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Uterine fibroid

Uterine fibroids, also known as uterine leiomyomas or fibroids, are benign smooth muscle tumors of the uterus, part of the female reproductive system. Some women with fibroids have no symptoms while others may have painful or heavy periods. If large enough, they may push on the bladder, causing a frequent need to urinate. They may also cause pain during penetrative sex or lower back pain. A woman can have one uterine fibroid or many. It is uncommon but possible that fibroids may make it difficult to become pregnant.

The exact cause of uterine fibroids is unclear. However, fibroids run in families and appear to be partly determined by hormone levels. Risk factors include obesity and eating red meat. Diagnosis can be performed by pelvic examination or medical imaging.

Treatment is typically not needed if there are no symptoms. NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, may help with pain and bleeding while paracetamol (acetaminophen) may help with pain. Iron supplements may be needed in those with heavy periods. Medications of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist class may decrease the size of the fibroids but are expensive and associated with side effects. If greater symptoms are present, surgery to remove the fibroid or uterus may help. Uterine artery embolization may also help. Cancerous versions of fibroids are very rare and are known as leiomyosarcomas. They do not appear to develop from benign fibroids.

About 20% to 80% of women develop fibroids by the age of 50. In 2013, it was estimated that 171 million women were affected worldwide. They are typically found during the middle and later reproductive years. After menopause, they usually decrease in size. In the United States, uterine fibroids are a common reason for surgical removal of the uterus.

Signs and symptoms
Some women with uterine fibroids do not have symptoms. Abdominal pain, anemia and increased bleeding can indicate the presence of fibroids. There may also be pain during intercourse (penetration), depending on the location of the fibroid. During pregnancy, they may also be the cause of miscarriage, bleeding, premature labor, or interference with the position of the fetus. A uterine fibroid can cause rectal pressure. The abdomen can grow larger mimicking the appearance of pregnancy. Some large fibroids can extend out through the cervix and vagina.

While fibroids are common, they are not a typical cause for infertility, accounting for about 3% of reasons why a woman may not be able to have a child. The majority of women with uterine fibroids will have normal pregnancy outcomes. In cases of intercurrent uterine fibroids in infertility, a fibroid is typically located in a submucosal position and it is thought that this location may interfere with the function of the lining and the ability of the embryo to implant.

Risk factors
Some risk factors associated with the development of uterine fibroids are modifiable. Fibroids are more common in obese women. Fibroids are dependent on estrogen and progesterone to grow and therefore relevant only during the reproductive years.

Diet
Diets high in fruits and vegetables tend to lower the risk of developing fibroids. Fibers, vitamin A, C and E, phytoestrogens, carotenoids, meat, fish, and dairy products are of unclear effect. Normal dietary levels of vitamin D may reduce the risk of developing fibroids.

Genetics
Fifty percent of uterine fibroids demonstrate a genetic abnormality. Often a translocation is found on some chromosomes. Fibroids are partly genetic. If a mother had fibroids, risk in the daughter is about three times higher than average. Black women have a 3–9 times increased chance of developing uterine fibroids than white women. Only a few specific genes or cytogenetic deviations are associated with fibroids. 80–85% of fibroids have a mutation in the mediator complex subunit 12 (MED12) gene.

Familial leiomyomata
A syndrome (Reed's syndrome) that causes uterine leiomyomata along with cutaneous leiomyomata and renal cell cancer has been reported. This is associated with a mutation in the gene that produces the enzyme fumarate hydratase, located on the long arm of chromosome 1 (1q42.3-43). Inheritance is autosomal dominant.

Pathophysiology
Fibroids are a type of uterine leiomyoma. Fibroids grossly appear as round, well circumscribed (but not encapsulated), solid nodules that are white or tan, and show whorled appearance on histological section. The size varies, from microscopic to lesions of considerable size. Typically lesions the size of a grapefruit or bigger are felt by the patient herself through the abdominal wall.

Microscopically, tumor cells resemble normal cells (elongated, spindle-shaped, with a cigar-shaped nucleus) and form bundles with different directions (whorled). These cells are uniform in size and shape, with scarce mitoses. There are three benign variants: bizarre (atypical); cellular; and mitotically active.

The appearance of prominent nucleoli with peri-nucleolar halos should alert the pathologist to investigate the possibility of the extremely rare hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer (Reed) syndrome.

Location and classification
Growth and location are the main factors that determine if a fibroid leads to symptoms and problems. A small lesion can be symptomatic if located within the uterine cavity while a large lesion on the outside of the uterus may go unnoticed. Different locations are classified as follows: Since 2011 the FIGO published their consensus paper on the classification of fibroids, namely from 0 to 8. This is part of the PALM COEIN classification and is the most frequently used in clinical practise and research Please continue reading here: FIGO classification.
 * Intramural fibroids are located within the muscular wall of the uterus and are the most common type. Unless they are large, they may be asymptomatic. Intramural fibroids begin as small nodules in the muscular wall of the uterus. With time, intramural fibroids may expand inwards, causing distortion and elongation of the uterine cavity.
 * Subserosal fibroids are located on the surface of the uterus. They can also grow outward from the surface and remain attached by a small piece of tissue and then are called pedunculated fibroids.
 * Submucosal fibroids are located in the muscle beneath the endometrium of the uterus and distort the uterine cavity; even small lesions in this location may lead to bleeding and infertility. A pedunculated lesion within the cavity is termed an intracavitary fibroid and can be passed through the cervix.
 * Cervical fibroids are located in the wall of the cervix (neck of the uterus). Rarely, fibroids are found in the supporting structures (round ligament, broad ligament, or uterosacral ligament) of the uterus that also contain smooth muscle tissue.

 * Type 0: pedunculated submucosal, intracavitary (i.e. inside of the uterus)
 * Type 1: submucosal, <50% intramural
 * Type 2: submucosal, ≥50% intramural
 * Type 3: contacts the endometrium, 100% intramural
 * Type 4: intramural (i.e. completely inside the wall of the uterus)
 * Type 5: subserosal, ≥50% intramural
 * Type 6: subserosal, <50% intramural
 * Type 7: pedunculated subserosal
 * Type 8: other (e.g. cervcial, parasitic)

There are also hybrid leimyomas, like the type 2-5 which are both subserosal as submucosal.

Fibroids may be single or multiple. Most fibroids start in the muscular wall of the uterus. With further growth, some lesions may develop towards the outside of the uterus or towards the internal cavity. Secondary changes that may develop within fibroids are hemorrhage, necrosis, calcification, and cystic changes. They tend to calcify after menopause.

If the uterus contains too many to count, it is referred to as diffuse uterine leiomyomatosis.

Extrauterine fibroids of uterine origin, metastatic fibroids
Fibroids of uterine origin located in other parts of the body, sometimes also called parasitic myomas have been historically extremely rare, but are now diagnosed with increasing frequency. They may be related or identical to metastasizing leiomyoma.

They are in most cases still hormone dependent but may cause life-threatening complications when they appear in distant organs. Some sources suggest that a substantial share of the cases may be late complications of surgeries such as myomectomy or hysterectomy. Particularly laparoscopic myomectomy using a morcellator has been associated with an increased risk of this complication.

There are a number of rare conditions in which fibroids metastasize. They still grow in a benign fashion, but can be dangerous depending on their location.
 * In leiomyoma with vascular invasion, an ordinary-appearing fibroid invades into a vessel but there is no risk of recurrence.
 * In intravenous leiomyomatosis, leiomyomata grow in veins with uterine fibroids as their source. Involvement of the heart can be fatal.
 * In benign metastasizing leiomyoma, leiomyomata grow in more distant sites such as the lungs and lymph nodes. The source is not entirely clear. Pulmonary involvement can be fatal.
 * In disseminated intraperitoneal leiomyomatosis, leiomyomata grow diffusely on the peritoneal and omental surfaces, with uterine fibroids as their source. This can simulate a malignant tumor but behaves benignly.

Pathogenesis
Fibroids are monoclonal tumors and approximately 40–50% show karyotypically detectable chromosomal abnormalities. When multiple fibroids are present they frequently have unrelated genetic defects. Specific mutations of the MED12 protein have been noted in 70 percent of fibroids.

The exact cause of fibroids is not clearly understood, but the current working hypothesis is that genetic predispositions, prenatal hormone exposure and the effects of hormones, growth factors and xenoestrogens cause fibroid growth. Known risk factors are African descent, obesity, polycystic ovary syndrome, diabetes, hypertension, and never having given birth.

It is believed that estrogen and progesterone have a mitogenic effect on leiomyoma cells and also act by influencing (directly and indirectly) a large number of growth factors, cytokines and apoptotic factors as well as other hormones. Furthermore, the actions of estrogen and progesterone are modulated by the cross-talk between estrogen, progesterone and prolactin signaling which controls the expression of the respective nuclear receptors. It is believed that estrogen promotes growth by up-regulating IGF-1, EGFR, TGF-beta1, TGF-beta3 and PDGF, and promotes aberrant survival of leiomyoma cells by down-regulating p53, increasing expression of the anti-apoptotic factor PCP4 and antagonizing PPAR-gamma signaling. Progesterone is thought to promote the growth of leiomyoma through up-regulating EGF, TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta3, and promotes survival through up-regulating Bcl-2 expression and down-regulating TNF-alpha. Progesterone is believed to counteract growth by downregulating IGF-1. Expression of transforming growth interacting factor (TGIF) is increased in leiomyoma compared with myometrium. TGIF is a potential repressor of TGF-β pathways in myometrial cells.

Aromatase and 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase are aberrantly expressed in fibroids, indicating that fibroids can convert circulating androstenedione into estradiol. Similar mechanism of action has been elucidated in endometriosis and other endometrial diseases. Aromatase inhibitors are currently considered for treatment, at certain doses they would completely inhibit estrogen production in the fibroid while not largely affecting ovarian production of estrogen (and thus systemic levels of it). Aromatase overexpression is particularly pronounced in African-American women.

Genetic and hereditary causes are being considered and several epidemiologic findings indicate considerable genetic influence especially for early onset cases. First degree relatives have a 2.5-fold risk, and nearly 6-fold risk when considering early onset cases. Monozygotic twins have double concordance rate for hysterectomy compared to dizygotic twins.

Expansion of uterine fibroids occurs by a slow rate of cell proliferation combined with the production of copious amounts of extracellular matrix.

A small population of the cells in a uterine fibroid have properties of stem cells or progenitor cells, and contribute significantly to ovarian steroid-dependent growth of fibroids. These stem-progenitor cells are deficient in estrogen receptor α and progesterone receptor and instead rely on substantially higher levels of these receptors in surrounding differentiated cells to mediate estrogen and progesterone actions via paracrine signaling.

Diagnosis
Physical examination and ultrasound are sufficient for diagnosing uterine fibroids in the majority of patients. When ultrasound findings are inconclusive, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be able to confirm the diagnosis of uterine fibroids in most cases. In addition, MRI can identify benign uterine fibroids with atypical imaging features and fibroids with variant growth patterns. MRI can also identify other uterine (e.g. adenomyosis, endometrial polyps, endometrial cancer) and extrauterine (e.g. benign and malignant ovarian tumors, endometriosis) disorders that may mimic the appearance of uterine fibroids and/or contribute to the patient's symptoms. However, a small proportion of uterine fibroids can mimic other malignant uterine tumors (e.g. leiomyosarcoma) on all available imaging modalities (e.g. ultrasound, CT, MRI and PET-CT).

Malignant tumors of the uterine wall (e.g. leiomyosarcoma) are very rare. Findings suggestive of a malignant uterine tumor rather than a benign fibroid include, fast or unexpected growth (particularly after menopause), interruption/effacement of the endometrial stripe, lymph node enlargement, invasion of adjacent organs and metastases to distant organs (e.g. lung). MRI findings suggestive of a malignancy include nodular/ill-circumscribed tumor margins, intermediate/high T2-weighted signal intensity of the solid tumor components, regions with high signal T1-weighted sequences in keeping with subacute hemorrhage, fine/wispy enhancement of the solid parts of the tumor, and restricted diffusion on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). A biopsy is rarely performed and if performed, is rarely diagnostic. Should there be an uncertain diagnosis after ultrasounds and MRI imaging, surgery is generally indicated.

Negative immunohistochemistry staining for β-catenin in cell nuclei is a consistent finding in uterine leiomyomas, and helps in distinguishing such tumors from β-catenin positive spindle cell tumors.

Coexisting disorders
Fibroids that lead to heavy vaginal bleeding lead to anemia and iron deficiency. Due to pressure effects gastrointestinal problems such as constipation and bloatedness are possible. Compression of the ureter may lead to hydronephrosis. Fibroids may also present alongside endometriosis, which itself may cause infertility. Adenomyosis may be mistaken for or coexist with fibroids.

In very rare cases, malignant (cancerous) growths, leiomyosarcoma, of the myometrium can develop. In extremely rare cases uterine fibroids may present as part or early symptom of the hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer syndrome.

Treatment
Most fibroids do not require treatment unless they are causing symptoms. After menopause, fibroids shrink, and it is unusual for them to cause problems.

Symptomatic uterine fibroids can be treated by:
 * medication to control symptoms (i.e., symptomatic management)
 * medication aimed at shrinking tumors
 * ultrasound fibroid destruction
 * myomectomy or radiofrequency ablation
 * hysterectomy
 * uterine artery embolization

In those who have symptoms, uterine artery embolization and surgical options have similar outcomes with respect to satisfaction.

For decades, a common approach to treating symptomatic fibroids was "either get a hysterectomy or wait until menopause diminishes the symptoms," but minimally invasive and noninvasive options were often not offered. Especially since the 2010s, minimally invasive and noninvasive options are increasingly being offered as they have advanced on their technological journey from being new and unusual to being common clinical practice.

Medication
A number of medications may be used to control symptoms. NSAIDs can be used to reduce painful menstrual periods. Oral contraceptive pills may be prescribed to reduce uterine bleeding and cramps. Anemia may be treated with iron supplementation.

Levonorgestrel intrauterine devices are effective in limiting menstrual blood flow and improving other symptoms. Side effects are typically few as the levonorgestrel (a progestin) is released in low concentration locally. While most levongestrel-IUD studies concentrated on treatment of women without fibroids a few reported good results specifically for women with fibroids including a substantial regression of fibroids.

Cabergoline in a moderate and well-tolerated dose has been shown in two studies to shrink fibroids effectively. The mechanism of action responsible for how cabergoline shrinks fibroids is unclear.

Ulipristal acetate is a synthetic selective progesterone receptor modulator (SPRM) that has tentative evidence to support its use for presurgical treatment of fibroids with low side-effects. Long-term UPA-treated fibroids have shown volume reduction of about 70%. In some cases UPA alone is used to relieve symptoms without surgery, and to allow successful pregnancies without fibroid regrowth. Indeed, in the tumor cells, the molecule blocks the cell proliferation, induces their apoptosis and stimulates the remodeling of the extensive fibrosis by matrix metalloproteinases, hence explaining the long-term benefit. Yet, due to some rare but severe hepatic injuries after UPA treatment, the licence was suspended in 2020 in the EU and voluntary removed in Canada.

Danazol is an effective treatment to shrink fibroids and control symptoms. Its use is limited by unpleasant side effects. Mechanism of action is thought to be antiestrogenic effects. Recent experience indicates that safety and side effect profile can be improved by more cautious dosing.

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs cause temporary regression of fibroids by decreasing estrogen levels. Because of the limitations and side effects of this medication, it is rarely recommended other than for preoperative use to shrink the size of the fibroids and uterus before surgery. It is typically used for a maximum of six months or less because after longer use they could cause osteoporosis and other typically postmenopausal complications. The main side effects are transient postmenopausal symptoms. In many cases the fibroids will regrow after cessation of treatment, however, significant benefits may persist for much longer in some cases. Several variations are possible, such as GnRH agonists with add-back regimens intended to decrease the adverse effects of estrogen deficiency. Several add-back regimes are possible, tibolone, raloxifene, progestogens alone, estrogen alone, and combined estrogens and progestogens.

Progesterone antagonists such as mifepristone have been tested, there is evidence that it relieves some symptoms and improves quality of life but because of adverse histological changes that have been observed in several trials it can not be currently recommended outside of research setting. Fibroid growth has recurred after antiprogestin treatment was stopped.

Aromatase inhibitors have been used experimentally to reduce fibroids. The effect is believed to be due partially by lowering systemic estrogen levels and partially by inhibiting locally overexpressed aromatase in fibroids. However, fibroid growth has recurred after treatment was stopped. Experience from experimental aromatase inhibitor treatment of endometriosis indicates that aromatase inhibitors might be particularly useful in combination with a progestogenic ovulation inhibitor.

Uterine artery
Uterine artery embolization (UAE) is a noninvasive procedure that blocks blood flow to fibroids, causing them to shrink. Long-term outcomes with respect to how happy people are with the procedure are similar to that of surgery. There is tentative evidence that traditional surgery may result in better fertility. One review found that UAE doubles the future risk of miscarriage. UAE also appears to require more repeat procedures than if surgery was done initially. A person will usually recover from the procedure within a few days.

Uterine artery ligation, sometimes also laparoscopic occlusion of uterine arteries are minimally invasive methods to limit blood supply of the uterus by a small surgery that can be performed transvaginally or laparoscopically. The principal mechanism of action may be similar like in UAE but is easier to perform and fewer side effects are expected.

The 2016 NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence – the non governmental public body that publishes guidelines in the use of health technologies and good clinical practice in the United Kingdom) guidelines state UAE/UFE can be offered to women with symptomatic fibroids (fibroids being usually >30mm in size). Women should be informed that UAE and myomectomy (the surgical removal of fibroids) may potentially allow them to retain their fertility.

Myomectomy

Myomectomy is a surgery to remove one or more fibroids. It is usually recommended when more conservative treatment options fail for women who want fertility preserving surgery or who want to retain the uterus.

There are three types of myomectomy:
 * In a hysteroscopic myomectomy (also called transcervical resection), the fibroid can be removed by either the use of a resectoscope, an endoscopic instrument inserted through the vagina and cervix that can use high-frequency electrical energy to cut tissue, or a similar device.
 * A laparoscopic myomectomy is done through a small incision near the navel. The physician uses a laparoscope and surgical instruments to remove the fibroids.  Studies have suggested that laparoscopic myomectomy leads to lower morbidity rates and faster recovery than does laparotomic myomectomy.
 * A laparotomic myomectomy (also known as an open or abdominal myomectomy) is the most invasive surgical procedure to remove fibroids. The physician makes an incision in the abdominal wall and removes the fibroids from the uterus.

Laparoscopic myomectomy has less pain and shorter time in hospital than open surgery. An analysis of 15,000 women found that those who had myomectomy required fewer additional procedures to manage fibroids (including hysterectomies) over the next 5 years than those who had UAE.

Hysterectomy
Hysterectomy was the classical method of treating fibroids. Although it is now recommended only as last option, fibroids are still the leading cause of hysterectomies in the US.

Endometrial ablation
Endometrial ablation can be used if the fibroids are only within the uterus and not intramural and relatively small. High failure and recurrence rates are expected in the presence of larger or intramural fibroids.

Other procedures
Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive treatments for fibroids. In this technique the fibroid is shrunk by inserting a needle-like device into the fibroid through the abdomen and heating it with radio-frequency (RF) electrical energy to cause necrosis of cells. The treatment is a potential option for women who have fibroids, have completed child-bearing and want to avoid a hysterectomy.

Magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound, is a non-invasive intervention (requiring no incision) that uses high intensity focused ultrasound waves to destroy tissue in combination with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which guides and monitors the treatment. During the procedure, delivery of focused ultrasound energy is guided and controlled using MR thermal imaging. Patients who have symptomatic fibroids, who desire a non-invasive treatment option and who do not have contraindications for MRI are candidates for MRgFUS. About 60% of patients qualify. It is an outpatient procedure and takes one to three hours depending on the size of the fibroids. It is safe and about 75% effective. Symptomatic improvement is sustained for two plus years. Need for additional treatment varies from 16 to 20% and is largely dependent on the amount of fibroid that can be safely ablated; the higher the ablated volume, the lower the re-treatment rate. There are currently no randomized trial between MRgFUS and UAE. A multi-center trial is underway to investigate the efficacy of MRgFUS vs. UAE.

Prognosis
About 1 out of 1,000 lesions are or become malignant, typically as a leiomyosarcoma on histology. A sign that a lesion may be malignant is growth after menopause. There is no consensus among pathologists regarding the transformation of leiomyoma into a sarcoma.

Metastasis
There are a number of rare conditions in which fibroids metastasize. They still grow in a benign fashion, but can be dangerous depending on their location.

See extrauterine fibroids.

Epidemiology
About 20% to 80% of women develop fibroids by the age of 50. Globally in 2013 it was estimated that 171 million women were affected. They are typically found during the middle and later reproductive years. After menopause they usually decrease in size. Surgery to remove uterine fibroids occurs more frequently in women in "higher social classes". Adolescents develop uterine fibroids much less frequently than older women. Up to 50% of women with uterine fibroids have no symptoms. The prevalence of uterine fibroids among teenagers is 0.4%.

Europe
The incidence of uterine fibroids in Europe is thought to be lower than the incidence in the US.

United States
Eighty percent of African American women will develop benign uterine fibroid tumors by their late 40s, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. African American women are two to three times more likely to get fibroids than Caucasian women. In African American women fibroids seem to occur at a younger age, grow more quickly, and are more likely to cause symptoms. This leads to higher rates of surgery for African Americans, both myomectomy, and hysterectomy. Increased risk of fibroids in African Americans causes them to fare worse in in-vitro fertility treatments and raises their risk of premature births and delivery by Caesarean section.

It is unclear why fibroids are more common in African American women. Some studies suggest that black women who are obese and who have high blood pressure are more likely to have fibroids. Other suggested causes include the tendency of African American women to consume food with less than the daily requirements for vitamin D.

United States
The 2005 S.1289 bill was read twice and referred to the committee on Health, Labor, and Pensions but never passed for a Senate or House vote; the proposed Uterine Fibroid Research and Education Act of 2005 mentioned that $5 billion is spent annually on hysterectomy surgeries each year, which affect 22% of African Americans and 7% of Caucasian women. The bill also called for more funding for research and educational purposes. It also states that of the $28 billion issued to NIH, $5 million was allocated for uterine fibroids in 2004.

Other animals
Uterine fibroids are rare in other mammals, although they have been observed in certain dogs and Baltic grey seals.

Research
Selective progesterone receptor modulators, such as progenta, have been under investigation. Another selective progesterone receptor modulator asoprisnil is being tested with promising results as a possible use as a treatment for fibroids, intended to provide the advantages of progesterone antagonists without their adverse effects. Low dietary intake of vitamin D is associated with the development of uterine fibroids.

title: Uterine fibroid


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Iraqi Intelligence Service

The Iraqi Intelligence Service (جهاز المخابرات العامة العراقية) also known as the Mukhabarat, General Intelligence Directorate, or Party Intelligence, was an 8,000-man agency and the main state intelligence organization in Iraq under Saddam Hussein. The IIS was primarily concerned with international intelligence collection and analysis but also performed many activities inside Iraq in conjunction with the Directorate of General Security as a secret police organization.

The most important section of the IIS was Directorate 4: the Secret Service. One of the well known Directors was Rafi' Dahham Mejwel Al-Tikriti (رافع دحام مجول التكريتي) the former Iraqi Ambassador to Turkey and the last Chief of the Iraqi Intelligence Service. The Secret Service was tasked with infiltrating both foreign and domestic governments, unions, embassies, and opposition groups. IIS often worked closely with the Iraqi General Security Directorate (the Iraqi equivalent of the FBI) when conducting domestic activities.

IIS is alleged to be responsible for a number of assassinations and attempted assassinations abroad. These include the assassinations of former Iraqi prime minister Abd ar-Razzaq an-Naif in London (July 1978), Salih Mahdi Ammash in Helsinki (January 1985), Sheikh Talib al-Suhail al-Tamimi in Beirut (April 1994), Ayatollah Mehdi al-Hakim in Sudan (January 1988) and Ayad Habashi in Rome (October 1986), as well as the attempted assassinations of President George H. W. Bush, the Emir of Kuwait and the former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi.

Structure
IIS was organised as a number of Bureaus, which oversaw the individual directorates. The following list gives the directorates divided by bureau, and a brief description of the directorate:

Political Bureau

 * Directorate 4 – Secret Service
 * Located inside the headquarters of the IIS, Directorate 4's activities took place in both Iraq and abroad, with agents infiltrated within Iraqi government departments, the Ba'ath Party, associations, unions and organizations, Iraqi embassies and opposition parties. In addition, the Secret Service received information from the Al Hadi Project. The directorate included a number of offices responsible for the collection of information about a specific country or region. These offices included areas for Southeast Asia, Turkey, Iran, America (North and South), Europe, Arab states, Africa and the former Soviet Union. Directorate 4 worked in coordination with Directorates 3, 5, 9, 12, 14 and 18. The last director of Directorate 4 was BG Mohammed Yasin Al Shammari from Mosul.

 * Directorate 8 – Technical Affairs
 * Located in the headquarters of the ISS, Directorate 8 was responsible for the fingerprinting of all IIS employees and the development of materials needed for covert offensive operations. These included weapons, explosives and poisons. Directorate 8 also assembled cameras, communications equipment and employed many engineers and scientists with advanced degrees. The last director of Directorate 8 was Mohammed al-Masri, who was of Egyptian origin.

 * Directorate 9 – Secret Operations
 * One of the most important directorates within the IIS. Directorate 9's work was mostly outside Iraq in coordination with Directorates 5, 12, 14 and 18, focusing on operations of sabotage and assassination. The last director of Directorate 9 was MG Abdul Hameed Khalaf al-Bayati, with BG Hussain Abdul Khaliq ad-Douri, from Dour as his Assistant Director.

 * Directorate 12 – Electronic Surveillance
 * Responsible for the planting, monitoring, and analyzing video and audio surveillance devices within the IIS. Also partially responsible for the forging of currency.

 * Directorate 17 – National Security Institute
 * Responsible for the training of IIS officers. Located in the Jihad district (possibly at Abu Ghraib in the western suburbs of Baghdad), it contained full living quarters and a supermarket. High-school graduates undertook a three-year course, and college graduates an 18-month course prior to entering the intelligence service as junior officers.

 * Planning Office
 * Responsible for collecting and analyzing information from around the world, including open sources such as radio, satellite TV, and newspapers.

 * Propaganda Office
 * Responsible for conducting psychological warfare operations, including the dissemination of false information.

Special Bureau

 * Directorate 5 – Counter-Intelligence
 * Responsible for the detection and neutralization of foreign intelligence agents, with a particular focus on Syrian infiltrators. Directorate 5 works in conjunction with Directorates 3, 4, 14 and 18. Undated sources name BG Sadoon Ali al-Tikriti, from Auja as director of Directorate 5, and LTC Ahmed Lahij ad-Dulaimi as Assistant Director.

 * Directorate 6 – Mukhabarat Security
 * Responsible for the conduct of officers and other members of the IIS. Directorate 6 was responsible for the issuing of papers, passports, and marriage sanctions for all ISS employees. The last director of Directorate 6 was MG Abdul Hameed Yasin al-Ghurairi, with COL Ibrahim al-`Aani as his Assistant.

 * Directorate 7 – Al Haakimiya
 * The primary interrogation center of the ISS was Al Haakimiya, located opposite the Passport Office on 52nd Street.

 * Directorate 19 – Personnel Supervision
 * Responsible for surveillance of IIS employees.

 * Directorate 22 – Protection
 * Responsible for personal protection of senior IIS officials and visiting dignitaries.

 * Office 16
 * Uncertain designation. Conducted training of agents for the Clandestine operations abroad.

 * Brigade of Mukhabarat
 * Rapid intervention force of the IIS, armed with light and semi-heavy weapons.

History
Following an unsuccessful assassination attempt by the Ba'ath Party on Iraq's ruler Abdul Karim Qasim in October 1959, Saddam Hussein was placed in charge of Jihaz al Khas (Special Apparatus), sometime between 1964 and 1966. Codenamed Jihaz al-Haneen (Instrument of Yearning), the organisation concentrated on security and intelligence work.

After the Ba'ath Party seized power on 17 July 1968, Saddam expanded the Special Apparatus and took control of the Amn (State Internal Security Department).

Following the failed coup attempt led by Director of Internal Security Nadhim Kzar in 1973, Jihaz was transformed into Da'irat al Mukhabarat al Amah (The General Intelligence Department or the GID).

In 1983, under the leadership of Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, the GID organized the massacres of the villagers of Dujail and Jezan Al Chol, the disappearance of the Barzanis from the Qushtapa camp, and the assassination of 18 members of Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim's family.

As a result of the Gulf War (1991), the department dealing with external affairs was reduced to less than half of its pre-1990 size, while the department dealing with internal affairs was enlarged to deal with increasing anti-Saddam activities within Iraq.

On 13 April 1993, the IIS planned and executed an assassination attempt against former US President George H. W. Bush and the Emir of Kuwait through the use of a large car bomb driven by two Iraqis. However the plan was foiled and Kuwaiti officials arrested 16 persons suspected of carrying out the plot after a car bomb was found. Two Iraqi nationals, during the FBI interviews in Kuwait, admitted to attempting to carry out an attack under direction of the IIS. On 26 June of that year, in response to an attempted assassination by IIS on former US President George H. W. Bush, US President Bill Clinton ordered two U.S. warships, namely USS Peterson and USS Chancellorsville, to fire Tomahawk cruise missiles on the IIS principal command and control complex in Baghdad. 16 of the 23 missiles hit their target; three struck a residential area, killing nine civilians and wounding 12. Four of the missiles were unaccounted for.

In June 1995, Saddam Hussein dismissed his stepbrother Sabawi Ibrahim al-Tikriti from his role as head of the IIS, due to his failure to increase domestic security within Iraq. Brigadier General Ali Hasan al-Majid was named as his successor.

The IIS was officially dissolved on 23 May 2003 by the Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority of Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, per CPA Order Number 2.

Directors

 * Nadhim Kazar (1969–1973)
 * Sadun Shakir Mahmud al-Tikriti (1973–1977)
 * Barzan Ibrahim Hassan al-Tikriti (1977–1983)
 * Hussein Kamel Hassan al-Majid (1983–1984)
 * Fadhil al-Barraq Hussein al-Tikriti (1984–1989)
 * Sabawi Ibrahim al-Tikriti (1989–1995)
 * Ali Hassan Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (1995–2003)

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

title: Iraqi Intelligence Service


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National Microbiology Laboratory

The National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) is part of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the agency of the Government of Canada that is responsible for public health, health emergency preparedness and response, and infectious and chronic disease control and prevention.

NML is located in several sites across the country including the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health (CSCHAH) in Winnipeg, Manitoba. NML has a second site in Winnipeg, the JC Wilt Infectious Disease Research Centre on Logan Avenue which serves as a hub for HIV research and diagnostics in Canada. The three other primary sites include locations in Guelph, St. Hyacinthe and Lethbridge.

The CSCHAH is a biosafety level 4 infectious disease laboratory facility, the only one of its kind in Canada. With maximum containment, scientists are able to work with pathogens including Ebola, Marburg and Lassa fever.

The NML's CSCHAH is also home to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, and thus the scientists at the NML share their premises with animal virologists.

History
The National Microbiology Laboratory was preceded by the Bureau of Microbiology which was originally part of the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control of Health Canada in Ottawa. In the 1980s, Health Canada identified both the need to replace existing laboratory space that was reaching the end of its lifespan and the need for Containment Level 4 space in the country.

Around the same time, Agriculture Canada (prior to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency being formed) also identified the need for new laboratory space including high-containment. Numerous benefits were identified for housing both laboratories in one building and Winnipeg was chosen as the site; an announcement to that effect was made in October 1987.

After some debate, the spot chosen for the site was a city works yard near to the Health Sciences Centre (a major teaching hospital), the University of Manitoba's medical school, and other life science organizations. Construction of the facility that came to be named the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health (often referred to locally as "the Virology Lab") began with an official ground-breaking in December 1992.

The joint venture design team of Toronto-based Dunlop Architects and Winnipeg-based Smith Carter Architects and Engineers visited 30 laboratories to seek best practices in containment and design. Construction was largely complete by the end of 1997 with the first programs beginning in the spring of 1998 and all laboratories coming on line after that. The official opening took place in June 1999.

Following the SARS outbreak in 2003, the Public Health Agency of Canada was formed in 2004 to provide a stronger focus on public health and emergency preparedness in the country. It is a member of the federal Health Portfolio (along with Health Canada, the Canadian Institute of Health Research, and other organizations).

By 2018 the NML was beginning to use genomics and advanced computing to study microbes at the genetic level in so-called "dry lab" facilities, as opposed to "wet labs" with Petri dishes and cell cultures.

The NML (PHAC) fired Chinese nationals Xiangguo Qiu and her husband Keding Cheng from their jobs as BSL4 infectious disease researchers in January 2021; previously in July 2019 the pair had been dismissed from their positions as unpaid members of the University of Winnipeg for their agency in a mysterious trans-Pacific shipment of BSL4-grade virus materials back to their homeland when the RCMP was called in.

Containment
Human pathogens are classified into risk groups. The criteria to determine the group includes the level of risk to the health of a person or to public health, as well as the likelihood that the human pathogen will actually cause disease in a human, and whether treatment and preventative measures are available. It can depend on the type of work being done as to which level of containment is needed for pathogens from specific risk groups; as an example, culturing (or growing) a virus or bacterium requires higher containment than some diagnostic tests.

NML operates Containment Level 2, 3 and 4 laboratories. In human health infectious disease laboratories, the design and construction of the facility, the engineering controls, and the training and techniques of staff are all focused on protecting lab workers, containing the pathogens, and preventing contamination of materials to ensure accurate diagnosis and research. All of these factors vary depending on the level of containment.

The vast majority (87.7%) of NML's lab space is Containment Level 2 (CL2). This is the same type of laboratory found in doctors' offices, hospitals and universities. In a Level 2 lab, work with infectious materials is done inside a biosafety cabinet (BSC) and appropriate personal protective gear is worn relative to activities (gloves, eye protection, lab coats, gowns, etc.).

Risk Group 2 pathogens worked with in Level 2 can cause disease but are not a serious hazard and they are often circulating in the community. Environmental contamination must be minimized by the use of hand washing sinks and decontamination facilities such as autoclaves. Examples include E-coli; whooping cough; and seasonal influenza.

NML also has Containment Level 3 (CL3) laboratories (8.6% of lab space). Risk Group 3 pathogens may be transmitted by the airborne route, often need only a low infectious dose to produce effects, and can cause serious or life-threatening disease. CL3 emphasizes additional primary and secondary barriers to minimize the release of infectious organisms into the immediate laboratory and the environment. Additional features to prevent transmission of CL3 organisms are appropriate respiratory protection, HEPA filtration of exhausted laboratory air, and strictly controlled laboratory access. Examples include tuberculosis; West Nile virus; and pandemic H1N1 influenza.

A small percentage of laboratory space (3.6%) is devoted to Containment Level 4 (CL4) at NML. These agents have the potential for aerosol transmission, often have a low infectious dose and produce very serious and often fatal disease; there is no licensed treatment or vaccine available. This level of containment represents an isolated unit independent of other areas. CL4 emphasizes maximum containment of the infectious agent by completely sealing the facility perimeter with confirmation by negative pressure testing, isolation of the researcher from the pathogen by an enclosed positive pressure suit, and decontamination of air and all other materials. Examples include Ebola, Nipah, Marburg, and 1918 pandemic influenza.

Structure
NML programs are housed in several facilities across the country. Two of these facilities are in proximity to each other in Winnipeg: The Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health on Arlington Street and the J.C. Wilt Infectious Diseases Research Centre on Logan Avenue. The other facilities are located in Guelph, ON; St. Hyacinthe, QC and Lethbridge, AB.

NML is divided into five main laboratory divisions which are supported by scientific and administrative services. The primary NML divisions are:

Bacterial Pathogens - focussing on bacterial diseases such as tuberculosis and antibiotic resistant organisms.

Enteric Diseases - focussing on food and water-borne pathogens including E.coli and Salmonella.

Viral Diseases - addressing a range of viral diseases, including hepatitis and other blood-borne pathogens, respiratory viruses and viral exanthemata, such as measles.

Zoonotic Diseases and Special Pathogens - dealing with viral, bacterial and rickettsial zoonoses (diseases transmitted to humans from other species), such as West Nile Virus and Lyme disease, along with risk group 4 agents such as Ebola, Marburg and Lassa fever viruses.

HIV and Retrovirology - providing laboratory services and scientific expertise relating to HIV and emerging retroviruses.

The Science Technology Core and Services Division works with these divisions to provide technological approaches, including genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics.

There is also the Public Health Risk Sciences Division, which is a specialized resource that provides scientific knowledge and solutions to better assess public health risks and enable decisions, with specific attention to infectious disease threats transmitted from food, the animals, or the physical environment.

These science-based divisions are complemented and supported by numerous other units that ensure their ongoing operations such as the Office of Science Planning, Program Support and Services, Scientific Informatic Services, Science Support and Client Services, Surveillance and References Services, the Facility and Property Management Division, and the Biorisk and Occupational Safety Services Division. NML also funds the National Reference Centre for Parasitology in Montreal and has a Laboratory Liaison Technical Officer in most provincial labs.

Workforce
NML employs scientists (MD, PhD, and DVM), biologists, and laboratory technologists, but it also includes informatics specialists, biosafety experts, specialized operations and maintenance staff, and administrative staff, among others. In total, there are approximately 600 staff members as of 2016.

The laboratory has collaborated with scientists from the People's Liberation Army from at least 2016 to 2020.

Accomplishments
NML is renowned for its work on a broad spectrum of infectious diseases from seasonal influenza to Ebola and its accomplishments are too many to detail.

Some recent examples of the work done by NML include their involvement in the response to the West African Ebola outbreak. For a period of about 18 months, teams from NML travelled to West Africa to aid in the diagnostics during the outbreak. They worked closely with the World Health Organization and Médecins sans frontières to ensure people were properly diagnosed so that they could be properly cared for and isolated from others to stop the spread. Also during this outbreak, a promising vaccine and treatment for Ebola that were developed at NML, in conjunction with collaborators, were fast tracked into clinical trials so that they could get to the people that needed it as soon as possible.

Another accomplishment was the response to the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. In April 2009, the Mexican national lab approached NML for assistance with identifying a respiratory virus that was causing outbreaks in Mexico. NML was able to quickly identify the new virus and recognize that it matched the virus that was beginning to circulate in the U.S. As the lead laboratory in Canada, NML rapidly developed diagnostic tests and equipped provincial labs to be able to test for the new virus. NML also assisted Mexico by providing additional testing and sent staff to their national laboratory to enable to help them set up their own testing protocols.

In the international laboratory sector, NML has developed different types of mobile labs: a lab-truck, a lab-trailer, and a "lab in a suitcase". The lab-truck is generally used for in-country deployments at high-profile events such as the 2010 Olympics, the lab-trailer is used for international large-scale events where there may be a threat of bioterrorism or other deliberate acts involving infectious agents, and the lab in a suitcase is frequently used in remote areas of the world with little available infrastructure. An example would be the multiple deployments over the years to combat outbreaks of Ebola in Africa. This model was adopted by many other countries during the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

NML houses the secretariats for both the Canadian Public Health Laboratory Network (CPHLN) and the Global Health Security Action Group – Laboratory Network (GHSAG-LN). The role of CPHLN is to provide a forum for public health laboratory leaders to share knowledge. The GHSAG-LN network's goals are to coordinate the diagnostic capabilities of all participants and contribute to disease surveillance around the world.

The Canadian Network for Public Health Intelligence (CNPHI) is an innovation developed by NML staff. It is a secure web-based system that compiles information from various surveillance systems and issues alerts to users. More than 4,000 public health officials across Canada now subscribe to it. CNPHI tools assist in determining the existence or extent of an outbreak through the recognition of related cases across jurisdictions.

Directors
From 2000 to 2014, Dr. Frank Plummer was the Scientific Director General of the National Microbiology Laboratory. Under Dr. Plummer's guidance, the NML developed into one of the world's premier institutions in the research, detection, and response to global infectious disease and bio-security threats.

Dr. Plummer received his medical degree from the University of Manitoba in 1976. Between 1984 and 2001, Dr. Plummer lived in Nairobi, Kenya where he spearheaded the development of the world renowned "Kenya AIDS Control Program," established by the Universities of Manitoba and Nairobi. This HIV epidemiological work was central to global understanding of the risk factors for HIV transmission and how to prevent its spread. Dr. Plummer was the first to reveal that heterosexual women could also be infected with HIV/AIDS and that a cohort of Nairobi sex workers had a natural immunity to HIV/AIDS. This latter discovery suggested the possibility that a vaccine could eventually be developed.

Dr. Plummer stepped down as the NML's Scientific Director General to take the position as senior adviser to the Agency's Chief Public Health Officer in 2014. He remained as a distinguished professor at the University of Manitoba prior to his death in February 2020.

In 2015, Dr. Matthew Gilmour became the Scientific Director General of the National Microbiology Laboratory and the Laboratory for Foodborne Zoonoses. Dr. Gilmour spearheaded the partnership that brought these two laboratories together under the National Microbiology Laboratory umbrella. He was previously the Chief, Enteric Diseases and subsequently the Program Director, Bacteriology and Enteric Diseases at the NML.

Dr. Gilmour has won a number of scientific awards including Canadian Society of Microbiologists' Canadian Graduate Student Microbiologist of the Year Award; the Public Health Agency of Canada's Most Promising Researcher Merit Award and Dr. Andrés Petrasovits Public Health Merit Award; and Health Canada's Excellence Award in Collaborative Leadership and Award for Excellence in Science. Dr. Gilmour continues to be an Assistant Professor at the University of Manitoba's Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases as well as the Secretary Treasurer of the Canadian Association for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (CACMID).

title: National Microbiology Laboratory


text: User talk:216.174.53.216

title: User talk:216.174.53.216


text:
Hodaka (motorcycle)

Hodaka was a joint Japanese and American company that manufactured motorcycles from 1964 to 1978. Close to 150,000 motorcycles were produced within that time. Prior to 1964 Hodaka made engines for the Yamaguchi motorcycle brand.

The worldwide distributor of Hodakas was PABATCO, for Pacific Basin Trading Company. Its headquarters were in the rural town of Athena, Oregon. PABATCO designed and engineered a majority of the motorcycles, and Hodaka in Japan was responsible for the engine and manufacture and assembly. Pabatco was owned by Shell Oil Company from 1965 to 1978. The name Hodaka comes from a mountain near the factory and means "To grow taller".

The Oishi brothers, owners of Hodaka, had taken an extended trip to Europe in the late '50s and during that time they purchased close to 50 European and English motorcycles to take back to Japan to study. It is also rumored Hodaka might have indeed designed the complete Yamaguchi SPB50, not just the engine. Hodaka was also a producer of machine tools and it has been said they borrowed the concept of one of their quick-change gear clusters in one of their metalworking lathes to construct the shift mechanism in the Hodaka gearbox, with the resulting spring-loaded shifting mechanism being patented.

Starting to manufacture complete motorcycles in 1964, Hodaka/PABATCO is credited by some with starting the trail bike craze in the United States. This was due mainly to the design by the off-road motorcycle enthusiasts at PABATCO. On the second year of production Hodaka experimented with reed valves and almost brought them to market. But for some unknown reason they dropped the idea. And subsequently Yamaha is credited with being the first to produce this power enhancing feature. Hodaka models are listed below.

In the late 1970s, a combination of events led to the demise of Hodaka. Falling US dollar exchange rates against the Japanese yen, a shift in demand from dirt bikes to larger road bikes, and general economic weakness fatally wounded the company. Shell attempted to purchase the Hodaka company at one point but the offer was rebuffed by Hodaka in Japan. Some of the tooling was later sold to the Korean company Daelim after Hodaka closed in 1978. In 2014, a complete history including in house notes, blueprints, photos etc. was published. The book is called "Hodaka: The Complete Story of America's Favorite Trailbike". The book is authored by Ken Smith from Australia and has the most comprehensive history of the Hodaka motorcycle brand ever written.

Every year the town of Athena, Oregon, holds an event in June entitled Hodaka Days which includes a parade of Hodaka motorcycles, a bike show, observed trials and motocross competition.

List of Hodaka motorcycles

 * Hodaka Ace 90 model 90
 * Hodaka Ace 100 model 92
 * Hodaka Ace 100 model 92A
 * Hodaka Ace 100B model 92B
 * Hodaka Ace 100B+ Model 92B+
 * Hodaka Ace 100 Super Rat model 93,93A and 93B
 * Hodaka 100 Dirt Squirt chrome tank model 96
 * Hodaka 100 Road Toad model 99
 * Hodaka 100 Super Rat model 98
 * Hodaka 125 Super Combat model 97
 * Hodaka 125 Combat Wombat model 95
 * Hodaka 125 Wombat chrome tank model 94 and 94A
 * Hodaka 175SL model 61
 * Hodaka Road Toad model 02
 * Hodaka Dirt Squirt model 01
 * Hodaka 250SL model 70 and 70A
 * Hodaka Thunderdog 250ED model 71
 * Hodaka Dirt Squirt 80 model 82

title: Hodaka (motorcycle)


text:
Gay-for-pay

Gay-for-pay describes male or female actors, pornographic stars, or sex workers who identify as heterosexual but who are paid to act or perform as homosexual professionally. The term has also applied to other professions and even companies trying to appeal to a gay demographic. The stigma of being gay or labeled as such has steadily eroded since the Stonewall riots began the modern American gay rights movement in 1969. Through the 1990s, mainstream movie and television actors have been more willing to portray homosexuality, as the threat of any backlash against their careers has lessened and society's acceptance of gay and lesbian people has increased.

In the gay pornography industry, that uses amateurs as well as professional actors, the term gay-for-pay refers to actors who identify as straight but who engage in same-sex sexual activities for money or sexual gain. Some actors who are actually gay or bisexual will be marketed as straight to appeal to the "allure of the unattainable," because straight men (or those newly coming out) are virgins to sex with other men; scholar Camille Paglia declared that "Seduction of straight studs is a highly erotic motif in gay porn."

Pornography
Because some gay men consider heterosexual men to be objects of fantasy, some gay porn producers have almost certainly described some actors as heterosexual to increase sales and publicity for their product. Moreover, many gay or bisexual men who star in gay porn films may wish to be identified publicly as heterosexual for personal or professional reasons.

Some straight actors have started acting in gay porn only to be accused of being gay while others' first step was to strictly do solo masturbation or muscle exhibition scenes. The higher pay scale and profile within a production often leads to group scenes where a straight actor only "tops." A "top" actor will often be sought as a bottom and the debut is often treated as a notable event or even its own release.

BluMedia Inc, created a made-for-TV docu-series called Broke Straight Boys. The show "Broke Straight Boys" is a reality-based docu-series that explores the world of "Gay for Pay", a term used to describe when straight men do gay porn for money. The show explores the dynamic relationships between the owner of BluMedia, Mark Erickson, his business staff, and the young men who choose to do gay porn to supplement their income by performing for adult websites.

Sex workers
In the sex worker industry, the term may also be applied to straight people of either gender (including "male escorts") who have sexual contact or scenes with a client or another sex worker of the same gender. Although sexual contact is often involved, sex scenes or solo scenes (like masturbating to climax) or even a BDSM scene for the client's stimulation can take place. Sexual arousal without direct sexual contact may also occur in such niche trade as muscle worship. As in porn work, a gay identity is not necessary to make money from gay clients and consumers.

Go-go dancers
Go-go dancing originated in the 1960s. It was eventually appropriated by burlesque and striptease establishments, which became known as "go-go bars". Many gay clubs had male go-go dancers, called go-go boys during the period 1965–1968. After that, few gay clubs had go-go dancers until a resurgence in the late 1980s, when go-go dancing again became fashionable, and has remained so ever since.

"Go-go dancers" who perform at night clubs, special parties, circuit parties or rave dances wearing colorful bright costumes (which may include battery operated lights, fire sticks, or a snake) can also be called performance art dancers or box dancers. Large circuit parties and gay clubs often have very attractive go-go boys of all sexualities who will allow patrons to touch and rub them but only for tips. This is typical in Thai venues, such as in Sunee Plaza, Pattaya. Some criticize the practice of employing straight dancers to perform erotically for gay audiences when gay performers are available.

Film and television
In film and television, the term "pinkface" is the use of straight actors to play LGB roles or characters. Anna King of Time Out likens "pinkface" to blackface. Pinkface differs from straightwashing, which is the erasure of gay characters and themes from stories in film and television.

Parts of the gay community have expressed concerns about the use of straight actors to play gay characters, a practice that has also been nicknamed "gay for pay" in the acting industry. This occurs in films and shows such as Call Me By Your Name (straight actors Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet), Brokeback Mountain (Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal), Modern Family (starring Eric Stonestreet), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (starring Andre Braugher), Will & Grace (starring Eric McCormack), Philadelphia (starring Tom Hanks), Capote (starring Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Milk (with Sean Penn playing the role of the real-life gay rights activist-political leader Harvey Milk).

Controversy has arisen from this practice due to nominations and wins of awards from these roles, particularly for gay men. For example, since Hanks' win for Philadelphia in 1993, only two openly gay actors have been nominated for either Best Actor or Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards: Nigel Hawthorne in 1994, and Ian McKellen in 1998 and 2001. Neither man won, nor has an openly gay man been nominated since. Meanwhile, sixteen straight actors have been nominated for gay roles, with five winning. The same has also applied to television, where Jim Parsons remains the only openly gay actor to be nominated for or win an Emmy Award in the lead acting categories; meanwhile, the heterosexual Eric McCormack was nominated and won for his portrayal of Will Truman on Will & Grace, which remains the only nomination for a gay male character in these categories.

The LGBT community has also raised concerns about when actors in pinkface have used negative or harmful stereotypes in their portrayals of gay characters. Dennis Lim states that the depictions of gays in mainstream film typically include the "gay joke", in which LGBT people are depicted to create humor; depicting gay men pejoratively as a "daisy, a fairy, a nonce, a pansy, a swish" or showing lesbian woman as "butch"; and to create a homosexual panic that plays on heterosexual people's fears of experiencing sexual advances from LGBT people.

The 1980 film Cruising created controversy due to its plot of a straight cop, played by straight actor Al Pacino, going undercover to infiltrate a gay nightclub, and its negative depictions of gay men that seem to justify a gay panic defense from Pacino's character. Straight actor Sacha Baron Cohen's portrayal of a gay man in the film Brüno also created controversy, being described as an attempt to "...mak[e] fun of the queer community."

Pinkface in television advertising has also been compared to blackface; similar to the way 19th-century blackface performances created and affirmed a hierarchical system that presented certain identities as "preferred and privileged", with pinkface ads, LGBT people are portrayed to create "humorous stigmatization" which is "insidious," as "like blackface, pinkface advertisements create a culture that posits the identities of GLBT persons [to a mainly non-GLBT audience] as inferior, inappropriate and ludicrous." One source called pinkface ads the "most destructive genre of queer commercials," as they manipulate queer identities to create stigmatization at gay people's expense and strengthen heteronormative standards.

Some pinkface TV ads depict hairy bearded men in drag (wearing dresses), with the intent of making fun of and devaluing trans women and present a "campy, stigmatized" depiction of trans people. Bud Light's 2003 beer commercial "Clown" depicts gay men as perverse by showing a man in a clown costume who appears to be walking on his hands, so that his mouth is positioned at the location of his costume's "bottom," thus making his drinking of beer look like the bottle is going into his anus, as the "bar patrons look at...in disgust," showing that the gay reference is derogatory.

In the 2007 Snickers chocolate bar ad "Chest hair," two men eat the same chocolate bar and then accidentally end up kissing when they eat the entire bar, causing them to scream and rip out their chest hair, which implies that if two men kiss, they must prove their masculinity with pain-causing "hypermasculine behavior," which implies it is "preferable to physically harm one's self than to be identified as gay."

Gary Nunn of The Guardian, noting that he grew up as a closeted and confused boy, said that while he understands gay people wanting to "redress the balance" of "gay actors hav[ing] been told by Hollywood to stay in the closet if they ever want to play a straight role" and straight white men having more power and influence and access to better jobs than other people, "to demand that only gay actors play gay roles is not the way to correct an inequality." He believes that "in a world where gay actors are still denied straight roles, it'll just lead to typecasting of gay actors - the very thing they're wanting to escape. Gay actors want a diversity of roles just like straight actors do."

Popular culture

 * The Fluffer, film about a fictional gay-for-pay actor
 * The Real World: Las Vegas (2011) featured Dustin Zito, a former gay-for-pay actor

Straight-for-pay
A term that is derivative of "gay-for-pay" is the partly tongue-in-cheek term "straight-for-pay," which describes gay men who have sex with women for pay. The term was coined to describe the film Shifting Gears: A Bisexual Transmission, due to gay porn stars Cameron Marshall and Blake Riley being featured in heterosexual scenes. Other notable examples of gay porn stars going "straight-for-pay" are Steven Daigle and Arpad Miklos, the latter of whom received a great deal of criticism for his scene on the site Straight Guys for Gay Eyes (SG4GE). SG4GE's company principal Jake Cruise defended the scene, stating that it was a "winning idea" to portray a "masculine gay man exploring straight sex" because "I've always loved to push boundaries and press buttons with my work."

In August 2018, the gay male pornographic website Men.com released its first scene featuring MMF bisexual porn titled "The Challenge." Arad Winwin, the star of the scene and a self-identified gay man, faced backlash from fans for acting in the scene, with some fans accusing him of being straight or of having "converted" to heterosexual or bisexual. Winwin told the gay website Str8UpGayPorn that "I'm a gay man...This was only a job, and it was nothing more. Nothing personal. I was working, and it was like any other scene I've done."

title: Gay-for-pay


text:
PBCore

The PBCore metadata standard (Public Broadcasting Metadata Dictionary) was created by the public broadcasting community in the United States of America for use by public broadcasters and related communities that manage audiovisual assets, including libraries, archives, independent producers, etc. PBCore is organized as a set of specified fields that can be used in database applications, and it can be used as a data model for media cataloging and asset management systems. As an XML schema, PBCore enables data exchange between media collections, systems and organizations.

Background
Initial development funding for PBCore was provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting starting in 2001.

1.0 – April 2005

PBCore Version 1.0 defined 48 metadata elements which combined to describe a media asset or resource's intellectual content, creation, creators, usage, permissions, constraints, use obligations, and its form or format in the physical or digital realm.

1.1 – January 2007

PBCore Version 1.1 enhanced the binding of related metadata elements (such as Title and TitleType) into new, hierarchically-organized "Element Containers." In that arrangement, each Element Container collects and houses associated "child" Elements that are thematically related. Basically, what was a "flat" arrangement of the 48 PBCore elements became a more "nested" structure of 53 elements, arranged in 15 containers and 3 sub-containers.

1.2.1 – December 2008

PBCore version 1.2.1 was published to better accommodate the possibility that a media asset may have multiple instantiations with various technical attributes. A new container called "pbcoreEssenceTrack" contains all other new elements to express different attributes associated with multiple instantiations. PBCore v1.2.1 used 61 elements organized into 15 containers and 4 sub-containers.

1.3 – August 2010

PBCore version 1.3 added a new top-level element, a new attribute of string values, and removed the previous requirement to describe one or more instantiations of any asset. Its new element, "pbcoreAssetType," could be used to explicitly declare the asset's broad business purpose, and its new attribute "source" could help clarify the text value of an element, much like the attribute "version" has done. PBCore v1.3 used 62 elements organized into 15 containers and 4 sub-containers.

2.0 - November 2011

PBCore version 2.0 was released at the annual conference of the Association of Moving Image Archivists in November 2011. This was a major revision of the schema, with the addition of two new top-level elements:

 * The ""pbcoreCollection"" element allows for wrapping any number of pbcoreDescriptionDocuments in a collection or feed for exchanging any number of asset records between systems.
 * The ""pbcoreInstantiationDocument" provides a metadata container for physical or digital instantiations for which no descriptive metadata exists, which was disallowed in previous versions of PBCore.

Another significant change in PBCore 2.0 was the addition of optional attributes for many elements, including source, ref, version, annotation, startTime, endTime, and timeAnnotation. The source attribute allows for the specification of a source of subject terms and other values, while the ref attribute may contain a URI for the subject term itself. The version and annotation attributes allow for the inclusion of versioning for the value, and narrative information intended to clarify the nature of the data used in the element. The startTime, endTime, and timeAnnotation attributes allow for the inclusion of time-based metadata, for example the location in the media timeline when a subject, name, or location was relevant. A third major change to the schema was the addition of pbcorePart as an optional element of the root element pbcoreDescriptionDocument, and recursively another pbcorePart element, which allows for defining segments, stories, or episodes of a larger media work.

Current developments
As part of the American Archive of Public Broadcasting initiative, PBCore entered a new phase of development in 2014. The American Archive team established a PBCore Advisory Subcommittee of the Association of Moving Image Archivists to reassess the schema, continue outreach to users and potential adopters, create resources for the PBCore community and improve the website.

Content classes
The PBCore standard is built on the foundation of the Dublin Core (ISO 15836), an international standard for resource discovery, and has been reviewed, though not endorsed, by the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative Usage Board.

PBCore extends Dublin Core by adding a number of elements specific to audiovisual (AV) assets. These AV assets can be physical analog media items, or digital media objects. PBCore provides a standard for cataloging and describing media objects in three general ways:

 * Intellectual Content provides descriptive metadata including Title, Subject, Description, and Genre. The Intellectual Content for the asset contains no metadata concerning the physical or digital representation of the asset.
 * Intellectual Property provides metadata concerning the creator, distributor, and publisher of the AV asset, along with rights information about its use.
 * Instantiation contains all technical metadata about the physical or digital representation of the AV asset. This can include format, media type, duration, file size, data rate, aspect ratio, frame rate, and many other aspects of the media object. The Instantiation metadata includes the location of the physical or digital media object, which in the case of a streaming media file can be its full URL. In PBCore there can be many Instantiations for the same AV asset, all of which share the same Intellectual Content metadata.
 * Extension allows for the integration of data from other metadata schema, such as EAD and PREMIS.

PBCore provides an XSD allowing validation of PBCore XML records. PBCore XML can be used to exchange detailed metadata about media assets, and optionally the media assets themselves, among systems configured for the PBCore standard. The schema is used by organizations within the public media community as well as in archives and libraries across the world.

Elements
Although a PBCore record potentially contains a great many elements, the only required elements are any one of the root elements, pbcoreIdentifier, and pbcoreTitle

Root Elements

 * pbcoreDescriptionDocument
 * pbcoreCollection
 * pbcoreInstantiationDocument

Intellectual Content
 * pbcoreAssetType
 * pbcoreAssetDate
 * pbcoreIdentifier
 * pbcoreTitle
 * pbcoreSubject
 * pbcoreDescription
 * pbcoreGenre
 * pbcoreRelation
 * pbcoreRelationType
 * pbcoreRelationIdentifier
 * pbcoreCoverage
 * coverage
 * coverageType
 * pbcoreAudienceLevel
 * pbcoreAudienceRating
 * pbcoreAnnotation

Intellectual Property

 * pbcoreCreator
 * creator
 * creatorRole
 * pbcoreContributor
 * contributor
 * contributorRole
 * pbcorePublisher
 * publisher
 * publisherRole
 * pbcoreRightsSummary
 * rightsSummary
 * rightsLink
 * rightsEmbedded

Extensions

 * pbcoreExtension
 * extensionWrap
 * extensionElement
 * extensionValue
 * extensionAuthorityUsed
 * extensionEmbedded
 * pbcorePart

Instantiation
 * pbcoreInstantiation
 * instantiationIdentifier
 * instantiationDate
 * instantiationDimensions
 * instantiationPhysical
 * instantiationDigital
 * instantiationStandard
 * instantiationLocation
 * instantiationMediaType
 * instantiationGenerations
 * instantiationFileSize
 * instantiationTimeStart
 * instantiationDuration
 * instantiationDataRate
 * instantiationColors
 * instantiationTracks
 * instantiationChannelConfiguration
 * instantiationLanguage
 * instantiationAlternativeModes
 * instantiationEssenceTrack
 * essenceTrackType
 * essenceTrackIdentifier
 * essenceTrackStandard
 * essenceTrackEncoding
 * essenceTrackDataRate
 * essenceTrackFrameRate
 * essenceTrackPlaybackSpeed
 * essenceTrackSamplingRate
 * essenceTrackBitDepth
 * essenceTrackFrameSize
 * essenceTrackAspectRatio
 * essenceTrackTimeStart
 * essenceTrackDuration
 * essenceTrackLanguage
 * essenceTrackAnnotation
 * essenceTrackExtension
 * instantiationRelation
 * instantiationRelationType
 * instantiationRelationIdentifier
 * instantiationRights
 * rightsSummary
 * rightsLink
 * rightsEmbedded
 * instantiationAnnotation
 * instantiationPart
 * instantiationExtension

title: PBCore


text:
Talk:Coimbra

POV check
this guy elapsed doesnt know the basics of wikipedia and constantly puts is oppinion on wikipedia articles. There should be an avaliation on his additions to wikipedia as he adds biased info and often very unreliable info to wikipedia. Now he says that a much smaller students union of coimbra is the biggest in Portugal. -Pedro 4 July 2005 15:14 (UTC) More, he added pictures to wikipedia without licence and some are very possibly copyrighted. Where are the admins? --Pedro 4 July 2005 15:17 (UTC)

The claim of the AAc being the biggest student association its not new and its quite known. It is sustained as its made by a unique entity, rather than the oporto students union made by a group of faculties! So the claim its true!

The following assertions should also be revised: "With a dense urban grid the city of Coimbra is famous for its monuments, churches, libraries, numerous parks, gardens, nightlife, shopping facilities".

 * "Libraries" - It is famous for the "Joanina" library. The "Central" library is hardly known, nationally, and the Municipal library is just your regular local library.

Saying that the Central Library is not know nationally its a poor mistake! Its the second one in numbers in Portugal. Several ones have incredible collections like the ones of several science departments and law studies!

 * "Numerous parks" - Are actually two. Which are contiguous/continuous and, thus, rather count as one.

Actually more. Vale de Canas, Choupal, Manuel Braga, Botânico and Sereia/ Santa Cruz can ben recognized as parks. Are they just 2? Seems more to me! And they are not contiguos! Do you even know Coimbra??

 * "Numerous gardens" - Also just two.

Well, gardens.. 2? Hmm... Casa do Sal, Penedo da Saudade, Parque Verde, Choupalinho... Do you want the complete list? I can show you a book of more than 20 green spaces in the city!

 * "Nightlife" - While known to the local inhabitants, Coimbra is hardly famous for it; in fact, locals go out of their way to party elsewhere (eg, in Figueira da Foz).

Coimbra nightlife its quite renowned and not only by its students parties, and although you say that people go elsewhere, thats hardly a fact! In fact, several people from the sourrondigs come to Coimbra to party and Figueira only works to the Summer months, more in August.

 * "Shopping Facilities" - One mall, recent. One mall about to open. Until last year, people had to go to Aveiro, Porto or Lisbon to even see a mall. Coimbra is definitely not famous for its shopping.

Not one, several ones. As for big shopping malls you can find two, the forum and dolce vita. As an habitant of Coimbra I went to Aveiro just to find brands that wasn't then in Coimbra, but thats not like nowadays.

MIP 17:54, 22 February 2006 (UTC)

MIP probably does not know Coimbra and is wrong in some aspects: 1. Libraries - "Joanina" is a master piece and arguably the most beautiful library in Portugal. The University departments have valuable libraries that are regularly visited by scholars from all the country. The University's Central Library and Arquive is huge and one of the few libraries in Portugal that receive a copy of all the books edited in the country, also has documents of high historical value.

2. Gardens and Parks - Coimbra has some of the more important gardens in Portugal: Parque Manuel de Braga/Parque verde do Mondego, that will be one of the biggests urban parks in Portugal when finished; Choupal - urban forest near the river; Vale de Canas; Jardim da Sereia - an historical master piece; Botanical Garden - the most impressive botanical garden in Portugal; several other small ones.

3. Nightlife - It is a very lively nightlife because of the students with Latada Queima das fitas being two of the biggest parties in Portugal. People go to Figueira when they are on Holidays there.

4. Shopping - Coimbra is, no doubt, a terciary city. The old traditional shopping area is only smaller than Lisboa and Porto ones. Coimbra also has 3 big shopping malls, including the two biggests of Central Portugal (Aveiro, Viseu, Guarda, Coimbra, Castelo Branco, Leiria, Santarem) Aquilino, 22/7/2006

Party
The biggest student party in Portugal is in Porto. How can Coimbra be in Europe? -Pedro 01:57, 21 Apr 2005 (UTC)

I suppose the issue here is what is meant by "union of university students" in the text. The "Associação Académica de Coimbra" is an association with aproximately 30 000 members (since, by default, every student is a member).

In Porto - at least according to the University of Porto's website - there is no pan-association of students; there are small thematic associations by Faculdade, which then interact under the banner of a Federation of Associations ("Federação Académica do Porto").

The point of contention seems to be whether a Federation of Associations can be compared to a pure Association. People from Porto will say it can, people from Coimbra will say it can't. In the end, the only fact is that both are "big", and both are "important". -- MIP 18:20, 22 February 2006 (UTC)

 * I think the word "party" means "festival" in that context. I am not able do discuss student festivals dimensions, I just think that editors should refrain from making that kind of considerations, mainly, due to lack of references. Afonso Silva 18:32, 22 February 2006 (UTC)

 * Indeed. Especially seeing as the concept itself is subjective. While some would interpret the quantification of the "size" of the "party" as reflecting on the size of the organizing body (as I did), others will take it to refer to the number of attendees, or the ammount of money spent, or the number of days it lasts, or even the (subjective) importance of participating bands or musical acts.

 * Actually, giving it some more thought, I suppose the statement might be refering to the parade itself, and not to the festival in general. In which case, it might actually be simple to quantify (by looking into the average number of floaters paraded each year) and, thus, to clarify the meaning of "biggest party". -- MIP 18:55, 22 February 2006 (UTC)

 * For those that do not know, the activities of Queima das Fitas begins almost a month before the actual parade/music nights, with many sports tournaments, cultural activities,etc. http://2007.queimadasfitas.org/cultura.html http://2007.queimadasfitas.org/desporto.html to name a few, many more are organized locally by AAC's mini-unions in each course/faculty -- svicente 13:16, 4th May 2007 (UTC)

Seventh oldest university in Europe?
Can someone provide some evidence the claim that the University of Coimbra is the seventh oldest in Europe.

The article currently states:
 * The university founded in 1290 is the seventh oldest in Europe...

and then lists
 * 1) University of Bologna
 * 2) University of Oxford
 * 3) University of Paris
 * 4) University of Palencia
 * 5) University of Salamanca
 * 6) University of Cambridge

However, the University of Coimbra appears at around tenth in the List of oldest universities in continuous operation (after a couple of non-European universities): I amended the statement to say:
 * 1) University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, founded 1088
 * 2) University of Oxford, Oxford, England, founded about 1096
 * 3) University of Paris, Paris, France, founded 1150 (now split between several autonomous universities)
 * 4) University of Modena, Modena, Italy, founded 1175
 * 5) University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England, founded about 1209
 * 6) Salamanca University, Salamanca, Spain, founded 1218
 * 7) University of Padua, Padua, Italy, founded in 1222
 * 8) University of Naples, Naples, Italy, founded 1224
 * 9) University of Siena, Siena, Italy, founded 1240
 * 10) University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal, founded in 1290 in Lisbon
 * The university founded in 1290 is one of the oldest in Europe; ...

which is clearly correct, but this was reverted. -- ALoan (Talk) 20:10, 17 May 2005 (UTC)

so you should investigate the ones of Modena, Padua(this is because it wasnt recognized has i read it in the university's website), Naples, Siena. (where's Palencia?) I'm surprized that in that list they dont clame an university in 500BC. Honestly, I'm chocked. I was expecting that.About the non-European ones, No comment. eheh. I think you should use other references than a wikipedia list. I do agree with you that in here can have biased info (the one of the biggest student party in Portugal) is one. Porto's much bigger. I fact, even if Porto was cutted in half, i belive it would continue to be bigger than Coimbra. -Pedro 21:51, 17 May 2005 (UTC)
 * Aloan, you look like an inocent man. ;) Cant you see that that lists are some kind of a war between wikipedians? this is another example: List_of_countries_by_date_of_nationhood these lists are useless to use as a reference.
 * 1) University of Bologna,
 * 2) University of Oxford,
 * 3) University of Paris,
 * 4) University of Palencia,
 * 5) University of Salamanca
 * 6) University of Cambridge

 * Well, it would be helpful to find out who claims the university is the seventh oldest in Europe - is there any evidence to justifiy the article's strong assertion. For example, does the University claim that itself?  Do its students?  Anyone?  In any event, it is clearly one of the oldest, so that factual, NPOV statement could be reinstated.  I just didn't want to revert without discussing the point. -- ALoan (Talk) 22:24, 17 May 2005 (UTC)

 * That's why I reverted, they much be teached that way in the university! But I admit you are correct. Although using that List as a reference is not a good thing to do. -Pedro 22:59, 17 May 2005 (UTC)

 * Yes, but in the absence of any evidence that it is the seventh oldest, surely we have to say one of the oldest? Saying "they must be taught that way in the university" is hardly definitive! -- ALoan (Talk) 10:23, 18 May 2005 (UTC)

ok. But more reliable that a wikipedia list ;) -Pedro 11:17, 18 May 2005 (UTC)

Population
The municipal area of Coimbra is much bigger than the city and includes many independent towns and villages. The real population of the city proper is less than 100,000. Also, there is no metropolitan area of Coimbra.

The city proper has 105 thousand inhanbitants of present population, not less than 100.000. It has a metropolitan area, called GAM-C, Grande Área Metropolitana de Coimbra.

Freakish heat flash
I removed the following because it has not been verified and may not be reliable. Reliable sources needed! Page Up 01:40, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

lasted for two minutes. Therefore, it was not sustained (over an hour), and it was not officially recorded as the hottest recorded temperature on the Earth's surface. This title went to Al 'Aziziyah, Libya with 57.7 ºC (135.9 ºF).
 * On July 6, 1949, a freakish heat flash temporarily raised the temperature to 70 ºC (158 ºF). Since this temperature

Incorrect Statement on Coimbra's QS ranking
The article states that Coimbra is the top ranked university in the Portuguese-speaking world according to the THES/QS ranking of world universities. That is factually incorrect ! According to the latest QS ranking, Coimbra is ranked #318, below the University of São Paulo (#175) and the University of Campinas (#177).

Source: http://www.topuniversities.com/worlduniversityrankings/results/2007/overall_rankings/top_400_universities/0

Signature: 161.24.19.112 (talk) 12:34, 6 May 2008 (UTC)

City versus Municipality
I propose that aspects of this article be integrated into the municipality article. The reason for this suggestion is that the title and content are erroneous: the city of Coimbra has no legal standing, and the content pertains to the municipality of Coimbra. The original writers seemed to have mixed the city (which only pertains to catchment population, some services and name) with the municipality (that includes the administration, territorial division, social institutions, urbanized and rural divisions). Consequently, only part of the content is valid, and the remainder refers to the much larger legal territory. For example, one editor refered to "numerous parks", another claimed two, then a further started rhyming off a list to indicate the latters error. If you look in deeper to the content, one will probably note that there are references to places or things that are outside the "city of Coimbra" and only pertain to the municipality. The reason: the ambiguity between what is the city of Coimbra and what pertains to the municipality (consequently many editors are including references that strictly pertain to the municipality in this article). For example, I find it hard to believe that "forestry, dynamic horticulture production, vineyards and livestock raising" occur in the city of Coimbra, although it might exist in the municipality of Coimbra. Another point: there are no "city mayors" in Portuguese tradition; administratively, the municipality of Coimbra has a council and executive, not the city. These are just a few itinerant references. This article should only cover a few things: the urbanized historic city, only those services, institutions and greenspaces that exist within its "borders", and should not have "municipal" content. All other content (the regional history, climate, economy, geographic references, institutions and notable citizenry, should be completely reviewed and parsed out to the municipal namespace.

The University was established 1290 in Lisbon and not in Coimbra
It is a common and ugly mistake to state, that the University in Portugal was established first in Coimbra. It was established in Lisbon and between 1290 and 1537 it moved to Coimbra returning again to Lisbon. Only in 1537 did it definitely stayed in Coimbra. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.180.159.11 (talk) 20:16, 8 October 2011 (UTC)

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Questions and comments
1. The article, in the "Middle Ages" section says "The most important work in Gothic style in the city is the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha, founded on the left side of the river Mondego by Queen Elizabeth of Portugal in the first half of the 14th century." The caption of the image in the same section says "Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha, refounded in 1314 by Queen Elizabeth of Portugal as a convent of Poor Clares in the parish of Santa Clara".

Was it founded or refounded? This needs to be consistent.

2. "A commission of five members, which included João Maria Baptista Callixto, António dos Santos Pereira Jardim, Roque Joaquim Fernandes Thomás, João Correia Ayres de Campos and António Egypcio Quaresma Lopes de Carvalho e Vasconcelos".

Is it really necessary and important to list all those names?

3. "The highest and lowest temperatures recorded in Coimbra are −7.8 °C (18.0 °F) and 42.5 °C (108.5 °F) in 1941 and 1943."

This sentence needs to be revised. I would but I don't know if the dates are inverted as the temperatures.

4. "About 460,000 inhabitants live in the Região de Coimbra, consisting of 19 municipalities".

Before that statement, a list of 18 civil parishes is provided. I assume the text uses "municipalities" as in "civil parishes".

5. "Postal services are provided in 15 parishes (48.4%)"

What does it mean?

6. "0% travel for over 12 km in a single direction".

What's the meaning of this? It sounds silly.

7. "Machado de Castro Museum, the second most important one in Portugal, housed in the former Episcopal Palace".

What is "one"? The use of it is improper.

8. Santarém, Portugal is listed as a twinned city. What's the date?

ICE77 (talk) 06:12, 17 July 2019 (UTC)

title: Talk:Coimbra


text: File:Clutch - Passive Restraints.jpg

title: File:Clutch - Passive Restraints.jpg