiry, how much should the option cost if the underlying stock costs $1?
 * ii) $3?

5. Consider the put option T = {P,$2,1}. On expiry the underlying stock costs $1. And the option T is on sale for $0.5. Jenny immediately sees an arbitrage opportunity. Detail the actions she should take to capitalise on the arbitrage opportunity. (Hint: imitate the Action, Money, Balance table )

Pricing an option
Consider this hypothetical situation where a company, MassiveSoft, is in negotiation to merge with another company, Pears. The share price of MassiveSoft currently stands at $7. If the negotiation is successful, the share price will rise to $11; otherwise it will fall to $5. Experts predict the probability of a success is 90%. Consider a call option that lets you buy 1000 shares of MassiveSoft at $8 when the negotiation is finalised. How much should the option be?

Since the market is arbitrage-free, the value of the option at expiry is already determined. Of course
 * if the negotiation is successful, the option is valued at (11 - 8) × 1000 = $3000
 * otherwise, the option should be worthless ($0)

the above are the only correct values of the option at expiry or people can "rip you off".

Let x be the price of the option at present, we can use the following diagrams to illustrate the situation,

the diagram shows that the current price of the option should be $x, and if the negotiation is successful, it will be worth $3000, otherwise it is worthless. In similar fashion, the following diagram shows the value of the company stock now, and in the future
 * $$\nearrow $$
 * $$$3000 \!$$
 * $$$x \!$$
 * $$\searrow $$
 * $$$0 \!$$
 * }
 * $$\searrow $$
 * $$$0 \!$$
 * }
 * $$\searrow $$
 * $$$0 \!$$
 * }

You may have notice that we didn't put down the probability of success or failure. Interestingly (and counter-intuitively), they don't matter! Again, the arbitrage-free principle dictates that what we have in the two diagrams above are sufficient for us to price the option!
 * $$\nearrow $$
 * $$$11 \!$$
 * $$$7 \!$$
 * $$\searrow $$
 * $$$5 \!$$
 * }
 * $$\searrow $$
 * $$$5 \!$$
 * }
 * $$\searrow $$
 * $$$5 \!$$
 * }

How?

What is the option? It is the contract that gives you the option to buy ... Wait, wait, wait. Think of it from another angle
 * it is a tradable object that is worth $3000 if the negotiation is successful, and $0 if otherwise

This is the main idea behind how to price the option. The option must be the same price as another object that goes up to $3000 or down to $0 depending on the success of the negotiation. Hopefully, this object is something we know the price of. This idea is called constructing a replicating portfolio.

A portfolio is a collection of tradable things. We want to construct a portfolio that behaves in the same way as the option. It turns out that we can construct a portfolio that behaves in the way as the option by using only two things. They are let's assume that money is tradable in the sense that you can buy a dollar with a dollar. This concept may seem very unintuitive at first. However let's proceed with the mathematics, suppose this portfolio consists of y units of MassiveSoft shares and z units of money. If the negotiation is successful, then each share will be worth $11, and the whole portfolio should be worth $3000, as it behaves in the same way as the option, so we have the following
 * 1) MassiveSoft shares
 * 2) and money
 * $$11y + z = 3000 \!$$

but if the negotiation is unsuccessful then the portfolio is worthless ($0) and MassiveSoft share prices will fall to $5, giving
 * $$5y + z = 0 \!$$

we can easily solve the above simultaneous equations. We get
 * $$6y = 3000 \!$$

and so
 * $$y = 500 $$ and $$z = -$2500$$

So this portfolio consists of 500 MassiveSoft shares and -$2500. But what is -$2500? This can be understood as an obligation to pay back some money (e.g. from borrowings) on the expiry date of the option. So the portfolio we constructed can be thought of as
 * 500 MassiveSoft shares and an obligation to pay $2500

Now, 500 MassiveSoft shares costs $7 × 500 = 3500, so the option should be priced as 3500 - 2500 = $1000.

Let's price a few more options.

...

The famous mathematician John Nash, as portrayed in the movie A Beautiful Mind, did some pioneering work in portfolio theory with equivalent functions.

Call-Put parity
...more to come

Reference

 * 1) A Brief History of Options


text:
File:Framing calculations template.png

Simple colour coded diagram for tutorial on picture framing. Created by author.

title: File:Framing calculations template.png


text:
Template talk:Stage

Protected at the request of User:Robert Horning. He felt that this template would continue to be a prime target for vandalism. GeoT 11:47, 6 August 2005 (UTC)

Add USAGE section
I suggest include in the template:

=== Usage ===

See Help:Development stages

That would show:

Usage
See Help:Development stages

--193.144.127.231 11:27, 8 March 2007 (UTC)

Only require date for <100%
If something is 100% complete, the date (although nice) should possibly be optional. How about changing the template from

to

{{#ifeq:|100%|| }]

An additional nicety would be

{{#ifeq:{{{2|}}}|100%|| }]

--Yan 09:23, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

Colours
currently the square's quarter border colours go from light gray (0%), dark red (25%), dark violet (50%), bright red (75%), to bright green (100%).

1. Shades of colours (i.e. one hue only, e.g. light to dark gray) might be considered more intuitive.

2. Instead of showing empty quarters one could work with filling the quarters to indicate the stage (all full being 100% for a 'positive' or neutral colour -- or all empty when using a 'negative' or neutral colour such as red or gray)

3. Generally, any links (incl. links to wiki pages) I expect to contain complete content -- so, 100% should be the "normal" stage (basically not requiring an stage image or maybe only a very subtle one -- like the light gray one :)

just my thoughts whilst understanding those images -- sorry if i probably missed some discussions ---22:01, 10 March 2010 (UTC)

The 00% image...
The usage instructions message of the template currently says:

 * should be 0% (00%.svg), 25% (25%.svg), 50% (50%.svg), 75% (75%.svg), or 100% (100%.svg)

But if you type literally 0% in the first field the image won't be shown - you need to type 00%. That documentation bug definitely should be fixed. --Duplode (talk) 14:45, 4 May 2010 (UTC)

title: Template talk:Stage


text:
Template talk:Stage short

Protected at the request of User:Robert Horning. He felt that this template would continue to be a prime target for vandalism. GeoT 11:48, 6 August 2005 (UTC)

Edit request: PNG--->SVG
editprotected Original text:

New text:

I just noticed they had be svg-ized at the Commons Village Pump. --Iamunknown 04:28, 8 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Nvm. --Iamunknown 09:09, 15 June 2007 (UTC)

Request for expansion
I propose that this template should "understand" values other than 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% better. It should add a better fitting image for a percentage; instead of adding the image for 0% for 61% finished, it should add the 50% image (or even, other images should be added for 62.5% = 5/8 etc.).--Sae1962 (discuss • contribs) 09:28, 23 February 2015 (UTC)

title: Template talk:Stage short


text:
Talk:FHSST Biology

Orphaned pages from earlier editing attempts
The following are some "orphaned pages" that need to be placed somewhere in this Wikibook. If you don't want to include them, please add the template at the top of the page to have them removed from Wikibooks:

 * FHSST Biology Units:Introduction
 * FHSST Biology Units:Scientific Notation, Significant Figures, Rounding and Chi Squared Test
 * FHSST Biology Units:Scientific Notation, Significant Figures and Rounding

title: Talk:FHSST Biology


text:
Talk:Chess Opening Theory

Archives: 1

Co-ordination
Issues affecting the whole book(not just the root page), please discuss on the Opening theory organisation page. Have moved some of existing discussion there. http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Talk:Opening_theory_in_chess/Organization

Thanks
I would just like to say that I am extremely grateful for these pages. I can't afford any chess books (I don't get allowance or get paid for any chores by my parents) so the only resource I have is the internet through the library. I don't know how many people have thanked you all for taking the trouble to post this information up, but I'd like to just be another person to tell you that I've been reading all of this! I just hope that some wiki mod doesn't show up and delete the pages saying it's too much information, because I've seen articles cut down a lot because of it. Anyway, you guys can just delete this after a bit, but I just wanted to give a thank you because this is the best!

 * Check out the chess articles in www.Wikipedia.org - I think there is much more over there. Bubba73 (talk) 14:55, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Chess Opening Theory/ECO volume A/B/C...
Referring to the opening theory tables e.g. Chess Opening Theory/ECO volume B.

This is really awful to edit and is not particularly useful. Simple opening moves without links may be better option. Also the overall structure is not intuitive, putting the names/variations first then the moves leaves no allignment. Suggest

title

moves  : comment / variation

moves  : comment / variation

Pirc

1:e4 d6 2:d4 Nf6 :  Basic

1:e4 d6 2:d4 Nf6 3:Nc3 g6 4:Nf3 g7 :  Classical System

1:e4 d6 2:d4 Nf6 ....... : Whatever.

Positive Review
I actually really like this book so far, but found this part confusing: "Why is controlling the center a good idea? That comes under chess strategy, which is discussed in the Chess Wikibook." There is a link there, but the section of the book that talks about 'Why' is not called "Chess strategy", but instead under "Aims of an opening".

Good opening moves and bad opening moves
There is actually a very good reason why chess players open with center pawns. Here is a paper that shows that there are indeed good opening moves and bad opening moves. It describes a method of using engine analysis to compare the win probabilities of commonly used opening sequences. http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1402/1402.6791.pdf 110.77.177.242 (discuss) 06:13, 25 March 2014 (UTC)

 * 110.77.177.242 - your article contains the sentence "more recently chess engine programmer Vasik Rajlich carried out an extensive study on chess engines to support Fischer's call (Rajlich: Busting the King's Gambit, 2012)". I'm afraid Rajlich's article was an elaborate April Fools' Day joke - check the date! Chi Sigma (discuss • contribs) 10:31, 28 November 2017 (UTC)

Great stuff
Wow. Things have really progressed here since this book was created almost 10 years ago. Very nice. --ThreeE (discuss • contribs) 07:11, 22 July 2014 (UTC)

Add links to Lichess analysis board
The Chess Opening Theory/Position template calculates the FEN code for a given chess position and displays it (see example on the right). We could use this to link to a position on Lichess, e.g. rnbqkbnr/pp3ppp/2p5/3Pp3/5P2/8/PPPP2PP/RNBQKBNR_w. This would be helpful for readers and editors as Lichess provides engine evaluation and an extensive opening database. Lichess is open-source and non-profit so I don't see a problem with linking to Lichess. What do you think? —Dexxor (discuss • contribs) 17:25, 2 February 2022 (UTC)

 * I actually came here to suggest this exact thing, not realising there was a link if you expand the hidden FEN information. Could this be made more clear, e.g. with a separate drop-down for the FEN and for the lichess analysis link? Or at least something with the word "lichess" in it? IMO this is the kind of thing which would be a perfect fit for a free (libre), online textbook, but I think most people (like me) wouldn't realise it exists. I'd try something myself, but I'm not so knowledgeable in arcane template wizardry. Endwise (discuss • contribs) 09:03, 22 September 2022 (UTC)
 * The moves in the infobox are now linked to Lichess, so you don't need to click the FEN anymore. Dexxor (discuss • contribs) 13:11, 23 September 2022 (UTC)
 * Nice! Thanks. Endwise (discuss • contribs) 15:28, 23 September 2022 (UTC)

Prettify page titles
Page titles can get pretty long and ugly, see for example Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nc3/2...Nf6/3. Bc4/3...Nxe4/4. Qh5/4...Nd6/5. Bb3/5...Nc6/6. Nb5/6...g6/7. Qf3/7...f5/8. Qd5/8...Qe7/9. Nxc7/9...Kd8/10. Nxa8/10...b6. All those slashes and dots make the title even harder to read. There are technical reasons why the titles need to be in this format but there's nothing stopping us from changing the way the titles are presented to the reader.

I propose to convert the titles into PGN format (for display only). The above page would then still be reachable under that path but the title would be shown as "1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nxe4 4. Qh5 Nd6 5. Bb3 Nc6 6. Nb5 g6 7. Qf3 f5 8. Qd5 Qe7 9. Nxc7 Kd8 10. Nxa8 b6". To achieve this without editing every single page, we can modify the Chess Opening Theory/Position template, which should be transcluded on every page, to use. The conversion into PGN can be done in two lines of Lua.

What do you think? —Dexxor (discuss • contribs) 21:43, 2 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Could you please give an example please? D0arnmaz1e (discuss • contribs) 08:06, 24 June 2022 (UTC)
 * I've implemented the proposed change on my sandbox. Compare its displayed title with the title of the real page. —Dexxor (discuss • contribs) 08:23, 24 June 2022 (UTC)
 * That looks awesome! However, you would have to teach me how to implement it when I create new pages. D0arnmaz1e (discuss • contribs) 11:32, 24 June 2022 (UTC)
 * The idea is to integrate this into Template:Chess Opening Theory/Position so that you don't need to worry about it when creating pages. However, this would make it slightly harder to copy the page title and I honestly think that I doesn't look that great. It also hides away how this Wikibook works and might be confusing for new contributors. —Dexxor (discuss • contribs) 15:05, 24 June 2022 (UTC)
 * Maybe have a "How-to" page for contributors? D0arnmaz1e (discuss • contribs) 03:58, 25 June 2022 (UTC)

Second paragraph in "King's Pawn Opening" section
I want to talk about the second paragraph in the "King's Pawn Opening" section, because I find certain parts rather questionable.

"You might hear people recommending 1. e4 because it controls the squares d5 and f5. Well, sort of, but that's a bit vague and abstract really."

What? How? What's so vague and abstract about the idea that the pawn could capture an enemy piece that enters its attack zone?

"Black could just take them away again by playing 1...e6 if they wanted to."

So what? Does that completely invalidate White's control of those squares and make it meaningless? White still has their pawn in the exact same place, attacking the exact same squares. And even if we assume that they meant to say that Black could prevent White from having full control of those squares, it doesn't really matter. After all, it was still worthwhile for White to fight for control of those squares, as it forced Black to react and spend a move doing something when they might have wanted to do something else.

These sentences don't make a whole lot of sense to me, so I am removing them from the page. ISaveNewspapers (discuss • contribs) 22:50, 27 July 2023 (UTC)

title: Talk:Chess Opening Theory


text:
Chess Opening Theory

What is opening theory?
"In chess, unlike tennis, it is not possible to win by serving an ace."

- Irving Chernev, chess writer

So, you've learned the rules of chess. You've learned that moving your bishops and knights off the back row and controlling territory is a good plan, and letting lots of your pieces get captured for free is a bad one. (If you have doubts about any of that, head over to the Chess Wikibook first!)

Now it's time to answer that $64,000 question that's on the tip of every new chess player's tongue. The question that cuts right to the heart of what it means to be a competitive board game player:"How can I beat my friend in, like, four moves?"

Beating your friend in four moves
Yes, it is possible! But only if your friend doesn't see it coming. Otherwise we'd have solved chess, and no one would play it.

If you're playing as White, then the trick is to carry out a lightning attack on the weak f7-pawn. It's a weak pawn because it's defended only by the black king. If you can attack it with two pieces while it's defended by only one, you've won it for free. If you're playing as Black, then you can try for something similar by attacking White's f2-pawn. Let's look at how White can perform this trick.

White's first move is '''1. e4. The queen and f1-bishop, which were stuck on the back rank, can now be developed'''. Developing a piece means moving it off the back rank and putting it somewhere more useful. The plan is to quickly develop the queen and f1-bishop in such a way that they both attack the f7-pawn.

Black replies by copying White: 1...e5.

Then, White brings out the f1-bishop, as planned: '''2. Bc4.''' Notice how it attacks the weak f7-pawn. It's now got one attacker and one defender.

Black isn't entirely sure what's going on, and so copies White again: 2...Bc5.

White makes a bold queen move: '''3. Qh5.''' That's two attackers on f7, and still only one defender.

Black notices that the queen on h5 is threatening the pawn on e5, and so defends it with the innocent 3...Nc6?? (diagram A).

White plays '''4. Qxf7#.''' The # stands for checkmate. Oops!

What did Black do wrong here? Let's allow Black to take back the move 3...Nc6 and replace it with '''3...Qe7! (or 3...Qf6!)''' which defends the f7- and e5-pawns simultaneously (diagram B). Now, what does White's queen think she's doing on h5? Everything she can attack is defended. She can't make any more progress. If she was a hockey player, she would be offside.

But more importantly, Black is going to play ...Nf6 next and gain a tempo on the queen.

Gain a what?

Tempos, and the gaining of them
Chess is a turn-based game, but an unusual one: you can only move one piece each turn except when castling. If your queen is doing something this turn, bad luck, the rest of your pieces have to stay put. In business-speak, there's an opportunity cost to moving the queen.

Each turn is a precious commodity, which we call a tempo (Italian for 'time'). A tempo is an opportunity to move something.

Doesn't black always get one tempo for every tempo white gets? Not quite.

If your queen gets attacked by a knight, you've got to move it or lose it. Instead of developing another piece, you've got to waste this tempo re-locating a piece you'd already developed. So black's move ...Nf6 is basically a free action. Chess players would say "Black has gained a tempo on the queen".

And that right there is opening theory in microcosm. In the opening, developing your pieces is everything. To develop your pieces, you need tempos. How do I develop my pieces so that I don't lose any tempos along the way, and if possible I gain tempos at my opponent's expense? The answer to that question is Chess Opening Theory.

The perfect chess opening is one where you develop every piece in a single move to its best possible square, and then leave it there. (Lots of players have searched for the perfect chess opening. Sadly, every one has its own drawbacks.)

Things like space (controlling lots of squares with your pieces), structure (keeping your pieces and pawns supporting each other) and even material (how many pieces you've got left on the board) can all take a back seat. If you want to know the real reason the grandmasters are playing one opening move instead of another, think development, and think tempos. Or if you're pedantic, think tempi.

White's first move
"I see only one move ahead, but always the best move."

- attributed to Charles Jaffe, New York amateur

King's Pawn Opening
The move 1. e4, called the King's Pawn Opening, is the most popular initial move at every level of chess from beginner to grandmaster. Even if you aren't trying to checkmate black in four moves, letting both the queen and the king’s bishop out is a good thing to do.

You might hear people recommending 1. e4 because it controls the important central squares d5 and f5, which is true. However, the most important square white controls by playing 1. e4 is in fact... the e4 square itself. Having a white pawn on that square means there won’t be a black pawn on that square anytime soon, which means that the king’s knight can be developed to f3 without fear of getting kicked by a pawn and losing a tempo.

And just as white indirectly claims the f3 square by playing e4, Black has to bear in mind that f6 will not be a safe square for the g8 knight if White can simply advance the pawn to e5. The simplest way for Black to fix this problem would be to copy White and play 1...e5 in response.

So why would you ever play anything other than 1. e4 - and why would Black ever meet it with anything other than ...e5? It took chess players a few hundred years to realise the answer to that question:

''If Black wants to play ...e5, but instead of 1. e4 I play a move that attacks the e5 square, Black can't play ...e5 anymore!''

And so they invented:

Queen's Pawn Opening
1. d4 is called the Queen's Pawn Opening. It is the 2nd most popular initial move (at all levels) and is in the same ballpark as 1. e4 in terms of games played. All the other legal moves combined appear in about half as many games as 1. d4. If chess opening theory is a solar system you have Planet 1. e4, Planet 1. d4, a few dwarf planets and some dust.

1. d4 is played to prevent Black from getting the useful move ...e5 in straight away, while also controlling the c5-square. It discourages Black from developing the b8 knight to c6, where the pawn can advance to d5 and kick it, though this is nevertheless occasionally seen.

White isn't necessarily interested in developing their queen’s bishop straight away - it tends to be the least important piece to develop. 1. d4 is more about slowing down Black's development than speeding up White's.

If Black retaliates in kind with 1...d5 to prevent White from following up with 2. e4, White can instead play 2. c4, the Queen's Gambit, hoping to divert Black's pawn from its job of attacking e4. The Queen's Gambit is the champagne and caviar of White openings and is a huge reason for the popularity of 1. d4.

A note on the word gambit: a gambit is a specific kind of opening in which material (pawns or, rarely, larger pieces) is sacrificed to gain some form of dynamic advantage (speedy development, an attack, extra tempi, etc.). Always think development and tempi! If there's no material sacrificed, it's not a gambit. "Opening gambit" is a tautology. Despite what the musical CHESS may have told you, not every opening is a gambit!

How do I choose between 1. e4 and 1. d4?
Conventional wisdom says that if Black’s position were a castle, 1. d4 players prefer to capture it by digging under the foundations, whereas 1. e4 players like to crash through the front gate on a flaming motorcycle.

This is a bit of an over-generalisation. You're not going to get put into a four-move checkmate by a 1. d4 player, but if you play bad moves you'll still get wiped out. Read Irving Chernyev's instructional books, or the collected games of the great inter-war players Lasker, Capablanca and Alekhine, and you'll soon discover how easy it is to get hit by a tactical avalanche while playing a "strategic" Queen's Gambit.

Other opening moves
In the chess opening theory solar system, alongside planets e4 and d4, there are a few other dwarf planets of note.
 * 1. Nf3, the Zukertort Opening (sometimes referred to as the Réti Opening, or the King’s Indian Attack), is the 3rd most popular initial move. It's a sophisticated way of stalling for time, and waiting to see what Black tries before transposing into a more mainstream opening. White reckons that Nf3 will almost certainly be a useful move sooner or later, whereas every pawn move is an irrevocable commitment. 1. Nf3 also has the benefit of cutting out the reply 1...e5 by Black, which is a move that Black likes to play for all the same reasons that White likes to play 1. e4. 1. Nf3, as stated previously, can transpose into so many openings and is very flexible.
 * 1. c4, the English Opening, is the 4th most popular move. White frees the queen, discourages the move 1...d5 by taking control of that square, and makes absolutely sure that the c-pawn won't get stuck on c2 behind a knight on c3. The resulting positions have more of a 1. d4 character than an 1. e4 character, and indeed the move d4 often follows later.
 * 1. g3, the Benko Opening, is the 5th most popular initial move. It doesn't immediately influence the centre, but White plans to follow up with Bg2 which does. The hypermodern school of opening theory, most influential in the 1920s and 1930s, was all about controlling the centre from a distance with pieces rather than occupying it with pawns.
 * 1. b3 is the Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack (or Larsen's Opening), a hypermodern idea akin to 1. g3. Instead of preparing to castle kingside, White tries to scare Black out of it by pointing a bishop at g7.
 * 1. f4 is the Bird's Opening, a risky and agressive opening that has the same idea as the English but on the kingside. However, it does not actually prevent 1...e5. 1.f4 e5 is the well-known (and generally sound) From Gambit, which contains a fiendish trap for an unwary White player. 1. f4 also weakens White's kingside slightly.
 * 1. Nc3 is the Dunst Opening. There are many possible transpositions after 1. Nc3. A transposition just means playing the same moves in a different order. Where a position A is most commonly reached through opening B, it will be classified under opening B. If you reach it through opening C, you will have transposed from opening C to opening B. For example, 1. Nc3 e5 2. e4 is a transposition to the Vienna Game because the standard Vienna Game move order is 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3.
 * 1. b4 is the Polish Opening. White reckons Larsen's opening can be improved upon by moving the pawn further forward. The pawn controls more space on b4 instead of b3, but is more vulnerable, and the space it controls is not space that typically needs to be controlled. It is still a completely playable move. This is a sort of fashionably eccentric opening for people who wear bow ties.

Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings

 * ECO volume A : English Opening, Benoni Defence, Dutch Defense, King's Indian Attack, Benko Gambit, Old Indian Defense, Bird's Opening, other so-called irregular openings
 * ECO volume B : Sicilian Defence, Caro-Kann Defence, Pirc Defence, Modern Defence, Alekhine's Defence, Scandinavian Defence
 * ECO volume C : Ruy Lopez, French Defence, Petrov's Defence, King's Gambit, Philidor Defence, Giuoco Piano, Two Knights Defence, Scotch Game
 * ECO volume D : Queen's Gambit Declined, Queen's Gambit Accepted, Slav Defence, Tarrasch Defence, Grünfeld Defence, Queen's Pawn Game
 * ECO volume E : Nimzo-Indian Defence, Queen's Indian Defence, King's Indian Defence, Catalan Opening, Bogo-Indian Defence

Statistics

Approximate chances: White win 39%, Draw 32%, Black win 29%

Estimated first half-move popularity: e4 49%, d4 33%, Nf3 8%, c4 6%, g3 1%, b3 1%, f4 1%, all other moves less than 0.5%.

One might also be curious about the most frequent initial sequences in chess for both White and Black. Below are the first twenty-five most common beginnings.

Using this wikibook
Each page in this Wikibook corresponds to a single position, which will be shown in the diagram on that page. You are currently looking at the page for the initial position - the way the pieces are laid out when you first set them up on the board. One or more links will appear in the main body of the text, like this one: 1. e4. These represent possible moves from that position. Choose a move, click it, and reach a new position. Sometimes a list of common moves will appear under the page diagram, and if you find reading words about chess positions boring, you can pick the next move from that list too.

You can use the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO) code index if you prefer to navigate to positions that way.

Head over to the Great Big Opening Survey page to see a list of the opening lines that this Wikibook ought to be covering if it isn't already. Please help add the ones that are missing!

When contributing to this Wikibook, please follow the conventions for organization.

To find a certain chess position in this Wikibook, paste the first field of the position's FEN record into the box below and wrap it inside quotation marks. Try e.g. "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR".

title: Chess Opening Theory


text:
Diagnostic Radiology/Musculoskeletal Imaging/Joint Disorders/Neuropathic osteoarthropathy

Neuropathic osteoarthropathy refers to progressive degeneration of a weight-bearing joint, a process marked by bony destruction, bone resorption, and eventual deformity. Onset is usually insidious. Also known as Charcot Joint.

If this pathological process continues unchecked, it could result in joint deformity, ulceration +/- superinfection, loss of function, and in the worst case scenario: amputation. Early identification of joint changes is the best way to limit morbidity.

Pathogenesis
Basically, any condition resulting in decreased peripheral sensation, proprioception, and fine motor control:
 * Diabetes mellitus neuropathy (the most common in the U.S. today, resulting in destruction of foot and ankle joints), with Charcot joints in 1/600-700 diabetics. Related to long-term poor glucose control.
 * Alcoholic neuropathy
 * Cerebral palsy
 * Leprosy
 * Syphilis (tabes dorsalis), caused by the organism Treponema pallidum
 * Congenital insensitivity to pain
 * Spinal cord injury
 * Myelomeningocele
 * Syringomyelia
 * Intra-articular steroid injections

Underlying Mechanisms

 * Two primary theories have been advanced:
 * Neurotrauma: Loss of peripheral sensation and proprioception leads to repetitive "microtrauma" to the joint in question; this damages goes unnoticed by the neuropathic patient, and the resultant inflammatory resorption of traumatized bone renders that region weak and susceptible to further trauma.  Indeed, it is a "vicious cycle." In addition, poor fine motor control generates unnatural pressure on certain joints, leading to additional microtrauma.
 * Neurovascular: Neuropathic patients have dysregulated autonomic nervous system reflexes, and de-sensitized joints receive significantly greater blood flow.  The resulting hyperemia leads to increased osteoclastic resorption of bone, and this, in concert with mechanical stress, leads to bony destruction.

In reality, both of these theories probably play a role in the development of a Charcot joint.

Joint Involvement
As diabetes is the #1 cause in America today for neuropathic joint disease, the foot is the most affected region. In those with foot deformity, approximately 60% are in the TMT joint (medial > lateral), 30% MCP joint, and 10% have ankle disease. Over half of diabetic patients with neuropathic joints can recall some kind of precipitating trauma, usually minor.

Patients with neurosyphilis tend to have knee involvement, and patients with syringomyelia of the spinal cord may demonstrate shoulder deformity.

Hip joint destruction is also seen in neuropathic patients

Clinical Findings
Erythema, edema, increased temperature in the affected joint. In neuropathic foot joints, plantar ulcers may be present. Note that it is often difficult to differentiate osteomyelitis from a Charcot joint, as they may have similar tagged WBC scan and MRI features (joint destruction, dislocation, edema). Definitive diagnosis may require bone or synovial biopsy.

Radiologic Findings
First, it is important to recognize that two types of abnormality may be detected. One is termed "atrophic," in which there is osteolysis of the distal metatarsals in the forefoot. The more common form of destruction is "hypertrophic" joint disease, characterized by acute peri-articular fracture and joint dislocation.

The natural history of the joint destruction process has a classification scheme of its own, offered by Eichenholtz decades ago:

Stage 0: Clinically, there is joint edema, but radiographs are negative. Note that a bone scan may be positive before a radiograph is, making it a sensitive but not very specific modality.

Stage 1: Osseous fragmentation with joint dislocation seen on radiograph ("acute Charcot").

Stage 2: Decreased local edema, with coalescence of fragments and absorption of fine bone debris

Stage 3: No local edema, with consolidation and remodeling (albeit deformed) of fracture fragments. The foot is now stable.

Destroyed TMT joints in the medial left foot, with fracture and dislocation of fragments; these are classic findings. Also note loss of the foot arch and acquired pes planus deformity.

Treatment
Once the process is recognized, immobilization with a total contact cast will help ward off further joint destruction. Pneumatic walking braces are also used. Surgical correction of a joint is rarely successful in the long-term in these patients.

It can take 6–9 months for the edema and erythema of the affected joint to recede.


text:
Chess Opening Theory/1. e4

1. e4 · King's Pawn Opening
The move 1. e4, the King's Pawn Opening, is the most popular first move at all levels of the game and was the favorite opening move of world champion Bobby Fischer, who called it 'best by test.' White's assertive opening move opens lines for the queen and the king's bishop (a good thing to do).

1. e4 also fights for control of d5 and f5, which might or might not be relevant later, because Black if they wanted to could just take those squares away again by playing 1...e6. If White wants to develop some pieces, the most important square they control by playing 1. e4 is, in fact, the e4 square itself. As long as there's a white pawn on e4, there can't be a black pawn on e4, which means White's g1-knight can be developed to f3 without fear of getting kicked away by a pawn and losing a tempo.

Just as White indirectly claims the f3 square by playing e4, Black has to bear in mind that f6 will not be a safe square for Black's g8-knight if White can simply advance their e4-pawn to e5. The simplest way for Black to fix this problem would be to copy White and play 1...e5 in response. White may also be dreaming of playing d4 next move, creating a strong 'classical' center, and 1...e5 by Black interferes with that plan.

Openings with 1. e4 are traditionally considered more sharp and attacking than those with 1. d4, but this is an extreme generalization, and both players will have many more opportunities to influence the type of position that appears. 1. e4 positions are in general more forcing than 1. d4 positions, meaning that the number of good moves in any position is lower because your opponent is threatening to do something horrid to you, which can make them easier for beginners to understand.

Black's responses
Games in which Black responds with 1...e5 are called Open Games, whereas games with Black responding by any other move are known as Semi-Open Games (or Asymmetrical King's Pawn Games). It's useful to think of black's responses to 1. e4 as motivated by one of the following counterplans:

 * 1) Establish a pawn on e5, securing a share of the centre for Black (1...e5).
 * 2) Establish a pawn on d5, securing a share of the centre for Black (1...c6 or 1...e6).
 * 3) Attack White's e-pawn immediately (1...d5 or 1...Nf6).
 * 4) Leave White's e-pawn alone but prevent white from achieving the classical centre with e4 and d4 (1...e5 or 1...c5).
 * 5) Ignore what White is doing, allow White to build the classical centre and deal with it later (1...d6, 1...g6, 1...Nc6, 1...b6, or 1...a6).

Plan 1
Plan 1 (pawn on e5, share centre) can be carried out very simply with 1...e5. Black sees what White has and wants the same thing. However, White's argument is that moving first in a symmetrical position is eventually going to favour the player moving first.

Plan 2
Plan 2 (pawn on d5, share centre) is the motivation behind 1...c6, the Caro-Kann Defence, and 1...e6, the French Defence. If Black tries to put a pawn on d5 immediately, White will capture it, so in order to maintain a pawn on d5 Black needs to be able to recapture with a pawn from either c6 or e6.

Plan 3
Plan 3 (attack White's e-pawn) leads to 1...d5, the Scandinavian Defence, and 1...Nf6, the Alekhine Defence.

Plan 4
Plan 4 (prevent White's e4 & d4) is a pleasant side effect of 1...e5 (mentioned above for Plan 1).

But, with 1...c5, the Sicilian Defence, Black can prevent White's d4 advance and also create an asymmetrical position of attack and counter-attack. The Sicilian and 1...e5 are the most popular replies to 1. e4 among top players.

Plan 5
There are multiple ways of carrying out Plan 5 (ignore White's centre, deal with it later).
 * 1...g6, the Modern Defence, signals Black's intention to put a bishop on g7 controlling a swathe of the centre, before deciding on further action.
 * 1...d6 is the Pirc Defence, a hypermodern response to White's 1. e4.

In the Pirc Defence, the move 1...d6 prepares the move 2...Nf6. In Alekhine Defence (mentioned above for Plan 3), 1...Nf6 can be met by 2. e5 kicking the knight back. But, in the Pirc, after 1...d6 2. d4 Nf6, the move 3. e5 doesn't work because of 3...dxe5 4. dxe5 Qxd1+ 5. Kxd1 Ng4! forking the pawns on e5 and f2.

So instead, White's usual move to defend the e-pawn is 3. Nc3. Now, White's d-pawn is vulnerable to the advances 3...c5 or 3...e5 because neither White's e-pawn nor c-pawn can defend it.

Plan 5 also covers a number of fringe options.
 * 1...Nc6, the Nimzowitsch Defence. Black is able to react to 2. d4 with a thrust of either the d-pawn or e-pawn.

 * 1...b6 is a similar idea to 1...g6 but doesn't have the benefit of preparing kingside castling.

 * 1...a6 is mostly famous for having been played by Tony Miles against then World Champion Anatoly Karpov, and having thus acquired the name St. George Defence. Often Black will follow up with 2...b5, expanding on the queenside.

Rare Responses
Other rare responses include:
 * 1...f5?, the Fred Defence/Duras Gambit. This is not too good of an idea. Black gets a lead in development but little compensation for the sacrificed pawn after 2. exf5 Nf6. This can lead to another variation of the Fool's Mate after 2. exf5 g5?? 3. Qh5#
 * 1...f6?, the Barnes Defence. A rare move that is not a good idea, as it removes the f6 square for the knight and weakens the kingside. Even so, Thomas Wilson Barnes (after whom it is named) beat Paul Morphy, one of the most influential grandmasters in the 19th century, with this opening. Its only benefit is that it gets out of theory.
 * 1...g5?, the Borg Defence (opposite of Grob) is another option Black has, however it is a bad one because it does weaken the kingside severely. The g5-pawn can serve as a hook for White (h4) later on. This also can lead to a Fool's Mate for Black.
 * 1...a5?!, the Ware Defence is equally weak as 1...h5. It just wastes a tempo.
 * 1...h5?!, the Pickering Defence simply wastes a tempo and weakens Black's position.
 * 1...h6?!, the Carr Defence, is another time-wasting move, but it usually transposes into the Borg Defence anyways after 2. d4 g5.
 * 1...Na6?! develops the b8-knight to an inferior square.
 * 1...Nh6?! develops the g8-knight to an inferior square.
 * 1...b5? simply loses a pawn to 2. Bxb5.

Statistics

 * Approximate chances
 * White win 39%, Draw 29%, Black win 32%.

 * Estimated next move popularity
 * c5 39%, e5 26%, e6 12%, c6 8%, d5 4%, d6 4%, g6 3%, Nf6 2%, Nc6 1%, b6 1%, other moves less than 0.5%.

Theory table
1. e4

title: Chess Opening Theory/1. e4


text:
Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5

1...e5 · Open Game
1...e5, the Open Game (or Double King's Pawn Game), is Black's classical response to 1. e4. By mirroring White's move, Black grabs an equal share of the centre and scope to develop some pieces. 1...e5 is one of the few moves that directly interferes with White's ideal plan of playing d4.

But, the move's merit is also a drawback: the longer the position remains symmetrical, the longer White will have an advantage by moving first. Also, the pawn on e5 is undefended, and it is easy for White to develop in a way that restricts Black's possible responses, by simply threatening to capture it.

Though the move is still common at every level, it saw a modest decline in popularity during the 20th century.

White's responses
The overwhelmingly popular move here – about 10 times more common than everything else combined – is 2. Nf3.

This threatens Black's undefended pawn while developing a piece in preparation for castling on the kingside. The developed knight also defends the d4 square preparing for a future d2-d4 pawn push.

2. Bc4, the Bishop's Opening, and 2. Nc3, the Vienna Game, are simple alternative ways of developing a piece.

They don't give Black a particular problem to deal with, but they aren't bad moves either, and they keep open the option of either d4 or f4.

Another plan is to try and lever open the f-file for an attack on Black's weak f7 point with 2. f4, the King's Gambit.

This was popular in Victorian times and earlier, but Black has now found a few reliable ways of grabbing the proffered pawn and keeping it.

Or, White can smash the centre open with 2. d4 in order to develop pieces with great speed, sacrificing a pawn or two if necessary.

Less common responses
Other less common moves:

 * 2. d3 - Indian Opening
 * 2. Qh5 - Parham Attack
 * 2. Qf3 - Napoleon Opening
 * 2. c3 - Centre Pawn Opening
 * 2. Bb5 - Portuguese Opening
 * 2. Ne2 - Alapin's Opening
 * 2. g4 - Fernando Torres Variation
 * 2. Ke2? - Bongcloud Attack
 * 2. b3!? - Charles' Opening
 * 2. Qg4? - Speers Attack

Statistics

 * Approximate chances
 * White win 51%, Draw ??%, Black win 45%.

 * Estimated next move popularity:
 * Nf3 82%, Bc4 5%, Nc3 4%, f4 4%, d4 2%, all others less than 1%

Theory table
1. e4 e5

title: Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5


text:
Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Bc4

= Bishop's Opening 2. Bc4 = The Bishop's Opening remains an intriguing part of chess history with its unique blend of strategic complexity and historical significance. While it may not be the most aggressive opening, it offers an array of strategic possibilities for white and black players. By understanding its evolution, advantages, and potential drawbacks, players can adapt their gameplay to leverage its unique potential.

White prioritizes developing the light-square bishop before playing Nf3 in the Bishop's Opening, commencing with 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4.

Historical Evolution and Significance
The Bishop's Opening, a time-honoured chess maneuver, harked back to the 18th century and was a preferred choice of François-André Danican Philidor, a prominent figure in the Romantic chess era. It was often referred to as "The Truth" during the 19th century due to its robust theoretical standing and intricate variations. Its historical importance is undeniable, even as its relevance has waned in contemporary gameplay. In those days, the Bishop's Opening had a solid theoretical reputation with very complex variations, not so relevant to the modern understanding of the game but interesting historically.

Relevance in Modern Gameplay
The Bishop's Opening is less frequently seen in modern gameplay as Black can easily equalize the game. Nevertheless, it remains a viable opening due to its potential to surprise opponents and its ability to lead to other superior openings through transposition. Over the last couple of decades, its popularity has resurged mainly because of the new treatment in the Italian Game. However, this ancient opening is seldom seen in modern play since Black has no difficulties equalizing the game. Grandmaster Nick de Firmian, in the 14th edition of Modern Chess Openings, concludes that the Bishop's Opening leads to equality with the best play by both sides.

White Strategy
The Bishop's Opening has made a comeback, largely due to its new approach within the Italian Game. White's primary strategy involves the early development of the light square bishop prior to the knight. This tactic allows the bishop to secure a dominant square while targeting black's vulnerable f7 pawn and discouraging the advancement of the d-pawn to d5. The potential pawn push from f2 to f4 increases the threat to black's defences, leading to a strong attacking position for white.

Black Strategy
Despite its strategic value, the Bishop's Opening does not pose an immediate threat to Black, which allows them time to develop their pieces and mount a defence. Black must be wary of White's Qh5 threat and avoid moves like Be7 or Ne7. If Black successfully pushes their d-pawn to d5, they can potentially target the developed White bishop.

Transpositions into Other Openings
The Bishop's Opening shares similarities with the King's Gambit and the Vienna Game, and can transpose into these openings, adding to the player's strategic repertoire. Transpositions into the Giuoco Piano and Two Knights Defense are also feasible, offering White a diverse range of strategic alternatives.
 * The Bishop's Opening can lead to the Giuoco Piano after 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. Nf3 Nc6
 * It is also possible to transpose into a less favorable while line in the King's Gambit Declined after 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3. f4 Nc6 4. Nf3

Main Lines for Black

 * 2...Nf6. Black's aggressive response, attacking the e4 pawn and taking the initiative. Moreover, it prevents Qh5.
 * White's main continuations:
 * 3. d3 - preparing to transpose to the Italian after Nc6 and Nf3.
 * 3. d4 Urusov Gambit) - after 3...exd4 4. Nf3, Black has several options, such as 4...Nxe4, 4...d5, 4...Bb4+.
 * 3. Nc3 - Black can continue with either 3...Nc6 or 3...Nxe4.
 * 2...Nc6. Slightly passive but still solid. White can transition to the Italian Game or play a quieter 3. d3.
 * 2...Bc5 mirrors White's set up to control the center. White can opt for a sharp line with 3. Qg4 or go for the solid Giuoco Piano with 3. Nf3.

 * Less Common Lines for Black
 * 2...f5 (Calabrese Countergambit). It's a sharp choice, potentially deadly for opponents unfamiliar with it.
 * 2...c6 (Philidor Counterattack). Prepares d5 but is often considered slow.
 * 2...d6 can transpose to Philidor's Defence, but Black can expect 3. f4.

Theory table
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'''1. e4 e5 2. Bc4'''


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Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nc3

Vienna Game
White's wish is to advance the f-pawn two squares to remove Black's powerful e5 pawn and strike at the heart of their position. Now it is possible to play f4 on the second move, for the King's Gambit, but when no Black piece has yet declared its intentions is there not a degree of hit-and-hope about such a move? If you have the patience to let Black build their bridge before you blow it up: welcome to the Vienna Game, a poison-tipped opening from the nineteenth century.

If you should find yourself up against the Vienna as Black, keep your nerve. The harder White tries to checkmate you, the less time they have to develop naturally and control territory; consequently, if you survive the opening your hand is a little freer than in the Ruy Lopez.

Black for the moment has no threat to respond to, save the threat of f4 which cannot be reasonably prevented. When in doubt, develop a knight:

 * /2...Nf6/: Falkbeer (or Berlin) Defence

The most common reply as it prepares to counter f4 with d5, adding to the equation another variable for White to keep track of.

 * /2...Nc6/: Max Lange Defence

This allows Black to capture the pawn when it gets to f4, without having their active knight subsequently kicked by the e-pawn.

Other plausible moves are /2...Bb4/ and /2...Bc5/ both of which attempt to initiate a counter-attack.

Theory table
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1. e4 e5 2. Nc3


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User:Gnomz007~enwikibooks

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title: User:Gnomz007~enwikibooks


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Talk:Coping with Male Pattern Baldness

I've been working on and expanding this for a few days now, if anybody wants to add something please feel free, lets make this a success and a good source of inspiration for us all. -Robert

Thanks for the book Robert. You are the man. EMoMaD (talk) 06:30, 18 June 2010 (UTC)

title: Talk:Coping with Male Pattern Baldness