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DAVID, ELEAZAR (Eleazer) DAVID, cavalry officer, lawyer, and civil servant; b. 8 June 1811 in Montreal, Lower Canada, eldest son of Samuel David, a prominent Montreal merchant, and Sarah, daughter of Aaron Hart* of Trois-Rivières, Lower Canada; d. 1 Feb. 1887 at Coaticook, Que.
Eleazar David David, whose parents belonged to two of the most prominent Jewish families in Lower Canada, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1832. He practised in Montreal and became legal adviser to the trustees of the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue. From the 1820s David served in the Royal Montreal Cavalry, and by the time of the outbreak of the rebellion in 1837 he was senior captain. His younger brother, Moses Samuel, served under him as troop cornet and adjutant, while another brother, Dr Aaron Hart David, the future dean of the medical faculty of Bishop’s College at Lennoxville, was assistant surgeon in the Montreal Rifles.
At the battle of Saint-Charles-sur-Richelieu Captain David was in command of 20 troopers who acted as dispatch bearers and reconnaissance men. David’s command of both French and English and his resourcefulness made him invaluable to the British military authorities. His horse was shot from under him and his services were mentioned in dispatches by Sir John Colborne*, who shortly after the battle promoted him major. On 14 December, at the battle of Saint-Eustache, David was in command of 95 troopers of the Royal Montreal Cavalry and the newly raised Queen’s Light Dragoons.
After the rebellion, David resumed his law practice and continued his rise in the provincial military establishment. In October 1839 he was appointed extra assistant adjutant-general. However, in May 1840 he forfeited his social, legal, and military position in Montreal by eloping with Eliza Locke Walker, the wife of Captain Henry William Harris of the 24th Foot. David had formed a liaison with Mrs Harris early in 1838, and when they fled to the United States they took with them her month-old baby, whom David later acknowledged to be his child. There followed ten years of exile in the United States, France, Italy, and the West Indies, during which David apparently lived on private means.
David returned to Montreal in 1850 with Eliza, his wife after Harris’ death in 1849, and their five children. He was welcomed as a prodigal son, resuming his rank as major in the Montreal Cavalry, his law practice, and his role as legal adviser to the synagogue. For a time he practised law in partnership with the future Judge Thomas Kennedy Ramsay, but they quarrelled, probably over the financial arrangements of the partnership, and separated after litigation. From 1858 until 1863 David was registrar and treasurer of Trinity House, Montreal. He had been promoted lieutenant-colonel of the Montreal Cavalry by 1860 and, despite an accusation by troopers that he had subjected them to ridicule by giving wrong orders while on parade, a charge which was subsequently proved groundless and malicious, David was appointed assistant adjutant-general of cavalry in 1866.
David had always been extravagant and careless about money, and by the 1860s was impecunious. His independent means had likely been depleted by the ten years spent abroad, and it appears that when he returned to Montreal he was placed under considerable financial strain by several lawsuits against him for non-payment of promissory notes. The culmination of his difficulties came in 1873 when he was convicted of embezzling money from the Montreal Decayed Pilots Fund, a type of pension fund for retired pilots, which had been entrusted to him while he was treasurer of Trinity House. He was sentenced to two years in the penitentiary, which provoked his cousin, Fanny David, daughter of Abraham Joseph, to speak bitterly of him as “a thorn to my family.” Upon his release from prison in about 1876, he retired with his family to Coaticook where he lived until his death in 1887. Of his 11 children by Eliza, only four daughters survived him. His wife died in Coaticook in 1896.
David’s conduct during the rebellion gave him a place in history as a distinguished officer. His notoriety as the usurper of another man’s wife and his involvement in a fraud twice put him beyond the pale of Montreal societet the affection, loyalty, and continued respect bestowed upon him during his long life indicate a man to whom much was forgiven and from whom much was expected and received.
McCord Museum (Montreal), Hale family papers; Military papers, Misc. no.2, M5728. PAC, MG 24, I61; RG 8, I (C ser.), 749: 40; 1272: 180; RG 9, I, C4, 12; C7, 1; C8, 6. Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue (Montreal), Minutes of the meetings of trustees, 1832–73. “Items relating to congregation Shearith Israel, New York,” American Jewish Hist. Soc., Pubs. (Baltimore, Md.), 27 (1920): 76. Gazette (Montreal), 24 Oct. 1839, 19 May 1840, 3 Feb. 1877, 1 Aug. 1896. J.-J. Beauchamp, Répertoire général de jurisprudence canadienne . . . (4v., Montreal, 1914–15), I: 675. The Lower Canada jurist (35v., Montreal, 1857–91), VI: 295. Michel Mathieu, Rapports judiciaires révisés de la province de Québec . . . (28v., Montreal, 1891–1903), XXIII: 279–80. Montreal directory, 1856–62. The Jew in Canada; a complete record of Canadian Jewry from the days of the French régime to the present time, ed. A. D. Hart (Toronto and Montreal, 1926), 503. Sack, Hist. of the Jews in Canada (1945), 123, 138. “Les Israélites au Canada,” Arch. israélites de France (Paris), 3 (1842): 295–96.
Cite This Article
Elinor Kyte Senior, “DAVID, ELEAZAR DAVID,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 11, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed December 19, 2013, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/david_eleazar_david_11E.html.
The citation above shows the format for footnotes and endnotes according to the Chicago manual of style (16th edition). Information to be used in other citation formats:Permalink: http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/david_eleazar_david_11E.html
|Author of Article:||Elinor Kyte Senior|
|Title of Article:||DAVID, ELEAZAR DAVID|
|Publication Name:||Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 11|
|Publisher:||University of Toronto/Université Laval|
|Year of publication:||1982|
|Year of revision:||1982|
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I receive a lot of unsolicited manuscripts, by new authors looking for an editor. Most of them are from authors who just completed NaNoWriMo. They’re just learning the ropes and don’t realize their work is still in the unreadable stage. I always explain to them why these manuscripts are not submission ready, much less ready for an editor to have a look at.
What many first-time authors lack is knowledge, so I direct them to workshops, seminars, and writing groups.
This is where the work comes into it. We must learn and use the basic writing conventions that underpin how all English literature is written. These conventions consist of:
These are the fundamental rules authors follow so their work is understandable by any person who can read English, no matter if they are from Sacramento, London, Sydney, or Mumbai.
Kathleen Cali, in an article at Learn NC, says: “Conventions are the surface features of writing — mechanics, usage, and sentence formation. Conventions are a courtesy to the reader, making writing easier to read by putting it in a form that the reader expects and is comfortable with.”
When we write, whether we are writing a book, an essay, or an email, we are writing something we want the intended reader to comprehend. Therefore, we write using universally accepted rules for sentence construction.
So what makes an understandable sentence? It will consist of
- a subject (My dog)
- a verb (barked)
- some words to help explain those two things (all night long.)
- My dog barked all night long.
Sentences consist of clauses. Commas are the universally acknowledged pausing and joining symbol. Periods (or full stops) are how we signify the end of a sentence. Without these pausing and stopping symbols, our words become a jumble and make no sense. You might think this is a “Well, Duh!” moment, but when a person is in the throes of laying down the first draft they begin to write in a kind of mental shorthand, and sometimes these fundamentals fall by the way. This is why we do a second draft before we have anyone look at it.
Readers expect to find a pause between two clauses and commas are sometimes the signifiers of those pauses. Words that are conjunctions (such as and, or, but) also serve to join clauses to form compound sentences.
Subordinate Clause definition: A group of words that has both a subject and a verb but (unlike an independent clause) cannot stand alone as a sentence. Also known as a dependent clause. Contrast with coordinate clause.
If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”
(John F. Kennedy)
Mostly I find subordinate clauses cropping up in conversation–dialogue–when I look at my own writing. These “grammatical juniors” are like any other form of seasoning in our writing and must be used consciously and sparingly. When we write with too many subordinate clauses, we separate the reader from the narrative.
We provide balance in how we phrase our sentences, using a variety of sentence structures. We use complex sentences, consisting of:
- a simple clause
I went to the grocery store. (the meat of the matter)
- a dependent clause
because I needed skewers. (technically not necessary but adds to it)
- I went to the grocery store because I needed skewers.
Who was I going to skewer? I don’t know, but I at least I had the right tool for the job.
We can set the clause off with commas:
The lake, its surface calm and black, called to me.
The lake called to me is the meat of this sentence, the clause describing it is technically not necessary, but without that clause the sentence is flat.
Sometimes, we want to use sentence fragments in our narrative. When they are written well and interspersed correctly, using sentence fragments emphasizes certain passages, creates a desired atmosphere, and can make conversations sound more natural.
A sentence expresses a complete thought. Also, every sentence, no matter how short, contains a subject—or an implied subject—and a verb. Linda Neuman of Sophia.org says:
So a sentence fragment would be a piece of a sentence. It’s not a sentence because it’s incomplete, and does not contain both a subject and a verb. Sometimes sentence fragments are referred to as incomplete sentences. There is something missing, and you know it when you read it. The thought is not complete, like a sentence would be.
Example of a sentence: Her car was old, but very stylish.
Example of a sentence fragment: Her car was old. But very stylish.
The internet is full of good information about sentence construction and how to write a narrative that any reader of English, no matter what their nationality, will be able to understand. You can access a great deal of information on how to construct a readable narrative and it will cost you nothing.
The Chicago Manual of Style is a volume that defines the rules of the road for US English Grammar. I consider it an indispensable guide for serious authors. This particular book is the reference manual used by the US publishing industry and is the foundation book for my personal reference library. It is one of the oldest and most comprehensive style guides available, and for me in my role as an editor, it’s an indispensable tool because it contains information that I can’t find anywhere else. While I could easily access it all via the online version, I do like having my large book at my fingertips.
Quoted and Researched Sources:
AboutEducation.com: Clause (Grammar) by Richard Nordquist, accessed Dec. 11, 2016
GrammarRevolution.com: What are Clauses by Elizabeth O’Brien, accessed Dec. 11, 2016
LearnNC.com: The five features of effective writing, by Kathleen Cali and Kim Bowen, accessed Dec. 11, 2016
Sophia.org: Using Sentence Fragments Wisely, by Linda Neuman, accessed Dec. 11, 2016 | <urn:uuid:86063d89-71f2-4e1e-8d66-c3e8a1f496dd> | CC-MAIN-2021-21 | https://conniejjasperson.com/tag/clause/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-21/segments/1620243990551.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20210515161657-20210515191657-00142.warc.gz | en | 0.943346 | 1,298 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Intrapreneurship is the art of working within an organisation to effect change, by developing new ideas, procedures or products, by innovating practice and thereby enhancing the business. This requires skills.
This project is creating a suite of Context case materials that encourage participants to be
The project is creating learning units that may be used by any staff and participants from school through FE and HE (UG to research level) and more widely in business and with the public. They are designed to encourage participants to be creative, to develop their innovation, negotiation, critical evaluation, self confidence and reflective skills through understanding how innovation is possible within businesses of all types. They give real insights into business problems that are topical and relevant.
The Enterprising Intrapreneurship cases are based on real work place issues in real companies. The web site also includes a 50 minute and 20 minute lecture to introduce ideas about intrapreneurship, a reading list to support further research, ice breaking and skills support information and suggested routes for use.
These Context cases aim is to develop participantsí awareness of intrapreneurship skills by researching recent, geographically relevant case examples and creating case studies around them that highlight skills as part of the process. While the initial audience is geography students nearly all the cases appeal to students in cognate disciplines and across faculties. It is our experience that these cases will give valuable transferable skills experience to students from all disciplines and that Careers Staff also find them valuable.
The project aims for 2003-5 are to:
Key skills that are incorporated in the cases include: team decision making and reporting, networking, creating presentations under pressure, coping with moving goalposts, understanding people.
One challenge we have is to find workplace partners.
|The project has been funded by the White Rose Centre for Enterprise, part of the White Rose University Consortium, and through the National Teaching Fellowship Award to Pauline Kneale. Thanks are due to both for their generosity and co-operation.| | <urn:uuid:630a1587-bb2e-4b61-9a36-645c1118c34b> | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | http://www.geog.leeds.ac.uk/courses/other/casestudies/intra/why.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-43/segments/1508187820466.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20171016214209-20171016234209-00144.warc.gz | en | 0.950647 | 405 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Master the 7 pillars of school success that I have learned from 25 years of teaching.
Improve your grades and lower your stress
A proportion is when the cross product of two fractions are equal. Take two fractions. 3 /4 and 12/16. If you take the numerator of the first fractions, and multiply it by the denominator of the second fraction, and the denominator of the first fraction times the numerator of the second fraction the products will be equal. 3*16 = 48 and 4*12 =48
Proportions are handy to solve problems because one term of the proportion becomes the unknown value. You then can find the value of the unknown term with a cross product, and solving an equation.
A rule of thumb is to use the first piece of information as the numerator, ( top number) but as long as you set up each ratio with the same units on the top and bottom you will solve the problem correctly.
Proportion Word Problems
The number of pizzas is unknown so it becomes the X
1200 = 40X
Example problem: Solving Proportions
Step 1 Set up two fractions set to each other, with one variable (unknown)
Step 2 Make sure you have the same units on the top (numerator) and bottom (denominator)
Example: 60 miles = x miles
1 hours 7 hours
Step 3 Cross multiply to solve, 60 * 7 = 1 * x x = 420 miles
Proportion word problems
Your turn .... Try these Proportion word problems, then watch the video for the answer
Proportion word problem 1. Sandy reduced the size of a rectangle to a height of 4 in. What is the new width if it was originally 27 in wide and 12 in tall?
Proportion word problem 2. Janie bought 30 oranges for $15. How many oranges can Laura buy if she has $6?
Proportion word problem 3. Juan took a trip to Mexico. Upon leaving he decided to convert all of his pesos back to dollars. How many dollars did he receive if he exchanged 110 Pesos at a rate: $ .75 = 10 Pesos?
Click the blue arrows for a new proportion word problem | <urn:uuid:5c51f012-75c2-4a9c-b260-2aca8835bc57> | CC-MAIN-2018-17 | http://www.moomoomath.com/Proportion-word-problems.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-17/segments/1524125945111.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20180421090739-20180421110739-00489.warc.gz | en | 0.918262 | 454 | 4.28125 | 4 |
Whether you are a welder or not, the words ‘duty cycle’ may hold at least a vague meaning for you. For those who are familiar with the way operations work for virtually any process, the ‘duty cycle’ might even be somewhat self-explanatory.
But what is duty cycle in welding?
The duty cycle is the term given to the percentage of time where a machine will operate and weld safely within a certain time span, at a given amperage. This is similar to ‘production cycles’ where you calculate how much output is produced on an average within a given time period, but because the duty cycle is focused on the machine rather than the output it produces, it is used to measure the safe running of the machine.
For example, a particular welding machine may have a duty cycle of 200 Amps @ 60%. This means that for every 10 minutes, the machine works safely at 200 Amps for about 6 minutes. For the remaining time – the 40% – the machine has to switch to thermal overload and let itself cool down.
What is duty cycle in welding?
Because welding machines have to deal with a lot of high temperatures, they should be fitted with thermal overload protection to make sure that if the temperature gets too much, it will automatically turn itself off to prevent damage to any of its critical internal components. Once the machine reaches lower, cooler, safer temperatures, it will restart.
Duty cycle changes at different amperages.
For example, for the machine we mentioned earlier, if the amperage was 100 Amps instead of 200, not only will the duty cycle increase, but it will do so non-proportionally. By reducing amperage, you reduce the likelihood of the machine heating up too fast, thereby increasing your duty cycle.
How to calculate duty cycle
The duty cycle is fairly easy to calculate.
You have only to see how long the machine remained ‘on’ when being tested and state it as a percentage. However, some variables do step into the equation to change the outcome.
The period over which the machine was tested can make a difference. Most often, the test runs for 5 or 10 minutes, but because 10 minutes is more demanding, the duty cycle may be lower for such tests.
The ambient atmosphere in which the test was carried out also has an effect. In higher ambient temperature, the machine will get warmer faster.
The final variable is whether the test was carried out with a ‘fresh’ machine or one already warmed from having been used. Unsurprisingly, testing a machine already hot will be much harsher on its cooling system than one that is cold.
The European Standard is the most widely accepted one for testing the duty cycles of machinery since it is demanding and considers the machine’s performance in ‘real-life’ conditions as compared to those of a controlled environment.
Using duty cycles to judge the performance of a machine
Given all of that, is using the duty cycle to judge how well a machine performs a good idea? The answer isn’t quite as simple as a yes or no.
While the duty cycle does give a fair idea of how well you’d be able to work with a machine, the idea is not understood by many people. The duty cycle is not about ‘the time it will work,’ nor is it entirely about output and capacity.
While there is a correlation the duty cycle can only be relied on as a judgment criterion if it is accurate and not overstated, as in many situations.
On its own, the duty cycle of a machine is not enough to make any statement regarding the productivity of a machine. Just like you would not assess the quality of a car based on the fastest speed at which it can run, you cannot assess the quality of a welding machine based on its duty cycle, since there are many other factors for you to consider when picking out a machine.
Consider that the welding process itself may affect the importance of a duty cycle. For example, in MIG welding, it can be a significant factor, whereas in TIG or stick welding, it is much less important.
Other important parts of the welding machine to consider when judging quality would include the power supply, efficiency, etc. Some machines are made to handle and run on a much lower power supply than it can handle.
For example, a machine could be able to operate on much higher amperage but are capped at 10A.
If the amperage were higher, the machine could have a different duty cycle. This power supply also puts a cap or a ‘ceiling’ on the duty cycle and restricts it.
Therefore, you can never be sure where the duty cycle is a good standard for judgment or not. More than the duty cycle, machines are better judged based on their efficiency – a mixture of higher output and a better duty cycle within the same level of power input.
The duty cycle is just another way to judge one side of the efficiency of a machine, so it is better to just focus on efficiency instead of a factor with so many variables.
Duty cycle is important though, and while it may seem on the surface like just a time-limit placed on how long you can weld with the machine, you might realize later on that by running a machine for longer than its suggested duty cycle, your weld decreases in quality and might become stiffer and agitated.
Not just that, but it can also be dangerous since a machine left running for too long can catch on fire and cause harm. Quality machines turn off on their own, however, so if you are using a good one, you’ll be safe.
Duty cycle and MIG welding
The duty cycle plays a much more important role in MIG welding than it does with other kinds of welding. This may be because MIG welding is an automatic process, with the filler metal being fed in automatically.
Thus, a MIG operator can weld for a longer while than to pause for off or downtime between welds to feed in the filler metal or carry out any other tasks.
This would depend on the specific situation, but where a welding station is set up to maximize the ‘welding time’ of a machine, the duty cycle becomes very important, especially in terms of production. For such cases, picking out a machine that has ‘too much’ of a duty cycle is better than one that is just barely enough.
Now, you can weld more efficiently with a machine capable of a much higher duty cycle and get the leverage you need to make sure nothing goes wrong during the process.
While production would involve a lot of welding, this is not the case with maintenance applications. Since the welding time is so low for maintenance, the duty cycle may not be very important.
Often, only a few welds are needed to complete maintenance. Sometimes, the welder may also take breaks and complete other tasks between welds.
What does a 60% duty cycle mean?
A 60% duty cycle means that within any period of time, you can safely run your welding machine for up to 60% of that time period at a certain amperage. Usually, during testing, this percentage is calculated by running a machine for 5 to 10 minutes.
What is a good duty cycle?
A ‘good’ duty cycle will depend on the welding process, the welder, and the specific settings for the machine. Because the duty cycle holds different degrees of importance in different tasks and varies depending on amperage, etc. there is no ‘one’ good duty cycle.
What factors affect the duty cycle?
The duty cycle is affected by several factors, such as the amperage and voltage – though voltage rarely is considered. Both the ambient temperature and ventilation are important. A machine-backed against a wall will have less airflow generated by the fan, and without the proper airflow, a machine will warm up faster and cool down slower, affecting the duty cycle. | <urn:uuid:6ed847a5-82e9-4cf3-a14a-94e2f99d6b84> | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | https://weldingheadquarters.com/what-is-duty-cycle-in-welding/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593655896374.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20200708031342-20200708061342-00064.warc.gz | en | 0.954907 | 1,657 | 3.546875 | 4 |
Butter in bog may be 2,500 years old
BOG BUTTER found in a timber vessel in a bog at Shancloon near Caherlistrane, north Galway, could be 2,000 to 2,500 years old, according to a specialist from the National Museum of Ireland.
The butter, weighing almost two stone, was found in a timber keg which may have been hewn from a tree trunk and shaped into a barrel using early Iron Age implements.
The container of bog butter was found in a plot of bog where Ray Moylan from Liss, Headford, was having his annual supply of turf cut by local contractor Declan McDonagh.
Mr Moylan, a part-time bus driver, contacted the Office of Public Works, Headland Archaeology in Galway and the National Museum of Ireland regarding the discovery.
The keg of bog butter was found at a depth of 3-4ft. While the mechanical bucket of the turf cutting machine hit the vessel, it only caused damage to part of the barrel and the butter remained intact.
As he surveyed the find in the Galway bog this week, Padraig Clancy, an assistant keeper with the National Museum of Ireland, said it could be anything up to 2,500 years old. ....
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- David Hackett Fischer wins $100,000 prize for lifetime achievement in military writing | <urn:uuid:4c915ae6-f7c3-4782-ad3c-790dddd09145> | CC-MAIN-2015-27 | http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/139196 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-27/segments/1435375098808.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20150627031818-00267-ip-10-179-60-89.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942791 | 415 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Dog owners have long touted the benefits of owning man’s best friend, but a new study provides information on the dog’s half of the equation, suggesting that dogs bond with their human owners similar to how a baby bonds with its parents.
The secure base effect is when babies use their parents as a sort of home base when interacting with new things and people. It is a form of security and impacts the baby’s daily life and scoring on cognitive tests, CBS News explains. Previous studies have shown that when a dog is distressed it looks for its owner, so the study’s authors wanted to examine this effect more closely.
To test the secure base effect, the scientists conducted experiments with 20 adult dogs in three different scenarios: 1) with their owner in the room encouraging them to play with a toy 2) their owner silent in the room and 3) the dog alone in the room. | <urn:uuid:d4222f50-ad2a-4c7c-9ef0-06790c25fc7c> | CC-MAIN-2018-34 | https://www.freedomsphoenix.com/News/137035-2013-06-26-dogs-bond-with-owners-similar-to-babies-with-parents-study.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-34/segments/1534221213903.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20180818232623-20180819012623-00174.warc.gz | en | 0.961569 | 186 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Mitch is on vacation with the family and stops by the tackle shop to see an old friend. The owner of the local bait shop tells him the worms he sells are twice the price by the lake as they are in town. People who are already at the lake probably aren’t willing to drive back to town to save a few cents, so the bait shop can markup the price and exploit this arbitrage opportunity. From an elasticity standpoint, this implies that people fishing at the lake are insensitive to the price of worms, or we would say their demand for worms is inelastic.
See more: arbitrage, elasticity, inelastic, markup price, price discrimination
Cam and Mitchell are on their way to Costco for some diapers, but Mitchell is surprised that they purchase items at Costco. He questions when this started happening and Cam jokingly acts like he means to act of purchasing diapers. Cam implies that the new baby has caused an increase in their demand for diapers. It turns out that Mitchell really likes Costco!
See more: demand, elasticity, necessities, preferences, quantity demanded
When Mitchell realizes how cheap items at CostCo are, he suggests getting enough for the next two years. When he realizes how many diapers that is, he thinks about getting a shed to store them all. When people face steep discounts on prices, they respond by buying more (law of demand), but how much more they decide to buy is based on the elasticity of demand. In this case, Mitchel appears to be a very price sensitive buyer even though the items are really necessities.
See more: complements, demand, elasticity, income effect, prices, quantity demanded | <urn:uuid:333579a8-b449-44e2-995e-4445892c36b0> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://modernfamilyecon.com/category/micro-topics/elasticity/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370505550.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20200401065031-20200401095031-00265.warc.gz | en | 0.970949 | 342 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Note of econology: news to be taken with a certain humor! Even if the subject is far from funny ...
Mussels have been spotted just 1.300 km from the North Pole, which is another indication of global warming, scientists said Friday.
Blue mussels usually prefer warmer waters off France or the east coast of the United States. But swarms were found off the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard last month, in ice-covered waters most of the year. “The climate is changing rapidly,” said Geir Johnsen, professor at the Norwegian University for Science and Technology. Molluscs are "a very good indicator of global warming". "It looks like the mussels we found are two or three years old," he told Reuters.
Their presence has not been recorded off these islands since the Viking Age 1.000 years ago, another period of warming. United Nations scientists say the Arctic is warming faster than any other region due to emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from fossil fuels. Melting snow and ice uncovers darker ground or water that absorbs more heat, accelerating warming more than areas further south. In
By comparison, the ice in Antarctica is thicker and resists warming.
In Canada, the Inuit first saw robins, hitherto unknown in their region, and hitherto solid patches of ice gave way under the feet of hunters. In Scandinavia, birch trees began to grow further north, in once frozen areas where only reindeer grazed.
source: Reuters, 18 / 09 / 04 | <urn:uuid:a31d3a0e-8b6d-47ad-a360-96f22d40d1ce> | CC-MAIN-2021-39 | https://www.econology.info/les-moules-se-rapprochent-pole-nord-signe-rechauffement/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-39/segments/1631780056856.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20210919095911-20210919125911-00096.warc.gz | en | 0.944238 | 318 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Educational Resource Center
Lessons in the Science Made Easy program teach students a basic understanding of the topic and then challenges them to complete a hands-on activity for reinforcement. The basic scientific process of how to conduct an experiment is discussed with each topic. Students are asked to predict, or hypothesize, what will happen to observe what did happen and then to try and use this information to infer answers to related concepts. Some of the lessons allow for students to complete a project that may serve as a classroom grade, as well as be entered as an exhibit at the Howard County 4-H Fair!
Agriculture plays a role in every aspect of our lives. Through these lessons, students will learn about the science involved in agriculture, the economic impact of agriculture and potential careers related to the agricultural industry. All lessons contain interactive activities that allow the lessons topic to be reinforced. Students are to think in a scientific manner while explaining the topic in order for them to share it with others! Additionally, students are challenged to analyze the impacts of different factors in relation to the topic, as well as provide reasoning in their solutions.
Each October, a day is designated for millions of young people across the nation to become scientists for the day during the annual NYSD. It is the premiere national rally event for year-round 4-H Science programming, bring in together youth, volunteers and educators from the nation's 111 land-grant colleges and universities to simultaneously complete the National Science Experiment.
The Captain Cash program includes four classroom enrichment sessions of approximately 45 minutes each that focuses on earning, saving, spending, and borrowing money. Each session introduces vocabulary words and one or ore basic economic concepts. Each session also includes a game or activity and a take-home handout. All lessons meet Indiana Academic Standards for math and social studies! Along with learning basic financial concepts, students learn and proactive important life skills to foster self-sufficiency such as communication, decision-making, problem-solving, managing resources, planning, and organizing.
Howard County Ag Day
The educational goal of this event is to teach 5th grade students, of Howard County, how food products get to their kitchen table. The theme is...Pizza! It is amazing how many student think cheese, sausage and hamburger, etc. comes just from the grocery store. We want to make the connection that cheese and hamburgers come form cows, sausage comes from pigs, soybean oil is in many of the products used daily, and so much more!
Note: You will find the other important information in the related information. The files can be opened at the bottom of the page. | <urn:uuid:55aa38d0-4d3e-46bc-bf49-dd0ba878982a> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | https://extension.purdue.edu/Howard/Pages/article.aspx?intItemID=3440 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476990033880.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020190033-00232-ip-10-142-188-19.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953646 | 536 | 4 | 4 |
Education is crucial to integration and social cohesion in a diverse multicultural and multi-faith society. There are several reasons for this. First, the school system is the earliest mainstream social institution with which young people come into sustained contact, and the extent to which schools respect and accommodate diversity sends out strong signals about the value which society as a whole places on diversity. Second, educational attainment levels are a key determinant of opportunities for finding employment and improving future life chances. Third, schools provide an opportunity to develop bonds and friendships across different ethnic and faith groups, and the education curriculum is itself a mechanism by which pupils are able to develop an understanding of the different groups within their community.
One third of Muslims are under age 16 as compared with one fifth of the population as a whole. There are approximately half a million Muslim children and young people currently receiving education in British schools and colleges. Increasing numbers of Muslims are entering further and higher education. As a result of this younger age profile, Government education policies aimed at children and young people will have a disproportionate impact on Muslim communities.
There is significant diversity in what Muslim parents want.
The key educational issues concerning Muslim parents are:
- the continuing poor academic results of Muslim children;
- the need to eradicate institutional racism and racist and Islamophobic bullying;
- the lack of recognition or support for their children’s faith identity; and
- the inadequacy of spirituals and moral education that schools provide.
The levels of academic achievement of Muslim students are low, but improving. Explanations for these low levels are usually given in terms of poverty, social deprivation and language difficulties, but there are further obstacles to their full achievement of potential that relate more specifically to their experiences as Muslims.
BUT WAIT THAT'S NOT ALL CLIK HERE!
Eighty per cent of the UK’s Muslims live in the five major conurbations of Greater London, West Midlands, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, and East Midlands, while the same areas contain 50 per cent of the general population.6 Approximately 40 per cent of Muslims live in Greater London.7 Outside London, the largest numbers of Muslims are found in Birmingham, Bradford, Blackburn with Darwen, Luton, Oldham, Leicester, Kirklees, Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds.8
- 4 The Muslim population of the United Kingdom is variously estimated as being between 1.6 and 1.8 million people, or about 350,000 households. The lower figure comes from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). (See: Office for National Statistics, UK National Census 2001: Focus on Religion, available on the ONS website at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/focuson/religion, (accessed 1 November 2004), (hereafter ONS, Focus on Religion)). The higher figure comes from M. Anwar, an expert on Muslim ethnography, quoted in The Financial Times, 23 January 2002. These figures represent approximately three per cent of the total population – more than the combined total of Hindus, Sikhs, Jews and Buddhists in the UK. (See: ONS, Ethnicity and Religion). Moreover, the age profile of Muslims is much younger than any other religious group: In all, 33.8 per cent of Muslims fall into the 0-15 age bracket, and a further 18.2 per cent are between 16 and 24 years old. (See: Scott et al, Ethnic Popuations). Assuming that 75 per cent of children in the 0-15 age bracket attend school, and 80 per cent of young people in the 16-18 age bracket are in school, the number of Muslims attending school in the UK is between 482,477 (if the total Muslim population is 1.6 million) and 542,786 (if the total population is 1.8 million). The ONS gives the figure of 371,000 Muslim children in England of compulsory schooling age, i.e. 5-16 year-olds. (See: ONS, Focus on Religion, Education, 11 October 2004, available on the ONS website at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=963 (accessed 1 November 2004)). The higher figure in the present report includes all the children who attend school outside the compulsory period of schooling, especially 4-5 year-olds and 16-18 year-olds, as well as Muslim children in the rest of the UK, and an estimate of the increase between 2001 and 2004.
- 5 This figure is calculated on the basis of about 14,000 children in Scotland, about 7,000 in Wales and less than 1,000 in Northern Ireland. See: website of the General Register Office, Scotland at http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk; and website of the Office for National Statistics at http://www.statistics.gov.uk (accessed 5 November 2004).
6 See Chapter 3 of this report (British Muslims and the Labour Market).
7 In Greater London, the biggest concentrations of Muslims are in the boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Newham, Waltham Forest, Hackney, Brent, Redbridge, Westminster, Camden, Haringey, Ealing, Enfield and Hounslow.
8 Office for National Statistics, “Census 2001: Ranking: Ethnicity and Religion: Muslim”, available on the ONS website at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/profiles/rank/ewmuslim.asp (accessed 1 November 2004). | <urn:uuid:e31a8d85-7f61-4b35-b5b2-4a036aa20dbe> | CC-MAIN-2018-30 | http://citizensnews.blogspot.com/2017/06/probably-should-have-stay-in-their-own.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-30/segments/1531676589902.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20180717203423-20180717223423-00120.warc.gz | en | 0.939228 | 1,140 | 3.484375 | 3 |
The export structure of Bangladesh looks like a 'tadpole'- an early phase of a frog's life cycle where a big upper part of the body is linked with a shallow middle part and a long tail in the lower part. A limited number of 'dynamic' export products at the upper part dominate Bangladesh's export basket. This is followed by a list of 'new' products at the middle which have consistently maintained high growth, and further below a long list of 'surviving' products which have struggled to survive due to fluctuations in export growth. Unfortunately, there has been no sign of change in this 'tadpole' shape of the export structure over the years into a 'young frog' with a more balanced distribution of new and surviving export products. This high concentration in exports put policy makers under pressure towards achieving export diversification in order to ensure a broader basis fot the export-led growth of the country.
Exporters' ability to export different kinds of products consistently over a long period has been considered as an indicator for success in terms of export diversification. According to Rauch and Watson (2003), trade relationship between exporters (suppliers) and buyers (retailers) evolved in three stages- search, investment (deepening) and rematch (abandon current relationship). Structurally, dynamic products pass these stages and become the country's main source of export earnings. A limited number of new products are able to pass the challenges in the initial stage and enter the stage of deepening in trade relation. But a large number of surviving products are unable to pass the initial stage and struggle to ensure their survival in the international market. According to UNCTAD (2013), 41 percent of LDC products could not survive over a year. The survival rate for Bangladesh is the highest among the LDCs - only 29 percent of Bangladeshi products could not survive a year while the average period for survival is 2.4 years.
The export structure of Bangladesh
Bangladesh exports about 2,000 different types of products out of 6,049 (at HS 6 digit level) and exportable products have increased over time - from 1,565 in 2005 to 1,965 in 2013. It is important to note that the rise in number of products is entirely led by non-apparel products - from 1,364 to 1,770 in the same comparable period. Despite such encouraging growth in the level of products, the export structure is yet to be termed 'diversified'. Analysis of export products reveals that the top five products account for about half of the total export; about160 products each have an export value above USD 10 million, while another 230 products have a total export value between USD 1 million to 10 million each. In other words, less than 20 percent of total export products possess a considerable amount of export value (i.e. over USD 1 million) while the rest 80 percent possess an export value less than USD 1 million. Even more striking is the fact that over 50 percent of these products have been exported at a value less than USD 50,000 (BDT 4 million). Overall, Bangladesh's export basket is full of new and surviving products.
Although an overwhelming share of Bangladesh's export (in terms of value) is targeted towards the markets of the northern region (85 percent of total export value), a higher share of the total number of products is exported to the southern region (52 percent of the total number of products). Dynamic export products are mostly targeted to the northern region (54 percent) while new products are mostly targeted towards the southern region (64 percent). Products with an export value above USD 10 million are largely targeted towards the traditional markets of the northern region (e.g. EU, USA and Canada). On the other hand, products with a lower export value (USD 1 million or less) are largely targeted towards the markets of the southern region (e.g. Brazil, China, India, Malaysia, Russia, South Africa and Turkey).
Challenges for developing export competitiveness of 'new' and 'surviving' products
Major challenges facing the competitiveness of new and diversified products include the lack of comparative advantage in efficient use of available resources, poor capacity to ensure product and market diversification, high trade costs, low level of initial export value, poor physical connectivity and size of the economy of the importing country. In most cases, LDC products fail to attain comparative advantages and find other conditions burdensome; hence, it's likely that their products will survive for a short period of time. Present papers have applied the Revealed Factor Intensity (RFI) method to measure the comparative advantage of major manufacturing industries of Bangladesh.
Industries which are efficient in labour use (considered as an abundant factor) against capital and energy (considered as scarce factors) are found to have a higher share in export; dynamic products are likely to be the output of these industries. In contrast, industries less efficient in resource use have limited share in export; new and surviving products are likely to be the output of these industries. Along with factor use efficiency, a number of other conditions, as mentioned earlier, influence the structure of export of Bangladesh.
Strategies for export diversification
Strategies for export diversification should put more focus on new and surviving products along with dynamic products. Since developing competitiveness starts at the domestic level, measures for improving efficiency in resource use, building capacity to supply large volumes of export orders, higher spending on research, and developing the quality of products should receive greater priority in the strategy for diversification.
Identification of potential industries
Bangladesh's manufacturing industries, which are efficient in using abundant resources, are found to possess a higher share of export out of their total production. These industries include spinning and weaving textiles, wearing apparel, knitted apparel, footwear, non-metallic products, computers and equipment, communication equipment, consumer electronics, electrical equipment, jewellery and medical instruments. Besides these, there are industries which are less efficient in using resources but still possess a high share of export out of total production, such as processing of meat, fish and animal feed, beverages, paper products, batteries, ships, games and toys. Because of their capital-intensive nature, some of these industries are less efficient in resource use. On the other hand, a number of industries, despite having efficiency in resource use, are unable to raise their share of export, such as processed fruits and vegetables, tobacco products, manufacture of trailers, metal furniture and fabricated metal products. These industries possibly have yet to develop their critical minimum level of export capacity in terms of size, quality, initial export value and network.
Identification of diversified markets and diversified products
Identification of suitable products for potential markets is the first step to set strategies for export
diversification. The table provides a list of different categories of products for non-traditional markets. Considering recent export growth, a set of non-traditional markets have been identified. These non-traditional markets include Australia, Brazil, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, South Africa and Turkey. Most of these markets are particularly important for exporting new and surviving products.
Negotiation for reduction of tariff and non-tariff barriers
Discussion shows that Bangladeshi products face MFN tariff rate in a number of non-traditional markets which makes them less competitive against other countries. Bilateral and regional FTAs of these countries with one or more competing countries further reduce Bangladesh's trade competitiveness. On the other hand, Bangladesh cannot fully enjoy the duty-free market access provided by a number of countries due to stringent RoO. Hence bilateral negotiation with major potential non-traditional markets for lowering tariff on Bangladeshi products is urgently needed. In this case, WTO Provisions and Preferential Market Access for LDCs could be referred to for Bangladeshi products. High technical standards followed in a number of countries related to SPS and TBT are considered to be burdensome by the suppliers of new and surviving products. Bangladesh needs to discuss these issues at bilateral, regional and multilateral forums.
Building network between buyers and exporters Bangladeshi products, particularly new and surviving ones, need to be introduced in non-traditional markets. In connection to this, suppliers should take part in international trade fairs organised in those countries. Buyers of non-traditional markets should welcome international events organised by local trade bodies associated with industries of new and surviving export products. Such mutual exchange between buyers and suppliers would reduce the information gap and bring both sides closer for building a long-term trade relationship. In this context, local trade bodies should play a more proactive role. Existing network of buyers or retailers and suppliers of dynamic export products could be used to introduce new and surviving export products in traditional and non-traditional markets. Easy visa process is a necessary prerequisite towards ensuring flexible movement of buyers and suppliers.
Dr. Khondaker G Moazzem is an Additional Research Director at Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD). Meherun Nesa is a Research Associate at CPD. | <urn:uuid:1d7764ff-9955-4a2a-aaec-df8fb70fc291> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://www.thedailystar.net/supplements/24th-anniversary-the-daily-star-part-1/search-strategies-export-diversification-73284 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585371830894.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20200409055849-20200409090349-00553.warc.gz | en | 0.933409 | 1,845 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Flexible bioenergy supply for balancing fluctuating renewables in the heat and power sector—a review of technologies and concepts
© Thrän et al. 2016
Received: 29 April 2015
Accepted: 5 November 2015
Published: 1 December 2015
Today bioenergy plays a major role in the renewable energy provision, for heat and power and for liquid biofuels as well. With an increasing share of renewables on the one hand side and a limited availability of biomass on the other hand, the provision of bioenergy has to consider the demands of the future energy system with high shares of fluctuating wind and solar power. This includes new and improved technologies and concepts for biogas, biomethane, and liquid and solid biofuels, which are discussed in the following, while for the electricity sector, the demand for more flexible provision might take place in the years to come; for more flexible heat provision, the transition is expected in a longer time frame. For their market implementation adopted regulatory framework and price signals from electricity markets are necessary.
The transition of the energy system towards greater use of renewable energy is a precondition for the envisaged reduction of greenhouse gas emission , for a sustainable use of the finite resources and for macroeconomic benefits as well as for fair access to energy . The total use of renewable energy sources has been increased worldwide over the last decade with biomass as the most important source covering 10 % of the total global primary energy demand . Biomass is a renewable carbon source and can be used for provision of a wide range of bioenergy carriers and substitute fossil fuels in the power, heat, and transport sector. Additionally, biomass and the produced bioenergy carriers are storable and can provide energy on demand in principle. This quality is especially relevant in energy systems with high shares of fluctuating renewables like wind and solar power.
Thermochemical conversion includes the use of systems to transform solid (and sometimes also liquid) biomass into charcoal, pyrolysis oil, product gas, and thermochemically treated solid biomass (i.e., torrified biomass).
Physicochemical conversion is used for oilseeds to provide vegetable oil or biodiesel.
Biochemical conversion includes the anaerobic digestion of organic matter to produce biogas as well as the fermentation of sugar rich and lignocellulosic resources to bioethanol.
All the converted biofuels can be processed further, i.e., product gas to synthetic natural gas (“SNG”) or liquid biofuels (“bio-to-liquid”), vegetable oil to hydrogenated biofuels (“HVO”), biogas to biomethane, so in theory pathways are possible from almost every resource to every energy carrier. Established is heat provision from solid biomass, combined heat and power provision from different bioenergy carriers, such as biogas, solid biofuels, and vegetable oil, and the use as a transport fuel, including biodiesel, bioethanol, and biomethane . With those different conversion concepts, biomass provides 14 % of the overall primary energy, what is—compared to 5 % other renewables—75 % of renewable energy at global scale in 2012 (Fig. 1).
Also in Germany, 61 % of the renewable energy provided is a product of biomass, with the potential to reduce 54 million tons of CO2-carbon dioxide equivalents, which represent 37.2 % to the total amount of German greenhouse gas reduction by renewable energies in 2013 .
This review focuses on the technical options to adapt existing bioenergy provision plants to a flexible energy provision. The method is described in “Method”. To consider the specific energy market condition as well, we analyzed for Germany exemplarily the expected demand pattern for flexible bioenergy in systems with higher shares of solar and wind energy (“Demands on bioenergy from the transition of the energy system”). The review includes biogas provision concepts (“Electricity from biogas—a wide range of options for balancing fluctuating power supply”), electricity provision from liquid biofuels (“Electricity from liquid fuels—technically promising but in competition with other utilisation pathways”), electricity from solid biofuels (“Electricity from solid biomass—moderate chances for heat-driven plants”), and flexible heat provision (“Heat from biomass—shrinking but exact controllable installation lead into future”). Also new concepts of cross-sectoral energy provision is included and discussed with the potential role of biomass in power-to-X concepts (“Balancing across energy sectors—the role of biomass in power-to-X concepts”). Finally, we discuss the potential and availability of the different flexible bioenergy provision concepts and conclude the economic frame condition for market implementation.
We conducted a literature review to summarize recent knowledge regarding technical adaptation for flexible bioenergy supply in Germany: flexible electricity from biogas, from liquid and solid biofuels, heat from biomass, and power-to-X concepts as well. We reviewed English and German peer-reviewed journals and publications by using the databases and library services of ScienceDirect, (http://www.sciencedirect.com), Web of Science (www.webofknowledge.com), and Google Scholar (http://scholar.google.com) (time period: 1970 to December 2013). In those fields where adequate literature is not available yet, we conducted some basic demands and options for different kinds of flexible bioenergy provision.
Additionally, we used data available from the DBFZ database to describe the status quo on bioenergy. The data available are based on the evaluation of an annual survey. The survey has been carried out annually since 2007. It is a written survey on the basis of a standardized questionnaire, which has been sent out. Starting with app. 500 in 2007 up to app. 10,000 in 2015, questionnaires have been sent out and usually 10–15 % are returned to us. Selected results of the survey are published as a report “Renewable energy sources act monitoring report.” Within the scope of the survey, operators and owners are asked about data concerning the tariffs, produces energy, operational, and technical parameters and substrates. The database covers about 90 % of the total number of bioenergy plants.
Demands on bioenergy from the transition of the energy system
In the past, continuous support instruments have been necessary to introduce renewable power provision. Germany has implemented an active policy for the transition of the energy system towards the use of renewable energy more than a decade ago. The development of the renewable energy sector in Germany actively started to gain momentum in 1991 when the electricity feed-in law came into force, which was renamed as the “EEG”—Renewable Energy Sources Act in 2000 and has since then undergone several amendments [7–10]. The EEG aims to enforce technological development in order to introduce renewable energy into the electricity market and integrate it into the energy system. Since 2001, the European energy policy has promoted electricity production from renewable energy sources on the domestic electricity market .
In 2012, 25.3 % of the electricity consumed in Germany is produced from renewable energy that is mainly supported by the EEG, with the fluctuating use of wind and photovoltaic power accounting for 55 %, and electricity from biomass and hydropower accounting for 45 %. Although bioenergy has a relatively small amount of installed capacity (9 %) among the renewable energies compared to wind or solar power, due to its high full load hours (about 7500), it has a relatively high percentage (31 %) of overall renewable power feed in . Due to a drastic incentive cut for bioenergy within the amendment of the renewable energy sources act in 2014, market expansion is expected mainly for wind power and photovoltaic.
In the upcoming transformation of electrical power production in Germany and Europe, wind and solar power have also gained special importance. The main reason for this can be said to be a largely absence of marginal costs of production because wind and solar power have no fuel costs at all. As a consequence, electricity from wind and solar has a priority for the feed in . On the other hand, these two types of renewable energies are produced erratically and not always in line with demand patterns, so system services from the other renewables need to provide grid stabilization and residual load in times of disadvantageous weather condition. For this very reason, a range of flexibility options are required, for example, demand-side management, network expansion, energy storage, and flexible power plants [14, 15]. From a short-term perspective, flexible power could be met from fossil and renewable sources, but from a long-term perspective, this task should be transferred exclusively to renewable power plants and other no-fossil options (demand-side management, storage systems, etc.). The changing role of bioenergy in a transforming energy system integrating larger amounts of fluctuating wind and solar energy has been discussed in a few studies only [16, 17]. It is not a question if biomass can cover the whole gap, rather it will contribute to the missing capacities. Additionally, bioenergy will replace most likely a higher portion of fossil fuels within these remaining capacities plus acting in markets with increased prices for electricity.
Additional targets for the transformation of the heat sector have been defined: In line with the European Renewable Energy Directive, Germany’s national renewable action plan aims to increase the renewable energy share for heating from 9.1 % in 2009 to 15.5 % in 2020 . The development of heat provision from biomass does not depend so much on support schemes but on emission control regulation, especially for the small-scale sector. The framework background tightens the emission protection enactment, which stipulates the lowering of emission limits especially for carbon monoxide and particulate matter .
The development of heat provision from biomass is influenced by the improvement in building insulation, emission reduction targets for biomass stoves and boilers, market conditions for combined heat and power installations based on biomass, targets for renewables in the heat sector, and the market development of renewable heat provision from other sources. For the midterm, a strongly shrinking heat demand is presumed (45 % decrease) if ambitious restoration targets can be realized . Under those conditions, also a lower seasonal variety can be expected, with a more constant demand for hot water. Furthermore, mixes with other renewable heat sources such as solar heat, geothermal heat, heat pumps, and the conversion of excess electrical energy from power to heat will all increase . Experiences from the past lead to the expectation that the transition in the heat sector will take place much slower than in the electricity sector.
Electricity from biogas—a wide range of options for balancing fluctuating power supply
At the end of 2013 in Germany, the utilization of agricultural substrates as energy crops and manure dominates the biogas sector with app. 7700 plants . Flexibilization of the energy provision and in particular the biogas sector has been identified as an important task for the future—in Germany [23, 24] and also in other European countries [25, 26].
For the flexibilization of biogas, plants have been offered an incentive within the Renewable Energy Sources Act in 2012 and has been continued in 2014. According to the DBFZ Database in March 2015, close to 3000 biogas plants have been registered for the special tariff, which has been established to support flexible plant operation. Technically, the plants have been designed for a constant operation, and consequently, the flexible operation needs adjustment in design and operation. So far, most plants are reluctant to invest in additional infrastructure and use their existing plus simply adding CHP capacity. More sophisticated flexibility concepts, e.g., , have not been realized yet due to a drastic incentive cut within the amendment of the Renewable Energy Sources Act in 2014 for new plant constructions.
Biogas plants can have profitable access peak power prices under the conditions of the Renewable Energy Sources Act from 2012 , and it can be assumed that this is also the case for the amendment of 2014, since it has very similar conditions. Looking at market conditions, there is financial revenue from flexibilization of the energy output; however, without incentives, the income cost balance is negative . Reasons are the low energy prices and the small price fluctuations at the electricity market .
Biogas can be produced from several organic substances as solid wastes and waste waters from municipalities and industry, energy crops, sewage sludge, etc. There are plenty of technologies adapted to the characteristics of the different substrate stream [28, 29]. The main process technology applied is the continuous stirred tank reactor system. The produced gas is collected in rubber domes (one and two layer systems) on top of the digesters, with an approximate storage capacity of 4 h . After a drying process and H2S removal, the gas is usually utilized within a combined heat and power unit. At the end of 2013, 154 plants use an upgrading process to produce biomethane for injection into the natural gas grid.
The options for the flexibilization of the energy provision are first of all limited by the available power provision capacity, which is in most cases a combined heat and power unit (CHP). Consequently, the reaction time of the CHP is a limiting factor. Usually, the CHP can shut down and restart or change to part load operation within several minutes. The risk of a failure of the restart process can be avoided by offering only part load operation. Second, the available plant design and infrastructure is limiting the flexibility. Given the situation, a plant has a nominal load which should be achieved in average during annual operation; any downtime needs to be compensated by an equivalent time of correspondent additional energy output. The larger the available overcapacities in comparison to the nominal load, the more flexibility a plant can provide. However, besides the CHP, the upstream equipment has also to be considered—the CHP needs to be fed with gas when needed. Consequently, the “quality” of the plant flexibility is also influenced by the availability and storage stability of the substrates, the feeding management, storage of intermediates of the biological process, and most important, the storage capacity of the biogas . The response characteristics of the overall process chain can be improved by an adequate storage capacity of biogas within the process and a harmonized and controlled operation of gas production, gas storage, and gas utilization. In , the positive effect on flexibility options by means of an appropriate feeding strategy is presented.
The consequent utilization of existing gas storage capacity can provide the biogas for flexible power generation and represents the simplest approach and does not require many changes in design and operation. Assuming an 8-h biogas utilization bloc per day, this consequently leads to the lowest additional costs in comparison to other more sophisticated flexibility concepts with substrate pretreatment, fractionation, and separate digestion or plants with upgrading technology .
Any concept aiming at more flexibility options within a given plant design by means of variation of the biogas production needs to consider the stability of the biological process. showed that the biological process is stable and controllable. Even the yield is not influenced substantially under rapid changes as shows.
Most options for a demand oriented utilization of the biogas are obtained by means of upgrading a feed in the natural gas grid, thus resulting in almost endless possibilities regarding the location and the point of time of utilization . According to the technical components, a plant has several options to realize flexibility. In any case, the flexibilization concept is most often focused on the electricity output. If the plant has also to supply a heat outlet, the concept needs to take care of the demand on that side too. However, all options on the plant side need to match the demand of the market and the grid side, which is described below.
Different kinds of flexible power for biogas, data based on Smart Bioenergy, Chapter Biogas
Additional technical demands
Up to 5 min
Secondary control reserve (to balance the net frequency)
Control gateway, CHP adjusted to start stop operation
Minute reserve (to balance the net frequency)
Control gateway, CHP adjusted to start stop operation
15 min–6 h
Spot market—intraday (balance forecast errors, larger plant malfunctions, etc.)
Gas storage capacity, additional CHP capacity
Spot market—day-ahead (balance residual loads)
Additional CHP capacity, heat storage, additional gas storage capacity
Potentially: process control, feeding management, adjustment of substrate and gas management systems
Spot market—day-ahead (balance residual loads, in particular macro weather situation)
Additional CHP capacity, heat storage, additional gas storage capacity, process control, feeding management, adjustment of substrate and gas management systems, long-term substrate storage
Spot- and derivative markets (balancing residual load, seasonal demand)
Additional CHP capacity, additional gas storage capacity, heat storage, process control, feeding management, adjustment of substrate and gas management systems, long-term substrate storage
An optimized electricity supply from renewables is the business case of some new companies in the electricity market in Germany since 2012. These power traders developed portfolios of mainly renewable capacities (a lot of wind and solar power but also biogas and fossil-based CHP). Since the share of renewables increased significantly in Germany, also the influence of renewable energy sources on power market prices has grown. Consequently, a higher demand for flexibility in the power markets evolved. Today, the renewable energy source pools of these power traders are put on different power markets, especially day-ahead and intraday markets. But also, balancing power particularly secondary control reserve and minute reserve is provided. Newly, even primary control reserve is offered by one company (energy2markets). Thus, these new players also take over functions for grid stability and security of energy supplies, which is today in large part supplied by fossil capacities .
For the conception of flexible power generation from biogas, different technical options are available and under development:
Besides these rather obvious changes in capacity utilization, the speed of the shift and the duration of the downtime (or reduced load) are also of importance for the operation of a biogas plant.
Short-term flexibility (reaction time, 5 to 15 min, duration: up to several hours): This kind of flexibility can be achieved by means of a shutdown or substantial decrease of the operational performance of the CHP for a short period of time, usually up to 1 h, in individual cases several hours. Minimal changes in the overall plant operation are necessary. The implementation only requires control technology for the CHP units; the CHP needs to be outfitted to sustain frequent start stop operation. The time limit for the shutdown period is the available gas storage. In order to compensate for an average nominal load, a slight overcapacity is required.
Mid-term flexibility (reaction time, >15 min, duration: according to a weekly schedule): The amplitude and the duration of load alternation are greater than within the short-term flexibility. The alteration is triggered within a day or for the following day. In such cases, besides the overcapacity required on the gas utilization side and sufficient gas storage, the flexibility of the plant can be improved by means of a feeding management and a correspondent control system for the biological process. All installations on site have to match the requirements of the load variation, in particular any excess heat utilization might require additional installations.
Long-term flexibility (reaction time: per season, duration: months): In this case, the provision of energy is adjusted in the long term. Reasons for such an operation could include seasonal adjustments (e.g., production is ruled by the heat demand of municipal housing), the utilization of residues from seasonal production processes, or long-term weather conditions (wind, solar). The limit for the amplitude is the CHP overcapacity required, and the installations on site have to match the long-term changes to operations. Consequently, the plant availability of the biogas production process is more secure through a constant operation, a sudden start-up, or an increase in the load has a certain risk of process failure. Therefore, the overall process is not recommended for critical increases in loads (e.g., quick startups as an emergency backup for other critical industrial processes).
In general, it is possible that the different options are provided at one plant simultaneously.
Within the overall process, the most sensitive and critical part is the biological process of gas production. While the CHP units can be shut down and ramped up within minutes, the biological process requires days to weeks for the same procedure. The rate limitation of the biological system is determined by the type of fermentation technology and the substrate characteristics. The microorganisms require a stable temperature, constant minimum feeding, and the mechanical parts such as pumps and mixers need to be operated frequently in order to avoid malfunctions. Consequently, the flexibility option of a complete shutdown of the biogas production for a longer period of time cannot be recommended. In the following insertion, an example for the interlinkage of flexible gas consumption according to a flexible energy output of the plant and the operation of upstream components as gas storage capacity and gas production rate resulting directly from the biological process is given. In , the gas storage utilization is addressed. Assumptions are different compared to the example given here—but all lead to the conclusion that the gas storage capacity is a crucial part of any flexibilization concept.
Example for the relation of biogas production and gas storage capacity utilization
The flexible gas production (Fig. 3a, solid black line) was taken from laboratory experiments using a feeding management, which proofed the stability of the process even under large gas production amplitudes .
The average gas production which is equivalent to the nominal load (Fig. 3a, gray dotted and dashed line) has been displayed as constant gas production and used as reference case (set to 100 %). The available gas storage capacity has been set to 8 h of nominal load gas production rate for all cases.
The consumption of the produced gas has been set for three scenarios at 16, 12, and 8 h of gas utilization (Fig. 3a, gray and black dotted lines). These conversion times result in a demand of respective 16, 12, and 8 h of gas storage capacity.
Figure 3b–d illustrates the effect on the necessary gas storage capacity caused by flexible and continuous gas production for the respective scenarios of gas conversion/gas storage time 16/8, 12/12, and 8/16 h. Since the standard case has a gas storage capacity of 8 h, the 8/16 scenario represents the limit of the operation with constant gas production. The available gas storage (100 %) is utilized completely. The flexible gas production requires a substantially reduced gas storage capacity (Fig. 3b solid line). The 12/12 scenario (Fig. 3c) is already not to realize by means of constant gas production, whereas the flexible gas production allows such an operation without exceeding the available gas storage capacity. The scenario with 8 h of gas consumption and 16 h of storage cannot be accomplished by neither constant nor flexible operation (Fig. 3d). The available gas storage and the variation of the gas production rate are not large enough.
Nevertheless, in all cases, the flexible gas production reduces the necessary gas storage capacity substantially. It is obvious that the flexible gas production increases the options of the plant regarding flexible energy output—in this case, the possible downtime of the plant could be enlarged from 8 to 12 h—without any additional invest or alterations within plant construction .
Different from other concepts aiming at minor changes of existing technology as the increase of the gas storage or the adjustment of feeding management, in , technical concepts for flexible biogas production are introduced. The concepts suggest first a hydrolysis of the substrate and subsequent separation of the easy degradable liquid fraction. This fraction will be treated in a separate fixed bed digester allowing fast ramps in gas production. A second concept includes the feeding of the fixed film digester from a leach bed digester instead of the hydrolysis effluent . The third concept presented includes a hydrothermal pretreatment followed by a liquid/solid separation aiming at fiber rich fraction for material use or combustion and a liquid fraction suitable for digestion in a high rate concept .
Electricity from liquid fuels—technically promising but in competition with other utilization pathways
Liquid biofuels could also be used in stationary engines, producing heat and power. In Germany, more than 2000 CHPs using vegetable oils were installed in support of Renewable Energy Resource Act until 2012. Currently, approx. half of them are still operating with vegetable oils (mainly rape seed oil and palm oil). The plants are operated heat driven between 1000 and 4000 full load hours per year .
Liquid biofuels are mainly produced for the transport sector. In general, they are transported and stored in tanks. Due to the comparable high energy density of 9.6 kWh per liter, the effort for storage and transportation is significantly lower than for raw biogas, which has a typical energy density of around 6 Wh per liter . Liquid biofuels are converted in retrofitted diesel series engines . Adjustment of the engines to different kind of liquid biofuels is stated . One concept for flexible provision combining a domestic biodiesel CHP system of 2.5 kWel with hybrid electrical energy storage has been practically tested in the UK to improve the efficiency of stand-alone renewable power supply systems . So, in principle, conversion units for liquid biofuels can provide flexible power for a comparatively high number of applications as biogas can.
Due to increasing prices for vegetable oil, a large number of plants are not operating anymore or have been converted to alternative renewables like biomethane, wood gas, or fossil fuels . On the other hand, the relevance of other liquid bioenergy carriers such as used cooking oil, animal fat, pyrolysis oil, biodiesel, and bioethanol is increasing globally . Also, for the currently operated plants in Germany, the additional income potentials from flexible power provision are not of major interest: most of the plant operators in Germany do not actively use the market options so far .
Liquid biofuels however are regarded as one of the options for the transition of the transport sector, and because of this possible feedstock competition, the provision of electricity might not play a major role in the near future.
Electricity from solid biomass—moderate chances for heat-driven plants
The thermochemical conversion of solid biomass plants could also contribute to flexible power generation. Today’s combined heat and power plants for the production of energy from solid biomass are designed to provide either electrical power on a fixed level or to meet heat demand. In Germany, the main existing types are working with water steam cycle (with typical electrical power of more than 1 up to 20 MWel), Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) with 0.1 to 5 MWel, or a combination of gasification and gas engines with usually less than 500 kWel . Depending on size and technology, different degrees of flexibility can be reached. Together, these systems provide an installed electrical capacity of more than 1.5 GW .
A systematic questionnaire-based survey conducted by DGAW (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Abfallwirtschaft e.V.) showed that 29.5 % of steam and ORC based power plants for solid biomass in Germany are already offering flexibility, while 10.5 % are currently in the preparation to do so . All of these plants offer negative control power, with a few additionally offering positive control power. Nominal power of these plants was between 1.6 and 20 MWel, of which 20–88.5 % are offered as control power. Most of those plants (71.4 %) offer only tertiary control, 17.9 % are offering secondary control, while the remaining 10.7 % offer both types of control power. About 50 % of the plants required additional investments, typically in the range of 10,000 to 50,000 €, which were spent for additional control and automation. According to the questionnaires, about half of the remaining 60 % are technically capable to adapt for offering control power.
In steam-cycle-based power plants, solid biomass is completely burnt within a furnace to produce superheated steam which drives a steam turbine. There are different furnace technologies, including a variety of grate firings and fluidized bed combustion. Within a number of heat exchangers (boilers), water is heated and converted to steam, which is superheated. The parameters for this steam, especially temperature and pressure, are an important design feature and have influence on investment and operation costs as well as on electrical efficiency. A common way for negative control power is the bypassing of steam around the turbine, providing additional heat to heat grids or storages. Additionally, some technologies (e.g., furnaces with stoker spreader) are capable to easily reduce combustion load .
In power plants based on the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) , combustion heat is transferred to silicon oil with special thermodynamic properties. The transfer often takes place via a thermal oil cycle to prevent overheating of the silicon oil. ORC requires less manpower in operation but has higher investment costs. ORC power plants already offer a relatively high flexibility and can be operated at 10 to 100 % of nominal load with good load change rates [43, 44].
In gasification-based CHP systems, the thermochemical conversion of solid biomass is separated into two different process steps. At first, gasification takes place in an explicit reactor. The product is a gas with high hydrogen and carbon monoxide content. With high-quality fuels, a high load flexibility of the gasifier is already proven . The second step is final oxidation, which takes place in more or less conventional combustion engines or turbines or in electrochemical systems like fuel cells. A common existing approach for flexibilization of power generation from biomass gasification is the combination of several small systems.
The main advantage of gasification-based systems in terms of flexibility is the possibility to use existing flexible CHP technology known from gas conversion. It should be noted that for comparable installed power solid fuel CHPs usually have higher start-up and shutdown times compared to liquid- and gas-fuelled systems .
The installed power plants for the use of solid biomass and the existing methods for flexibilization give an indication towards the general approaches: (a) increasing flexibility of larger CHP units with methods in analogy to large-scale fossil fueled power plants and (b) using small and decentralized units that allow for grid support from the bottom.
Besides existing methods to increase flexibility, there are also ongoing research activities using both approaches. One example for the first one is a research project on flexible power production in biomass CHP plants. The project is conducted by a consortium of a research institute, a German virtual power plant operator, a power plant engineering company, and an operator of a biomass CHP plant based on ORC technology . Within the project, several options for flexibilization of a solid biomass CHP will be researched and tested in an existing power plant. Within another study, the optimal operation of a biomass CHP within a spot market has been investigated . The steam-based CHP with extraction turbine had a nominal power of 2.05 MWel, with an electrical efficiency of 14 %. The study showed that higher flexibility in such biomass CHP, including flexible operating point (part load behavior) and thermal storages, improves the feasibility of including it to district heating networks. Other research is dealing with the flexibilization of decentralized CHP systems [45, 49], concentrating on the second approach.
Increased flexibility of power production from solid biomass is also a topic in hybrid energy research. Especially, the combination of concentrating solar power (CSP) with bioenergy (usually from grate firing or fluidized bed combustion of solid biomass) has been a focus [50–58]. A CSP-biomass hybrid power plant with 22.5 MW of electrical power has gone in operation in Spain, combining parabolic trough technology with thermal oil . Although CSP is no common approach for Germany’s power market due to climatic conditions, research in the CSP-biomass hybrid field has some common topics with development of flexible stand-alone solid biomass CHP.
Types and time frames of increasing flexible power supply based on solid biofuels, data based on Smart Bioenergy, Ch. 4
Flexibility time frame
Flexibility type (market)
Additional technical demands
Secondary + tertiary control reserve (to balance the net frequency)
Steam bypass and/or storage (for steam cycle power plants); gas storage (for gasification + gas engine)
15 min–6 h
Intraday (balance forecast errors, larger plant malfunctions, etc.)
Advanced control strategies, heat storage
Day-ahead (balance residual loads)
Advanced control strategies, heat storage
Day-ahead (balance residual loads, in particular macro weather situation)
Long-term heat storage with high capacity
Day-ahead (balance residual load, seasonal demand)
Long-term heat storage with high capacity
Increasing efficiency in part load operation, e.g., by applying constructive changes in combustion chamber or using modular designs
Currently, there are several developments in the sector of small and micro scale CHP units, which could provide decentralized heat and power in a flexible way [60, 61]. Introducing such plants to buildings’ heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, they can provide electrical power based on the demand of either the local power grid or the object power supply. Control systems, which should be linked to building automation, are considered to be an important factor for successful technical integration.
At the moment, support schemes are not envisaged for thermochemical conversion for greater flexibility among Germany’s renewable energy resources . Still, about 30 % of solid biomass-based power plants in Germany already offer flexibility in terms of secondary and/or tertiary control, with about 10 % more currently preparing to do so and 30 % more having the technical potential. Thus, the technical potential of current installations for flexibility is in the range of 500 MWel (up to 70 % of plants, around 50 % of nominal power). Together with ongoing research activities, the potential contribution might increase in the mid- or long term, provided that a general economic perspective of solid biomass electric power generation is granted.
Heat from biomass—shrinking but exact controllable installation lead into future
In Germany, about 12 to 14 million biomass room heaters and 0.7 to 0.9 million wood boilers are installed in buildings. In sum, they provide 40 % of the renewable heat. While room heaters are typically used as additional heat source, boilers are either used as a baseload heat source in combination with a gas or oil boiler or as single heat provision unit.
New installations of single room heaters are at a level of 0.4 to 0.5 million per year, while new installations of biomass heating boilers are at a level of 50.000 to 70.000 per year. Small-scale CHP systems with less than 10 kW of thermal output and significant electricity production (at least 20 % of fuel input) for solid biomass are not market ready at the time .
For wood boilers, combination with a solar-thermal-heating devices is stated. Additionally, since some years, the combination of heat pumps and single room heaters with a connection to the hot water cycle of the housing is considered to be ecologically and also economically feasible . Efficiencies and emission levels are within regulatory frames as long as the systems do not perform too many load changes or too much time in low part load.
In the literature, flexible energy from biomass is mainly a topic of power generation (see other chapters in this article) and not of flexible heat provision. For Inland Norway, there is a study about the influence of using more bio-heat boilers and heat pumps instead of heating with electricity , but the main concern also was about the electricity system.
Small scale additional heat from furnaces using log wood or wood pellets. The furnaces run on full load, and adjustment to the heat demand is realized by operation time and the control system of the central heating system (e.g., oil boiler with heat sensors in the housing).
Small scale boilers (pellets, wood logs, and sometimes wood chips) as central heating system of buildings, sometimes, in combination with solar thermal energy. Changing load demand is handled by load adjustment of the boiler and by switching the boiler on and off. Often a thermal buffer tank is installed to reduce the number of start and stop-phases of the boiler.
Wood chip boilers of medium size are mainly operated as baseload heat provision in combination with an oil or gas boiler. Quick adjustments to the heat demand are operated by the oil or gas boiler, whereas the biomass boiler is run on a more or less stable load level.
Different papers analyze the hybrid use of heat from biomass and other renewables and try to calculate an optimal distribution [67–69]. Within the expected changes in future heat supply with more fluctuating sources like solar thermal heat, environmental heat by heat pumps, waste heat, and heat from surplus electricity biomass heat systems are faced with the following challenges: (i) the need for adaptation to a fall in the load demand for heat through improved building insulation and (ii) the need for much higher flexibility to adjust not only to changes in load demand but also to often rapid changes in the provision by other heat sources [70, 71]. Even as heating or cooling of water cycles is not possible in short times, the total efficiency of heating systems with different sources very much depend on an adequate integration of heat from biomass. For example, even the common combinations of solar thermal and biomass heat generation often have quite low annual efficiencies due to too long operation times of biomass boilers . Also, it is well known that emissions from wood chip boilers increase during load changes and also for part load quite below 50 % of the nominal load . Therefore, to achieve even higher flexibility as now without increasing the air emissions and without significant losses in efficiency, further developments are needed.
Exemplary options for future smart heating concepts, data based on Smart Bioenergy, Ch. 6
State of the art concept
Changes in concept
Needed research and developments
Small scale log wood and wood pellet furnaces
By integration of water pockets, the furnaces will be linked to the central house heating system. A central control unit will give advice to the user for additional heat demand and will optimize automatically the heat release to the room and to the central heating system which has a heat storage.
Automatization of the heat release; furnaces with active air control; system controllers to integrate the biomass heat into the heating system of the building
First combinations of heat pumps with wood log stoves or wood pellet stoves are already installed; optimized systems could be market available in up to 5 years; fully integrated and intelligent controlled smart systems will be available in about 10 years
Small scale wood pellet, wood log, and wood chip central heating boilers
Either fully integrated biomass boilers or micro-CHP-units will be installed to fill all the remaining heat gaps by stabilizing the electricity grid as much as possible.
Small size high flexible combustion as well as gasification units; improved high-quality fuels; micro-CHP-units with high electrical efficiency and very quick reaction times; intelligent system controllers
Highly flexible and almost emission-free wood pellet boilers with less than 4 kW thermal output market ready in up to 5 years; improved fuels also from non-woody sources stepwise in the next 5 to 15 years; small-scale gasifiers depending on fuel 5 to 10 years; micro-CHP-units depending on the fuel, technology and level of electrical efficiency 5 to 20 years
Medium-sized bi-fuel wood chip heating systems with additional oil or gas boiler
Highly flexible small scale CHP units with high electrical efficiency will be integrated into local heat distribution grids stabilizing the electrical grid as much as possible at the same time.
Small-scale gasifiers especially for non-woody biomass; highly flexible motor engines and fuel cells; highly efficient heat distribution systems; intelligent system controllers
Depending on the scale of efficiency the systems will be available in 5 to 15 years; market integration will very much depend on economical conditions
Changes to more flexibility of single room heaters and small scale boilers are still quite random. For small room heaters, there is a small but growing market of heat pumps combined with single room heaters with an integrated water cycle to the central heating system in very well-insulated buildings . The advantage is the cheap thermal heat from the single room heater especially on the very cold days when the efficiency of the heat pump decreases quite significantly. So the total annual efficiency can increase.
At the moment, no quick changes towards more flexible biomass-fed heating technologies are to be expected as the use of renewable heat is increasing only at a very low level, and the further insulation of buildings is also stagnating in Germany. Additionally, at the moment, there are no economic incentives to combine bioenergy with other renewable heat sources (renewable hybrid systems).
With the need for a full renewable energy supply in the future due to climate conservation also in the heating section biomass will become a gap filler as it is stored easily.
The realization of the shown future concepts depend very much on energy prices, change of heating systems towards a high share of renewables, research success in the field of small scale gasification, and also on the development of power storage units.
With regard to the shifting demands of heat and power small- and medium-scale CHP systems will be key, so that the heat from solid biofuels will become more and more a co-product of electricity provision for very local grid stabilization in integrated energy systems.
Balancing across energy sectors—the role of biomass in power-to-X concepts
With the ongoing increase of the transformation of the power system from fossil to renewable energies, fluctuating solar- and wind generation could lead to period where the power generation exceeds the need . If this happens, the surplus energy has to be transmitted, stored, or become curtailed [75–77]. If in the future the frequency and duration of these periods increase , another approach is to transfer the surplus energy into other sectors.
Currently, different concepts are discussed and tested: (i) power to gas, (ii) power to liquid, (iii) power to chemicals, and (iv) power to heat. They are in different stages of realization. Combination with biomass is seen especially in the power-to-gas systems. Today, in Germany, 16 power-to-gas systems are installed .
Power-to-gas concepts are based on electrochemical conversion units which primary produce hydrogen by electrolysis using surplus electricity. It is also possible to convert hydrogen plus carbon dioxide into synthetic methane which is available for long-term energy storage in the existing gas grid [80–82]. In power-to-gas concepts, the integration of biomass is mainly discussed for biogas plants: one approach of integration is use of excess power to increase the methane output, without additional feedstock necessity by converting the CO2-fraction of biogas with the addition of electrolysis-hydrogen . These so-called “power to gas” concepts are based on the assumption that fluctuating renewable energy sources such as wind and photovoltaics produce excess electricity which is available for long-term energy storage .
The hydrogen could be converted to methane by adding carbon dioxide—a major by-product within the biogas production process [85, 86]. The conversion process can be realized from a thermochemical process in the presence of catalysts or from a biological process [87, 88]. Concepts for the latter include the injection of hydrogen into the process through membranes or the direct injection of the gas ; another option could also be a separate fermentation tower for gas conversion .
The produced methane can be fed into the gas grid and further be processed to liquid fuels (power to liquid) or to chemicals (power to chemicals) . For electricity supply, power-to-gas concepts provide an additional opportunity to use the natural gas grid as a storage system to compensate fluctuating wind and solar power for some days or even weeks.
A very cheap option to get along with surplus power in the grid might be the heating of water buffers in heating systems by this surplus energy (power to heat) . Today, 14 multi-megawatt installations in Germany are stated . As long as the grid capacities are given, this is more efficient than stopping renewable generators. As in typical heating systems, only temperatures of less than 100 °C are created and transferring back to electricity later on is not valuable.
Most of today’s power-to-gas plants can be operated as pilot installation for research and development; a minor proportion is used for commercial purposes . For example, some power-to-gas plants feed their gas into public gas grid and sell it virtually to private and customers as a renewable alternative for or an addition to natural gas .
The Market for power-to-heat applications is an early stage and still under construction. Typically, power to heat is used in combination with CHP, to serve negative control power by maintaining the thermal output .
As surplus electrical power is at the time especially not a winter problem, the heat from this source is not reliable for secure heating and even cannot reduce the needed heating power installed in a building. Even it is only an option for very quick reaction times and should not be used for longer times without an intelligent system controller, power to heat is one easy option to preserve renewable exes energy to get lost .
The potential role of power to gas is more important in a long-term perspective, when the share of renewable energies exceed about two-thirds of energy demand [99, 100]. Nevertheless, it is necessary to develop this technology also at pilot scale to achieve gradually improvements of this technology and to collect practical experience under real conditions.
In the future, energy system flexible bioenergy can cover some of the residual load especially in the power sector. For Germany, the expectation is to contribute to the missing capacities and to replace a higher portion of fossil fuels within these remaining capacities and acting in markets with increased prices for electricity. Therefore, the individual technologies and plants need to be adopted towards an optimized contribution of bioenergy technologies to the overall energy system. This requires conversion plants with units that can be controlled with precision and well adapted to short reaction times, with a partial load function of the conversion process and additional storage facilities. The conceptual approaches and the technical potential for developing different biomass provision routes towards more flexibility are manifold.
Power provision from biomass is one application, where increasing flexibility can be expected in the years to come when electricity from wind and photovoltaic will become even more important. Due to the specific frame conditions of power provision, the demand for flexibility in this sector is expected to be very challenging, requiring reaction times of only a few minutes to provide positive or even negative energy to balance grid stability.
Highly flexible heat provision in small scale combustion units is not so much an issue at the moment but is expected prospectively to be due to an increasing supply of heat from solar systems and/or heat from excess energy from wind and photovoltaic (power to heat).
Furthermore, the increased availability of fluctuating wind and solar power will provide excess energy during certain periods. Basically speaking, this excess electrical energy can be converted into thermal or chemical energy and meet some of the demand for heat or fuel consumption. As a result, some of the flexibility needs can be shifted between the different sectors.
Challenges on the road to becoming more flexible do not only occur from the technical options and limitations but also from the elements of the supply chain, including sustainable feedstock provision, the implementation of flexible conversion concepts, and the demand from the renewable energy market. The new technology options might also support the introduction of bioenergy plants in regions of instable grid conditions or locally fluctuating energy supply. Flexible provision of bioenergy is always connected to higher specific provision costs because additional conversion units are needed and/or the plant is providing energy in part load. Especially in the electricity market, price signals are necessary to shift existing bioenergy plants towards flexible provision.
We acknowledge the financial support of the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture and of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy to the Project Electricity Generation from Biomass (03MAP250).
Open AccessThis article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.
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excursions into every part of creation, visible and invisible, but always with the most complete subordination of his thought to the literal statements of Scripture.
Could he have taken the path of experimental research, the world would have been enriched with most precious discoveries; but the force which had given wrong direction to Albert of Bollstadt, backed as it was by the whole ecclesiastical power of his time, was too strong, and in all the life labor of Vincent nothing appears of any permanent value. He reared a structure which the adaptation of facts to literal interpretations of Scripture, and the application of theological subtleties to Nature combine to make one of the most striking monuments of human error.
But the theological spirit of the thirteenth century gained its greatest victory in the work of St. Thomas Aquinas. In him was the theological spirit of his age incarnate. Although he yielded somewhat at one period to love of natural science, it was he who finally made that great treaty or compromise which for ages subjected science entirely to theology. He it was who reared the most enduring barrier against those who in that age and in succeeding ages labored to open for science the path by its own legitimate methods toward its own noble ends.
He had been the pupil of Albert the Great, and had gained much from him. Through the earlier systems of philosophy, as they were then known, and through the earlier theologic thought, he had gone with great labor and vigor; and all his mighty powers, thus disciplined and cultured, he brought to bear in making a treaty or truce which was to give theology permanent supremacy over science.
The experimental method had already been practically initiated; Albert of Bollstadt and Roger Bacon had begun their work in accordance with its methods; but St. Thomas gave all his thoughts to bringing science again under the sway of theological methods and ecclesiastical control. In his commentary on Aristotle's treatise upon Heaven and Earth, he gave to the world a striking example of what his method could produce; illustrating all the evils which arise in combining theological reasoning and literal interpretation of Scripture with scientific facts, and this work remains to this day a monument of scientific genius perverted by theology.
The ecclesiastical power of the time hailed him as a deliverer; it was claimed that miracles were vouchsafed, proving that the
- For Vincent de Beauvais, see Études sur Vincent de Beauvais, par l'Abbé Bourgeat, chaps, xii, xiii, and xiv; also Pouchet, Histoire des Sciences Naturelles au Moyen Age, Paris, 1853, pp. 470 et seq.; also other histories cited hereafter.
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Aram Nahrin: the
Aramaeans, the Bible, Christianity, and the West
To illuminate the
extraordinary contribution of the Aramean Nation to the formation and
development of Christianity, Islam and other religious systems, and to
underscore the terrible plight that afflicted the religiously and
politically multi-divided nation, we decided to have an interview with
an outstanding Armaean thinker and activist, Mr. Gabriel Sengo, Chairman
of the Aram Nahrin Organization.
By Prof. Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin
We are confident that through the several consecutive parts of the
necessarily lengthy and very informative interview, the average Western
reader will have an unparalleled opportunity to see the dark side of the
Middle Eastern moon that has long been kept under secretive silence. A
series of further articles on the Aramaeans, whom no one should call
‘Asyrians’ or ‘Chaldaeans’ anymore, will contextualize this interview.
An Interview with Mr. Gabriel Sengo, Chairman of the Aram
- Would you describe the deeds and the targets of Aram Nahrin
Aram Nahrin is an international Human Rights and Cultural organization
for defending worldwide the interests of the Indigenous Aramean Nation.
This includes, amongst other responsibilities, promotion of their
genuine cultural heritage, fighting for recognition of their fundamental
human rights in particular in the Middle-East, combating the Western
Colonial spiritual practices, fighting for the recognition both of the
spiritual as well as physical genocide, and providing the world with
unbiased and genuine information regarding the Aramean nation. To
achieve this, we amongst others participate in the United Nations
meetings of interest, report to the international institutions/
organizations on a number of topics concerning the rights of our nation,
write to governments to help educate them, etc., etc..
- Whom does Aram Nahrin represent?
- Aram Nahrin represents the Aramean (also known as "Assyrians" or
Chaldeans) Indigenous nation of the Middle-East who have been present
since thousands of years in this area. However since the beginning of
20th century many of them fled to the West, mainly because of
persecutions and discrimination. Arameans are not the same as
‘Armenians’ and they are distinct from Arabs. In the Middle East they
can be found in Syria (1.5 million), Lebanon (2.0 million), Israel
(50.000), Jordan (70.00), Iraq (500.000-600.000), Iran (10-20.000) and
are known under religious names such as "Maronites", "Syrian orthodox",
"Syrian Catholic", "Chaldeans", "Nestorians or Assyrians", "Melkite (Greek)
orthodox"and "Melkite (Greek) Catholic".
- Where do the Aram Nahrin members come from?
They come from various countries of the Middle-East. To mention a few:
Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Jordan etc..
- To what extent are the Aramaeans known in the West?
- The Arameans (including "Assyrians" and Chaldeans) are quite
unknown in the West by the public, although sometimes wrongfully as
"Arab Christians". The majority of the public in the West is aware of
the Aramaic language, the language spoken by Christ Jesus, Moses and
Abraham. However, many of them are not familiar with the owners of this
language, namely the Aramean nation, who have been present for thousands
of years in the area of Aram-Nahrin which became known to many people as
Mesopotamia. As for the little that is known of them in the West, they
are not correctly represented, but rather with fake names invented by
the Colonial Spiritual activities of the West to split and destroy our
History and the Bible
- Would you give our readers a brief diagram of the Aramaean
The area where the Aramean people come from was known as "Mesopotamia"
and since the 20th century has been divided into the modern countries
Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
In ancient times the cradle of the
Aramean forefathers was called Aramnahrin (or: Aram-Nahrin) in
Aramaic. In Hebrew it was called Aram-Naharaim which we encounter in the
Old Testament. When the Old Testament was translated into Greek, the
term Aram-Naharaim was translated into Mesopotamia, which most of people
become familiarized with through reading educational and historical
The northern area of Aram-Naharaim was called Paddan-Aram, meaning
the land of Aram where Biblical figures like Abraham and Jacob lived and
In Genesis 24:4 Abraham says to his servants,
"You must go back to the country where I was
born and get a wife for my son Isaac from among my relatives."
Abraham says, "….the country where I was
born…." meaning the country of his Aramean fathers
Paddan-Aram (part of Aram-Naharaim). (Please also compare Deuteronomy
Roughly speaking, this area is situated in present south-eastern
Turkey. A section of Paddan-Aram is now called Tur Abdin in the Aramaic
(Syriac) language, which means "the mountains of the servants of the
Lord", due to the overwhelming presence of monasteries and churches.
Because of overwhelming presence of Arameans in the southern part of
Aram-Nahrin, in the era of early Christianity, it was called
Beth-Aramaya, meaning (in Aramaic) "the house of the Arameans".
Indigenous Aramean traditions and Proto-land Paddan-Aram / Tur- Abdin
According to the Aramean indigenous traditions, the origin of the
Arameans can be traced to the upper- Mesopotamia, the plain of
Paddan-Aram- in particular ‘Tur Abdin’ – which is the proto-land of the
Aramean nation. From this proto- or indigenous land, in the course of
time, the Arameans started to expand all over the near east. They
established many kingdoms. To mention a few of them: Aram-Damascus,
Aram-Beth Eden (Amos 1:5), Aram-Bit Bahiani, Aram-Bit Zamani (Diyarbekir),
Arpad, Samal and Hama.
The awareness of the proto-land Tur-Abdin / Paddan-Aram as the land
of Arameans is clearly attested to by the brilliant Indigenous scholars
of the Syrian Church of Antioch. These scholars had access to genuine
historical sources, which disappeared in the course of time, at their
disposal and thus their testimonies are of higher values than theories
invented by some (materialized and sometimes politicized) modern
scientists! A few examples may clarify this:
*John Beth Rufina (John Rufus, the bishop of Maiumuni, Palestina, end
of the fifth century) says, "After the flood in the days of Noah, the
Arameans inhabited Beth Nahrin."
*Michael the Great (Turkey, Malatya, 1199) says, "The kingdoms which
have been established in antiquity by our race, (that of) the Aramaeans,
namely the descendants of Aram, who were called Syrians
*Patriarch Afrem Barsauwm, also called ‘the star of the Middle-east’,
says, ""Beth Nahrin Beth Abraham, the land of Noah, Shem and Aram"
*Patriarch Afrem Barsauwm (called ‘the star of the Middle-east’) says,
"The first inhabitants of Tur Abdin were the Arameans. This was also
repeated by the East- Aramean Chaldean metropolitan Aday Sher, born in
1867 in Shaqlawa (Northern Iraq), who later became the archbishop of
Yacob Avgin Manna (Jacques-Eugene Manna 1867-1928), Bishop of the
East-Aramean Chaldean church wrote, "The people from Babylon and Assur,
are Arameans. The countries of Babylon and Assur were always called Beth
Aramaye, that means country of the Arameans."
Not only the Aramean indigenous traditions, but also the Biblical
traditions regarding Laban and Betuel the Arameans of Paddan-Aram
(Genesis 24:1-66) and Abraham (2038 BC) the wandering Aramean (Deuteronomy
26:5) reveal something about proto-land Paddan-Aram / Tur Abdin.
3. Arameans and
After the coming of Jesus Christ, the Arameans of Aram-Naharaim
accepted the teachings of Christ and established together with the
apostles of Jesus and the converted Jews, the Syrian Church of Antioch,
the second Patriarchy after Jerusalem, where for the first time the
followers of Jesus Christ were called Christians (Acts 11:26). This
church was the mother of all the Churches and the first Church
established outside Israel, whose Patriarch currently resides in
The Semitic Arameans (‘not to be confused with "Armenians") underwent
a change of name after they had embraced Christianity and were then
called "Syrians", in order to be distinguished from the Arameans who
were not converted. However, this should not be confused with the
present-day Syrian Arabs.
In a deeper sense, the name "Syrian" belongs to the Aramean people
and not to the Arab invaders. However, after the conquering of
Mesopotamia by the Arabs, they adapted the name "Syrian", with the
result that the real Syrians, that is to say the Arameans, became
strangers in their own indigenous lands.
The Arameans were spread throughout the Middle East. However, in the
very beginning of Christianity, geographically they were divided into
East-Arameans, those living in Persian Empire and West-Arameans, those
living in the Roman (Byzantine) Empire. Roughly speaking, Euphrates was
The Church in the Roman Empire: Syrian orthodox church of Antioch,
the mother Church, with Antioch as the Ecclesial Jurisdiction.
The Church in Persia: The Church of the East or the Church of Persia,
Seleucia Ctesiphon was the seat of the Catholicos. However the Arameans
in Persia were still under the jurisdiction of Antioch.
The Arameans, who did not convert to Christianity, remained heathens;
however with the advent of Islam many of them converted to Islam, forgot
their Aramean origin, and hence were called "Arabs".
- What religions, denominations do modern Aramaeans believe/practice?
Would you give details about numbers of believers, religious hierarchy,
The Arameans consist of various denominations, for example: Orthodox,
Catholics and smaller factions like Protestants, Baptists etc.. The
Majority however consist of Orthodox and Catholics.
The numbers mentioned here below and elsewhere are only estimated. In
the Middle East, the governments are not generous with providing exact
numbers regarding their Christian subjects!
Hierarchy Orthodox: Patriarch – Bishop –
The head of the Church is the patriarch, the bishops are the heads of
the Archdiocese and the Priests (married in the case of Orthodox) are
the heads of the local churches.
The priests are responsible to the bishops and in turn the bishops
are responsible to the Patriarch. The monks generally live separate from
the outside world in the monasteries and lead an ascetic life!
Instead of patriarch, the Aramean Catholics are subjects of the pope
of Rome, and this includes West-Aramean Syrian Catholics, West-Aramean
Melkite Catholics, West-Aramean Maronites, and East-Aramean Chaldeans.
The priests are not married. Apart from this, their hierarchy is more or
less the same.
The main church is the Syrian Church of the East or the East-Syrian
Church which also became known as "The Nestorian Church", "The Church of
Persia", "The Church of the East" and more recently (since 1976) as "The
Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East".
In Iraq there are around 20.000-25.000 "Assyrians", while worldwide
they are estimated to be around 400.000, many of them living in the
However, they may also be found in Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia,
Iran, Syria and Lebanon.
The Church leaders in the East and the West:
For the mainstream "Nestorians", their church leader is Patriarch Mar
Dinkha IV, who resides in Chicago, the United States.
In 1968, the East Syrian Church was split, and the separated part was
called: The Ancient Church of the East, sometimes also refered to as
"the Assyrian Orthodox Church".
Patriarch of the Ancient Church of the East is Mar Addai II who
resides in Baghdad.
In addition there are also small sects originating from the East
Syrian Church for example, Nestorian Baptists, Protestants, Assyrian
Pentecostal Church etc.. etc..
In the year 1553 the Roman Catholic missionaries brainwashed a part
of the East-Aramean "Nestorian" clergy by means of bribery to call
themselves "Chaldeans" and with that, the Chaldean Church (of Babylon)
was born and the division within the East-Arameans was a fact! These
Chaldeans can be found mainly in northern of Iraq. However there are
also Chaldeans in Iran, Syria, Lebanon and the West, in particular the
United States of America. In Iraq there are around 200.000- 300.000
Chaldeans and worldwide there are around 500.000-600.000.
The Church leader is Patriarch Mar Emmanuel III Delly, resides in
Iraq. Patriarch Delly is a subject of the Pope.
Main Stream: The Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch. The Patriarch is
Mar Zakka Iwas I, who resides in Damascus. Adherents, around 1.000.000
worldwide, in Iraq around 80.000, 160.000 in Syra and 80.000 in Lebanon.
Furthermore, they can be found in Turkey, Israel, Jordan and the West (including
North America, Brazil and Argentina).
Syrian Catholic Church:
Existed since 17th century. Patriarch Ignatius Peter III Abdel Ahad,
resides in Beirut, subject of the Pope of Rome. Around 100.000 adherents
worldwide, in Iraq 40.000.
Syrian Maronite Church:
Since 1182 subject to Rome. Patriarch Mar Nasrallah Boutros Cardinal
Sfeir, resides in Bkerke Lebanon. The Aramean Maronites are the largest
of all the Aramean denominations. Worldwide the Aramean Maronites are
estimated to be around 4-5 million, while other sources speak of 12
million people. In Lebanon there are around 1 million Maronites. In the
West, they mainly live in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and
Melkite (Greek) Orthodox Church, Antiochian
(The term "Greek" has no relation with ethnicity, it is rather
They are followers of the ecumenical council of Chalcedon since 451.
Their Patriarch is Mar Ignatius IV (Hazim), who resides in Damascus in
Syria. Most of the Melkite Orthodox Arameans live in Syria and Lebanon.
In Syria their number is estimated to be around 600.000, while worldwide
they total at around 1.200.000- 1.400.000. Furthermore they can be found
in Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Turkey, the West (including north and south
America, Australia and Europe)
Melkite (Greek) Catholic Church:
Since 1724, separated from Melkite (Greek) Orthodox Church. Patriarch
Gregorios III Laham, resides in Damascus, Syria and is subject to the
Pope of Rome. There are worldwide around 1.100.000 West- Aramean Melkite
Catholics with around 700.000 in the Middle- East. The West- Aramean
Melkite Catholics can be found in Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Brazil,
Canada, Australia, Mexico, Venezuela and Argentina.
Very rough calculations: Total amount of Arameans worldwide: 400.000
+ 600.000+ 1.000.000+ 100.000 +4.000.000 + 1.400.000 + 1.100.000 =
If we assume that there are 12 million Maronites, the total amount of
Arameans would be: 16.600.000.
- Are there non-Christian Aramaeans?
- Yes there are! Between Midyat (Tur Abdin, Turkey) and Mardin (Turkey)
there are around 300.000 Arameans who are called "Mhalmoye", sometimes
wrongfully referred to as "Kurds". These "Mhalmoye" are known as "Ahlamu
Arameans" in the annals of the Assyrian kings. Tiglath- Pilsere I
(1114-1076) says about these Ahlamu Arameans "
I marched against the Akhlamu Aramaeans, enemies of the god Ashur… … I
crossed the Euphrates twice in one year, in pursuit of the Akhlamu
The Mhalmoye were Christians, however a few centuries back they
converted en mass to Islam due to a dispute they had with one of our
Aramean bishops. In Lebanon there are around 70.000 Sunni-Muslims who
are called "Mhallami or Mardinli" (i. e. those from Mardin). We don’t
know if these Mhallami are the same as "Mhalmoye" or Ahlamu. If they are
the same as Mhalmoye, then they are definitely not ‘Kurds’, but the same
group of Arameans who a few centuries ago coverted to Islam.
There are in Syria two villages called Jubb ‘Addin and Bakh’a (50 km
from Damascus) where the inhabitants are Moslems. These Moslems speak
Aramaic and are aware of their Aramean origin. They are so proud of
their Aramean origin that they even translate songs from other languages
into Aramaic and maintain their customs and traditions. However, other
Arameans who converted to Islam and did not maintain their Aramaic
language, adopted Arabic and hence are called in our days "Arabs".
However, these "Arabs" are not Arabs in the sense of their ethnicity,
but rather because they have adapted Arabic. Thus they are
linguistically "Arabised", not ethnically!
In other words: there are millions of Islamic Arameans who "lost"
their ethnicity after their conversion to Islam and are called "Arabs".
We don’t know whether these Arameans are aware of their Aramean origin (Compare
this with Persia: After their conversion to the Islam, they kept their
language and therefore were not "Arabised", but remained ethnically
There are also the Mandeans of Ahwaz and Khorramshar in Western Iran
(Khuzistan). We don’t know if these Mandeans are Arameans or if they
consider themselves as Arameans. Some people say that they are Arameans,
while others say that they are Palestinians (based on their ‘The Inner
The interview with Mr. Gabriel Sengo will be published in several | <urn:uuid:3d45d007-c511-4df4-9ac8-7b50987f5957> | CC-MAIN-2017-13 | http://www.aramaic-dem.org/English/Aram_Naharaim/070626.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-13/segments/1490218187206.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20170322212947-00180-ip-10-233-31-227.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933216 | 4,303 | 2.671875 | 3 |
I recently had a heartfelt conversation with a colleague turned friend regarding another pandemic the world is facing: racial and social injustice against the black community.
My friend shared how her place of employment has consistently shared information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic to include weekly meetings and check-ins. What she said is not happening are check-ins and meetings about the well-being of the employees and the clients they serve, regarding the most recent death of George Floyd, a black man killed by a cop.
This ongoing pandemic of racial and social injustice against the black community takes an emotional and mental toll on this community; further oppressing them. For the black community, we see and experience situations such as this much too frequently that, unfortunately, it has become a common occurrence, forcing this to be our reality. My friend, a black female licensed clinical social worker raising black children to include a young black male, is not OK. I am a black mother raising a black son; I am not OK. The black community is not OK. We are not OK.
In 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of black employees accounted for one out of every eight employees. By law, organizations that are covered under nondiscrimination and equal employment opportunity laws are mandated to display an EEO poster signifying that discriminating against an employee, for skin color as an example, is not tolerated. But is just having the poster visible enough? As a workforce, what do we do?
Do not contribute to the problem. Organizations should have a zero-tolerance discrimination policy, literally. Organizations and leaders should be working closely with their human resources department to establish a policy that outlines what discrimination is and the steps to file a complaint if an employee experiences discrimination. The policy should include specifics regarding how retaliation will be prevented and the types and frequency of training all employees and leaders will undergo as it relates to workplace discrimination.
However, training and policy alone is not enough to combat the issue. Immediate action on the complaints is necessary and accurate tracking and trending of discrimination complaints is vital. It is difficult for change to occur and measures to be put in place to correct the issue if there is little to no data to support that there is a problem. Many organizations employ EEO managers or fill positions such as diversity, equity, and inclusion or cultural competence managers. Roles such as these are critical to agencies to keep a pulse on ensuring that discrimination concerns based on color are reduced significantly.
Cultural competence training from inception. I am a firm believer that how an employee is brought into an organization sets the tone for how that employee perceives what is important to the organization and what the organization values. This begins from the moment that employee is selected to work for the organization, how their onboarding experience is, and how they are welcomed to their specific work unit by their leader and colleagues.
Every employee should receive cultural competence training upon hire and regularly throughout their time with that organization. Leaders should receive even more training and coaching on cultural competence, tailored to their role as a leader. Leaders are expected to be trained to address an array of workplace issues and discrimination is one of them. Leaders should be skilled in having difficult conversations and to be authentic in their interactions with minority employees. Cultural competence training programs at a minimum should encompass an awareness of self and their worldview, cultural differences, and attitudes towards different cultures.
Volunteer opportunities/community activism. It is not uncommon for organizations to support their employees by allowing them to use time on the clock to obtain volunteer hours at a place of the employee’s choice or with a community organization that the employees’ organization has partnered with. If this is already occurring or a feasible option for your employees, consider partnering with organizations that fight the cause of discrimination against oppressed minorities.
Have the difficult conversation. Every organization should have a clear idea of the demographic makeup of its organization to discern the types of societal pressures and issues its employees may be facing. The same goes for the clients being served. Leaders, if you think for one moment that members of the black community do not bring the fear and anxiety of simply being born of color to their job daily, you are sadly mistaken.
It is time that organizations make the time to check in with their employees and develop a forum to have conversations with employees when situations such as this arise. Leaders have the responsibility to hear and support their employees during trying times. The discussion of racial discrimination can be a sensitive and difficult topic to discuss if we allow it to be.
All leaders, especially those who are not of color, should use this opportunity to understand how this pandemic is impacting their employees and what can be done as a leader to be part of the solution. For the sake of humanity, it’s time we talk about it.
Those organizations that do not have solid EEO policies, programs, trainings, or culturally competent leaders in place are doing their employees a disservice. Consult with an organization that can help bridge the gap and put those pieces in place. Your employees will thank you for it.
LaDonna Stone, a licensed clinical social worker, owns and operates Inspired Beliefs LLC, a local organizational development, training, coaching and consulting firm. | <urn:uuid:63e58cbc-b4f2-41c3-96ff-bee2617978ad> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.pilotonline.com/inside-business/vp-ib-expert-stone-0615-20200615-iupfoqriobg3jlh2o2rj4b2jfy-story.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030334644.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20220926020051-20220926050051-00159.warc.gz | en | 0.967782 | 1,067 | 2.6875 | 3 |
In my opinion, there's nothing more interesting and challenging than the security field. When you come toe to toe with a particularly strong piece of software and you just have to break it, the only thing I can liken it to is a good game of Go. Every time you make a move, your opponent -- the designers and developers, by proxy -- will respond in kind. You know there's a way to win and it will take every part of your brain firing on all cylinders to find the weak link in the chain.
I live for the moment when I strike the right point and the whole system comes tumbling down. You will too.
The goal of this blog post is not to be comprehensive; in fact, the opposite is true. My goal is to teach you enough about security -- specifically software security -- that you can go forward and learn the other parts on your own. To ease in that learning, I've sprinkled links to resources throughout the post; Google is also very much your friend here, as there are a million resources out there for most of these topics.
Once you read the General section, you can jump to any of the others (including the other blog posts, as they come out) as you see fit as they're written independently.
This post is focusing on web security. Posts on native security and crypto will be coming soon.
It's rather difficult to come up with a list of prereqs for security, simply due to the breadth of the field. However, the following are the must-haves:
- Know how to program in one or more languages at a fair degree of competency (no one would expect you to edit a novel if you couldn't write the language yourself). If native security is your interest, at least one of these languages must be low-level; C is best.
- Understand what a computer does and how it does it. You don't need to be able to put together a CPU with tin cans and string, but you should be able to explain:
- (Web) How HTML is parsed and how JS interacts with the page.
- (Web) How HTTP works.
- In fact, write a proxy. You'll end up doing a lot of that. (This is actually important enough that I'll probably write a blog post about this one day.)
- (Native) How pointers work, how the stack is laid out, what the heap is, and (for bonus points) how syscalls work.
Where needed, I'll talk about more specific prerequisites.
Before I can continue, I have to touch on the mindset of a breaker. Your goal is not to preserve user interactions or the intended flow of data through a program. Rather, your goal is to answer one simple question: Under what circumstances does this not do what it's intended to do?
Perhaps the best example of this is the cross-site scripting attack that's nearly everpresent in web apps; an attacker is able to output content to the page without proper filtering, allowing her to insert arbitrary HTML content and run scripts in the context of the page. The normal flow is preserved -- the data makes it from the user to the page -- but because that data contains HTML, the page is completely compromised.
The difference between intended and real behavior is what you're looking for in every case, whether that's a standard bug as described in the next sections, or a logic flaw unique to the problem domain you're testing.
Below is a list of tools that you should have in your arsenal. Some of them are categories with more than one tool -- unless explicitly mentioned, they're roughly interchangable.
- HTTP(S) proxy -- This you will use constantly, as it will allow you to analyze and modify data in-flight
- DirBuster -- Useful for finding 'hidden' files/directories
- PadBuster -- Useful for exploiting padding overflow vulnerabilities
- Python or Ruby -- For general automation of tasks
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
XSS vulnerabilities are among the most common you'll see in web applications. The concept is simple: data from an attacker is put into a page without proper filtering, allowing the attacker to execute code in the context of the page.
Reflected XSS is when data from an attacker (e.g. passed in the query string) is directly output on the page. This is the most common form and is frequently used in conjunction with CSRF attacks (see next section). They are protected against by default in many modern web frameworks.
Stored XSS is when data from an attacker is stored -- generally in the database -- and then output without filtering at a later point in time. These are less common than Reflected XSS vulnerabilities but have a higher impact normally, due to the ease with which they can be used to target other users. Like Reflected XSS, these are protected against by default in many modern web frameworks.
In all cases, they are protected against by filtering user data before output, but it's important to encode for the right case. For example, HTML encoding won't serve to protect anything if the data is being output inside of a script tag; in such cases, JS string output encoding is needed.
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
CSRF vulnerabilities are simple but highly effective and common. The basic idea is that an attacker points the victim (automatically with a redirect, or manually with a simple link e.g. in an email) to a page on the target website. The link to that page contains request data to perform an action, e.g. make a bank transaction. To the server, this looks just like a legitimate request and it's performed as if the victim had done it themselves.
Protection against CSRF takes the form of random tokens that are put into the form bodies of pages and then submitted with each request; the server checks the token and ensures it's a match for the user's current random token in the session and rejects requests that don't match. Most modern web frameworks have built-in CSRF protection but it remains a very common vulnerability.
SQL injection is, at this point, one of the most well-known and prevalent vulnerabilities present in web applications today. The premise is that data from an attacker will end up being put into a SQL query without proper escaping. This leads to the attacker being able to break out of a string (most commonly) and add their own code to the query.
Depending on the code and the database configuration, this can range from bad (blind injection allowing slow retrieval of data) to super critical (arbitrary code execution, file access, data destruction, etc). Most modern frameworks are protected from this due to their use of an ORM; everything else should use parameterized queries where possible. When a raw query with attacker data mixed in is the only route, proper escaping must be used.
Shell injection is fairly uncommon but almost always critical when it happens. When user data is fed into a shell command without filtering, it's possible -- through the use of backticks, semicolons, ampersands, etc -- to execute other commands at the same time.
Code calling out to a shell command using user data should always prefer execution methods where an array of arguments is provided (this is naturally immune), and use the appropriate shell escaping functions when raw command strings are built.
The most common forms of directory traversal are those where user data is directly used to construct a path to a file on the system. Without proper filtering in such cases, it's possible to insert a reference to the ".." directory entry, to walk up the directory tree. This can allow arbitrary reading/writing/deletion of files and is very frequently a critical vulnerability.
Insufficient authorization refers to cases where access controls are not put on certain pieces of functionality or data. A good example is a properly access-controlled administration console which has links to admin-only functions that do not have proper controls.
This is often seen in conjunction with forced browsing, in the case of improper controls on data.
Forced browsing -- also known as direct object reference -- is a class of vulnerabilities where an implementation detail is exposed to users in a modifiable way.
Most commonly, this takes the form of an easily modifiable
id parameter in requests, allowing an attacker to simply enumerate all possible identifiers to access/modify data.
The topics above are a great starting place and they're things that I see constantly in testing real-world applications. However, the list is less than comprehensive, so here's a list of a bunch of other topics that you should read up on:
I've recently been pointing everyone with an interest in websec to Natas. That wargame will let you use a good number of the exploitation techniques mentioned in this article, and some more advanced techniques that I didn't mention here. It also happens to be a whole lot of fun.
Other good resources include:
Done practicing and want to dig your teeth into something real? Well, many companies are now running bug bounty programs where you can not only legally test their software, but get paid for the bugs you find. You can find a list of such programs here.
- Cody Brocious (Daeken) | <urn:uuid:5a7e2c3a-3658-46f6-9cb3-392b45931fb1> | CC-MAIN-2014-52 | http://daeken.com/2013-03-17_So_You_Want_To_Be_A_Breaker__Pt__1__Web_Security.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-52/segments/1418802768309.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20141217075248-00142-ip-10-231-17-201.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941028 | 1,913 | 2.546875 | 3 |
The joint WHO-UNICEF report – Achieving the Malaria MDG Target – shows that the malaria MDG target 6c, calling for halting and beginning to reverse the incidence of malaria by 2015, has been met convincingly. The number of malaria cases fell from an estimated 262 million in 2000, to 214 million in 2015. The annual number of deaths from malaria plunged from 839,000 to 438,000. The incidence malaria cases globally has dropped by 37 per cent over the past 15 years, while malaria mortality fell by 60 per cent, achieving the Millennium Development Goal of reversing the incidence of the disease by 2015. However, more than 3 billion people – mostly in sub-Saharan Africa – remain at risk for malaria, but significant funding gaps remain. If malaria elimination goals are to be reached, funding will need to triple from current levels.
Children under five account for more than two-thirds of all deaths associated with malaria. Between 2000 and 2015, the under-five malaria death rate fell by 65 per cent, translating to an estimated 5.9 million child lives saved over the last 15 years. Global bi-lateral and multi-lateral funding for malaria has increased 20-fold since 2000. Domestic investments within malaria-affected countries have also increased year by year. The surge in funding has led to an unprecedented expansion in the delivery of core interventions across sub-Saharan Africa. Since 2000, approximately 1 billion insecticide-treated bednets (ITNs) have been distributed in Africa as well as other critical interventions. | <urn:uuid:f7b23af1-4c9a-47df-9d96-997b28eebf63> | CC-MAIN-2019-35 | https://data.unicef.org/resources/achieving-malaria-mdg-target/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-35/segments/1566027319724.97/warc/CC-MAIN-20190824041053-20190824063053-00107.warc.gz | en | 0.943983 | 312 | 3.375 | 3 |
Timely treatment is critical for stroke victims, yet only 19.8% of the U.S. population can access a stroke center capable of endovascular thrombectomy to remove a large clot in 15 minutes or less by ambulance, according to researchers from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). Only 30% of Americans can access a thrombectomy-equipped center in 30 minutes.
The study, published in Stroke, assessed the current state of access to endovascular thrombectomy treatment in the U.S. and evaluated two different strategies to optimize it.
Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability and fourth-leading cause of death in the world. An ischemic stroke, caused by a blockage of an artery, is the most common form. Endovascular thrombectomy can be performed to remove a clot lodged in a blood vessel with a mechanical device threaded through an artery. Research shows it is an effective treatment for improving clinical outcomes in stroke up to 24 hours from onset, but currently not everyone can have it done.
“This is a significant unmet need in stroke care, as the majority of stroke patients may not have a timely access to thrombectomy, a highly effective treatment,” said Amrou Sarraj, MD, lead author and associate professor of neurology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. Sarraj is also a member of the UTHealth Institute for Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease.
One strategy, the flipping model, would convert a percentage of hospitals within geographic areas to be endovascular thrombectomy-capable. The second method, the bypassing model, would transport patients directly to hospitals capable of thrombectomy, bypassing facilities that aren’t when the reroute would take less than 15 minutes.
The 15-minute bypassing model improved access by 16.7%, meaning about 51.7 million more people would be able to have an endovascular thrombectomy procedure in a timely manner. This model is also easier and more cost-effective to implement, according to the authors.
“The bypassing model would alter current stroke treatment paradigms, which still emphasize taking patients to the closest hospital with the ability to administer clot-busting tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) intravenously, regardless of their thrombectomy capability. It would be an optimal solution for resource-strapped areas, because it leverages the existing infrastructure by triaging patients with large strokes in the field to take them directly to a hospital capable of thrombectomy,” Sarraj said.
The flipping model, which equips 10% of the most impactful hospitals to do thrombectomies, improved 15-minute access by 7.5%, and would work best in areas with more plentiful stroke care resources.
“The flipping approach emphasizes infrastructure development. When ample resources are available, this may result in providing access in areas that are currently devoid of thrombectomy services. While each approach has pros and cons, both strategies represent a tremendous opportunity to improve the current access to thrombectomy, which would result in significant stroke care improvement,” Sarraj said.
The research is the first comprehensive assessment of the status of patient access to thrombectomy in the contemporary era, and it is necessary to know how to effectively improve access in the future, Sarraj said.
“While randomized trials are ongoing for better triage of stroke patients, a few states have already implemented legislation for bypassing hospitals without thrombectomy capability. Having more neuro-interventionalists trained and hospitals with the capability to perform thrombectomy would also help increase access. We hope to see more happening on both fronts in the near future to improve stroke care,” Sarraj said.
Other McGovern Medical School authors include Sean Savitz, MD; Deep Pujara, MD; Harris Kamal, MD; Faris Shaker, MD; Sujan Reddy, MD; Kaushik Parsha, MD, MS; Lauren E. Fournier, MD; Erica M. Jones, MD, MPH; Anjail Sharrief, MD, MPH; and the senior author was James Grotta, MD. Savitz is director and Kamal, Sharrief, and Grotta are members of the UTHealth Institute for Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases.
Media inquiries: 713-500-3030 | <urn:uuid:a75d8259-4b18-4e3d-b498-50a1773050df> | CC-MAIN-2020-50 | https://www.uth.edu/news/story.htm?id=6bdc9274-cd4f-4a83-8bcd-bb2c163bfe27 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-50/segments/1606141681524.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20201201200611-20201201230611-00008.warc.gz | en | 0.937797 | 936 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Islamization begins when there are sufficient Muslims in a country to agitate for their religious privileges. When politically correct, tolerant, and culturally diverse societies agree to Muslim demands for their religious privileges, some of the other components tend to creep in as well.
Here’s how it works.
As long as the Muslim population remains around or under 2% in any given country, they will be for the most part be regarded as a peace-loving minority, and not as a threat to other citizens. This is the case in:
United States — Muslim 0.6%
Australia — Muslim 1.5%
Canada — Muslim 1.9%
China — Muslim 1.8%
Italy — Muslim 1.5%
Norway — Muslim 1.8%
At 2% to 5%, they begin to proselytize from other ethnic minorities and disaffected groups, often with major recruiting from the jails and among street gangs. This is happening in:
Denmark — Muslim 2%
Germany — Muslim 3.7%
United Kingdom — Muslim 2.7%
Spain — Muslim 4%
Thailand — Muslim 4.6%
From 5% on, they exercise an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population. For example, they will push for the introduction of halal (clean by Islamic standards) food, thereby securing food preparation jobs for Muslims. They will increase pressure on supermarket chains to feature halal on their shelves — along with threats for failure to comply. This is occurring in:
France — Muslim 8%
Philippines — Muslim 5%
Sweden — Muslim 5%
Switzerland — Muslim 4.3%
The Netherlands — Muslim 5.5%
Trinidad & Tobago — Muslim 5.8%
At this point, they will work to get the ruling government to allow them to rule themselves (within their ghettos) under Sharia, the Islamic Law. The ultimate goal of Islamists is to establish Sharia law over the entire world.
When Muslims approach 10% of the population, they tend to increase lawlessness as a means of complaint about their conditions. In Paris, we are already seeing car-burnings. Any non-Muslim action offends Islam, and results in uprisings and threats, such as in Amsterdam , with opposition to Mohammed cartoons and films about Islam. Such tensions are seen daily, particularly in Muslim sections, in:
Guyana — Muslim 10%
India — Muslim 13.4%
Israel — Muslim 16%
Kenya — Muslim 10%
Russia — Muslim 15%
After reaching 20%, nations can expect hair-trigger rioting, jihad militia formations, sporadic killings, and the burnings of Christian churches and Jewish synagogues, such as in:
Ethiopia — Muslim 32.8%
At 40%, nations experience widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks, and ongoing militia warfare, such as in:
Bosnia — Muslim 40%
Chad — Muslim 53.1%
Lebanon — Muslim 59.7%
From 60%, nations experience unfettered persecution of non-believers of all other religions (including non-conforming Muslims), sporadic ethnic cleansing (genocide), use of Sharia Law as a weapon, and Jizya, the tax placed on infidels, such as in:
Albania — Muslim 70%
Malaysia — Muslim 60.4%
Qatar — Muslim 77.5%
Sudan — Muslim 70%
After 80%, expect daily intimidation and violent jihad, some State-run ethnic cleansing, and even some genocide, as these nations drive out the infidels, and move toward 100% Muslim, such as has been experienced and in some ways is on-going in:
Bangladesh — Muslim 83%
Egypt — Muslim 90%
Gaza — Muslim 98.7%
Indonesia — Muslim 86.1%
Iran — Muslim 98%
Iraq — Muslim 97%
Jordan — Muslim 92%
Morocco — Muslim 98.7%
Pakistan — Muslim 97%
Palestine — Muslim 99%
Syria — Muslim 90%
Tajikistan — Muslim 90%
Turkey — Muslim 99.8%
United Arab Emirates — Muslim 96%
100% will usher in the peace of ‘Dar-es-Salaam’ — the Islamic House of Peace. Here there’s supposed to be peace, because everybody is a Muslim, the Madrasses are the only schools, and the Koran is the only word, such as in:
Afghanistan — Muslim 100%
Saudi Arabia — Muslim 100%
Somalia — Muslim 100%
Yemen — Muslim 100%
Unfortunately, peace is never achieved, as in these 100% states the most radical Muslims intimidate and spew hatred, and satisfy their blood lust by killing less radical Muslims, for a variety of reasons.
‘Before I was nine I had learned the basic canon of Arab life. It was me against my brother; me and my brother against our father; my family against my cousins and the clan; the clan against the tribe; the tribe against the world, and all of us against the infidel. — Leon Uris, ‘The Haj’
It is important to understand that in some countries, with well under 100% Muslim populations, such as France, the minority Muslim populations live in ghettos, within which they are 100% Muslim, and within which they live by Sharia Law. The national police do not even enter these ghettos. There are no national courts, nor schools, nor non-Muslim religious facilities. In such situations, Muslims do not integrate into the community at large. The children attend madrasses. They learn only the Koran. To even associate with an infidel is a crime punishable with death. Therefore, in some areas of certain nations, Muslim Imams and extremists exercise more power than the national average would indicate.
Today’s 1.5 billion Muslims make up 22% of the world’s population. But their birth rates dwarf the birth rates of Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and all other believers. Some say Muslims will exceed 50% of the world’s population by the end of this century. END
The Islamic conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history. — Will Durant, as quoted on Daniel Pipes site.
Conservative estimates place the number at 80 million dead Indians.
According to some calculations, the Indian (subcontinent) population decreased by 80 million between 1000 (conquest of Afghanistan) and 1525 (end of Delhi Sultanate). — Koenrad Elst as quoted on Daniel Pipes site
80 Million?! The conquistadors’ crimes pale into insignificance at that number. No wonder Hitler admired Islam as a fighting religion. He stood in awe of Islam, whose butchery even he did not surpass.
Over 110 Million Blacks were killed by Islam.
… a minumum of 28 Million African were enslaved in the Muslim Middle East. Since, at least, 80 percent of those captured by Muslim slave traders were calculated to have died before reaching the slave market, it is believed that the death toll from 1400 years of Arab and Muslim slave raids into Africa could have been as high as 112 Millions. When added to the number of those sold in the slave markets, the total number of African victims of the trans-Saharan and East African slave trade could be significantly higher than 140 Million people. — John Allembillah Azumah, author of The Legacy of Arab-Islam in Africa: A Quest for Inter-religious Dialogue
Guess we won’t be hearing this anytime soon from Rev. Al and Minister Farrakhan.
But The American Thinker is not finished:
Add just those two numbers alone together, and Islam has surpassed the victims of 20th-century totalitarianism. However, it does not end there. Add the millions who died at the hand of Muslims in the Sudan in our lifetime.
Much of Islamic slavery was sexual in nature, with a preference for women. Those men who were captured were castrated. The mulatto children of the women were often killed, which explains why Islam was not demographically shifted towards the black race, unlike slaves in the West, who bore children to breed a mestizo class. Add in those dead children; and we arrive at well over 200 million.
We know that over 1 million Europeans were enslaved by Barbary Pirates. How many died is anybody’s guess.
…for the 250 years between 1530 and 1780, the figure could easily have been as high as 1,250,000 – BBC
In the Middle Ages…
…many slaves were passed through Armenia and were castrated there to fill the Muslim demand for eunuchs. — Slavery in Early Medieval Europe.
The same practice ran through Islamic Spain. North Europeans captured from raids up to Iceland, or purchased, were butchered in the castratoriums of Iberia. Many died from the operations that ran for centuries.
Don’t forget the 1.5 million Armenian Christians killed by the Turks during WWI.
And these are certainly not all of those slaughtered by Islam throughout the world in history.
The American Thinker grapples with a total number:
Add this all up. The African victims. The Indian victims. The European victims. Add in the Armenian genocide. Then add in the lesser known, but no doubt quite large number of victims of Eastern Asia. Add in the jihad committed by Muslims against China, which was invaded in 651 AD. Add in the Crimean Khanate predations on the Slavs, especially their women.
Though the numbers are not clear, what is obvious is that Islam is the greatest murder machine in history bar none, possibly exceeding 250 million dead. Possibly one-third to one-half or more of all those killed by war or slavery in history can be traced to Islam; and this is just a cursory examination.
Now consider the over 125 Million women today who have been genitally mutilated for Islamic honor’s sake. In spite of what apologists tell you, the practice is almost totally confined to Islamic areas.
As President Obama speaks to the nation Sunday night, it is doubtful he will cite any of these historical facts.
It seems his criticism of religion is limited to Christianity and Judaism. | <urn:uuid:7f824e99-b097-4485-b1ad-70783f767b95> | CC-MAIN-2020-24 | https://chainsoff.me/2017/06/25/peter-hammond-slavery-terrorism-islam/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-24/segments/1590347413097.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20200531085047-20200531115047-00592.warc.gz | en | 0.953869 | 2,153 | 2.5625 | 3 |
The accountability of and for United Nations peacekeepers : a study of the theory, norms and practice
Lefenya, Kesolofetse Olivia
MetadataShow full item record
The UN is an international organisation which has its roots dating as far back as 1917, when its predecessor was called the League of Nations. Concerned states met in Geneva around 1940 to craft a way-forward for the weakened League, thereby agreeing to form a new international organisation, the UN at the end of the Second World War (WWII). The UN adopted its founding document, referred to as the UN Charter of 1945. The main purpose of the UN is the maintenance of international peace and security. Peacekeeping is an adaptation of the provisions of Chapter 1, article 2 of the UN Charter, which vests the organisation with the mandate to work towards a world free from wars and other violent conflicts. In recent years, UN peacekeeping missions have been associated with gross human rights violations, resulting from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse by UN peacekeepers themselves. This dissertation examines selected cases in Africa, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Sudan, Eritrea-Ethiopia, Somalia, Sierra-Leone and Ivory Coast, as much as they may be relevant to the thrust of the study. Although there is broad consensus in the international community that erring members of the peacekeeping forces be held accountable, what remains particularly problematic is that innocent civilian lives are being destroyed through self-interest, lust, dysfunctional local legal systems, lack of uniform rules of conduct and misconduct, lack of effective investigative systems in host countries, and lack of effective planning systems by victims, among other factors. The study makes a modest attempt at addressing these critical challenges on the accountability of UN peacekeeping forces in the 21st century context.
- Law | <urn:uuid:5b3667c7-9b34-4786-8a25-8361fcbbebfd> | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | https://repository.nwu.ac.za/handle/10394/14395 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593655887046.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20200705055259-20200705085259-00591.warc.gz | en | 0.937115 | 365 | 3.171875 | 3 |
The Celtic Cross
The Celtic Cross can be found throughout the countrysides of Ireland, Scotland, England and all the Celtic Islands today. Some of the cross date back to the period of the Druids when St. Patrick came to Ireland to bring Christianity to them. The Druids used large stone to mark territories and land masses. Each cross found in Ireland today will tell you a story or a part of history that is timeless to see. The Celtic cross is a Latin straight cross with a circle around the center of the cross. It was said that St. Patrick was told of a great stone that the Druid worshiped that was of circular shape. St. Patrick draw a Latin cross through the stone shape circle to bless it, trying to relate to their symbols of their belief to draw them to Christianity. This was the first recorded Celtic Cross. The circle today represents no beginning and no end (eternal life) and to other the circle represents the sun. The Celtic Cross has become a large representation of Irish culture and history. It is wear be many as a symbol of their culture and their faith. The Celtic high cross were probably the most important achievement in the entire history of Irish sculpture. Generally sculpted from sandstone and reaching a height of twenty feet. | <urn:uuid:d255acdd-6b9c-4c96-97a9-2f0e06d9091a> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.celticcolours.com/Celtic-Cross-Meaning.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131305143.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172145-00044-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973571 | 254 | 3.09375 | 3 |
Pali at the University of Toronto
Believed by devout Buddhists to be the language the Buddha preached in, Pali has formed and united the contemporary Buddhist world of South and Southeast Asia like no other language. It is the idiom that the Sri Lankan, the Nepalese, the Bangaladeshi, the Thai, the Burmese, the Khmer, the Malay, the Vietnamese, and the Lao Buddhist, to name only some, share, – in their daily recitations, in stories and doctrines, and in much of the religious vocabulary of their respective vernaculars. With origins that date as far back as those of its sister language Sanskrit, Pali opens up a vast literature that covers most of the time span of South Asian religious history. Learning Pali enables students to read the scriptures of Theravāda Buddhism and some of the oldest and best known Buddhist texts, including the Dhammapada and the Jātaka, but also the historiographies of South and Southeast Asian countries, medieval poetry, and meditation manuals, thus opening a window onto the languages, literatures, and practices of the Southern Buddhist world.
Christoph Emmrich, who specializes on Theravāda Buddhism in Nepal, Burmese-Pali commentary, and time in Pali literature, is the local faculty doing research on Pali sources.
Today, University of Toronto is the only academic institution in Canada that offers regular Pali courses and one of the very few universities in North America where this language is taught at all. Additionally, UofT is the only Western academic institution where Pali is taught, embedded in a specific regional tradition, Burmese Buddhism, and where students, starting from the undergraduate level, are exposed to Pali manuscript culture. Those doing Pali at the University of Toronto can be proud of the fact that it was the academic home of one of the most eminent Pali teachers in the academic study of this language, Professor Arthur K. Warder. Pali is regularly taught at the Department for the Study of Religion on all three levels (beginners, intermediate, and advanced) by Christoph Emmrich, Bryan Levman, and Libbie Mills. Read more here. For a sample syllabus see here.
Textbook for Pali used at UofT: James W. Gair and W. S. Karunatillake. A New Course in Reading Pāli. Entering the Word of the Buddha. Reprint. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1998. Find this book here.
Pali grammar used at UofT: Steven Collins. A Pali Grammar for Students. Bangkok: Silkworm Books, 2006. Available as iBook here. | <urn:uuid:f3183e1c-1360-4b8a-b3f8-12b84151c480> | CC-MAIN-2018-05 | http://www.sareligionuoft.ca/languages/pali/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-05/segments/1516084888341.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20180120004001-20180120024001-00571.warc.gz | en | 0.925038 | 564 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Beans are a very heart healthy food, so it simply makes sense for you to add them to your diet. There are some general ways to add beans, lentils, and legumes to your diet, like in soups, then there are some more creative ways to use them.
Beans contain a lot of great minerals, and they are an excellent way to get some protein in your diet while cutting back on meat. They are also the ideal way for vegans and vegetarians to ensure they get enough protein in their diets.
Black beans are rich in fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamin B6. They are cholesterol free, and they even help increase the good cholesterol in your system. Black beans are a great addition to any kind of Mexican meal.
Add them to tacos, put them in tortilla soup, or even have them as a side dish. You can even find some great recipes online for making brownies with black beans as the base ingredient.
Garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas, are the main ingredient in hummus. Hummus is a hearty healthy food often used as a bread or vegetable dip. They are a heart healthy food, and are a legume.
Chickpeas are high in fiber, and they contain folate, manganese, and zinc. Hummus isn’t their only use. Try them as a salad topper or add them to soups.
Kidney beans aren’t just for chili. You can do many things with them, from creating a bean burger to adding them into your macaroni and cheese. Kidney beans are a great iron rich food.
Instead of buying baked beans in the can, create your own baked beans from scratch with kidney beans.
Black-eyed peas aren’t just a band, and are also known as black-eyed beams. They are a vitamin rich bean option, not only containing vitamins A and B, but also potassium and fiber.
Swap out your normal pinto beans in your bean soup with these alternate beans. They are also great for baked beans.
Lentils are also rich in iron, like many beans and legumes, as well as protein. You can usually find them in red, green, and black. They make great additives to bean soups.
If you have a grain mill you can grind up your lentils into flower to use them in baking all sorts of delicious desserts. You’d be amazed at how many beans and legumes are now being used to make brownies, cupcakes, and more.
Adding more beans to your diet can change some things for you, from getting more minerals to simply giving you more variety in your diet. Try adding some of these to a few meals a week, and cut out some of the less healthy choices you’ve been making, like fried foods and processed meats. | <urn:uuid:345eb6ec-8cbd-432f-8a38-fb1dc054a411> | CC-MAIN-2019-22 | https://www.celebchefs.net/general/five-beans-you-should-add-to-your-regular-diet/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-22/segments/1558232259316.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20190526145334-20190526171334-00341.warc.gz | en | 0.963377 | 596 | 2.609375 | 3 |
When our old house, Castleditch, was demolished in 1814 while the castle was being built, the stables survived and the stable turret clock remained in place. The stables themselves were replaced in 1911, and for some reason the clock was re-sited onto a building next to the estate office, where it ran until the late 1950’s. When we renovated the building in 1990 and converted it for use as the Eastnor Pottery, we removed the turret clock and its tower and rebuilt it over the then castle shop in our tea room yard, but with an electric rather than the original mechanism. But we kept the old clock, its bell and weights.
Then, we were contacted by Chris McKay, an enthusiast and restorer of turret clocks, who saw ours and told us it dated from about 1600. The clock is made from wrought iron, and it was modernised, relatively speaking, in about 1670, when it was converted to pendulum control, an invention that came from Holland. We know this because the pendulum was very short with a very large arc of swing.
At the time the conversion to pendulum was made, the dial was converted to have two hands with the addition of a minute hand. Originally, the clock was situated just behind the original one-handed dial, but the clock must have been moved so it was about five feet below the new dial. In 1938 the clock was restored by Walter Leadbetter of Ledbury.It seems likely that the winding wheels were replaced at that time. Leadbetter has stamped his name on the back of the pendulum bob. The gears behind the dial seem to date from that period as well.
Eastnor Castle clock is a very important historic legacy since it was an old clock that was converted to pendulum very soon after 1670. There are only about 4 or 5 clocks like this in the country. We will find a way to display it in due course so that it can be run when we are open to visitors. It is wonderful to see such an old and simple piece of machinery running, and the tick-tock is quite soothing.
What is the “Titanic” connection? George Leadbetter, father of Walter, was a keen radio man and made his own receiver. On the morning of 15th April 1912 George and Walter (age 15) picked up the Titanic’s CQD (SOS) call. George went round to the police station to report what they had picked up, but they laughed at him in disbelief.
James Hervey-Bathurst, with contribution from Chris McKay – Sept 12 | <urn:uuid:b94557c0-708e-4de4-85a4-3eb85c7ea8fd> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | https://eastnorcastle.com/tag/titanic/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600400227524.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20200925150904-20200925180904-00638.warc.gz | en | 0.987924 | 536 | 2.828125 | 3 |
Background of the Gipsy.
The Gipsy, on which the Boykett family travelled to Adelaide as cabin passengers, was a vessel of 426 tons built at Dundee in 1853, according to the account at Gipsy1853. Her master was Captain Allan Bolton. She left Southampton on 15 May 1853, and cast anchor within 5 miles of Port Adelaide on 15 August, 1853, without any sight of land for the whole distance. According to the S.A. Ships Register, although it departed as early as May, it was "the 10th ship from England to S.A. with government passengers for 1853." The passenger list, with a mention of the Boykett family, is at The Ships List, and totals about 150 individuals, not counting crew. That is a real wave of migration!
On 13 July of the
following year, 1854, again with Allan Bolton as master, she left the
Isle of Wight for New Zealand, arriving at Auckland on 25 October,
giving a voyage of about 3 months, similar to the Boyketts' trip.
Another trip to New Zealand followed in 1856, then she appears to have
been used for carrying cargo. On about 16 March, 1857, on a run
from Batavia (Jakarta) to Singapore, she struck a reef in the Java Sea
off the coast of
Borneo, and sank so quickly that the captain and crew barely had time
to take to the boats. All 22 of them, in three open boats,
reached Batavia on 21 March. (Report in the Sydney Morning Herald, 12
Catherine, the wife of Thomas' son Charles, was pregnant when
England. Their son Charles was born during the voyage, and as
apparently the custom, he was given the Captain's name as a middle
name. Births on board were attended by the ship's surgeon, or
if he was unavailable, the Captain.
As a size comparison, the registered tonnage of the Polly Woodside, (left) was 647.47, or more than 50% greater. Her registered length is 192 feet, or 58.52 metres. I estimate that the Gipsy, scaled in proportion, would be about 50 metres long.
The HMS Buffalo, which brought the first free settlers to South Australia in 1836, was only 120 feet long and was originally a merchantman for the East India Company. There is a replica of this ship at Glenelg, S.A., which I have seen (right.) It looks too small even to make a voyage outside coastal waters. But there were over 400 people on board, including crew.
The drawing on the Home Page is an artist's
impression of the Gipsy,
and is not | <urn:uuid:70debd6b-e6ab-4518-b965-6d997d9efa0b> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://douglaidlaw.net/webpages/gipsy.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549423787.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20170721162430-20170721182430-00200.warc.gz | en | 0.97285 | 583 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Based on the context of your question, i believe you're asking about compiled Executable files.
Executable files do not contain the environment variables of the system they were compiled under. I'm assuming that you might mean Preprocessor directives... and the compiler flags that are often used via scripts - For example ./configure -compile-withssl
Execuable files that do contain the compiler flags used to compile them are specifically coded into them in the form of Preprocessor directives - typically in the form of #IF , #ENDIF statements and the like. They aren't included in the executables automatically - they must be intentionally coded in.
If an application wishes to include the evironment variables of the system it was compiled under it would, like wise, have to be coded in specifically. Although accomplishing this would not necessarily require preprocessor directives.
See Links on Pre-Processor Directives (C++):
Google for "Preprocessor directives
" for more info.
If this is not what you meant, could you please provide a more descriptive reply - with examples. | <urn:uuid:89a9ffca-16fc-4939-b24d-9ec9d03e38b5> | CC-MAIN-2015-40 | http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/command-for-identifying-the-environment-variable-in-a-binary-at-the-compilation-time-850993/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-40/segments/1443736676381.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20151001215756-00234-ip-10-137-6-227.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927475 | 222 | 3.015625 | 3 |
Covering about 84 percent of Botswana’s land area, the semi-arid Kgalagadi terrain dominates most of the country. A land of singular, often hidden, beauty, the Kgalagadi is intensely alive with an astonishing diversity of plant and animal life.
It has broad variations in vegetation, supporting several savanna types, namely grass, shrub and tree savanna.Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
The Gemsbok National Park (Botswana) and the Kalahari Gemsbok Park (South Africa have been formed into one unit creating the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
The absence of man-made barriers (except to the west and south of the Park) has provided a conservation area large enough to maintain examples of two ecological processes that were once widespread in the savannahs and grasslands of Africa. The large scale migratory movements of wild ungulates; and predation by large mammalian carnivores.
It is a vast area of unspoilt countryside with low vegetation-covered dunes, grasslands, scrub bush and woodlands. Its pans are bordered by high peripheral dunes. The pans fill up with water during the rainy season and contain nutrient-rich soils, and salts.
In the southern part of near Bokspits, are large, red dunes which are a spectacle to watch and a challenge to climb. Because of its tough terrain, many parts remain virgin waiting to be experienced. Accommodation
The reserve in the Botswana side has no facilities and the visitor must be entirely self sufficient. There are, as yet, no roads in the Botswana side.
Once in the Park, however, all game viewing is done on roads technically in South Africa, which are maintained by the South African Parks Board. On the South African side, the Kgalagadi Accommodation
options include six different camps of varying size, facilities and cost.
Here, the dune systems are more pronounced, vegetation stunted, and the famous real Kalahari sand more visible. All of these, including large numbers of game are well-worth seeing; something made a little easier by the roads and low vegetation.Wildlife
Despite this dryness and low rainfall, the Kalahari supports a diverse and abundant mammal fauna. The best time to visit the park is towards the end of the rainy season, roughly March to May, however, game can he seen at any time of the year.
The area supports numerous Kalahari ungulates which include wildebeest, eland, hartebeest, gemsbok and springbok, and a healthy population of large predators - lions, leopards, cheetah and hyena.How to get there
The most accessible entrance is from South Africa at Twee Rivieren - please see Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Entry into the central Botswana area can be done via five international border posts situated on the border with South Africa - Bray, Makopong, McCarthy's Rust, Middlepits and Bokspits.
From Namibia, the Kalahari could be reached through Mamuno borderpost in the Ghanzi District some 110km away. | <urn:uuid:b2d8b82f-0b9f-4d43-ab36-51908ecde277> | CC-MAIN-2018-13 | https://www.places.co.za/html/kgalagadi.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-13/segments/1521257649961.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20180324073738-20180324093738-00547.warc.gz | en | 0.936827 | 664 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Walter Anthony Rodney (23 March 1942 - 13 June 1980)
“….an overall view of ancient African civilisation and ancient African cultures is required to expunge the myths about the African past, which linger in the mind of Black people everywhere. This is the main revolutionary function of African History in our hemisphere.” – Walter Rodney
“Every African has a responsibility to understand the system and work towards it’s overthrow.” – Walter Rodney in How Europe Underdeveloped Africa
“If there is to be any proving of our humanity it must be by revolutionary means” – Walter Rodney in Groundings with my Brothers
Facts about Walter Rodney
1. Walter Rodney was born in Georgetown, Guyana on March 23, 1942.
2. Walter Rodney came from a working class family. His father Edward was a tailor and his mother Pauline was a seamstress.
3. Walter Rodney was married to Dr Patricia Rodney and had three children Shaka, Kanini and Asha.
4. Walter Rodney attended Queen’s College, the top male high school in Guyana, and in 1960 graduated first in his class, winning an open scholarship to the University of the West Indies (UWI). He pursued his undergraduate studies at UWI Mona Campus in Jamaica, where he graduated with 1st class honors in History in 1963. Rodney then attended the School of Oriental and African Studies in London where, at the age of 24, he received his PhD with honors in African History. Rodney’s thesis, A History of the Upper Guinea Coast, was published by Oxford University Press in 1970.
5. As a student in Jamaica and England, Walter Rodney was active in student politics and participated in discussion circles, spoke at the famous Hyde Park and, participated in a symposium on Guyana in 1965. It was during this period that Walter came into contact with the legendary CLR James and was one of his most devoted students.
6. Walter Rodney was multi-lingual. He learnt Spanish, Portuguese, French and Swahili which was necessary to facilitate his research.
7. Walter Rodney’s first teaching appointment was in Tanzania before returning to the University of the West Indies, in 1968.
8. Rodney combined his scholarship with activism and became a voice for the under-represented and disenfranchised – this distinguished him from his academic colleagues. He took his message of Black Power, Black Liberation and African consciousness to the masses in Jamaica. In particular he shared his knowledge of African history with one of the most rejected section of the Jamaican society- the Rastafarians. His speeches and lectures to these groups were published as Grounding with My Brothers, and became central to the Caribbean Black Power Movement.
9. Rodney’s activities attracted the Jamaican government’s attention and after attending the 1968 Black Writers’ Conference in Montreal, Canada he was banned from re-entering the country. This decision was to have profound repercussions, sparking widespread riots and revolts in Kingston on 6 October 1968, known as ‘the Rodney Riots.’
10. Having been expelled from Jamaica, Walter returned to Tanzania after a short stay in Cuba. There he lectured from 1968 to 1974 and continued his groundings in Tanzania and other parts of Africa. Walter Rodney became deeply involved in the African Liberation Struggles at that time.
11. Walter Rodney’s participation in African Liberation Struggles influenced his second major work, and his best known –How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. It was published by Jessica and Eric Huntley of Bogle-L’Ouverture in London, in conjunction with Tanzanian Publishing House in 1972.
12. Walter Rodney established an intellectual tradition which still today makes Dar es Salaam one of the centers of discussion of African politics and history. Walter wrote the critical articles on Tanzanian Ujamaa, imperialism, on underdevelopment, and the problems of state and class formation in Africa. Many of his articles which were written in Tanzania appeared in Maji Maji, the discussion journal of the TANU Youth League at the University.
13. Walter Rodney was a Pan-Africanist. He developed close political relationships with those who were struggling to change the external control of Africa and was very close to some of the leaders of liberation movements in Africa. Together with other Pan-Africanists, he participated in discussions leading up to the Sixth Pan-African Congress, held in Tanzania, 1974. Before the Congress he wrote a piece: “Towards the Sixth Pan-African Congress: Aspects of the International Class Struggle in Africa, the Caribbean and America.”
14. In 1974, Walter Rodney returned to Guyana to take up an appointment as Professor of History at the University of Guyana, but the government rescinded the appointment.
15. Walter Rodney joined the newly formed political group, the Working People’s Alliance, emerging as the leading figure in the resistance movement against the PNC government. During this period he developed his ideas on the self emancipation of the working people, People’s Power, and multiracial democracy.
16. On July 11, 1979, Walter, together with seven others, was arrested following the burning down of two government offices. He, along with Drs Rupert Roopnarine and Omawale, was later charged with arson.
17. From that period up to the time of his murder, Rodney lived with constant police harassment and frequent threats against his life he nonetheless managed to complete four books in the last year of his life: An academic work: A History of the Guyanese Working People, 1881-1905; A political call to action; People’s Power, No Dictator, and two children’s books: Kofi Baadu Out of Africa and Lakshmi Out of India.
18. On Friday 13 June 1980, a remote control bomb, disguised in a walkie-talkie, handed to Walter Rodney by a senior military officer, Gregory Smith, was the weapon used to assassinate him. The bomb exploded in Walter Rodney’s lap while he sat in a car with his brother in Georgetown, ending his life. He was 38 years old.
In memory of Walter Rodney, we have created a series of activities. | <urn:uuid:4ec13da7-fcf0-42c7-8fa9-9393bcbb6091> | CC-MAIN-2020-24 | http://blackhistorystudies.com/resources/resources/facts-about-walter-rodney/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-24/segments/1590348513230.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20200606093706-20200606123706-00539.warc.gz | en | 0.976928 | 1,294 | 2.984375 | 3 |
Even the hardiest plants need a little help putting down roots in new locations. Sprinkling the foliage doesn’t nourish the roots, the plant’s nerve center. You must deliver water to the root ball below the ground, or your plants will be stunted and short-lived.
Try this instead: Place the hose at the base of new bushes, trees, and plants and let the water trickle out for 20 to 30 minutes, twice a week (more during hot spells), for 4 to 12 weeks. Or snake a soaker hose ($20 for 50 feet) through your beds, which will deliver slow and steady water to roots. | <urn:uuid:b4117c26-60ee-4248-ab18-a8ccc03e546a> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/gardens/common-gardening-mistakes/5/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131299339.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172139-00142-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.910231 | 134 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Consumers will likely seek minimally processed products following recent headlines spotlighting the potential health implications associated with UPF consumption, Alex Beckett, director of Mintel, tells NutraIngredients.
Yet, following new research suggesting that not all UPFs are harmful to health, Beckett asserts that companies should focus on communicating the benefits that processing can offer, such as lower costs and enhanced nutrition.
Over recent months, there has been growing concerns over the health implications associated with the consumption of UPFs. Research has increasingly linked increased consumption of UPFs with adverse outcomes, such as altered lipoprotein profiles, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. With increasing consumer awareness of the health risks, scrutiny over the processing methods used by the food industry has been intensifying.
Yet, a recent study published in The Lancet suggests that whilst certain types of UPFs may increase risk of disease, such health adversities are dependent on the overall composition of the product. It concludes that products containing nutrients such as fibre exert beneficial effects and prevent disease progression, further adding to recent arguments that the vilification of all UPFs is an “oversimplification”.
The researchers observe that ultra-processed breads and cereals, as well as plant-based alternatives, are not associated with disease risk, whilst animal-based products and artificially and sugar-sweetened beverages increase risk. The researchers conclude that UPFs should not be avoided but consumption should be limited.
Beckett explains that whilst the demand for minimally processed products will continue to rise following the controversy, this trend for cleaner-labelled produce was already prevalent.
"Our research into healthy eating has found that 70% of UK adults try to avoid ultra-processed foods. This includes 59% of under-25s and peaks at 76% of over-55s, illustrating how younger people are bigger users of convenience foods,” he asserts.
A ‘Global Food and Drinks Trends for 2024’ report by Mintel states that the heightened demand for clean label will make way for minimally processed alternatives that should focus on the positive aspects of food-processing techniques, such as those that enhance nutrition, inhibit contaminant formation, or improve sustainability.
Beckett adds: “Ultimately, pioneer brands will offer a UPF alternative to other brands, and consumers’ expectations will be raised. If they can do it, why can't that brand? The trouble is, UPF-free treats are often less affordable, and too many people are still struggling financially."
Beckett emphasised that demand for ultra-processed foods will remain and it will be up to brands to provide the appropriate level of detail about their processing methods..
“Greater transparency around the manufacturing process is crucial. But the level of detail is debatable. If you’re about to enjoy an ice cream on a hot day, you’re not going to bother following an on-pack QR code explaining the hydrophilic properties of the emulsifiers, first,” he stresses.
He notes that enlightenment doesn’t necessarily lead to action but "giving consumers the option to self-educate, in some way, wins trust”.
"With food prices still high and UPF so endemic, most consumers won’t have any choice but to continue buying UPF. The difference is that more people will now be more aware of the health implications. And for those who have the luxury of choice and the luxury of time to scrutinise ingredient lists, comparisons will be made at point of sale,” he adds. | <urn:uuid:3b9f4bb7-cdf9-4ad3-b51b-81190777fbc3> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.nutraingredients.com/News/Markets-and-Trends/Ultra-processed-foods-expert-stresses-importance-of-consumer-communication | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474674.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20240227085429-20240227115429-00048.warc.gz | en | 0.946845 | 736 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Today, Cambodia is still struggling to establish developed institutions after years of war and genocide. 30% of Cambodians are in poverty, and the Cambodian government does not have a welfare system. Education is an important tool in breaking the poverty cycle, and Global Service Corps teams up with local organizations to help transform children’s lives for the better. Here is what one of GSC’s in-country partner organizations does to not only provide education to low-income children, but also to help them meet their daily needs:
- Establish centers in poor districts. Each Centre admits up to 100 children, and is operated by Khmer staff – a manager, six trainers, a cook and a housekeeper.
- Enroll the children in carefully selected local schools, and pay all fees and costs. Children attend for half-days, 6 days a week.
- On the other half-days the children attend the Centre, where they receive:
- Meals and nutritional supplements
- Tutoring in their schoolwork
- Coaching to read and speak English
- Training in life skills
- Each child is mentored to believe in themselves and in their leadership potential.
- The children in our program can no longer work on the streets helping to earn their family’s income, so we compensate families by distributing them food.
- We appoint sponsors for each child. Sponsors help finance the operation, and encourage the children through letters and email.
Learn more about how you can help! Visit our website here. | <urn:uuid:4517c2ed-1307-4647-b6b1-611ca40f4138> | CC-MAIN-2018-13 | https://globalservicecorpsblog.wordpress.com/2013/01/03/helping-break-the-poverty-cycle-one-of-gscs-local-partners-in-cambodia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-13/segments/1521257645550.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20180318071715-20180318091715-00543.warc.gz | en | 0.961548 | 313 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Valerianella species have unusual, asymmetrical fruits due to the development of only one out of three of the fruit's locules. Many taxa have been named based solely on differences in fruit morphology. However, Ware (1983) determined that a single species may produce 2 or 3 types of fruits within a given population, each type of fruit specific to a given plant. Therefore, the number of species recognized here is fewer than in some other keys. Reference: Dyal (1938).
This Genus’s Species in New England:
Visit this genus in the Dichotomous Key | <urn:uuid:8575e71f-0a99-4300-86b8-b380669fca46> | CC-MAIN-2019-35 | https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/genus/valerianella/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-35/segments/1566027319915.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20190824063359-20190824085359-00118.warc.gz | en | 0.919414 | 123 | 3.609375 | 4 |
The Indian Troopships "Clive" and "Tenasserim" in Madras Harbour
Photographer: Hooper, Willoughby Wallace (1837-1912)
Medium: Photographic print
Photograph of the Indian Troopships S.S.Clive and S.S. Tenasserim in the harbour at Madras (Chennai), Tamil Nadu, taken by Willoughby Wallace Hooper in 1885. The photograph is one of a series documenting the Third Anglo-Burmese War (1885-86) made by Hooper while serving as Provost Marshal with the British army. Hooper's caption for this image continues: “In the former of these General Prendergast left Madras for Rangoon on the 3rd November, 1885, in command of the Burmah Expeditionary Force. The "Clive" is in the centre of the picture, the "Tenasserim" to the left. This photograph was not taken till past 5pm, too late in the day for successful instantaneous photography.” General Sir Harry North Dalrymple Prendergast (1834-1912) commanded the Burma Expeditionary Force of 10,000 troops during the war, which culminated in the exile to India of King Thibaw (reigned 1878-1885), the last of the Burmese kings, and his queen Supayalat, and the annexation of Upper Burma on 1 January 1886 by the British. Hooper left Madras on board the Tenasserim on 3 November and arrived in Rangoon on 8 November. He was a dedicated amateur photographer who also worked in collaboration with an army veterinary surgeon, George Western, and his subjects in India had included ethnographical studies, the life of the British in India, and the Madras famines of 1876-78. The Burma war series of photographs is considered “one of the most accomplished and comprehensive records of a nineteenth century military campaign”. They were published in 1887 as ‘Burmah: a series of one hundred photographs illustrating incidents connected with the British Expeditionary Force to that country, from the embarkation at Madras, 1st Nov, 1885, to the capture of King Theebaw, with many views of Mandalay and surrounding country, native life and industries’. There were two editions, one with albumen prints, one with autotypes, and a series of lantern slides was also issued. A political scandal was caused when claims were made by a journalist that Hooper had acted sadistically in the process of photographing the execution by firing squad of Burmese rebels. The subsequent court of inquiry concluded that he had behaved in a “callous and indecorous” way and the affair raised issues of the role of the photograph in documenting human suffering and the conduct of the British military during a colonial war. | <urn:uuid:4282c8bd-6a4c-4188-8ef7-c3e5607bd9f7> | CC-MAIN-2017-17 | http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/t/019pho000000312u00001000.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-17/segments/1492917123276.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20170423031203-00317-ip-10-145-167-34.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966569 | 593 | 3.078125 | 3 |
28 May The Biggest Misconceptions About Teachers’ Unions — Debunked
Unions are professional organizations. They provide services for teachers that cover an incredible gamut of purposes. Yet, despite all the positive work teachers’ unions do for students, and education in general, some groups continue to criticize these organizations without really understanding their purpose and their function.
Here are a few of the biggest misconceptions:
1. Unions protect bad teachers
People who believe unions’ sole purpose is to protect teachers often vilify unions in the public eye. The argument is that bad teachers are protected once they earn the dreaded “T” word: tenure. This is a major misconception.
Printed with permission. To read more, please visit TakePart.com. | <urn:uuid:4400ee91-01e5-4a90-849c-1ff3a1058e30> | CC-MAIN-2019-04 | https://hopestreetgroup.org/2013/05/28/biggest-misconceptions-teachers-unions-debunked/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-04/segments/1547584445118.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20190124014810-20190124040810-00308.warc.gz | en | 0.954891 | 160 | 2.578125 | 3 |
What do you usually associate chattering teeth with? Probably cold weather or having a fever. But did you know that it can also be caused by other factors? While the most common cause of teeth chattering is cold weather, it can also be caused by emotional stress, panic, medication, withdrawal from drugs or alcohol and neurological disorders. Teeth grinding, also known as bruxism can also lead to teeth chattering. While it may seem harmless at first, constant chattering can lead to damage to the teeth. Let’s find out what are the short term and long term effects of teeth chattering.
Wears Out The Enamel
If you are constantly chattering and grinding your teeth, the enamel that protects your teeth will eventually wear out and expose the underlying dentin which wears out faster than the enamel. Enamel plays a big part in protecting our teeth from decay. Without it, the inner layer would be more susceptible to plaque and acids. Unlike our other body parts, it does not regenerate since it does not contain any living cells. That is why we need to take extra care in protecting and maintaining this protective layer.
Chipped teeth are expected when there is excessive teeth chattering. You don’t have to be a dentist to know that those small but constant impacts against your teeth can cause them to eventually chip or break. Though our teeth are the strongest part of our body, it is not indestructible. A chipped or broken tooth can lead to more serious dental problems. It can lead to an infection which can cause you to lose the tooth or to an expensive operation to repair it.
Long periods of teeth chattering will overwork your jaw muscles causing pain and discomfort. This might not seem much but as we already know by now, so-called minor inconveniences like this one can only lead to bigger problems. Lockjaw, facial myalgia, earache, limits the opening of the mouth, inflamed gums and loose teeth just to name a few. All of these have varying levels of pain that will have negative effects on how you go about your daily routine. | <urn:uuid:c1619a18-7815-44f8-b80a-ed94b2fd97d3> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://tryautobrush.com/blogs/dental/effects-of-chattering-teeth | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370505366.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20200401034127-20200401064127-00204.warc.gz | en | 0.958752 | 433 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Tom is talking about his school’s model. Every teacher is engaged with some sort of research – not in, but with. They have “A researched-engaged learning community” on their school sign. Some people are more engaged than others; half funding is offered for MAs and PhDs for the really enthusiastic which is great blue for money for the school. He talks about research as CPD, and CPD as research.
There is an outcome, a product which helps create the sense of being research engaged: a publication called Learning Lessons, written by one or more people and available in hard copy around the school or on the website. This helps to embed it in the school culture and shares good practice which was a problem identified in an earlier session. Tom shares specific examples: dialogic teaching, co-construction of learning and talking texts. He suggests this sharing vehicle is vital in setting up a research based culture.
He also recommends sharing through workshops – like the learning communities we used to have at school. There is workshop time on the calendar for people to use for their research, in twos or threes or more. Then there is market-place CPD for the workshops to share heir work, which helps people to focus their mind and write a summary of their findings. Tom provides examples of some workshops explorations: question spotting in Philosophy A level, physics marking, explorations into coaching, use of iPads in GCSE PE.
Is it research? Is it valid, transferable? Does it have an impact? It was valid: it had an impact in their classrooms and teachers experienced it which helped them to engage with research.
Tom talks about CamSTAR, a partnership with Cambridge university to facilitate action research in schools. Projects need a question – not a task. It needs an effective methodology – Tom shares an example of how a small sample size was very useful from the thesis of a colleague and reminds us that in data you lose detail. He then gives us some specific examples of projects: a French teacher and one student with Edmodo, a Maths teacher with flipped learning on three year groups, an MFL teacher with different student groupings.
He lists some methods. Assessment data, pre and post. Questionnaires, but take care over leading questions and question design. Qualitative observation and evaluation. Student interviews and teacher interviews, but be careful of confirmation bias.
Tom gives his own example: co-construction in year 10. He makes it sounds very desirable! Reminds, though, that not doing any harm is not a measure of success.
Be careful about what you’re looking for in action research. Education is value driven and imposing unproven theories on other teachers and classrooms can be quite dangerous. What works for you in your classroom is not the same as a solution for all. True in context is not the same as true.
In contrast with Laura it seems, Tom thinks there is no big question to answer out there, but that through action research we can come up with a body of experience upon which everyone can draw. | <urn:uuid:ec2e7697-aa52-47eb-b250-57e5d1428690> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://sallythorne.com/2013/09/07/researched-4-tom-sherrington/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585371700247.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20200407085717-20200407120217-00087.warc.gz | en | 0.97348 | 630 | 2.828125 | 3 |
51. The alloy which contains aluminum is
52. Aluminum bronze is made up of
53. An alloy of Al and Mg is
54. Which of the following is not a property of aluminum?
55. The metal which is soft?
56. The metal with the lowest density from the following is
57. The metal which is liquid at room temperature is
58. Tungsten is used in electric bulbs because
59. The nonmetal which is a good conductor of electricity is
60. Metals combine with oxygen to form _______ oxides.
MCQ Multiple Choice Questions and Answers on Metals and Non-metals
Metals and Non-metals Question and Answer | <urn:uuid:bed7f20b-3273-4ae1-87cc-b74e38cb4842> | CC-MAIN-2018-34 | http://www.objectivequiz.com/objective-questions/general-science/metals-non-metals/6 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-34/segments/1534221212040.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20180817104238-20180817124238-00680.warc.gz | en | 0.912379 | 144 | 3.09375 | 3 |
Reading the New Testament in its original language is one of the most effective ways to gain a greater understanding of the message of the Bible. Yet many who are called to ministry will not be able to dedicate years of study to master the language. Greek for Everyone allows pastors, Bible study instructors, Sunday school teachers, and serious lay students of the Bible to learn the basics of biblical Greek at their own pace. It explains how the Greek language works and introduces the Greek alphabet, pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. By focusing on the takeaways that most impact interpretation, this book provides a working knowledge of biblical Greek for in-depth study of the New Testament.
I never had study Greek before in my life but this book was easy to follow. They have a step-by-step guide that will help you follow along in this book.
Here’s a chapter listing to show the order in which concepts are introduced.
1) Language Learning, Koine Greek, and the Greek Alphabet
2) The Big Picture of Language
3) Phrases, Clauses, and Conjunctions
4) Resources for Navigating the Greek New Testament
5) Introduction to Greek Verbs and Nominals
6) Nominative, Accusative, and Vocative Cases
7) Genitive and Dative Cases
8) Articles, Pronouns, Adjectives, and Prepositions
9) (Independent) Indicative-Mood Verbs
10) (Independent) Imperative-Mood Verbs
11) (Dependent) Subjunctive-Mood Verbs
12) (Dependent) Greek Infinitives
13) (Dependent) Greek Participles
14) Back to the Big Picture
15) Comparing English Translations
16) Bridging Contexts
17) Word Studies
18) The Grammar of Theology (Putting It All Together)
Each chapter ends with vocabulary words to memorize. This makes learning key Greek words easier–by the end of the book the reader may be surprised with how much vocabulary he has under his belt! As well as vocabulary, Thornhill includes a “Your Turn” section where he has the reader apply what he has learned, which is a very nice to have.
This book would be especially helpful for Greek students to read before formal study.
I received this book free from Baker Books to give an honest review. | <urn:uuid:dfccce21-1d7b-469f-b5fb-7f79d03fc803> | CC-MAIN-2017-22 | https://staceyschneller06.wordpress.com/2016/12/30/greek-for-everyone/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-22/segments/1495463608668.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20170526144316-20170526164316-00441.warc.gz | en | 0.915682 | 499 | 2.59375 | 3 |
The Group Monopolizer. A serious challenge in group therapy by Henrik Lund-Jacobsen, physician, Specialist in family medicine, Group analyst (iga/cph).
Tensions and conflicts between group members can usually be improved by the conjoint effort of the conductor and the group.
However with a monopolist in the group, it is the task of the conductor to interrupt the behavioral pattern, to avoid isolation and eventually scapegoating of the monopolist.
The Monopolist is the name of a group member, who speaks constantly, and accordingly inhibits work in the group. It was Yalom, who in 1970 introduced “The Monopolist”, as one of eight problem patients. Yalom describes the monopolist by three distinctive traits:
A behavior. The monopolist speaks constantly, responding to every statement in the group, and is very difficult to silence.
The behavior is pervasive, repeating itself meeting after meeting, irrespective of the focus of the group.
Working in the group is severely inhibited, partly because the monopolist is blocking free speech with words, partly because of the strong emotions elicited in group members and/or therapist.
Al three traits must be present. Yalom emphasizes, that it is important for the therapist to interrupt the behavioral pattern of the monopolist, before he or she is getting isolated in the group. After the initial intervention, the cause of monopolistic behavior is explored, and therapy is refocused.
Behr and Hearst introduces the concept of Monopolizing behavior into group analysis in their text book ”Group-analytic psychotherapy”, “a meeting of minds” from 2005. Behr and Hearst describes the monopolist by the same three traits as used by Yalom, but they exclude attention-seeking behavior from monopolizing behavior, mainly because attention-seeking behavior is more accessible to consciousness, and therefor can be more easily handled.
The need of attention, present in most group members, have been covered by Sigmund Karterud in his text book on group-analysis from 1999. He refers to Kohuts theori of narcissism and selfobject transference, and especially to the universal need of mirror transference. Karterud describes how, the mirror transference of a single group member, can take such proportions, that group work is impeded. Mirror transference lies within Yaloms broad definition of the monopolist, but outside the narrow definition of Behr and Hearst. The encouraging intervention proposed by Karterud is different from the intervention proposed by Yalom, emphasizing the importance of using the correct definition.
Monopolizing behavior can be provoked in certain group members in special situations. In this case you can talk about occasional monopolizing behavior. The word monopolist however, is linked to a profound characteristic of a person.
Irrespective of the cause of monopolizing behavior, the monopolist will be very susceptible to any attempt to restrict his or her behavior, and strong emotions may be released. If the conductor and/or group members have had time to build up resentment, a clash of emotions will take place. It is therefore important, how the conductor presents the intervention. The conductor has to avoid showing irritation or sounding forbidding when trying to bring the avalanche of words to a halt. This is not easy. Can the conductor identify with the needs of the monopolist, the negative emotions directed at the monopolist are much more easily controlled and concealed. By identification with the monopolist, also the conductor will be able to help the monopolist adjust and down regulate negative emotions resulting from the intervention, and help the group members understanding the position of the monopolist, eventually helping both sides to gain insight.
Ex, conductor to monopolist: Yes, it is important to get many views in this case, and you did make your contribution, - but I sense the group now need a pause for thought, in which everybody try to reflect on their own position in this matter.
Behr and Hearst 2005
Tast email og send | <urn:uuid:33c5e289-47b7-4499-ae90-03592a9e5eff> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | http://www.iga-kbh.dk/Blog.120/The-Group-Monopolizer.-A-serious-challenge-in-group-therapy.24.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579251689924.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20200126135207-20200126165207-00340.warc.gz | en | 0.939077 | 830 | 2.640625 | 3 |
It's probably safe to say that for most women mammograms are included on the I-know-I-should-do-it-but-I-really-don't want-to healthcare checklist, along with dentist and ob/gyn visits. There's the psychological discomfort of baring oneself to a stranger, the awkward posing to get the angle just right, the handling and arranging, the squeeze as the breast is flattened for the photos, and then the nerve-wracking wait while the images are checked for poor clarity or, worse, something that doesn't look right.
But breast cancer is the most common non-skin cancer for women in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer-related death, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Much of the unpleasantness of mammograms doesn't appear to be going away any time soon, but technological gains have led to new mammography options and other breast cancer-detection methods that are invaluable diagnostic tools for physicians, making any of the brief discomfort brought on by a check-up well worth the experience.
One of the latest advances in mammography that is available at some New Hampshire healthcare facilities presents many benefits to caregivers as well as to patients: digital mammography. Whereas traditional mammography uses low-dose X-ray to capture and display pictures on film, digital mammography creates electronic images that are stored directly in a computer. Radiation is still required to capture that image; so is the dreaded squeeze. And digital mammography is pricey, with digital systems currently costing approximately 1.5 to 4 times more than film systems, so some hospitals have been slow to adopt it.
But digital mammography has been shown to be more effective than film mammography at detecting breast cancer in certain populations, namely women under age 50; women of any age who have very dense breasts; and pre- and perimenopausal women. Digital mammography allows for better visualization in these subgroups, hopefully leading to cancer detection at an earlier, more treatable stage.
For the general population of women outside of the subgroups, no significant difference in breast cancer detection has been found between digital and standard film mammography. And, like its film cousin, digital mammography is imperfect, allowing some cancers to go undetected, and false positives to be declared. But digital still offers advantages over analog that benefit many people in a variety of ways.
A woman undergoing a digital mammogram will probably not notice much difference during the procedure from a film mammogram. "You still have the same kind of compression," says Anna N. A. Tosteson, Sc.D., professor at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. "I think the only thing that might be different in terms of the experience is that [patients] don't have to wait around to see if the image is good or not" because a digitally displayed image is available in about 10 seconds, compared to the two minutes required for a conventional film mammogram.
Additional new imaging techniques
Breast screening technologies that are intended to supplement mammography are also gaining traction in the medical world. For instance, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is sometimes used to screen for breast cancer in conjunction with a digital or film mammogram. Although full-body MRIs can be used for breast imaging, newly adopted breast MRI uses an MRI machine specifically developed for breasts. "Open" versions of these systems are less claustrophobia-inducing than a regular MRI and provide excellent pictures, says Edward P. Dalton, M.D., breast surgeon and medical director of the Elliot Breast Health Center at Elliot Hospital in Manchester.
The diagnostic information provided by an MRI can provide crucial clues for surgeons working on a breast cancer case, and sometimes leads to altered treatment plans and prognosis. "[MRI] is really a great tool for surgeons," Dalton says, as it helps them better estimate the extent of a tumor in a patient.
Further out on the horizon (FDA approval is pending) are digital tomosynthesis and nuclear breast imaging. Digital tomosynthesis results in a 3-D image of the breast that can be viewed from different angles, and nuclear breast imaging is similar in concept to an MRI, but eliminates the need for an MRI tube. "It's very comparable to having a camera take pictures, like a mammogram," Dalton says. "There are a lot of people who are claustrophobic. They can't get into an MRI. About 14 percent of people absolutely refuse, even though these are patients who should be motivated to do it."
Modalities such as MRI, tomosynthesis and nuclear breast imaging are not expected to replace film or digital mammography. "They are niche tools or supplemental tools for certain people," Dalton says, and are likely to be used with high-risk patients and those who have dense breasts that can make some cancers tough to see.
Many hospitals do not yet offer new breast imaging technology, including digital mammography, probably because of the significant investment the related equipment requires. The important thing for women to remember, experts agree, is to be screened regularly, even if the exam relies on old-fashioned film. Ideally, a younger woman or a woman with dense breasts will get digital mammograms, Tosteson says. "But if the choice is between no mammogram or a film mammogram, have a film mammogram." NH
The list of digital mammography advantages over film is quite long, and also includes:
Less radiation. A digital mammogram requires about 22 percent less radiation than film mammography.
Easy access and transmission. Digital images can quickly be fired off to diagnosticians and surgeons within a healthcare facility or around the world if need be, which is especially valuable to women in rural areas who might desire the opinion of a specialist located many miles away.
Convenient, less expensive storage and comparison. Digital files do not take up valuable hospital real estate the way film images do and are less likely to be misplaced. And, with a digital system, comparing last year's image to this year's is a snap.
Enhanced viewing capability. An expert reviewing a digital mammogram can enlarge the image, zoom in, adjust the contrast and change black to white or white to black to create a clearer picture.
Fewer callbacks. A digital mammogram is less likely to need to be retaken, a definite plus to anyone who has experienced the sobering feeling of being called back for more photos because the radiologist wants to get a closer look at something.
This article appears in the October 2009 issue of New Hampshire Magazine | <urn:uuid:824b0922-0efb-42dd-8a93-79ab116b5861> | CC-MAIN-2017-22 | http://www.nhmagazine.com/October-2009/Going-Digital/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-22/segments/1495463613135.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20170529223110-20170530003110-00319.warc.gz | en | 0.952634 | 1,337 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Start DrScheme and choose the Datalog language from DrScheme’s Language menu under Experimental Languages. Click Run, then click in the REPL.
Facts are stored in tables. If the name of the table is parent, and john is the parent of douglas, store the fact in the database with this:
> parent(john, douglas).
Each item in the parenthesized list following the name of the table is called a term. A term can be either a logical or a . Thus far, all the terms shown have been constant terms.
A query can be used to see if a particular row is in a table. Type this to see if john is the parent of douglas:
Type this to see if john is the parent of ebbon:
> parent(john, ebbon)?
The query produced no results because john is not the parent of ebbon. Let’s add more rows.
Type the following to list all rows in the parent table:
Type the following to list all the children of john:
A term that begins with a capital letter is a logical variable.When producing a set of answers, the Datalog interpreter lists all rows that match the query when each variable in the query is substituted for a constant. The following example produces no answers, as there are no substitutions for the variable A that produce a fact in the database. This is because no one is the parent of oneself.
> parent(A, A)?
A deductive database can use rules of inference to derive new facts. Consider the following rule:
> ancestor(A, B) :- parent(A, B).
The rule says that if A is the parent of B, then A is an ancestor of B. The other rule defining an ancestor says that if A is the parent of C, C is an ancestor of B, then A is an ancestor of B.
|> ancestor(A, B) :-|
In the interpreter, DrScheme knows that the clause is not complete, so by pressing Return, it doesn’t interpret the line.
Rules are used to answer queries just as is done for facts.
A fact or a rule can be retracted from the database using tilde syntax:
Unlike Prolog, the order in which clauses are asserted is irrelevant. All queries terminate, and every possible answer is derived. | <urn:uuid:ecc0e32f-e2a3-438e-ba04-228a6efc6b4a> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://planet.racket-lang.org/package-source/jaymccarthy/datalog.plt/1/3/planet-docs/datalog/Tutorial.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131298424.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172138-00168-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.869769 | 496 | 3.625 | 4 |
Pex (Program EXploration) is an assistant to the programmer.Pex takes test-driven development to the next level. Pex analyzes .NET programs. From a parameterized unit test, it automatically generates unit tests cases with high code coverage. In addition,when a generated test fails, it suggests to the developer how to fix the bugs.
- With Pex, you can write parameterized unit test methods and leave to Pex the task of deciding which input is relevant to cover the code (or find bugs). Actually, parameterized unit tests are nothing but specifications. Pex integrates ‘naturally’ with existing unit test framework (VSTS, NUnit, MbUnit, etc…) by providing a set of custom attributes to tag Pex classes and tests.
- Call Pex directly from Visual Studio to start exploring the parameterized unit tests.
- Pex runs the parameterized unit tests with different input values. Pex monitors the execution and figures out why the program executed the way it did. This is represented as a boolean function over the test parameters. Pex then uses a constraint solver to compute new parameter values that make the program execute in a different way.
- From the parameterized unit tests, Pex generates classic unit tests that can be re-executed without Pex. Pex also tags the generated tests with additional information using attributes (for tools) and xml documentation (for humans).
- While exploring parameterized unit tests, Pex explicitly looks for program errors such as index out of bound or failing user assertions. Pex reports dynamically detected errors in the code.
- Sometimes Pex can automatically fix bugs! When a test fails, Pex traces back the involved values. Pex suggests additional checks to prevent the failure from happening again. Those checks are argument or invariant validation.
- Pex summarizes all the possible fixes in a prioritized table with quick preview.
- Pex integrates generated tests automatically inside the test project. Pex also avoids duplicate tests and recycles obsolete tests.
- Pex comes with a command line tool to execute any assembly containing Pex tests. Great for automation!
- Pex generates detailed HTML reports about the exploration process. The reports contains details about each generated tests, path conditions, suggested fixes, etc…
- Pex generates code coverage reports for each test.
- Pex has a built-in support for mocking interfaces and virtual methods. Pex generates the return values of mocked methods just like it generates test input for parameterized unit tests. | <urn:uuid:283f7c60-4fa8-43ff-97d3-2db0be59dd6f> | CC-MAIN-2017-09 | http://devintelligence.com/2008/02/pex-dynamic-analysis-and-test-generation-for-net-from-microsoft/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-09/segments/1487501170425.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20170219104610-00464-ip-10-171-10-108.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.79829 | 524 | 2.75 | 3 |
Generation of waste
|Updated: 1.12.2015 - Next update: 24.11.2016|
As much as one-half of municipal waste is burned
Nearly exactly 50 per cent of municipal waste generated in Finland in 2014 was burned. The share of burning has risen very fast, because ten years ago just 12 per cent of waste was burned. Disposal at landfill sites has, in turn, fallen more or less at the same rate, or in practice, all municipal solid waste delivered for burning reduces the waste in landfill sites. Just under one-fifth of the total volume of waste were disposed at landfill sites. Municipal waste as an additional resource in energy production is running low.
In 2014, a total of 2.6 million tonnes of municipal waste were generated. The volume has remained fairly even throughout the early part of the millennium. Municipal waste is generated in households and service sectors, the biggest items being paper and paperboard waste, biodegradable kitchen and canteen waste, and packages and scrap. However, the volume of unsorted, burning mixed waste is large and growing as combustion treatment is becoming more common.
The volume of municipal waste delivered to energy recovery was last year 1.3 million tonnes, 460,000 tonnes were landfilled. The remainder, or 856,000 tonnes were recycled or recovered as a material, the biggest items of which were paper, biodegradable kitchen waste, and metal and electrical equipment scrap. The recycling volumes have long remained more or less of equal size, however, the trend appears to be slightly rising. The recovery rate of municipal waste, that is, burning and recycling together reached a record high, as much as 83 per cent.
Statistics Finland / Waste statistics
Description of indicator
Municipal waste refers to waste generated in households and waste comparable to
household waste generated in production, especially in the service industries.
The general common feature of municipal waste is that it is generated in the
consumption of final products in communities and is covered by municipal waste
management systems. Waste treatment refers to the recovery, neutralisation and final disposal of | <urn:uuid:9080196b-bd7c-4a6a-90c2-125eb41b1034> | CC-MAIN-2016-22 | http://www.findikaattori.fi/en/79 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-22/segments/1464049274059.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20160524002114-00177-ip-10-185-217-139.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958359 | 431 | 3.421875 | 3 |
I was posed the following questions by a colleague, and thought I’d take a stab at answering it for all to see:
What does it mean to be scientifically literate in the twenty-first century? How would you measure it? How can we increase it? Should we bother?
In order to answer this question, any good scientist must first operationally define what is meant by “scientifically literate.” Many people automatically think that, if someone is “scientifically literate,” he or she is able to demonstrate knowledge concerning a wide variety of scientific facts in fields such as astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, and so forth. This is, however, not what should be meant by the term. No doubt, someone who is scientifically literate is likely to be well versed in the basic information about a number of scientific fields, but science is not a field of study. Science is, instead, an empirical, rational way of thinking and seeking answers to questions and evaluating claims. It is the application of a specific series of steps to arrive at empirical support for or against an idea. As such, scientific literacy should not be seen as the ability to parrot answers to questions such as “What is the speed of light?” or knowing the steps used to balance a chemical equation. Scientific literacy should instead be seen as the ability to access and use the methods of science when confronted with a question to which one does not know the answer. It should be seen as the ability to minimize the myriad of thinking errors to which we humans are so prone while using those same methods. A scientifically literate society should be able to, in short, think like a scientist about its dilemmas by evaluating the world skeptically.
If we were to create a measure of the above definition of scientific literacy, then it will not be comprised of quizzes of science facts and figures, multiple choice questionnaires, or random surveys of the American public. Instead, scientific literacy will be measured by how our society reacts to new information. What is embraced and what is discarded by a society? Is new information examined critically or accepted blindly? What is valued? Is innovation seen as positive or stifling? Should the discovery of new knowledge be encouraged or dissuaded? If an idea is put forth that shakes the foundation of a society’s beliefs and practices, is it readily dismissed or is it discussed in terms of its own merit? A truly scientifically literate society will not place it’s faith in others’ assessments of issues, but instead will seek information with which to make it’s own, empirically based decision. Such a society would not need to be assessed by an external source, because it would be constantly assessing itself.
Again, based on the above definition of an assessment for scientific literacy, what can be done to raise it in the United States? And, who should be charged with raising it? Politicians can pass laws, television pundits can bemoan the state of the educational system, and teachers can attempt to conform to unfunded mandates, but will any of that actually help? Raising scientific literacy in this country is not a problem that can be quickly fixed by simply throwing money at it. Instead, there must be a fundamental shift in the ways in which our country views the purpose of education, particularly science education. To raise our society into a scientific mode of thinking, critical thinking skills and the methods of science must be instilled in all our citizens, especially our children. What good does it do to know the names of the planets in the solar system but not be able to evaluate the arguments for and against why Pluto lost planet status? If money can be thrown at anything, it should be disseminated to train teachers of science at all levels of education, from primary school to graduate studies, how to effectively impart the methods of science to their students, not just science facts and figures.
As a professor, I am constantly amazed by the students in my freshman level course. Many of them are brilliant and expansive in their knowledge of the science facts, the “what” of science, but when asked to evaluate a claim or test a hypothesis, it quickly becomes apparent that they have never learned the “how” of science. Changing the ways in which science is taught will be an excellent step in increasing the level of our society’s scientific literacy, but it should by no means be the only step. A shift in society, itself, toward appreciating a skeptical, scientific voice is crucial in increasing our scientific literacy.
Such a shift will not be accomplished purely in the somewhat private arena of the classroom, but must happen in the very public arenas of politics and entertainment, as well. While polls consistently find that scientists and their work are highly respected by the public, that same work is continually under-funded by our government and, if not ignored outright by politicians, poked and prodded until it fits a predefined agenda. If the government does not respect the worth and methods of science, what hope is there for our society to become literate in those same methods? And, why should the youth of today aspire to be the scientists of tomorrow when they lack solid scientist and skeptic role models? For every real life Bill Nye, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and James Randi, there are dozens of fictional Ross Gellers, Professor Frinks, and Emmett Browns stumbling and bumbling their way across the screen, or equal numbers of Frankensteins, Moreaus, and Luthors creeping evilly across thousands of pages. While there are some exceptions, few scientists (or their works) are portrayed in a positive light in popular fiction. Shifting our fictional portrayals of science and scientists will do much to help inspire new generations to explore and take part in the world of science, rather than continue advancing stereotypes of scientists as either mad or evil.
But potentially more important and influential than changes in education, politics, and entertainment may be a needed shift in that most private arena of life: the home. Parents exert a tremendous amount of influence over their children throughout the lifespan, especially in areas of values and beliefs. Most people adhere to the same religious views as their parents; parents who value and praise athletic ability typically have children who will do the same. In the same way, parents who view knowledge of science and the scientific method as essential for navigating through life will pass those values to their children. Perhaps by making the shifts in education and public perception of science as mentioned above, more parents will view scientific literacy as being on par with the value of other basic academic skills, such as reading and writing, and instill in their offspring the need for empiricism.
But, why should we go to all this trouble? The myriad of reasons can be summed up in two words: the future. The problems and troubles of today’s world and the world of tomorrow will not be solved by faith, guesswork, or luck. It was science that doubled the human life span, science that allows people to communicate with each other no matter how far apart they are physically, science that developed more efficient means of food production to feed a booming population. If anything solves the looming energy crisis, threats from new and unknown diseases, or dramatic global climate changes, it will be science. Unfortunately for the scientifically illiterate society, such science can only spring from a society that knows about and respects science. Without scientific literacy, our society will find itself struggling to meet the challenges of the remainder of the 21st century and all the centuries to come. As Darwin discovered, the organism that is most adapted to its environment will have the most success, and for the organism that is the United States, those adaptations will most certainly be the result of science. | <urn:uuid:1d075ad2-daa1-49f5-b647-dd4dac936d27> | CC-MAIN-2017-22 | http://www.skepticink.com/gps/2013/10/10/what-does-scientific-literacy-look-like-in-the-21st-century/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-22/segments/1495463612018.97/warc/CC-MAIN-20170529053338-20170529073338-00382.warc.gz | en | 0.954153 | 1,589 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Decomposers are the organisms that eat, digest and break down once living things which have died. They are absolutely essential in the nutrient cycles. In essence, all living things, including humans, are borrowing the elements that make up their bodies. On death we need to recycle them back so other plants and animals can use them.
Recycling the elements is essential. Some say that without our decomposers we'd be wading through deep garbage. I figure that we'd never have existed at all - there wouldn't have been any elements available to make up our bodies. Both bacteria and fungi are primary decomposers at work in the compost pile, however here we'll focus on bacteria.
Bacteria dominate the early process in compost and probably will make up 80 to 90 % of compost microbes. Most bacteria found in soils and in compost are decomposers. A teaspoon of fertile soil can contain anywhere from 100 million to a billion bacteria with representatives from 10,000 species. Compost might have ten times that number of bacteria in its teaspoon.
Bacteria feed on simple, easy to metabolize, carbon compounds such as fresh young weeds and leaves and the compounds present in the root zones. Plants actually create these compounds to ensure a healthy, diverse population of bacteria lives near their roots to protect the plants.
Decomposers are especially important in retaining nutrients in their cells thus preventing loss of those nutrients from the root zone. This is very important in the nitrogen cycle. Worldwide, about 1200 million tons of fixed nitrogen circulates annually between growth and decomposition primarily with the decomposer bacteria. Without these bacteria immobilizing the fixed nitrogen, keeping it in the root zone, much of it would be lost to the air and water.
Some bacteria decomposers are able to break down more complex materials such as pesticides, herbicides and other soil pollutants. These bacteria are used to clean oil spills and neutralize agricultural chemicals in processes called bioremediation.
The bacteria thrive in various micro habitats. Scientists often classify them by their temperature preference. Like Goldilocks's Three Bears some like it hot, some like it cold and some like it just right. Because the temperature in a compost process often goes through all the temperature ranges over the course of time, a full range of bacteria may be part of your compost process.
I think most of us think we really need to get our compost really hot for at least two or three days to sterilize or sanitize the compost. The problem is that when temperatures get very hot your species diversity in the compost drops alarmingly. Because your now pretty sterile compost lacks diversity it paves the way for one or more species to overrun the place. For example salmonella might move in and without the usual salmonella eaters around - because they've been wiped out by the heat - the salmonella goes nuts and you've got a problem.
In his great book, The Humanure Handbook, Joseph Jenkins reports the results of a number of studies showing maybe we don't need the heat.
The bottom line is that a goal of totally pathogen free soil is not ideal. You want the natural defense mechanisms you'll find in biodiverse soil to have some of the bad guys to practice on.
You may also want to check out Decomposer Fungi. | <urn:uuid:09d2719a-c4ac-4efb-a380-9e394c3bc04a> | CC-MAIN-2018-26 | https://www.the-compost-gardener.com/decomposers.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-26/segments/1529267864039.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20180621055646-20180621075646-00210.warc.gz | en | 0.953891 | 679 | 4.03125 | 4 |
Living with and caring for a family member who has dementia can have a significant impact on family life and relationships. Families can support their relative at home in a safe and secure environment, but they need to be vigilant for signs of deterioration in mental and physical abilities and behaviour, and act quickly with appropriate changes. The inclusion of all generations in providing care at home can strengthen the family unit and increase their coping skills.
Diagnosis can be the key to good communication between the person with dementia, family and health professionals. However, dementia is often undiagnosed in its early stages, leaving people with dementia and caregivers to cope at home with unmet needs. Ideally, families should be involved in the diagnosis process.
Enabling someone with dementia to remain at home as long as possible requires modifications to improve the safety of the home, maintain functional ability and reduce the risk of falls and injury. Many people with mild-to-moderate dementia have good mobility and may only require modifications to allow them to move safely around their home, such as reducing furniture and clutter.
Guidance suggested that cognitive activities and interventions can support people with dementia with their declining memory. These include ‘face-name’ training and memory-provoking activities. An idea is to label everything and everyone in an easy-to-read way, including the contents of the fridge and kitchen cupboards, photographs with names and white boards with key contact numbers.
People with dementia gradually lose their financial capacity, affecting their ability to count money and make judgements about purchases (Marson, 2001). However, they often overestimate their abilities, while carers sometimes underestimate them. Ways of assisting autonomy have been previously documented, such as arranging with local shopkeepers to pay a weekly ‘tab’ for purchases made by the person with dementia. | <urn:uuid:4ce6ac72-dc26-4f0f-88ca-6f86a1fb71ce> | CC-MAIN-2018-34 | http://royalecarersltd.co.uk/news.php?subaction=showcomments&id=1471265585 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-34/segments/1534221209216.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20180814170309-20180814190309-00026.warc.gz | en | 0.969748 | 368 | 3.546875 | 4 |
Low-income families will be able to lower their utility bills with $3.16 billion in funding for home retrofits made available by the Biden administration on Wednesday. The move will also help the U.S. reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The funding, approved as part of the infrastructure bill that Congress passed last year, will flow to states, tribes, and territories through the federal Weatherization Assistance Program, or WAP.
The surge in federal dollars means that the program will be able to retrofit about 450,000 homes by installing insulation, sealing leaks, upgrading appliances to more energy-efficient models, and replacing fossil fuel-powered heating systems with cleaner, electric options. That’s a significant increase; in recent years, the program has retrofitted about 38,000 homes annually.
The boost to WAP comes amidst an embargo on Russian oil, soaring energy prices, and rising inflation — circumstances strikingly similar to those when WAP was created in the 1970s. Congress authorized WAP in 1976, just a few years after the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries imposed an oil embargo against the U.S., causing energy prices to spike and inflation to climb. Lawmakers reasoned that one way to achieve energy independence was to reduce energy demand by making buildings more efficient.
Now, the current administration sees WAP as a tool for curtailing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting environmental justice, too.
Improving energy efficiency and electrifying homes (while also cleaning up the electrical grid) can make a significant dent in the U.S.’s greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the residential sector was responsible for 20 percent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion in 2020.
It can also be a way to improve the finances and health of environmental justice communities. Department of Energy eligibility guidelines allow households bringing in less than twice the federal poverty income level to apply for WAP, meaning a family of four can apply if their combined income is less than $55,500 a year. The agency estimates that the program helps the families served save an average of $283 on their utility bills each year.
Electrifying homes can improve people’s health, and even save lives. Studies have found that gas stoves release hazardous levels of air pollution, and are especially harmful to children. A Harvard study found that fine particle pollution from gas-burning appliances in residential and commercial buildings caused nearly 6,000 premature deaths nationwide in 2017.
Jasmine Graham, energy justice policy manager at WE ACT for Environmental Justice, a group founded in West Harlem, applauded the administration for boosting funding for WAP, but pointed out that energy woes aren’t the only challenges plaguing environmental justice communities. “Residents of these communities tend to live in older, under-maintained housing that often has issues such as mold, lead, and asbestos,” she said. She hopes that the Biden administration will also do more to address these concerns. | <urn:uuid:7c29f670-0835-47db-974d-e537c59087c6> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://grist.org/energy/low-income-homes-retrofit-3-billion/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337421.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20221003133425-20221003163425-00123.warc.gz | en | 0.944656 | 608 | 2.578125 | 3 |
If you have any coronavirus symptoms:
- a high temperature
- a new, continuous cough
- a loss of, or change to, your sense of smell or taste
Get a test and stay at home
National lockdown: stay at home
Coronavirus (COVID‑19) is spreading fast.
Do not leave your home unless necessary.
1 in 3 people who have the virus have no symptoms, so you could be spreading it without knowing it. Find out what the rules are
For medical support information please visit: https://111.nhs.uk
Please remember to minimise your risk of catching COVID 19, we want you all to stay safe, so please take the time to remind yourself of the 5 key precautions:
- Wash your hands more often than usual, for 20 seconds using soap and water or hand sanitiser, particularly after coughing, sneezing and blowing your nose, before you eat or handle food.
- Cover your mouth and nose with disposable tissues when you cough or sneeze. Dispose of tissues into a disposable rubbish bag and immediately wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser.
- You must wear a face covering by law in some public places unless you have a face covering exemption because of your age, health or another condition. You are also strongly encouraged to wear a face covering in other enclosed public spaces where social distancing may be difficult and where you come into contact with people you do not normally meet.
- Clean and disinfect regularly touched objects and surfaces using your regular cleaning products to reduce the risk of passing the infection on to other people.
- Keep enclosed spaces well ventilated, there is a balance to be struck between heating your property and ventilation especially in these colder months. | <urn:uuid:d3c44350-393c-4238-a3b0-b3c73e0c6674> | CC-MAIN-2021-31 | https://www.southbank-utc.co.uk/covid-resource-hub/covid-19-advice/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-31/segments/1627046152144.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20210726152107-20210726182107-00047.warc.gz | en | 0.929812 | 368 | 2.625 | 3 |
- This event has passed.
The New Collectors
Modern Women, Modern Art, Modern Museums
In 1913, the Armory Show introduced modern art to a mostly unsuspecting public. The works were panned and banned. A new breed of women patrons, however, embraced this new direction in art and began collecting in earnest. The American public would become the benefactors of their collections.
Join museum educator, Linda Young, as she continues her focus on women collectors and the museums that would benefit from their discerning eyes. Baltimore sisters Etta and Claribel Cone amassed an impressive collection of paintings by Matisse and Picasso. New York socialite Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney encouraged emerging American artists, eventually opening her own museum of contemporary art. And a trio of progressive women patrons led the effort to open New York’s Museum of Modern Art.
Class size is limited to 30
Artwork: Henri Matisse, Blue Nude, 1907, Oil, Cone Collection, Baltimore Museum of Art | <urn:uuid:1528c049-4957-4c9f-af97-a16686497f30> | CC-MAIN-2021-21 | https://glenarborart.org/events/the-new-collectors/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-21/segments/1620243991207.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20210514183414-20210514213414-00118.warc.gz | en | 0.949307 | 206 | 3 | 3 |
With warmer-than-normal temperatures and several hurricanes and tropical storms affecting the eastern states, the first half of autumn across North America had rather extreme weather, in line with our forecast.
Warmer-than-normal temperatures were the rule in most other places as well. In the world as a whole, September 2016 was the second warmest September ever recorded, behind only September 2015.
September was the first month this year that did not set a new record for global warmth, although 2016 will still wind up as the Earth’s warmest overall year in history.
As you can see from the map above (which shows September temperature departures from normal), most of the world had above-normal temperatures. Delving deeper, we can see that:
- North America had its third highest September temperature departure since continental records began in 1910.
- Ohio experienced its warmest September ever while, as a whole, this was the ninth-warmest September across the United States in the 122-year period of record.
- Much-warmer-than-normal temperatures prevailed in northern South America while, in contrast, those in central and southern South America were near to below normal.
- Europe and Asia had their warmest September in more than 100 years of records, while Africa experienced its second warmest, behind only 2015.
- Temperatures were below normal across much of Australia, which had its second wettest September on record, behind only 2010.
- Arctic sea ice was well below average, with the fifth smallest sea ice extent since satellite records began in 1979. Antarctic sea ice had its smallest extent since 2002 and the fifth smallest on record.
All of this is consistent with the change from last winter’s strong El Niño to a weak to perhaps moderate La Niña this fall and winter.
Along with the other factors that control our winter weather, this means that nearly all of the country will be colder than last winter, although most places will still have above-normal temperatures when averaged across the entire winter season.
Snowfall will be above normal from southern New England and western New York southwestward through the Appalachians; from eastern Minnesota eastward to the U.P. (Upper Peninsula) of Michigan and southward to St. Louis, Missouri; and from central North Dakota westward to the Pacific coast. Other locales that normally receive snowfall should expect below-normal amounts.
Unfortunately, we expect rainfall and precipitation to be below normal in California, which could result in higher food prices next spring and summer.
For a complete 2017 weather forecast across the U.S. and Canada, pick up your copy of the The 2017 Old Farmer’s Almanac! | <urn:uuid:b7754fe1-3040-40cd-9969-8d4e4240f10d> | CC-MAIN-2021-43 | https://www.almanac.com/extra/weather-update-big-warm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-43/segments/1634323584567.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20211016105157-20211016135157-00140.warc.gz | en | 0.967529 | 551 | 3.296875 | 3 |
The longer I blog on The Lunch Tray, the more I become convinced that the keys to reversing the childhood obesity epidemic and improving kids’ health rest with kids themselves.
That is to say, we absolutely must do what we can to improve our children’s food environment — school food reform, improved competitive food, reining in children’s junk food advertising and more — but unless kids also understand why healthy eating is important and what healthy eating looks like, those efforts may not be effective. Junk food and fast food will always be available, tasty and cheap and, absent sufficient motivation to avoid them, they unfortunately represent the path of of least resistance for many Americans — children and adults alike.
That’s why I’m so excited about the new partnership between Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution and Food Day to bring food education and cooking classes into schools across America. I briefly told you about the Get Food Education in Every School initiative when it was announced in May, but now you can read more about it in this week’s Huffington Post editorial by Michael Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (the folks behind Food day). Jacobson writes:
The anti-hunger group Feeding America estimates that elementary school students receive just 3.4 hours of nutrition education — actual education and not marketing — each year. Fewer than 25 percent of high school students take any family and consumer science classes, formerly known as home economics, and those classes are often the first to go when school budgets are trimmed. And parents have to shoulder some of the blame, when, in all too many harried households, “cooking” actually means “microwaving” or otherwise heating some well-preserved, factory-extruded, combination of flour, fat, salt, sugar, dyes, and other chemicals.
But just as we expect our schools to do the heavy lifting when it comes to teaching geography, algebra, physical education, and history, we should expect schools to teach children about food — where it comes from and how it affects our bodies and our health
In the campaign’s first year, organizers hope to raise awareness about the lack of food education and to build a broad coalition that will build support for food education at the local, state, and federal levels of government.
I’m proud to be one of the early supporters of this effort (you can read my thoughts on Jamie Oliver’s blog here), along with The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, American College of Lifestyle Medicine, American Medical Students Association, Edible Schoolyard Project, Center for Ecoliteracy, The Food Trust, National Association of Nutrition Professionals, Wellness in the Schools, and Nourish.
I’ll be participating in periodic conference calls with the campaign organizers and will share more information about Get Food Education in Every School throughout the coming year. And when school starts up again, I’ll also be sharing an interview with Michael Jacobson about the effort. If you have particular questions you’d like me to ask him, feel free to leave them in a comment below.
Do You Love The Lunch Tray? ♥♥♥ Then “like” The Lunch Tray! Join over 6,200 TLT fans by liking TLT’s Facebook page (and then adding it to your news feed or interest lists) to get your Lunch delivered fresh daily, along with bonus commentary, interesting kid-and-food links, and stimulating discussion with other readers. You can also follow TLT on Twitter, check out my virtual bulletin boards on Pinterest and find selected TLT posts on The Huffington Post. And be sure to check out my video for kids about processed food, “Mr. Zee’s Apple Factory!” | <urn:uuid:3f655617-c1e3-4820-a0d8-0c9cac53f8cb> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.thelunchtray.com/help-get-food-education-into-every-american-school/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560285337.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095125-00295-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941279 | 786 | 2.609375 | 3 |
|This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2009)|
Land Cameras are instant cameras with self-developing film named after their inventor, Edwin Land, while working for Research Row in Boston, Massachusetts and manufactured by Polaroid between the years of 1947 and 1983. Though Polaroid continued producing instant cameras after 1983, the name 'Land' was dropped from the camera name since Edwin Land retired in 1982. The first commercially available model was the Polaroid Land Camera Model 95, which produced prints in about 1 minute,and was first sold to the public in November, 1948.
The process, invented by Polaroid founder Edwin Land, was to employ diffusion transfer to move the dyes from the negative to the positive via a reagent. A negative sheet was exposed inside the camera, then lined up with a positive sheet and squeezed through a set of rollers which spread a reagent between the two layers, creating a developing film sandwich. The negative developed quickly, after which some of the unexposed silver halide grains (and the latent image it contained) were solubilized by the reagent and transferred by diffusion from the negative to the positive. After a minute, the back of the camera was opened and the negative peeled away to reveal the print.
In 1963, Land introduced Polacolor pack film, which made instant color photographs possible. This process involved pulling two tabs from the camera, the second which pulled the film sandwich through the rollers to develop out of the camera. The instant colour process is much more complex, involving a negative which contains three layers of emulsion sensitive to blue, green, and red. Underneath each layer are dye developing molecules in their complementary colours of yellow, magenta, and cyan. When light strikes an emulsion layer, it blocks the complementary dye below it. For instance, when blue strikes the blue sensitive emulsion layer, it blocks the yellow dye, but allows the magenta and cyan dyes to transfer to the positive, which combine to create blue. When green and red (yellow) strikes their respective layers, it blocks the complementary dyes of magenta and cyan below them, allowing only yellow dye to transfer to the positive.
In 1972, integral film was introduced which did not require the user to time the development or peel apart the negative from the positive. This process was similar to polacolor film with added timing and receiving layers. The film itself integrates all the layers to expose, develop, and fix the photo into a plastic envelope commonly associated with a Polaroid photo. The Polaroid SX-70 camera was the first to utilize this film.
Improvements in SX-70 film led to the higher speed 600 series film, then to different formats such as 500 series (captiva), and spectra.
The original cameras folded into the body and used bellows to protect the light path. The film was put on two spools, one with the negative roll, and one with the positive paper and reagent pods. The film developed inside the camera. The exception to this is the Polaroid Swinger, a hardbody rollfilm camera whose film was pulled out of the camera body to develop outside the camera. The film for rollfilm cameras was discontinued in 1992.
100 Series Pack cameras
These cameras were developed after the rollfilm models and were designed to use the newly developed 100 series pack film. Like with the Swinger the film sandwich was pulled out of the camera to develop outside of the camera, but instead of two separate rolls the film was built into a compact easy loading film pack which contained 8 exposures. Hard body plastic models were marketed later a low cost alternative to the more expensive models with bellows. There are four generations of folding colorpack cameras the 100, the 200, the 300, and 400 series. Though pack film is still produced by Fujifilm and used actively worldwide, Polaroid announced in 2008 the discontinuation of all of its film by 2009. The Impossible-Project currently (2015) manufactures and sells Polaroid integrative type film for 600/SX-70/Spectra Image cameras.
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Polaroid cameras.|
- Polaroid Model 95 and Polaroid SX-70 Sonar One Step at Marc's Classic Cameras
- Jims Polaroid Collection | <urn:uuid:69e9a8b1-ec24-4423-911e-5fd7bd579cc0> | CC-MAIN-2015-27 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polaroid_Land_Camera | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-27/segments/1435375097710.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20150627031817-00070-ip-10-179-60-89.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943683 | 875 | 3.3125 | 3 |
The Ultimate Guide to Being a Communications Specialist
As a communications specialist, you play a vital role in ensuring that your organization's messages are clear, effective, and consistent. In this guide, we'll explore the essential skills, responsibilities, and qualifications required to excel in this field.
What is a Communications Specialist?
A communications specialist is a professional responsible for developing and executing communication strategies that help organizations achieve their goals. Communications specialists may work in a wide range of industries, from non-profit organizations to government agencies, corporations, and more.
The primary goal of a communications specialist is to ensure that an organization's messages are delivered in a clear and effective manner. They use a variety of channels, including social media, email, newsletters, press releases, and other forms of content, to reach target audiences and achieve their goals.
Key Skills for Communications Specialists
To succeed as a communications specialist, you need to possess a broad range of skills. Here are some of the most important ones:
1. Excellent Communication Skills
As a communications specialist, it goes without saying that you need to be an excellent communicator. You must be able to craft clear, concise messages that effectively convey your organization's goals and values. Strong written and verbal communication skills are essential, as is the ability to tailor messages to different audiences.
2. Strategic Thinking
Communications specialists must have a strategic mindset to create effective communication plans. They should be able to analyze data and trends, and use that information to create strategies that drive results. Strategic thinking involves identifying the most effective channels to use, determining key messages, and selecting the most appropriate tactics.
To stand out in a crowded market, communications specialists need to be creative. They should be able to generate fresh and innovative ideas that resonate with their target audience. Creativity is key to developing campaigns that capture attention and inspire action.
In the world of communications, change is constant. Communications specialists need to be adaptable, able to respond quickly to new situations and adjust their strategies as needed. Being able to pivot quickly is essential to maintain relevance in a fast-changing landscape.
Communications specialists need to be adept at building and maintaining relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including internal teams, clients, and the media. Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate with others are essential to success in this field.
Responsibilities of a Communications Specialist
The responsibilities of a communications specialist can vary depending on the organization they work for. Here are some of the most common tasks that communications specialists are responsible for:
1. Developing Communication Strategies
One of the primary responsibilities of a communications specialist is to develop communication strategies that align with an organization's goals. This involves analyzing the target audience, identifying the most effective channels, and developing key messages that resonate with the audience.
2. Creating and Managing Content
Communications specialists are responsible for creating a wide range of content, including press releases, social media posts, email newsletters, and more. They must ensure that all content is high-quality, relevant, and aligned with the organization's brand and messaging.
3. Managing Media Relations
Communications specialists often work with journalists and the media to promote their organization's message. They must be able to build relationships with the media and pitch stories that will generate positive coverage.
4. Monitoring and Measuring Results
Communications specialists must monitor the performance of their communication strategies and adjust as needed. They use data to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns and make adjustments to optimize results.
Qualifications for a Communications Specialist
To become a communications specialist, you typically need a bachelor's degree in a related field, such as communications, public relations, or marketing. However, some organizations may prefer candidates with a master's degree in communication or a related field.
In addition to a degree, a communications specialist must have relevant work experience. Entry-level positions typically require one to two years of experience in a related field, while mid-level positions require at least five years of experience. Senior-level positions require extensive experience and a track record of success in creating and executing communication strategies.
In addition to education and work experience, a communications specialist must have a broad range of skills, as we discussed earlier in this guide. They must also be knowledgeable about current trends and best practices in communication, including social media, public relations, and content marketing.
A communications specialist is an essential member of any organization's team. They are responsible for developing and executing communication strategies that ensure the organization's messages are clear, effective, and consistent. To succeed in this field, a communications specialist must possess a wide range of skills, including excellent communication skills, strategic thinking, creativity, adaptability, and relationship-building. They must also have relevant education and work experience, as well as knowledge of current trends and best practices.
In conclusion, being a communications specialist is a rewarding and challenging career that requires a unique combination of skills and experience. With the right education, experience, and skills, you can become a valuable member of any organization's team, helping to communicate its message effectively and achieve its goals. | <urn:uuid:cda166ba-bdd6-459d-b5f3-b7a538035d56> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://freelancingspot.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-being-a-communications-specialist/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224646652.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20230610233020-20230611023020-00615.warc.gz | en | 0.941932 | 1,052 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Having only one user, which is root, can be dangerous. So let's fix that. Vultr provides us with the freedom to do as we please with our users and our servers. Let's make use of this by adding a user with sudo access instead of direct root access.
We need to first connect to the server with root so that we have adequate permissions. Once connected, add another user account.
# useradd <username>
<username> with the desired username.
That command will add the user to the list of users on the system, and create a corresponding group (if the group doesn't exist).
With the default hostname set, sudo with throw the following error.
sudo: unable to resolve host vultr.guest
We can prevent this error by changing the hostname. Your hostname is located after the "@" symbol in the shell. For example,
/etc/hostname to update your hostname. Save the files when you're done editing them.
nano /etc/hosts nano /etc/hostname
You must restart the server for the hostname change to take effect. Once the server finishes rebooting, log back in to continue.
Even if you're root, you will need to run the "sudo" part of the following command.
This will bring up a file with a bit of default info. What you need to look for is the following section:
# Cmnd alias specification # User privilege specification root ALL=(ALL:ALL) ALL
Find where "root" appears in the list shown above, and add the following. Substitute the appropriate variables.
<username> ALL=(ALL:ALL) ALL
We are almost finished. A few more minor steps.
Create the home folder for the new user.
Give the new user permissions in that folder.
chown <username>:<usergroup> /home/<username> -R
Set a password for the new user.
sudo passwd <username>
Add the following to the
Reboot the server again for these changes to take effect.
At this point, your new user account is ready-to-go with sudo access. You may log into the server with this new account and use
sudo when necessary. | <urn:uuid:b4d5cbcb-260d-4605-8d7b-afd6311100ef> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://www.vultr.com/docs/setup-a-non-root-user-with-sudo-access-on-ubuntu/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875148163.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20200228231614-20200229021614-00267.warc.gz | en | 0.834997 | 473 | 2.578125 | 3 |
What is a Cataract?
A cataract is a clouding on your eye’s natural lens. Degenerative changes in your eye’s structure cause lens proteins to precipitate and clump within the lens of your eye, producing opacities, and clouding vision.
Typically, the degenerative eye changes are a natural occurrence during your aging process. Your cataract will cause blurred vision because the crystalline lens of your eye needs to remain clear to properly focus images on your retina. However, eye injuries, diseases, and some medications can also contribute to the formation of cataracts.
Our eye doctors have treated cataracts in San Antonio for many years. Our experience and use of state-of-the-art-technology make us a clear choice for cataract surgery. Worried about cataract surgery cost? Ask about our many options for financing your procedure.
Cataract surgery is the most commonly performed procedure in the United States. You should choose an eye surgeon carefully – taking into account such factors as the doctor’s training, past success, and confidence he or she instills in you – no one should hesitate to have this procedure. Life is too good to miss because of clouded vision!
Learn more about our specialties in cataract treatment in Texas MD’s featured article of Dr. Lisa Martén Clarity and Cataracts.
What are Possible Symptoms of a Cataract?
- Blurred, cloudy, or distorted vision
- Double vision
- Inability to see bright colors at their full intensity
- Progressive loss of vision/frequent need to update vision correction prescription
- Poor night vision
- Increased sensitivity to glare
- Appearance of halos around lights
- Visible white spot on pupil
The above symptoms are not exclusive to cataracts. If you are experiencing any of the above signs, with our doctors today.
Call us at (210) 692-1388 or schedule a vision assessment with one of our skill cataract specialists to explore vision correction options, and the potential early detection of other serious health problems.
How Fast Can Cataracts Develop?
Cataracts develop in stages but do not necessarily progress at the same rate. As the cataract increases in size, its symptoms also tend to worsen.
Some cataracts may quickly develop over a few months, while others may take years to mature. In some cases, cataracts never grow out of the early stages and present little or no vision problems.
Cataracts in later stages, however, can make day-to-day living difficult. Although you may eventually develop cataracts in both eyes, having a cataract in one eye does not lead to getting a cataract in the other eye.
Laser Cataract Surgery
We now offer laser-assisted cataract surgery to improve precision and safety during your procedure. Watch this video to learn more about how using a laser instead of blades can help you improve your vision:View Video
Selecting Your Lens Implant Type
Once you have made the decision with your doctor to undergo cataract surgery, you will have a series of choices to make. These relate to the type of lens implant that will best fit your lifestyle.
Monofocal lenses allow clear vision at one distance only if do not have astigmatism. You may need glasses either to correct astigmatism or to correct for vision at different distances.
You and your eye doctor will work together to determine the right lens for your eyes. If an advanced/premium lens implant is suitable, and the chances of success are good, you can explore this path.
Advanced lenses typically come with an extra cost that Medicare and most insurances do not cover. Advanced lenses allow a wider range of vision from reading to distance without always having to put on glasses.
With advanced lenses, you can enjoy eyeglasses-free vision for about 80-90% of the time.
No lens is as perfect as your natural lens, and they all have pros and cons. We will be able to guide you in choosing your best lens.
Multifocal Lens Implants are advanced lenses with multiple focal points, designed to replace cataracts and correct presbyopia. These lenses split light to provide clearer vision at different distances. Multifocal IOLs provide an improved range of vision for near, intermediate, and distance vision.
IOL: Multifocal Lens – Overview
Accommodating Lens Implants are advanced/premium lenses that contain hinges that allow for flexibility of the lens. The hinge helps mimic the natural lens by moving inside the eye to accommodate.
These lenses can provide improved near, intermediate, and far vision. The Crystalens and the Trulign™ -Toric Accommodating Intraocular Lenses (Bausch & Lomb) currently are the only FDA approved intraocular lenses (IOL) that use a method called accommodation.
IOL: Accommodative Lens – OverviewView Video
Toric Lens Implants are lenses that can correct astigmatism. This lens has a single focal point designed to correct preexisting astigmatism.
Mild to moderate astigmatism can be corrected to improve distance vision without dependence on glasses. Glasses will be required for near vision activities such as reading.
Combination Multifocal / Toric Implants– are available as an option for patients who have mild to moderate astigmatism but also want to improve the range of vision up close.
Combination Accommodative / Toric Implants- Trulign™ can correct for low to moderate astigmatism and has the same accommodation properties as the Crystalens. | <urn:uuid:0b8540bd-6698-49ec-bdf7-e3bf2d0ca5a2> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://www.southtexaseyeinstitute.com/cataracts-san-antonio/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224648322.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20230602040003-20230602070003-00730.warc.gz | en | 0.910804 | 1,197 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Map of the Operations of the American Army in the Valley of Mexico, in August and September, 1847
Illinois State Library
Nebel, Carl and George Wilkins Kendall. The War Between the United States and Mexico Illustrated. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1851.
placeMexican WarLincolnPolitics1818--1860Mexican War, 1846-1848 | <urn:uuid:c2940645-ed6e-45ff-b866-fb277e09dd69> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://digital.lib.niu.edu/islandora/object/niu-lincoln%3A32019 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510734.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20231001005750-20231001035750-00564.warc.gz | en | 0.751041 | 104 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Where we've been
Once upon a time, we all lived on the plains, we got our water from clean streams, our food from whatever we gathered or hunted, lived in whatever structure we could find or build from easily found materials, and bartered for trade. Our history has been spent changing our living environment to change the way in which we acquire our basic needs. We still need the same things, but it's difficult to hunt wild game in New York City, for example, so how we go about getting them has changed. These changes have also brought on the need for access to financial instruments. Rather than providing everything you need for yourself, we now have specialized and rely on others to purchase the excess of what we make so that we can buy the necessities others have made.
We still need the same things, but it's difficult to hunt wild game in New York City
For a while, meeting basic needs involved just dropping off lots of supplies to those who were lacking them. While this still occurs, we have added some more advanced options as well.Credit: Wikimedia Commons
We've always all needed these basics, but the actions of some of the world's population have made it more difficult for the rest of the world to get them. The importance has always been there, but the size and immediacy of the issues has changed. As a result, recent years have brought on a new focus on getting these basic needs to those around the world. For a more in depth look at the focus on the individual issues being discussed on this website, check out the Where We've Been
pages of each of the other links in this section.
Even more: News
and the FAQ
Did you know that there are hundreds of guides made by the community over in Even More? | <urn:uuid:5f88a43b-83a6-4498-9043-b06682494435> | CC-MAIN-2019-13 | http://www.sixlinks.org/Basic-Needs/Overview/Where-Weve-Been/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-13/segments/1552912202125.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20190319183735-20190319205735-00212.warc.gz | en | 0.973393 | 361 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Mainstream, VOL LIII No 49 New Delhi November 28, 2015
Protecting Farmers, Reducing Emissions: Integrating Climate Change Concerns with Welfare of Farmers and Food Security in India
Friday 27 November 2015, by
The seriousness of climate change and the urgency of related adaptation and mitigation actions are by now scientifically well established. Despite this, its significance in terms of basic changes needed at the policy level has not percolated to the level of governments. This is certainly true of the agricultural policy in India where, despite additions in the form of some new climate change-related initiatives, the overall policy appears to be along the lines of ‘business as usual’.
On the other hand, this paper argues that
a) climate change adaptation and mitigation calls for more basic changes in the agricultural policy;
b) these changes in policy need to be integrated very well with the welfare of farmers, the protection of environment, sustainable progress of agriculture and food security;
c) while evolving such a well-planned policy, it is possible to integrate climate change adaptation and mitigation concerns at several levels;
d) there is significant scope for grassroots innovations and inventions by farmers and artisans once there is a situation of clearly understood aims, motivations and incentives; and
e) very significant levels of reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can be achieved in this framework.
II. Basic Changes Needed in Policy
From the perspective of climate change mitigation, it is of the greatest importance to reduce the fossil fuel base of agriculture as much as possible. Till about 60 years back, the fossil fuel base of India’s agriculture was indeed very small. However, about 50 years ago the Indian Government, supported and influenced by Western governments and development agencies, introduced very sweeping and wide-spread changes in India’s agriculture which altered the genetic base of crops grown over a vast area, cropping patterns as well as techno-logies and inputs for raising these crops. This had several implications. What is of most relevance is that the fossil fuel base of agriculture increased in a big way, and continued to increase steadily as the new Green Revolution technology continued to intensify and spread. As the use of more and more agri-chemicals per acre with the passage of time is more or less built into the technology and similar technology is sought by official policy to be spread to more and more areas, the expansion of the fossil fuel base of agriculture can continue for a long time unless a crucial decision to roll back this pathway of agricultural development is taken and clear alternatives which reduce the fossil fuel base are adopted.
The extent to which the fossil fuel base of agriculture can go on increasing can be seen from the example of the USA as well as several other countries.As Edward Goldsmith, Peter Bunyard et. al. have noted in Imperilled Planet, “In the US, the amount of oil used to produce one tonne of grain has risen two-and-a-half times between 1950 and 1985. Farmers worldwide now consume sixty times more oil than they did in the 1920s, and 100 times more electricity. Much of the increased consumption comes from the massive expansion in the use of tractors, but the switch from organic fertilisers to artificial fertilisers has also been key to agriculture’s increasing dependency on oil.”1
This reveals the extent to which fossil fuel consumption in agriculture can go on increasing unless deliberate and determined efforts are made to reduce it. In India fossil fuel use in agriculture has increased very fast, but clearly a saturation point is far from being reached as fossil fuel intensity can still increase consi-derably in many remote villages. Thus significant policy-changes are clearly needed to reduce the fossil fuel intensity of agriculture.
Fortunately, these changes are also in the interests of farmers, particularly small farmers who constitute the overwhelming majority of farmers. The steep rise in the costs of farming has been a serious problem for these farmers, a major cause of their indebtedness and economic crisis. This rise in cost of farming is to a considerable extent related to the higher fossil fuel intensity of farming. Farmers who are able to maintain reasonable yields while reducing dependence on fossil fuel-based inputs will be able to reduce costs and improve their viability.
The desirability of reducing dependence on expensive inputs is even greater during times of increasingly erratic weather conditions and weather extremes. In such a situation low expenses on market inputs can reduce risks and avoid debts by ensuring that even erratic weather causes minimal losses.
To summarise then, it is important to decrease the fossil fuel intensity of agriculture to reduce the threat of climate change but at the same this is also very useful for reducing the economic crisis of farmers.
At another level, we may say that steps like progressing to low-cost, self-reliant organic farming are helpful in climate change mitigation as well as adaptation.
There is growing evidence that fossil fuel intensity has increased rapidly in Indian agriculture, and that this has been bad not only for climate change but also for sustainable progress of Indian farmers and farming.
At a recent seminar, organised by Farmers’ Forum, one of the speakers, Mukesh Anand of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, said: “The use of diesel in Indian agriculture is much higher than its use in the industry.” He further said that from 1998-99 to 2007-08 fossil fuel intensity in farming, including indirect use, increased more than three times from 0.020639 to 0.065810.2Hence by moving towards organic and low mechanisation farming, fossil fuel consumption and hence greenhouse gas emissions can reduce signifi-cantly. Panchayats which achieve significant reduction of GHG emissions should be amply rewarded with financial resources which in turn can motivate panchayats to take up more constructive work relating to climate change.
As the 12th Plan document says, “The present subsidies are actually encouraging practices that need to be discouraged... Data from all over India, especially from the prime Green Revo-lution areas, show that high use of chemical fertilisers and power is causing excessive mining of other soil nutrients and of groundwater, and that this is also leading to loss of quality of both soil and water.... The fertiliser subsidy is now much higher than all other subsidies to agriculture put together. India has also emerged as the world’s largest importer of fertilisers. In addition India is dependent almost entirely on imports of feedstock of fertilisers.”3
Further this document informs us: “Imba-lanced nutrient use coupled with neglect of organic matter has resulted in multi-nutrient deficiencies in Indian soils ... The micronutrient deficiency is a limiting factor lowering fertiliser response and crop productivity. As a result of overemphasis on chemical fertilises and imbalanced fertiliser use, efficiencies have become abysmally low: hardly 35 per cent for N, 15 to 20 per cent for P and only three to five per cent for micronutrients like zinc, resulting not only in high cost of production but also causing serious environmental hazards.” At this rate the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences then estimated that NPK supply may have to be moved up to 45 million tonnes (up from 26 mt now) to meet the food needs.4
In such a situation clearly shifting resources (including subsidies) spent on increasing fossil fuel intensity of agriculture to the promotion of low-cost, self-reliant organic agriculture clearly has a lot of potential to promote sustainable progress of farming and farmers. If such policy-changes are not taken up, the irrational and harmful drain of government resources towards the promotion of ecologically harmful farming practices would continue endlessly.
III. Specifying Policy-changes
We need policy-changes which can combine and reconcile five important objectives: (i) adequate production to meet the essential supplies of healthy food and essential raw material (like cotton), (ii) protection of basic soil and water resources and protecting environ-ment, (iii) resolving the economic crisis of farmers and reducing rural poverty, (iv) reducing GHG emissions and contributing to climate change mitigation, and (v) climate change adaptation and increasing the capacity of farmers to increasingly face erratic and extreme weather conditions.
What is most important is to emphasise that all these five objectives can be pursued in harmony and conformity with each other. Conflicts appear only when false assumptions are made, for example, when it is assumed that eco-friendly farming methods cannot produce adequate food. Such false assumptions not at all based on actual facts should be avoided. For example, official date on food crops productivity in India indicates that the rise was higher in the pre-Green Revolution years compared to the Green Revolution years. (See Appendix 1) A former Director of the Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, Dr R.H. Richharia, repeatedly said that the possibilities of increasing rice productivity based on indigenous rice varieties are far greater and better compared to exotic Green Revolution varieties. There are numerous examples within India of farmers using eco-friendly, mostly organic methods to maintain or even increase food crop yields on a sustainable basis while incurring low economic costs and also contributing in a significant way to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Of course, the achievements in this direction have been limited to a few areas and initiatives as the government policies (as well as policies of some influential international aid agencies) were not favourable for such initiatives. Once these policies are favourable, the five objectives listed above can be pursued together in conformity with each other on a much larger scale.
• Overall budget for agriculture, animal hus-bandry and related activities, food security, forestry, disaster prevention and manage-ment, rural health and rural energy with emphasis on renewable energy should increase very significantly as all these need to be prioritised greatly in times of climate change.
• Agricultural development plans should be aimed mainly at promoting organic, eco-friendly, low-cost and self-reliant methods. In India’s case organic and eco-friendly must also necessarily be very low cost and self-reliant. Low cost is achieved by making best use of more or less free local resources, including all compostable material, bio-mass, bio-diversity and knowledge relating to difficult and intricate use of different plants and seeds, crop rotation and mixed farming systems. Scientific farming needs to be completely redefined as earlier in official language the Green-Revolution technology was very wrongly equated with ‘scientific farming’. (See next section for a more detailed discussion on this issue.) Further, the export-oriented model with heavy certification costs is certainly not the kind of organic farming that India needs. We need organic farming which is necessarily low cost and improves health quality of food while also improving the self-reliance of farmers and farming commu-nities. Farmers, who wish to move from chemical intensive agriculture to organic agriculture, should be helped in various ways to make this transformation.
• Mechanisation should be guided very carefully so that machines, which make unnecessary and wasteful use of fossil fuels, which are too costly, wasteful and destroy livelihoods, should be avoided. On the other hand, smaller machines and improvised tools, which promote local livelihoods, reduce drudgery, replace/save fossil fuels and reduce costs, should be promoted. (One example is the Mangal turbine which is described later in this paper.)
• Rural energy systems with close linkages to agriculture and related activities should be based as much as possible on the concept of decentralised mixed renewable energy systems combining various renewable energy systems according to specific area conditions and based as much as possible on promoting local skills for installing and maintaining these systems.
• Rural decentralised research should be strengthened with emphasis on agriculture and bio-diversity research and traditional knowledge systems in all villages/ panchayats capable of responding quickly to any abrupt changes in weather. Diverse traditional seeds and knowledge relating to these should be carefully collected and preserved. Rural inno-vations, aimed at encouraging climate change adaptation and mitigation, should be specifi-cally encouraged.
• Land reforms should be strengthened and as far as possible land should be made available to all landless peasant households.
• Agricultural policies should always prioritise the needs and requirements of small farmers.
• Significant contribution of women farmers should be recognised, respected and encou-raged. Women farmers are more receptive to organic, self-reliant, low cost and eco-friendly farming practices.
• Animal husbandry based on indigenous breeds should get more importance. Protection of indigenous breeds should be prioritised.
• Pollinator birds and insects should be well protected.
• Farmers should get a fair price for their produce and a higher price for healthy organic food. All crops and food needed for local public distribution system and all nutrition schemes should be purchased from local farmers at a fair price (as far as possible). An effort should be made to ensure that all rural districts are self-reliant in terms of meeting the needs of their staple foods (as far as possible) and the needs of nearby urban centres. Food production within urban areas should also be encouraged.
• Water conservation, afforestation, protection and promotion of pastures, protection of existing natural forests and trees should be given high priority. Rural employment generation schemes should be fully uilised for this.
• In villages and small towns surrounded by villages, a diversity of cottage and small industries which avoid fossil fuels while promoting local livelihoods in eco-friendly conditions should be encouraged. One example is khadi cloth production based on hand spinning and hand weaving, using locally grown organic cotton as well as vegetable and plant-based colours.
IV. Understanding ‘Scientific’ Farming
Scientific progress implies gaining a better understanding of nature to ensure that the needs of human beings and all other forms of life are met on a sustainable basis, without disturbing too much (and certainly not destro-ying) the life-nurturing conditions of nature and her many kinds of habitats. This is achieved by improving the understanding of how the various aspects of nature exist, work and inter-act with each other.4
In the case of agriculture, perhaps the most important aspect in a scientific study of sustainable agriculture is to understand how nature works to maintain soil fertility. This is described here in the words of Sailendra Ghosh, a writer who repeatedly emphasised the need for organic agriculture. He wrote: “Let’s first take a look at the bounties of nature in an undisrupted system. Firstly nature has made ample provisions for the supply of nitrogen through the root system in a variety of ways. Rains wash down the nitrogen generated by thunder. Bacteria in the nodules of leguminous plants capture nitrogen from the atmosphere and fix it into the soil. So do some ferns, some forms of algae and some genera of free living bacteria. Various genera have been endowed with this quality so that this operation could continue under differing conditions. Probably the most important source of supply of nitrogen as also of other nutrients is the decomposition of animal and plant wastes. This is done by decomposer bacteria and fungi.”
Animals eliminate excess organic phosphorus by excreting phosphorous salts in urine. There are also a phosphatising bacteria, Sailen Ghosh says, to convert phosphorus into stable forms of phosphate salts which remain bound with the soil. At the beginning of rains, the mineralisation of organic matter releases phosphates for uptake by the plants.
Further Ghosh writes: “For the supply of all other macro and micronutrients as also of vitamin and plant growth promoting substances, there are elaborate arrangements in natural soil systems. The soil abounds in countless forms of micro organisms—bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa, yeasts, algae etc. to perform different but interrelated functions. Each produces different kinds of enzymes by which all stand to benefit.”
To enable this beautiful but complex natural system to carry out its work of maintaining land fertility we should protect the forest cover in and around agricultural fields, we should return organic waste to soil and we should choose carefully mixed cropping and rotation systems.
When all these time-honoured practices of maintaining soil fertility are neglected, soil fertility is impeded. The solution lies in correcting these mistakes, not in applying chemical fertilisers, for chemicals disturb and disrupt the natural process in numerous ways. For example, chemical farming kills earthworms, whom Charles Darwin called “the builders of civilisations” and who play an invaluable role in protecting and maintaining the fertility of land.
However organic farming should not be equated just with ‘non-chemicalisation’ as, in the words of Sailen Ghosh, “Organic farming means farming in the spirit of organic relationship. When you say this, it opens up a whole vista. In nature, organic relationship is a pervasive phenomenon. Everything is connected with everything else.... Since organic farming means placing farming on integral relationships, we have to know the relationship between the soil, water and plants, between soil, soil microbes and waste products, between the vegetable kingdom and the animal kingdom, of which the apex animal is the human being, between agriculture and forestry. between soil, water and atmosphere etc. It is the totality of these relationships that is the bedrock of organic farming.”
This is the scientific approach, but motivated interests intervene in policy-making so that only those policies which favour chemical fertilisers are promoted.
A leading economist of India, Ashok Rudra, noted: “The policy of the Government of India with respect to soil nutrients since the beginning of the sixties has been one of vast and continuous expansion of the use of chemical fertiliser by all possible means. All the policy instruments in the hands of the government, such as import control, industrial licensing policy, fiscal policy, price control policy etc. have been applied in a concerted manner so as to achieve that aim.” Further he said: “There has however been no noticeable effort whatsoever for the maximum mobilisation of organic manurial resources.”
Even the government’s own Economic Survey admitted: “The easy availability of chemical fertilisers has tended to reduce the attention which farmers, agricultural scientists and administrators must continue to devote to organic manures and plant materials.”
The Green Revolution phase has generally involved the spread of intensive monocultures, but this is harmful for the long-term fertility of land. As the World Resources Report (WRR) says, “Soils under intensive monoculture tend to lose organic matter and their ability to retain moisture thus becoming more susceptible to erosion and ultimately losing their fertility and productivity.” Spread of intensive monoculture generally involves a higher reliance on chemical pesticides. A very small part of the pesticide applied on a field—less than 0.1 per cent in many insecticides—actually reaches its target organism. The rest plays the role of polluting the land and water poisoning birds and other forms of life. As the WRR says, “Wholesale elimination of helpful soil dwelling insects and micro organisms that build soil and plant nutrition sometimes occurs, essentially steri-lising the soil.”
V. Examples of Integrating Farmers’ Concerns with Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
In this section we give specific examples of projects and programmes which were aimed mainly at resolving the farmers’ problems in eco-friendly ways. Incidentally, however, it is clear that these projects also made considerable achievements in climate change adaptation and mitigation. We first describe the intended achievements of these projects with examples of inspiring success of some hard working and innovative farmers. This description is on the basis of the writer’s visit to the project/ pro-gramme areas at the time of implementation-
(a) INSAP in Vidarbha (Maharashtra)
The Vidarbha region has been repeatedly in the news due to the acute distress and high number of suicides by farmers. However, this tragic situation could change significantly. In at least a few hundred villages due largely to the expanding impact of a project called the Integrated Sustainable Agricultural Programme (INSAP). This project was implemented by YUVA-RURAL (Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action) with the help of Swiss-Aid India. Nitin Maate, the co-ordinator of INSAP, said that in over 200 villages a majority of farmers are practising a mix of low-cost, sustainable, environment friendly technologies which have provided a new hope to the farmers of this area by reducing costs, debts and economic tensions.
The technologies followed by INSAP are essentially local variants of known environment-friendly technologies like composting, plant- based pest-repellants and watershed manage-ment. Keeping in view the economic crisis of indebtedness of the farmers of this region, from the outset a lot of emphasis was placed on making the best possible use of local resources available right there in the village. Cattle dung, cow urine, tree leaves etc., which were being wasted earlier, suddenly became very important resources for a farming system which could be economically viable for the region’s distressed farmers.
In the villages of Washim and Akola districts that I visited, farmers happily talked in detail about the improving viability of their farms and that too in sustainable environment-friendly ways. They also said giving up indiscriminate use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides and replacing these with compost and tree leaf-based pest control has proved helpful for those insects and birds that are known to be friends of farmers. Thoughts of depression and suicide seemed to be far, far away from the minds of these farmers as they talked cheerfully about the various innovations they are trying, the cheap implements for water conservation evolved by them, their bio-gas plants, kitchen gardens and their manure mixtures found most nourishing for crops and soil.
Sanjay Bhagat, a farmer of Washim district and a co-ordinator of INSAP as well as the local farmers’ organisation, says that before he came in contact with this project he had given up all hope in his life. He had been contemplating suicide for quite some time, he said. The reason was that his family had become highly indebted.
It was at this stage that Sanjay came to know about INSAP and decided to give it a try. As his first experiments with the INSAP technology proved successful, he adopted it wholeheartedly and became an enthusiastic messenger for spreading this idea. Now his wife complains smilingly that he comes home only for eating. Such is his enthusiasm for spreading the message of INSAP to more areas.
That this is not an isolated story was confirmed in a study by Raghav Narsalay. This study using a sample of 90 farmers found that irrespective of farm size, the INSAP technology proved highly cost-effective. As many as 88 per cent of the respondent farmers who have adopted sustainable farming (INSAP) techniques said that they want to continue farming because they have regained their confidence to farm. On the other hand, 67 per cent of the farmers practising earlier techniques said that farming in increasing debts and they’ll like to get out of this if an alternative is provided.
The respondents who had taken up sustain-able (INSAP) farming said that they now feel at peace as they are eating healthier food, there is growing cooperation among villagers to imple-ment the new ideas and there is more self-reliance.5
(b)GEAG Programme in Gorakhpur (UP)
The Gorakhpur Environment Action Group (GEAG) has been working for several years in many rural areas of Eastern Uttar Pradesh (with special emphasis on the Gorakhpur district) to promote organic farming, specially among women farmers. As migration from villages has increased, the role of women in agricultural work has become even more important than before; but this generally did not get adequate recognition. However, GEAG accorded a lot of importance to encouraging women farmers, and this brought very good results.
This work has emphasised improved scientific use of local resources, reduced dependency on costly market-purchased inputs like chemical fertilisers and pesticides, protection of environ-ment, particularly soil health, and encouraged the innovative creativity of the farming commu-nities to evolve farming (and related) techno-logies most suitable to them.
The results on the whole have been very encouraging in terms of reduced costs, maintenance or increase of production, improve-ment in the quality of produce, improvement in income, reduced burden of debt etc.
In areas of GEAG’s work, women farmers are very confidant about the technology choices they have made (mainly in favour of organic farming practices). They are able to articulate this very well, and appear to be very confident of what they are saying as this is backed by what they learnt from GEAG’s work and their own experience in implementing it in their fields. The confidence they get from the field learning is particularly strong in villages where GEAG’s work goes back to more than five years.
It was truly a pleasure to visit the garden and farm cultivated by Prabhavati and her husband, Suryabhan, in Dudhai village (Sardar-nagar Block). They own only 1.5 acre of land, but use this small piece of land very intensively (while practising organic farming) and wisely to grow a wide variety of crops.
Satyendra Tripathi, a co-ordinator of GEAG, said that counting all seasons Prabhavati is able to grow 52 crops on her small patch of land in a year.
Prabhavati said that her family, her farming and village have benefited hugely from the interaction with GEAG ever since this organi-sation came to her village about 15 years back. Earlier also she used dung as manure but this was done arbitrarily so that a lot of its nutritive value for the farmland was lost. “GEAG taught how dung should be put in a trench and composted, how green manuring can be done in a better way, how cow urine is very useful and how we can do vermicomposting, how NADEP can be prepared. If we could not afford wood and cement for NADEP, we used home-grown bamboo and tree branches. Similarly we learnt to use produce from various local trees and shrubs to prepare pest-repellents.” She also has a vernicomposting unit, one of the earliest in this region.
The extent to which the agricultural practices promoted by GEAG can benefit small and marginal farmers is evident from the results achieved on the farm of Ramrati. This 50 plus woman (along with her husband, Rambahal) is reputed to grow a diversity of about 32 crops in a year (not mentioning fruit trees). According to accounts kept by GEAG activists, during last year her expenses and earnings were in a ratio of 1:13. On a farm of just one acre owned by her family (sometimes she also leases in half acre or less of land) she has been able to earn about Rs 33,633, apart from feeding a nutritious, organic diet to an 11-member family (including four grandchildren).
As we asked her about the various crops grown by her, Ram Rati replied, smiling, that there is hardly anything she doesn’t grow. While earlier, before coming into GEAG, she had concentrated on rice and wheat, now in addition she has been growing sugarcane, banana, turai, potato, cauliflower, cabbage, ramdana, rajma, bakla, latra pulse, moong, peas, methi, spinach, carrot, radish (up to 2.5 feet long), parval, kundru, karela, lobhiya, maize, cucumber, kakri, okra, mustard, garlic, ginger, guava, mango, anar, kathal, groundnuts, dhaniya, Jimikand, arbi..... She has four animals—one bullock, one buffalo, two buffalo calves. All the cultivation is done using organic manure and home-made pest repellants.5
(c) SVA’s work in Kalahandi (Odisha)
The Kalahandi region of Odisha has been in the news generally due to extreme poverty and malnutrition. But recent initiatives of an organisation, Sahabhagi Vikash Abhiyan (SVA), have led to the adoption of organic, eco-friendly, low-cost and self-reliant practices by many farming households. Many of them are organised in farmers clubs and groups. These efforts have led to increased yields of a wide diversity of crops and production of good quality healthy food which fetches better price in the market. In the case of Suresh Mallick and his wife, Shobhavati, this success is even more remarkable as this has been achieved on what was earlier considered to be the lowest category land on which hardly anything was likely to grow. Today this land, once considered barren, is smiling on almost every inch with greenery brought by highly diverse plant species.
Suresh has a very innovative mind which could think of many brilliant applications of the technology of organic farming propagated by the SVA, the organisation with whom he is closely associated now as a leading member of its farmers’ club in Chata village (Naupara district). He gives equal credit to his wife Shobhavati who works equally hard with him on their farm.
Suresh believes firmly in organic agriculture. This is an essential principle of this farm which also helps to reduce the farming costs. A lot of attention is given to preparing adequate com-post, vermi-compost and organic sprays which help to keep away pests and diseases while also helping the growth of plants. The use of plentiful, high quality composts has made the once unproductive land so fertile now.
Suresh places a lot of emphasis on growing a very wide diversity of food crops and plants including cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits and spices. As all these have to be grown within a small plot of land, a lot of emphasis is given to making the best possible use of scarce land and water. Ginger and turmeric are grown under the shadow of mango trees to protect them from heat stress and also make good use of available space.
On their two acres Suresh and Shobhavati have been able to grow paddy, pulses, mangoes, oranges, bananas, papayas, coconut, lemons, jackfruit, anvla, beans, bitter gourd, carrots, sugarbeet, onions, turmeric, ginger, chilly, coriander, supari, pomegranates and other crops.
Bhaja and Savitri cultivate their four-acre farm on the outskirts of Reng village in such a productive way that it not only provides highly nourishing and healthy food to the five-member family but also fetches a net income of over Rs 15,000 a month.
Earlier Bhaja and Savitri used some agri-chemicals but now they’ve shifted entirely to organic farming on their farm. As Savitri says, “Organic food is definitely more tasty and also more healthy. There is more demand for organically grown produce.”
Organic farming has enabled this Sabar household to reduce its costs. They make compost and pest-repellent liquid on their farm using largely the resources available free on their farm or in the village.
Another reason for the improvement of their net income is the diversity of crops and animals on their small farm. On their four-acre farm this Sabar (tribal) family grows paddy, moong (a pulse), onion, tomatoes, sugarcane, pumpkin, maize, coriander, blackberries, lemons, mangoes, tamarind, papaya, bamboo, subabool (for fodder), radish, beans, belfruit, aanvla, bananas, mustard, turmeric, local green leafy vegetables and several other produces. This farm gets dry fruit from chiraunji, oil from karanj oilseed (also from mahuwa seeds), medicine from bahera and other plants and toothbrush from babool trees. They have three cows, two bullocks and two calves. Introduction of the SRI technology for paddy cultivation has helped to improve yields. Irrigation is available from well as well as a farm pond.
Now let us see how the changes taking place in these villages, although intended to benefit small farmers to improve their livelihood on a sustainable basis, are also important from the point of view of climate change adaptation and mitigation. Such programmes increase the knowledge-base of farmers, including women farmers, regarding how they can use local resources to improve farm yields without having to depend on expensive market inputs. This can be built upon further to increase their ability to respond to sudden changes in weather by making use of their knowledge of diverse seeds as well as better water and moisture conservation within the village. Also low cost and mixed farming systems help to minimise risk. Steep reduction in agri-chemicals lead to much lesser imprint of fossil fuels.6
VI. Links of Organic Farming with Climate Change Mitigation
This brings us to the wider links between adoption of organic farming and climate change mitigation. As already noted, the fossil fuel intensity of agriculture can be greatly reduced if chemical fertilisers, based on oil and gas as well as other agri-chemicals, can be given up or reduced significantly.
In addition, as the organic content in soil increases over a vast area, its capacity as a sink of carbon dioxide increases. As Mukti Mitchell has written (Resurgence, November/December 2009), “Micro-organisms and organic matter in healthy soils ‘store’ carbon, and initial research suggests that farmland may have the potential to sequester as much CO2 per hectare as a forest. But not farmland is healthy: much of it over the years has been denatured by industrialised agricultural practices.......It is the microbes that make the humus, storing carbon in the soil and preventing it from re-oxidising to the atmosphere. Humus also provides nutrition to plants and, like a sponge, holds on to the water content of the soil. Rich-soil farming increases soil organic matter and microbial life by maintaining a balance between the organic matter removed from the land as crops and that returned to the land as compost or manure. Nitrogen-fixing crops are used to fertilise the land and support soil life, and their high growth rates rapidly sequester carbon. Natural pest controls avoid poisoning microbes and promote insect and animal diversity, in turn sequestering more carbon dioxide because the very bodies of Earth’s life forms are made of carbon. Maintaining soil cover and adopting minimum tillage avoids the oxidation of carbon from the soil and keeps microbes alive with a constant supply of food from plant roots.......A 2007 study for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate estimates that if world agriculture adopted best practices to increase soil organic matter content, it could mitigate 6 to 10 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by 2030......”
VII. Role of Grassroot Innovations
If a decentralised system of scientific research, with emphasis on organic farming and renew-able energy, is set up all over the rural areas of the country with encouragement and incentives for climate change adaptation and mitigation, then very significant achievements by farmer, artisan and other rural innovators can emerge. Here we give the example of just one innovation, called Mangal Turbine. See the booklet on Mangal Singh: Rural Innovation—High Potential.
Mangal Singh from Lalitpur district (Uttar Pradesh) is an outstanding example of a highly accomplished rural and farmer innovator whose work in the from of Mangal Turbine could get a patent and the admiration of many highly placed scientists and officials of the Government of India.
Mangal Singh has created the potential of saving millions of litres of diesel per year and the accompanying reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, apart from helping millions of farmers to irrigate their crops at a low cost. This can become a reality very soon if the government takes the necessary steps for installing Mangal Turbines wherever these are useful.
Mangal Singh is a farmer of Bundelkhand region who was known at a very young age for his enterprising and innovative farming methods. He used to see regularly that small farmers with low resources have a lot a difficulty in buying diesel for lifting water from streams and rivulets. He started thinking a lot about the possibilities of lifting water from small rivers, nullahs and canals without having to depend on diesel or electricity. After a lot of thinking and experimentation, he came up with a device which could lift water using the energy of flowing streams without depending on diesel or electricity.
This invention was named Mangal Turbine. It was first demonstrated in 1987. Mangal Singh was 40 at that time. Later it was patented as “Mangal Water Wheel Turbine Machine” (Patent No. 177190 dated 13-11-1997) as per the Govern-ment of India Gazette Notification dated November 30, 1998.
This technology is described by Mangal Singh in the following words: “The water wheel turbine machine consists of a water wheel which is firmly mounted on a steel shaft and supports on two bearing blocks fixed on foundation supports. The shaft is coupled with a suitable gearbox through universal couplings for stepping up speed of rotation. Output shaft of the gear box is coupled on one end with a centrifugal pump for lifting water and the other end is mounted with a suitable pulley for deriving power for operating any machine. Design of the water wheel turbine is simple. It is available in different size to meet the varying requirements. Operation of water Wheel Turbine Pump-cum-PTO Machine is very easy as anyone can operate the machine by opening the wooden or steel gate valve, the machine is stopped by stopping the flow of water through the gate.”
Thus apart from lifting water, the Mangal turbine can also be used for several additional tasks. In the words of Mangal Singh, “This is used for pumping water from the rivulets and water streams on which it is installed. The machine can be used for several rural works such as operating atta chakki, sugarcane, crushing, threshing and winnowing, oil expelling, chaff cutting, etc. The machine provides a clean alternative (non-conventional) source of energy in remote rural areas for increasing agricultural productivity, income and employ-ment”. By linking it to a generator, this machine can also provide electricity.
The Maithani report, prepared for the Ministry of Rural Development, has explained the idea and functioning of Mangal Turbine: “Shri Mangal Singh of village Bhailoni Lodh, Block Bar, district Lalitpur, UP invented a fuel- less water-lifting device in 1987. This device is known as ‘Mangal Turbine’. There are several variants of the Turbine but the standard device contains a water wheel of two-meter diameter with 12 blades radially fixed to the rim. The shaft is coupled with a suitable gear box for stepping up of rotation to 1500-1800 rpm. The output shaft of the gear box is coupled on one end with a centrifugal pump for lifting water and the other end is mounted with a suitable pulley to operate any other machine like crusher, grinder etc. By using the energy of flowing water in a stream, Mangal Turbine enables lifting of water for irrigation/drinking purposes and also produces mechanical power that can be used for various other purposes.”
The value of Mangal Singh’s work has increased further in recent times as the need to curb fossil fuel consumption and the related greenhouse gas emissions has increased.
It has been estimated that if one unit of Mangal Turbine runs for 11 hours in a day, then it saves 44 litres of diesel in a day (on the basis of use of 4 litre diesel per hour by 25 HP diesel pump). Again, assuming irrigation by MT on 190 days in a year, a single unit of MT can save 8360 litres (44x190) in a typical year. Over a lifetime of 15 years one unit of MT can potentially save 125400 litres (8360x15). In terms of greenhouse gas emissions (using assumption made in US Environment Protection Agency fact sheet) this works out to 335 tonnes. This estimate by Dr Jai Shankar Singh is made on the basis of the assumption that one unit of MT will lift water from a stream which is equivalent to 25 HP diesel pump set and irrigate a command area of 50 ha.
Reduction in diesel consumption and related GHG emissions can further increase significantly to the extent that the MT is used also (in addition to water lifting) for processing of various farm produce and other work.
A report titled, ‘Problems and Potential of Bundelkhand with Special Reference to Water Resource Base’, was prepared in 1998 by the Centre for Rural Development and Technology (CRDT) IIT Delhi and Vigyan Shikshan Kendra (VSK). This report examined MT carefully and recommended it for its great utility. This report said: “Most significant aspect is that the entire system designed by Mangal Singh is easily fabricated in the village itself, using available material and local workmanship. Besides, it requires minimal maintenance compared to other types, expertise for maintenance is available in the village itself.”
“Using his engineering skills (through he had no formal training in engineering), Mangal Singh coupled a sugar cane crusher to the main shaft using a belt drive. Simultaneously, both water pumping and crushing could also be done. Similarly, the energy generated could be used for running a grain thresher, grinder etc. He uses this energy for operating the machines tool of a local workshop. Effectively water wheel becomes a source of rotational energy which can be used for any purpose.”
“Thus, Mangal turbine would prove a boon for fulfilling the energy need of irrigation, agro processing etc. in the rural sector wherever low water head exists in the rivers/Nallah.... Preliminary study of this system conducted by IIT personnel has indicated that its efficiency can be further improved by using some modern scientific-technical inputs.
“This turbine is a fine example of common people’s inventiveness, and should be encouraged by all means for people’s benefit. It is unfortunate that in the pervasive atmosphere of ‘foreignomania’, this device has not got the recognition it deserves.”
The Maithani Report prepared for Ministry of Rural Development says about Mangal Turbine, “it is undoubtedly unparalleled in its simplicity and utility. Its cost benefit cannot be restricted to the extent of area irrigated and increase in production and income on account of that. Its benefits are multiple and multi-demensional.”
The above example shows the great potential of farmer innovators. Rural research and innovation policies should be reformed in many ways to encourage work of farmer innovators and then also to spread the most encouraging work.7
VIII. False Promise of GM Crops
It has been propagated by certain corporate interests that the technology of GM (genetically modified) crops can be helpful in meeting the challenges posed by climate change. However, this is a completely false and misplaced promise/ assurance due to two reasons.
First, the techno-logy of GM Crop is inherently hazardous and unreliable.
An eminent group of scientists from various countries, who constitute the Independent Science Panel, have said in their conclusion after examining all aspects of GM crops: “GM crops have failed to deliver the promised benefits and are posing escalating problems on the farm. Transgenic contamination is now widely acknowledged to be unavoidable, and hence there can be no co-existence of GM and non-GM agriculture. Most important of all, GM crops have not been proven safe. On the contrary, sufficient evidence has emerged to raise serious safety concerns, that if ignored could result in irreversible damage to health and the environ-ment. GM crops should be firmly rejected now.”
More recently 17 distinguished scientists from Europe, the USA, Canada and New Zealand wrote to the Prime Minister of India warning against “the unique risks (of GM crops) to food security, farming systems and bio-safety impacts which are ultimately irreversible”. This letter adds: “The GM transformation process is highly mutagenic leading to disruptions to host plant genetic structure and function, which in turn leads to disturbances in the biochemistry of the plant. This can lead to novel toxin and allergen production as well as reduced/altered nutrition quality.”
Second, in the specific context of climate change, the GM technology is completely un-viable for meeting the new emerging problems. As the letter quoted above adds: “...GM crops have led to vast increases in pesticide use, not decreases and therefore reduction of agricultural pollution cannot be claimed
“...Climate change brings sudden, extreme, and unpredictable changes in weather, which requires that a cropping system be flexible, resilient and as genetically diverse as possible. GM technology offers just the opposite.
“...Stability of productivity and production is much lower with many of the GM crops commercialised today. Herbicide tolerant GM soya is far more sensitive to heat or drought stress than conventional soya.
“...GM crops are designed to be used in con-junction with synthetic pesticides and fertilisers, which are manufactured from oil and natural gas.
“GM crops do not reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Recent data from the US Department of Agriculture has shown a vast increase in herbicide use since the introduction of GM crops tolerant to the application of these agrochemicals.
“Therefore, the introduction of GM crops has exacerbated rather than reduced agriculture’s carbon footprint and is clearly unsustainable.
“Alternative proven technologies that can reduce the amount of fossil fuel used in farming already exist. This includes methods for reducing fertiliser applications, selecting farm machinery appropriate for each task, managing soil for conservation, limiting irrigation and (using) agro-ecological farming techniques.”5
There is a strong case for making changes in agricultural policy which can link up and integrate the task of resolving economic crisis of farmers with climate change adaptation and mitigation.
An overview of the situation of farm productivity before and after the Green Revolution is provided in the 12th Plan document in two important tables. (See Table 1) Here we can see clearly that despite the much higher use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides etc. in the Green Revolution phase, the growth of farm yield on the whole was in fact lower.3
1. Edward Goldsmith et. al., Imperilled Planet (1990), MIT Press, USA.
2. Farmers’ Forum (Journal), April-May 2013.
3. Planning Commission, Government of India, Twelfth Five Year Plan 2012-17.
4. Bharat Dogra, ‘One Decade For Protection’ (2015), Social Change Papers, Delhi
5. Bharat Dogra, ‘14 Crucial Questions About GM Crops’ (2010), Social Change Papers, Delhi (Chapter 12 on Alternatives).
6. Bharat Dogra, ‘Protecting Livelihoods, Promoting Self-Reliance (Kalahandi)’ (2015), Social Change Papers, Delhi.
7. Bharat Dogra, ‘Rural Innovation Stifled by Avoidable Adversities’ (2015), Social Change Papers, Delhi.
Bharat Dogra is a free-lance journalist who has been involved with several social initiatives and movements. | <urn:uuid:8127edcd-26ba-4157-9e0d-b689d326e3d1> | CC-MAIN-2016-50 | http://www.mainstreamweekly.net/article6105.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-50/segments/1480698542112.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20161202170902-00289-ip-10-31-129-80.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953165 | 9,887 | 2.53125 | 3 |
By Ernst Haeckel – Kunstformen der Natur (1904), plate 23: Bryozoa (see here, here and here), Public Domain, Link You can also find the whole, gorgeous book by Haeckel here, courtesy of the Biodiversity Heritage Library
I have spent the past week and a half getting acquainted with a rather odd – yet beautiful – group of animals, the Bryozoa, moss animals. These colony-forming, mostly marine, animals are small as individuals, but the colonies can grow quite large. Globally there are around 5000 extant species recorded, with a further 15 000 species in the fossil record. We have colleagues in Oslo who work on both the fossil and the current fauna to better understand micro- and macroevolution, you can read more about that here (og her, på norsk).
This is the first attempt at barcoding bryozoans through NorBOL, and it shows (map above); hopefully we will get more dots on the map for our region soon!
This may not be an easy group to get genetic barcodes from, though – I’ve been in communication with several of the (wonderfully helpful!) experts in the field, and the consensus seems to be that getting a barcode (from the region defined as THE barcode, the 5’ end of COI) will be difficult, and that we may anticipate “..a colourful array of contaminants, as well as nuclear mitochondrial pseudogenes”. Yay. Well, we won’t know until we try!
Together with colleagues from the Natural History Collections in Gothenburg we have assembled a plate of tissue samples from Swedish and Norwegian bryozoan that I will send to the CCDB facilities for sequencing next week. We have an impressive 58 different species (1-3 specimens of each) included on the plate, as well as a few specimens that are (not yet) identified to species.
The colonies can be branching, encrusting, lacelike, lumpy…and at times pretty close to invisible! I’ve had to spend some time looking for good illustrations to know what to sample from… there are often multiple species in a jar, as well as other animals – hopefully I managed.
We’re treating this as a trial plate: is it possible to barcode museum material of bryozoans through the general pipeline, or will we need to get creative?
I’ll make a new post once the verdict is in – let’s hope for surprisingly high success rates!
Some further reading:
Lee et al 2011: DNA Barcode Examination of Bryozoa (Class: Gymnolaemata) in Korean SeawaterKorean J. Syst. Zool. Vol. 27, No. 2: 159-163, July 2011 ISSN 2233-7687
Wikipedia has a nice post on Bryozoa | <urn:uuid:e3f8c899-0b54-4db9-bd9c-a26490562351> | CC-MAIN-2018-22 | https://invertebrate.w.uib.no/tag/bryozoa/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-22/segments/1526794867859.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20180526190648-20180526210648-00138.warc.gz | en | 0.940398 | 612 | 2.65625 | 3 |
The ruins of the ancient Roman city of Salamis constitute one of the most impressive archaeological sites on Cyprus.
History of Salamis
St. Barnabas and St. Paul arrived in Salamis and established a church near here.
After surviving earthquakes and pirate raids, the city was abandoned in the 7th century AD when the population moved to what is now Gazimagusa.
What to See at Salamis
Most of the ruins date from the Roman Empire, including a well-preserved theater, an amphitheater, villas, and superb mosaic floors. Much of the ancient city is overgrown with a tangle of bushes and dune grass, which only serve to enhance the site's serene, poignant beauty.
There are very extensive ruins. The theatre, and the gymnasium have been extensively restored. Numerous statues are displayed in the central court of the gymnasium most of which are headless, destroyed by Christians. While a statue of Augustus originally belonged here, some columns and statues originally adorned the theatre and were only brought here after an earthquake in the 4th century.
The theatre is of Augustean date. It could house up to 15.000 spectators. It was destroyed in the 4th century. There are baths, public latrines (for 44 users), various little bits of mosaic, a harbour wall, a Hellenistic and Roman agora and a temple of Zeus that had the right to grant asylum.
Byzantine remains include the basilica of Bishop Epiphanos (AD 367–403). It served as the metropolitan church of Salamis. St. Epiphanios is buried at the southern apse. The church contains a baptistry heated by hypocausts. The church was destroyed in the 7th century and replaced by a smaller building to the south.
Quick Facts on Salamis
|Categories:||biblical sites; city ruins; ruins|
|Visitor and Contact Information|
|Coordinates:||35.183611° N, 33.878889° E|
|Lodging:||View hotels near Salamis|
- Fodor's Europe, 59th Edition (Fodor's Gold Guides)
- Salamis, Cyprus - Wikipedia, Sept. 2006
- Photos of Salamis - here on Sacred Destinations
Map of Salamis, Cyprus
Below is a location map and aerial view of Salamis. Using the buttons on the left (or the wheel on your mouse), you can zoom in for a closer look, or zoom out to get your bearings. To move around, click and drag the map with your mouse. | <urn:uuid:5cd33251-8da2-4801-8c0a-03e0497af3a0> | CC-MAIN-2015-06 | http://www.sacred-destinations.com/cyprus/salamis | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-06/segments/1422122245449.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20150124175725-00149-ip-10-180-212-252.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927899 | 542 | 2.78125 | 3 |
Take one moment off of your life and read on. We take towels for granted. We know that they are functional in their basic form and are extremely utilitarian in their use. But we still take them for granted. Do you know that 25th May is commemorated as the National Towel day? Have you ever invested a little thought on their inception? Or maybe their journey to the modern day?
Today, we are totally going to focus on the history of towels and their types that we use commonly.
A Peek into the History of Towels
To define towel, it is an absorbent piece of fabric that is used to either dry off the body after a shower or wipe a surface to clean it. Towels originated in 17th century Turkey, precisely during the Ottoman Empire. They were essentially made of Turkish cotton and were used by the brides during the nuptial ceremonies. They, in fact, reflected the power and status one held in the society. They were flat and embroidered, often being referred to as the pestamel.
As the Ottoman Empire grew, the use of towels also increased with that. They were seen in Turkish baths to dry the body after taking a long, relaxing steam bath. Towels became popular for their soaking quality. They were light in weight which made their use easy.
Their initial designs featured as a narrow cloth stripe, which with time became broad enough to cover the entire body. The more influential the family was the more elaborate and embellished the towel was. Expensive gold and silver adornments were frequently hand crafted on the towels that were used by the female members of the family.
It was only during the 19th century that towels were made available to the general public. With industrialization affecting the world in almost all aspects, their price fell and became economical. This helped the general public buy them from shops.
Author Douglas Adams mentioned in his book, ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ that a towel is “the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have”. We do understand the significance now!
The Different Kinds which We Use Commonly
With the advancement in technology, towels have come a long way. They are now available in different shapes and sizes and used for a variety of work. So here is a list that highlights the 3 kinds we frequently use.
The most commonly used towel that meets the basic requirement of most human beings, bath towels are rectangular in shape and pretty big in size. They are usually crafted from 100% cotton that ensures to lend a soft touch to the skin. They are very comprehensive in their design and durable in their nature. Bath towels are extremely light in weight and absorb water quickly which adds to their effectiveness. They are available in an array of shades that perfectly complement the decor of your washroom.
As the name suggests, beach towels are usually carried outdoors particularly to the beach on a sunny Sunday morning. They are usually made from the blend of cotton and polyester that ensures to give them a smooth finish. The fact that they can be used by anyone and everyone is what makes their availability in different shapes and sizes. They come in a number of textures and patterns that complement their overall design. They will surely make your beach time cheekier and amusing.
Hand towels are smaller than bath towels and are usually used to dry off the hands after cleaning them or washing them. Their primary focus is to be great water absorbent and thus crafted from a blend of fabrics. Their contemporary design is further accentuated by the use of pretty colours and adorable prints. They surely enhance the decor of the washroom they are placed in.
To conclude, it can be said that towels are more important than we consider them to be. They have been a great companion for centuries now. They tolerate all atrocities without complaining! Hence, having a great towel is of considerable significance to us. Prominent towel manufacturers have gathered a vast number of towels for all the retailers who are looking to update their store collection by making a bulk purchase. Just click online and register to secure attractive discounts.
Recommended for You:
With its years of experience, cutting-edge manufacturing facilities and a team of dynamic in-house designers, Oasis Towels has emerged as one of the market leaders in designing, manufacturing and supplying towels in all sizes, colors and prints in bulk across the globe. | <urn:uuid:4dc307c9-2530-44bb-a0c4-d493b36a1f85> | CC-MAIN-2019-51 | https://www.oasistowels.com/understanding-towels-brief-history-towels-types-available/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-51/segments/1575541281438.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20191214150439-20191214174439-00239.warc.gz | en | 0.983086 | 896 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Earle probably read this news in a newspaper, as this was before even radio. He'd not have been able to predict that a century later, his great-grandson (me) would be typing these words about him, wondering how he learned of the war.
Of course, what we now call "World War I" didn't immediately affect him, nor many other Americans. The USA insisted on staying out of that irrational and deeply cynical war in its first few years. President Wilson famously ran for his second term in 1916 under the slogan "He Kept Us Out of the War".
In time, the war came for us, too. Spring 1917. The very week that the USA declared war on the German Empire in April 1917, my great-grandfather, Earle Hazen, turned 20. As this is prime conscription age, he ended up in the army.
Earlier this year, my cousin N.D. and I found a picture of Earle Hazen in the attic of the old house in Connecticut. The girl in the picture is our grandmother (born in 1921). Judging by her age here, this picture seems to be from around 1930. My cousin N.D., upon seeing this photo, insisted that Earle Hazen at that time looked a lot like N.D. does today.
What do I know about Earle Hazen? I know the following:
Not long after finishing up with his bit in defeating the Kaiser, Earle decided that the logical next step was to marry a German (what else?). (She'd come to the USA in 1907 at age 8 with her older sister.) Their daughter is my grandmother.
Few still living today can testify much to Earle's personality as he died so long ago. Those who know handwriting analysis (not me) might be able to glean something from this:
Earle Hazen is the only one of my four great-grandfathers who served in that war. (Another great-grandfather, in Iowa, was of prime service age in 1917 but was exempted for being a farmer, I think. His cousin of the same name served.) Earle Hazen was in the U.S. Army's "151st Depot Brigade" (3rd Company) which was stationed at Camp Devens in Massachusetts. Here is a photograph somebody is selling of another of the 151st's companies in 1918:
Purpose of U.S. Army Depot Brigades in WWI
Influenza Pandemic Kills Many at Camp Devens
From September through November 1918, influenza and pneumonia sickened 20% to 40% of U.S. Army and Navy personnel. [...] Braisted pinpointed the arrival of the epidemic in the United States to Tuesday, August 27, 1918, at Commonwealth Pier in Boston. Influenza reached civilians in Boston and on September 8 , arrived “completely unheralded” at the Army's Camp Devens, outside of the city. Within 10 days, the base hospital and regimental infirmaries were overwhelmed with thousands of sick trainees. [From here]
My dear Burt,
It is more than likely that you would be interested in the news of this place [...]
Camp Devens is near Boston, and has about 50,000 men, or did have before this epidemic broke loose. It also has the base hospital for the Division of the Northeast. This epidemic started about four weeks ago, and has developed so rapidly that the camp is demoralized and all ordinary work is held up till it has passed. All assemblages of soldiers taboo. These men start with what appears to be an attack of la grippe or influenza, and when brought to the hospital they very rapidly develop the most viscous type of pneumonia that has ever been seen. Two hours after admission they have the mahogany spots over the cheek bones, and a few hours later you can begin to see the cyanosis [bluish skin coloring] extending from their ears and spreading all over the face, until it is hard to distinguish the coloured men from the white. It is only a matter of a few hours then until death comes, and it is simply a struggle for air until they suffocate. It is horrible. One can stand it to see one, two or twenty men die, but to see these poor devils dropping like flies sort of gets on your nerves. We have been averaging about 100 deaths per day. [From here]
Whether or not Earle Hazen caught the influenza at Camp Devens in fall 1918, he served out the war, was discharged in early 1919, I suppose. He lived 41 more years and is buried in New Britain, Connecticut. I visited earlier this year: | <urn:uuid:d69746e8-8a95-45f3-8fc9-40975566929b> | CC-MAIN-2021-10 | http://www.yule-tide.com/yuletide-blog/post-224-my-great-grandfathers-piece-of-world-war-i | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-10/segments/1614178351134.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20210225124124-20210225154124-00216.warc.gz | en | 0.979492 | 966 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Make investigational Ebola drugs available, say ethicists
Drugs in development can be used for the treatment of Ebola, an international panel of ethics experts has recommended to the World Health Organization.
Source: AP / Press Association Images
Drugs in development can be used for the treatment or prevention of the Ebola virus, an international panel of ethics experts has recommended to the World Health Organization (WHO).
But the panel of scientists, researchers and ethicists have attached a number of caveats to their unanimous decision, including a commitment that patient consent should be sought and that there should be freedom of choice.
The panel also agreed there is a moral obligation to share all data in cases where experimental drugs are used and to move these drugs into clinical trials.
The 12-person panel was convened by the WHO and met on 11 August 2014 in Geneva to consider whether it is ethical to make experimental treatments available to people affected by the Ebola crisis, even though there have been no clinical trials to prove they are safe for human use.
Announcing the panel’s decision, the WHO’s assistant director general Marie-Paule Kieny told a press conference that for the first time there are a range of treatments and vaccines in development with the potential to help control Ebola.
Several have been proven to be effective in non-humans but not in humans.
“That doesn’t mean that they aren’t safe it’s simply that we don’t have the evidence from humans studies to say it’s certain that they are safe and efficacious,” Kieny said.
She said the move towards “compassionate use” of experimental treatments provided an opportunity to “right a wrong”.
“The fact that there is no drug for Ebola is a market failure because it is typically a disease of poor people in poor countries,” Kieny said. “If it hadn’t been for the investment of a few governments in the development of these drugs and vaccines we would be nowhere in this.”
Manufacturers have not invested in clinical trials because they are expensive, which is why there are no stockpiles of effective drugs, she said.
“The best we can do is accelerate the last steps of development and scale up the production of these drugs as quickly as possible,” Kieny added.
There are a number of vaccines and drugs in development, including Zmapp, which relies on the collection of serum from infected patients. There is also the possibility of developing products using horse serum – similar to the steps taken in drug development for rabies, Kieny said.
It is possible that the first clinical trials could be up and running by the end of September 2014, with products available by the end of the year, she told the press conference
The expert panel will meet again at the end of September to agree the ethical criteria for deciding who should be given priority for the drugs once they become available.
One of the key issues they will have to consider is whether health workers or the families of patients who have Ebola should be at the head of the queue, Kieny said.
The decision to make experimental drugs available for the treatment and prevention of Ebola was welcomed by pharmacist Lloyd Matowe, program director for Pharmaceutical Systems Africa, an organisation devoted to developing sustainable supply chains in developing countries.
“In this instance, the world has been made aware of the apparent life-saving nature of the experimental treatment,” he says. “Even though long-term effects of these drugs have not been established, the fact that today the two Americans [given the experimental treatment] live should weigh heavily towards scaling up this treatment for the hundreds of Africans who today lie at death’s door.”
Failure to make the drugs available, Matowe argues, would risk the perception that some of the world’s citizens are more equal than others.
“As pharmacists, we should support the argument for choice,” he says. “He who is at death’s door should choose between death or a potentially life-saving experiment.”
Apart from seeking patient consent, Matowe says no other condition should be attached to offering treatment and argues that those who are at the forefront of fighting the epidemic should be given priority for any new drugs that become available.
Citation: The Pharmaceutical Journal DOI: 10.1211/PJ.2014.20066163
Recommended from Pharmaceutical Press | <urn:uuid:3840299c-d942-4ff4-b6d0-d297ede69568> | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | http://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/news-and-analysis/news/make-investigational-ebola-drugs-available-say-ethicists/20066163.article | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-43/segments/1508187824471.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20171020230225-20171021010225-00082.warc.gz | en | 0.945944 | 929 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Most Popular in:
Unique Naturals by Design
By: Nancy Jeffries
Posted: October 13, 2008, from the April 2006 issue of GCI Magazine.
Fragrance is a pleasure, an aura, an end in itself; but it also is a scientific phenomenon that tantalizes and entreats sensory exploration. According to Mastertaste, a global flavor and fragrance manufacturer, the object of its current study is to increase understanding of a perceptual process called sensory adaptation, as a prelude to the development of longer-lasting aromatic materials. To facilitate the research, Mastertaste recently entered a three-year partnership with Monell Chemical Senses Center, a research institute focused on the science of taste and smell.
An aroma initially is strong but then the scent appears to decline over time, sometimes seeming to disappear. This phenomenon, known as sensory adaptation, is not related to changes in the concentration of the aroma, but instead is a function of our biology, says the Monell and Mastertaste team. The aroma of a favorite dish simmering on the stove or the fragrance of a lit candle will last only so long before the brain, and the nose, stop noticing it. Some aromas are more resistant than others to sensory adaptation, but it is not known why.
“There are many situations where the perceived aroma decreases over time,” said John Bedford, chief technical officer at Mastertaste. “For example, as a soup or stew begins to bubble on the stove, there is an immediate burst of aroma. However, over a prolonged period of time in the kitchen, the cook ceases to perceive the aroma. Imagine the value a food manufacturer can add to the finished product if that tantalizing smell is evident in the kitchen throughout the entire food preparation process,” said Bedford.
Mastertaste believes the findings of this research will facilitate the development of aromatic materials and processes that resist sensory adaptation. Longer-lasting perception of flavor and fragrance aromas could bring a technology breakthrough to the industry, allowing manufacturers to produce products with an added flavor and aroma dimension and a higher marketable value.
Longer-lasting fragrance perceptions, combined with new additions to the expanding perfumer’s palette, are a potentially potent combination. Moving from kitchen creations to fine fragrance, Markus Gautschi, head of fragrance research at Givaudan, shared some of Givaudan’s latest fragrance molecule research. “The development of new molecules and unique naturals to enrich the perfumer’s palette remains a primary objective of Givaudan’s Fragrance Research Center, based in Zurich, Switzerland. In 2005, four new proprietary molecules were introduced to the perfumer’s palette,” said Gautschi. | <urn:uuid:6bad84c8-d4d5-42e4-b0d6-422a0aad4d23> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gcimagazine.com/marketstrends/segments/fragrance/30913919.html?page=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701760529/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105600-00094-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92574 | 569 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Cave of Giant Crystals
Circulating photographs claim to depict a cave full of giant crystals discovered at the Naica Mine in Mexico (Full commentary below
(Submitted, November 2007)
Subject: FW: Amazing Mine- check this out
The amazing world of mining!!!
This is the crystal cave of giants found in the Naica Mine, Chihuahua, Mexico.
These are Selenite crystals (gypsum) and are the largest crystals ever discovered.
They are 1000 feet down in a limestone host rock where they are mining for lead, zinc and silver.
These crystals were formed by hydrothermal fluids emanating from the magma chambers below.
These amazing images circulate via email and are also a popular topic for blog and online message board posts. According to the description that accompanies the images, they depict a cave of giant crystals found deep in the ground at a mine in Mexico. This description is accurate and the photographs are genuine.
The Cave of Crystals (Cueva de los Cristales) was discovered in 2000 by miners at the Naica Mine in the Mexican state of Chihuahua.
Naica Mine From Google Earth
Image © 2007 DigitalGlobe
© 2007 Europa Technologies
In an article about the cave
, Richard D. Fisher notes:
In April 2000, brothers Juan and Pedro Sanchez were drilling a new tunnel when they made a truly spectacular discovery. While Naica miners are accustomed to finding crystals, Juan and Pedro were absolutely amazed by the cavern that they found. The brothers immediately informed the engineer in charge, Roberto Gonzalez. Ing. Gonzalez realized that they had discovered a natural treasure and quickly rerouted the tunnel.
The cave contains some of the largest natural crystals ever discovered. The cavern was originally filled with water, but was pumped clear during mining excavations. The mining company's pumping operations continue to keep the cave clear of water. Temperatures in the cave are consistently very high, and humans can only spend a few minutes inside before the heat becomes overwhelming. According to a National Geographic article
about the cave, it was because of this stable high temperature and mineral rich water that the crystals were able to grow so unusually large:
To learn how the crystals grew to such gigantic sizes, García-Ruiz [of the University of Granada in Spain] studied tiny pockets of fluid trapped inside.
The crystals, he said, thrived because they were submerged in mineral-rich water with a very narrow, stable temperature range—around 136 degrees Fahrenheit (58 degrees Celsius).
At this temperature the mineral anhydrite, which was abundant in the water, dissolved into gypsum, a soft mineral that can take the form of the crystals in the Naica cave.
The crystals would have taken many hundreds of thousands of years to reach such gigantic proportions.
Another crystal-filled cave, dubbed the Cave of Swords, was discovered at the Naica Mine in 1910. This cave is located much closer to the surface than the later discovery and its crystals are considerably smaller. Professor García-Ruiz notes that
there may well be undiscovered caves at the site that also contain very large crystals.
Access to the cave is currently restricted in order to preserve the crystals as much as possible. If mining in the area eventually stops, pumping may also stop and the cave will then refill with water, allowing the crystals to start growing once again. Or perhaps arrangements can be made to continue pumping even if the mine closes so that the cave will remain accessible for humans to enjoy. Thus, the long-term future of this amazing place remains somewhat uncertain.
Crystal Cave of the Giants - Discovery of the Largest Crystals on Earth
Giant Crystal Cave's Mystery Solved
Giant crystals enjoyed perfection
Last updated: 8th February 2010
First published: 29th November 2007
Write-up by Brett M. Christensen
Frozen Tidal Wave Photographs
Frozen Niagara Falls Photographs | <urn:uuid:831150ee-2638-46e7-870d-6a248e194e62> | CC-MAIN-2014-23 | http://www.hoax-slayer.com/crystal-cave-of-giants.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-23/segments/1406510268363.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20140728011748-00340-ip-10-146-231-18.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950357 | 808 | 3.265625 | 3 |
Contact Author Flipping a Coin: Is it a Fair?
The other two sets of hypotheses Sets 2 and 3 are one-tailed testssince an extreme value on only one side of the sampling distribution would cause a researcher to reject the null hypothesis.
Formulate an Analysis Plan The analysis plan describes how to use sample data to accept or reject the null hypothesis. It should specify the following elements. Often, researchers choose significance levels equal to 0. Use the one-sample t-test to determine whether the hypothesized mean differs significantly from the observed sample mean.
Analyze Sample Data Using sample data, conduct a one-sample t-test. This involves finding the standard error, degrees of freedom, test statistic, and the P-value associated with the test statistic.
Compute the standard error SE of the sampling distribution. When the population size is much larger at least 20 times larger than the sample size, the standard error can be approximated by: The degrees of freedom DF is equal to the sample size n minus one. The test statistic is a t statistic t defined by the following equation.
The P-value is the probability of observing a sample statistic as extreme as the test statistic. Since the test statistic is a t statistic, use the t Distribution Calculator to assess the probability associated with the t statistic, given the degrees of freedom computed above.
See sample problems at the end of this lesson for examples of how this is done. Interpret Results If the sample findings are unlikely, given the null hypothesis, the researcher rejects the null hypothesis.
Typically, this involves comparing the P-value to the significance leveland rejecting the null hypothesis when the P-value is less than the significance level. Test Your Understanding In this section, two sample problems illustrate how to conduct a hypothesis test of a mean score.
The first problem involves a two-tailed test; the second problem, a one-tailed test. Sample Size Calculator As you probably noticed, the process of hypothesis testing can be complex. When you need to test a hypothesis about a mean score, consider using the Sample Size Calculator.
The calculator is fairly easy to use, and it is free. Or you can tap the button below. Sample Size Calculator Problem 1: Two-Tailed Test An inventor has developed a new, energy-efficient lawn mower engine.
He claims that the engine will run continuously for 5 hours minutes on a single gallon of regular gasoline. From his stock of engines, the inventor selects a simple random sample of 50 engines for testing.
The engines run for an average of minutes, with a standard deviation of 20 minutes. Test the null hypothesis that the mean run time is minutes against the alternative hypothesis that the mean run time is not minutes.Aug 07, · grupobittia.com - where you can find free lectures, videos, and exercises, as well as get your questions answered on our forums!
Now, I'd like to express this using symbols (that's what I call them, unless there's another name for this). I'm guessing: If there's no problem with the symbol to be used, I'd like to use t as the time taken to walk. Simple Hypotheses I can point to the particular moment when I understood how to formulate the undogmatic problem of In symbols, we write ↵ = P reject the null hypothesis if and only if the likelihood ratio exceeds a value k.
The null hypothesis is that the response time is five minutes or better. For the purposes of this test, we are using a significance level of 5% (). First, we must compute a z-score.
Null Hypothesis Overview.
The null hypothesis, H 0 is the commonly accepted fact; it is the opposite of the alternate grupobittia.comchers work to reject, nullify or disprove the null hypothesis. Researchers come up with an alternate hypothesis, one that they think explains a phenomenon, and then work to reject the null hypothesis..
Why is it Called the “Null”? Hypothesis Exercise Take 5 minutes and write down everything that interests you about psychology/human behavior. Look at your list and pick your five favorites List them in order of your favorites Take another five minutes an try to come up with one testable hypothesis for all five of them. | <urn:uuid:182bfaf7-4854-40f1-81aa-4ab87c938bd2> | CC-MAIN-2020-24 | https://xezozovakotuvohaz.grupobittia.com/how-to-write-a-null-hypothesis-using-symbols-19260wg.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-24/segments/1590347436466.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20200603210112-20200604000112-00481.warc.gz | en | 0.908782 | 876 | 3.890625 | 4 |
Not all control situations are negative. For example;
when we decide to take control of our lives, or when we decide to take
control of a chaotic situation where no one else is being 'chair person'.
- Telling someone what you do and don't find
- Standing your ground
- Standing up for your beliefs or values
However others can be seen from a manipulative, non accepting point of
- When you persistently argue your case to try to
convince others to your way of thinking
- Thinking and acting on behalf of someone else without
- Deciding what is right and wrong for someone who is
capable of deciding for themselves.
- Blackmail or Manipulation
When we try to control someone else's actions, what you
are saying is that you don't believe they can do things for themselves,
that they can not think for themselves, that they are incapable.
What you are doing is taking away their free will,
trying to turn them into you, by having them do what YOU would do.
A power struggle collapses when you withdraw your energy from it.
Power struggles become uninteresting to you when you
change your intention from winning to learning about yourself.
If you feel controlled.
At times we all feel tied to situations, people, places.
We feel obliged to do things in a certain way.
you have opinions, beliefs, values and dreams. Of which no
one else has exactly the same as you. So what is right for ONE individual is
not automatically RIGHT for you.
No one has exactly the same opinions, beliefs or values as
you, as no one else has been exactly where you have been every step of your
life. And even if they have been, their reactions and thoughts are separate
Therefore, if you feel you are being controlled. YOU
have the choice to either allow it, or stand up for your self and your
If you feel you are controlling.
Occasionally, we think we know best. Offer it as advice, not demands.
Explanation of how you are feeling and what you are thinking is ONLY
control if you demand things to occur in a certain way.
Give your advice once. Never ever take it personally if
your advice isn't instantly acted upon. Remember, when people do not take
your advice, it is because they are not ready.
You could try to address WHY you feel the need to
control the situation.
- Trying to protect others from making mistakes? Well,
quite often, as adults we need to make our own mistakes.
- Fear based manipulation, trying to avoid something
YOU don't want for yourself.
Being a 'Control freak' is an obsessive need to have
everything done your way. The degrees of this kind of behaviour can vary,
but in it's most aggressive form, may require professional assistance.
A control freak is someone who needs to call the shots,
wants to be the driving force behind every project. They are insistent
over every detail. Some do this, simply to feel better about themselves,
the rest feel better when everyone else feels worse...It's as though they
are fighting to be top of the ladder.
On a psychological level, these kinds of people are
actually very afraid of being vulnerable, they are often insecure on an
inner level, and they protect themselves by keeping every aspect of their
life within their control. They are afraid of losing this control.
This is what drives them to be even more controlling. To the point where
they often criticise the people around them, including people they love.
A control freak can not easily recognise their fears.
Pointing out to them that they are a control freak or that they have fears
will undoubtedly hit a hardened defence, as they are trying to be perfect.
Imperfection is something they simply do not want to see in themselves.
By wanting to be in control, they are actually
projecting 'I can't trust you' and ' You are incapable', not because YOU
are these things; but because THEY fear being incapable and because they
do not trust themselves.
When a control freak IS in control, they feel calm and
in balance. When they start losing that control, they experience anxiety,
fear and feel victimised.
As more of that control is taken away, they become angry, agitated and
often threatening. This then leads to feelings of depression.
Rather than stopping once they have gained control, they
need to seek more control. It's as though the 'threat' never goes away.
Even though the threat may not even be 'real' to anyone else, the fear of
losing control of a situation they 'have under control' makes them feel
insecure. So then they strive to maintain it.
Then if down in the depths of depression, they will try to manipulate and
find a way back on the bottom rung of a ladder to climb back up.
Dealing with a control freak
Keep calm. Don't take anything they say personally.
Speak slowly and clearly, don't raise your voice or
activate your temper.
Try to remain centred whilst you speak to them. The more
agitated THEY get, the more calm you must try to be.
Be patient. Listen to what they have to say. Let them
have their say FIRST, don't but in. But then ensure you have asked if they
have finished and ask them not to interrupt you whilst you talk.
Don't take things personally, it's not you who is
Be aware. Understand that they have learnt to intimidate
and manipulate, it is a finely tuned art.
If you are entangled in a destructive attachment, the best response may be
to walk away. As whatever you do will not have a lasting effect on their
behaviour. People have to want to change for themselves, not because
people tell them so! (But you can't tell a control freak that!)
A control freak will get even more angry if you walk away and will not
want to end the argument/debate/discussion until a resolution THEY are
happy with has been found. So be prepared.
Those who demand, often give the least.
In any conversation, the push and pull of energy flows
more from one person than other. During the course of a conversation; this
push and pull can change direction.
The balance of listening, or speaking, the feeling of not being heard, the
need to stress something, to be clear about something all effect the flow
and control of a
If something doesn't matter, you take a 'passive' stance, if something
does matter, you take an 'aggressive' stance. People who take on
aggressive stances constantly have a real need to feel in control. People
who take on passive stances constantly have little need to 'be' in
Ideally though, a balance should be met.
The 4 main 'control dramas' , as explained in the Celestine Prophecy are
as follows, our primary personality will be mostly in one of these styles,
bordering occasionally on a second.
The first two are 'aggressive' stances, the second two are 'passive'
Intimidator - threatening, strict, enjoys giving orders,
inflexible, angry, self-centred, intimidating, likes things to be done
Interrogator - Always asking questions; critical,
undermining, needling, infallible logic, sarcastic, feels like they
monitoring you. can be sceptical, sarcastic, self-righteous, perfectionist
Poor me - Always seeing the negative, looking for
problems rather than solutions, always talking about being busy or tired,
make you feel almost guilty for not solving their problems. Pull attention
by sighing, trembling, crying, Victim stance.
Aloof - tended to be distant, busy, away from home, not
too interested in your life, unresponsive, secretive, quiet,
How do you
counteract any of these in yourself, and or when facing them in
The key, I believe is to be acting in
Balance, is asking the right questions with no need to influence the
answers, and indeed no need to
a specific answer. Balance is being flexible and being open to new ideas,
not being afraid of change. Balance is honesty, trust and truth. Balance
responsibility for yourself, and allowing others to accept their
responsibility, and not about YOU taking on every one
responsibilities to the | <urn:uuid:81cc6c95-0581-4489-a7ef-74e4f2e6440b> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://inner-truth.net/life/control.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886107490.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20170821041654-20170821061654-00274.warc.gz | en | 0.950461 | 1,784 | 2.71875 | 3 |
The International Labor Organization estimates that 73.4 million youth were unemployed in 2013, and that youth were three times more susceptible to unemployment than adults. As a result, the role of formal education and training of youth in its influence on the quality and development of the workforce demands urgent attention. Private sector investment, alignment of employment skills, as well as education programs that feed into social stability will play integral roles in creating a more employable youth population and a fortified workforce.
Why should the private sector invest?
In 2013, nearly 300 million young people were not in education, employment, or training (NEET). The private sector has a role to play in supporting employment-focused education, but investment in this space should be driven by self-interest—effective workforce development will result in higher profitability in the long run by increasing the overall capability, quality, and efficiency of the workforce. Keeping in mind the relative strengths of both the public and private sectors, there is a clear window to create shared value, allowing both business and communities to jointly prosper. Through increased public-private partnerships and supply of skills training programs, the private sector can offer input where the public sector is unable to through deeper social investment. By financing recruitment, promotion and training, the private sector can better link business and social interests. Moreover, it can make youth more employable by aiding with the management of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) programs, lowering or removing barriers to entry for disadvantaged students, and alleviating other social obstacles faced by youth in need of further education.
How should we align employment demand with a supply of well-trained youth?
Aligning private sector demand for employment with the training and education of youth will be a critical driver of growth. According to UNESCO, approximately 57 million jobs are needed in the Arab States, South and West Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa between 2012 and 2020. Creating these jobs requires nuanced approaches that address the following two dilemmas. First, in many developing countries, while a strong higher education system may exist, unemployment remains high. In Egypt, for example, the unemployment rate is high among youth. While the country’s 2010 unemployment rate was approximately 9.7 percent, unemployment among youth with tertiary education was 40 percent, surpassing those with primary education.
Second, in many countries, youth education rates are extremely low and unemployment is also high. The issue of skills-mismatching has exacerbated these problems by failing to maximize resources and capitalize on worker skill sets. TVET programs allow youth to gain highly-demanded skills required in the workplace. Providing a dual-track TVET model will better integrate the corporate perspective by prioritizing needed skills and accordingly prepare youth for a more successful entry into the workforce.
What is the link between youth employment and social stability?
In societies where social instability exists, there is often an assumption that unemployment and poverty causes violence amongst youth. The reality is more complex. Instability is fueled by societal injustices, including corruption and abuse by political elite. When youth perceive that there is little hope for employment to improve their circumstances, and that an unjust social system has perpetuated this lack of opportunity, social instability increases. Vocational training projects which offer skills to marginalized youth are thus critical for economic progress as well as overall security and stability. By providing youth access to employment, we allow them envision a better future—one in which they can pursue their ambitions, increase their faith in the political system, and avoid engaging in conflictual violence as a means of expressing dissatisfaction.
Preparing youth for the workforce by equipping them with more employable skills will contribute to their integration in the economy. There is a clear opportunity for the private sector to increase investment in workforce-driven education.
On April 23, 2015 CSIS will host its first ever Global Development Forum, a full day conference featuring leading global experts and practitioners who will discuss the world’s most critical development challenges and opportunities. See the full agenda, including a discussion on capacity building for the global workforce, and register here.
Photo courtesy of User:sporki under a creative commons license. | <urn:uuid:e77b8d41-d3e8-4bd4-8150-c861f3792253> | CC-MAIN-2019-51 | https://csisprosper.com/2015/04/22/global-development-forum-workforce-development/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-51/segments/1575540585566.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20191214070158-20191214094158-00109.warc.gz | en | 0.955755 | 837 | 2.6875 | 3 |
This is a very important advantage, but reigning champion Viswanathan Anand is no stranger to winning from behind: he was able to turn around matches against Bulgarian Veselin Topalov in 2010 and against Israeli Boris Gelfand in 2012.
If Anand manages to win two of the remaining six games, the championship will come down to a number of tie-break games with increasingly faster time limits.
So what are the differences between traditional chess and fast chess? Are the same skills required to be good at both modalities?
Chunks and templates
Here is a snapshot of the template theory: when chess players study and play games, their brains produce memories of typical configurations of pieces.
These memories are available for future use, and, depending on their size, they are called chunks (configurations of three to four pieces) or templates (more than 12 pieces). Templates are also associated with typical moves, typical strategies and other information related to that configuration of pieces.
Pattern recognition occurs when experienced players observe a position in a game. The templates most similar to the current position get automatically activated together with the most typical moves.
The player engages in search only if the typical moves don’t seem to work in the current position. In this context, search consists of trying to anticipate the opponent’s responses to the player’s move.
A typical anticipation would be “if I move my bishop to g5, he may play the pawn to h6, threatening my bishop, then I would move my bishop to h4 …” and so on.
The theory indicates that the position gets updated in an internal structure called the “mind’s eye”, and pattern recognition is applied recursively over the positions represented in the mind’s eye. This, obviously, takes time.
In fast chess, there is little time to execute search processes; therefore, players mostly play their games in pattern recognition mode.
As indicated earlier, the template theory enunciates that pattern recognition also participates in search processes. Therefore, for the template theory there is little difference between normal chess and rapid chess.
On the other hand, theories that consider search as a very different process to pattern recognition (such as Holding’s SEEK theory suggest that normal chess and rapid chess require very different skills.
In a 2007 study of Argentine chess players, Professor Gobet and I found that the correlation between the rating in normal chess and the rating in blitz chess (consisting of only five minutes per player for the whole game) was .89. Given that 0 indicates no relation between variables and 1 indicates perfect relation between variables, .89 is a very high correlation.
These data provide some support for the template theory. This result was confirmed in another study this one by Bruce Burns from the University of Sydney, who found correlations between .78 and .90 in an Australian sample and a Dutch sample.
In essence, a person good at traditional chess will very likely also be good at fast chess.
Halfway through the World Championship
Since my last article on the World Chess Championship match, Anand and Carlsen have played four more games.
The first of these two were very long, and, unexpectedly, the players with black pieces obtained clear advantages. However, the defensive resources of both players were superb, and both games finished in a draw.
In game 5, Carlsen again playing with white pieces was not able to obtain advantage in the opening. However, a slight inaccuracy of Anand’s led to an endgame with a small advantage for Carlsen.
Carlsen’s endgame ability is his main strength; he tests his opponents with ingeniously disguised tricks. Anand could not defend perfectly and lost the game.
Game 6 was similar to game 5. They arrived to an endgame with a small advantage for Carlsen, in which Anand could not resist Carlsen’s constant pressure, and eventually lost the game. | <urn:uuid:2d38978d-fe29-4e34-83a0-6d5fc302cc66> | CC-MAIN-2019-18 | https://theconversation.com/think-quickly-outside-the-square-how-is-speed-chess-different-20197 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-18/segments/1555578577686.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20190422175312-20190422201312-00506.warc.gz | en | 0.964141 | 817 | 2.5625 | 3 |
There are few things more upsetting for a pet owner than witnessing
their beloved companion in the throes of a seizure. Luckily for cat
owners, feline seizure disorders are fairly uncommon. Whereas primary
epilepsy affects up to 3% of the canine population, cats are much less
susceptible. Unfortunately, the number of drugs that have been developed
or recommended for seizure control in cats is limited.
Causes of seizures in cats: primary epilepsy vs. secondary epilepsy
The term “primary epilepsy” implies that the cat is having recurrent
episodes of seizure activity that is associated with a primary brain
disorder. Trying to prove that a cat has primary epilepsy can be
difficult. They appear normal on physical examination, as well as on
neurological examination, and all tests show no abnormalities, including
advanced imaging tests like CT or MRI as well as examination of the
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). As such, the diagnosis of primary epilepsy is
usually achieved by exclusion of other causes of seizures.
“Secondary epilepsy” suggests that the recurrent episodes of seizure
activity are associated with an underlying structural disorder such as
inflammatory disease, trauma, or cancer. This is seen more commonly in
cats vs. dogs. Metabolic diseases and toxicities can lead to seizures,
but these are less commonly seen in cats as compared to dogs. Infectious
causes that should be considered in cats with seizure disorders include
feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), feline leukemia virus (FeLV),
feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), Cryptococcus, and rabies virus.
Toxoplasmosis is a rare cause of seizures in cats, unless there is
concurrent immunosuppression. Up to 20% of cats presenting with acute
onset of seizure activity may have cerebral ischemic encephalopathy, a
condition in which the brain is damaged due to decreased blood flow to a
part of the brain (similar to a “stroke”). Causes of acute cerebral
ischemia in cats are presently unknown. Cancer is a possible cause of
seizures in cats, with the most common brain tumor being a meningioma.
However, lymphoma should not be overlooked. Another possible cause of
acute seizure activity in cats is the larva of the parasite Cuterebra,
migrating through the brain.
A thorough history and a comprehensive physical exam and neurologic
exam, including a funduscopic exam (evaluation of the retinas) must be
done in all cats with a history of seizures. A complete blood count,
serum biochemistry panel, urinalysis, and evaluation of infectious
disease (FeLV, FIV, FIP, Toxoplasma, Cryptococcus) should be performed
or considered. Often, these tests are normal. If neurologic deficits
were detected on examination, a CSF tap and advanced imaging tests (CT
scan or MRI) are advised.
Phenobarbital remains the first-choice anticonvulsant in cats. Numerous
studies and abundant clinical experience have proven this drug to be
effective in cats, and it is generally considered safe, however, cats
may occasionally experience adverse effects such as sedation, excessive
thirst and urination, and incoordination. Signs consistent with an
allergic reaction (low platelet count, low white blood cell count,
temporary facial swelling) have been reported in cats receiving this
drug, and phenobarbital has also been implicated in blood clotting
disorders in cats. Other potential negative attributes of phenobarbital
include its potential to cause liver damage in dogs, although this is
rarely reported in cats. Cats receiving phenobarbital can be difficult
to regulate, as minor changes in dosage can result in large fluctuations
in blood levels, either rendering the drug ineffective (blood level too
low) or resulting in excessive sedation (blood level too high).
For cats that do not tolerate phenobarbital well, diazepam (Valium) is
usually the second choice of most veterinarians. Unlike epileptic dogs
who become refractory to treatment with Valium over time, epileptic cats
remain responsive to the drug, and seizures become fairly
well-controlled. Unfortunately, up to 20% of cats show minimal response.
Adverse effects in some cats include unacceptable sedation and increased
appetite and weight gain. Several reports have also documented severe
liver toxicity in a few cats receiving Valium. Acute hepatic necrosis
has been seen as early as 5 days after initiating the recommended doses
of oral diazepam. Therefore, liver enzymes should be evaluated 5 to 7
days after prescribing the drug, and monitoring should continue at least
every 6 months.
Dogs that do not respond well to phenobarbital are sometimes treated
with primidone, a drug that gets converted into phenobarbital and other
metabolites by the liver. The phenobarbital has anticonvulsant activity,
and some of the metabolites are believed to possess anticonvulsant
properties as well. Cats cannot take this drug, however, because the
liver is not very good at metabolizing the primidone. The feline liver
in general is not very efficient at metabolism (that’s why Tylenol and
aspirin can be deadly to cats). Phenobarbital, Valium, and primidone are
all metabolized by the liver.
The first anticonvulsant used to treat seizures in humans was bromide,
in the mid- 1800s. In the early 1900s, however, phenobarbital was
introduced as a more effective anticonvulsant, and bromide fell out of
favor. In the early 1990s, bromide was rediscovered, and was used in
conjunction with phenobarbital in dogs unresponsive to phenobarbital
alone. Many veterinarians are reaching for bromide as their first
choice, and many are using it as a sole anticonvulsant, rather than
combining it with phenobarbital. Bromide has a number of characteristics
that make it a favorable choice as an anticonvulsant. The drug is
eliminated from the body via the kidneys rather than the liver,
minimizing any deleterious effects on the liver as compared to other
anticonvulsants. Another characteristic of bromide is that it has a very
long half-life. The half-life of a drug is the amount of time it takes
for the blood level of a drug to decrease 50%. This means that once an
established therapeutic drug level is reached in the blood stream (the
so-called “steady state” level), drug concentrations barely fluctuate
when the drug is given as prescribed (every 12 or 24 hours). This is
very different from phenobarbital, where accidentally missing one dose
(or even being late by several hours) can lead to a brief period of
sub-therapeutic blood levels, rendering the pet much more susceptible to
a seizure. Adverse effects in dogs are uncommon, with sedation,
incoordination, and gastrointestinal disturbance (vomiting, diarrhea,
decreased appetite) being the most often reported.
Potassium bromide is quickly becoming the second-choice anticonvulsant
in cats. It tends to be used when Phenobarbital on its own isn’t
sufficient to control the frequency or severity of the seizure activity.
While it takes dogs 4 to 5 months to reach therapeutic (“steady state”)
blood levels, in cats this is achieved within 2 months. Side effects of
bromide are uncommon, although there has been an association made
between the use of bromide in cats and the onset of respiratory disease,
most likely due to an allergic reaction to the bromide. This has been
reported in humans as well. Withdrawing the medication usually causes
the respiratory signs to resolve.
Treatment of seizures in cats remains a frustrating challenge for most
practitioners. Many seizure events in cats are due to secondary
epilepsy, and the use of antiepileptic medication is only a symptomatic
therapy. Unless the primary disease is addressed, the response to
anticonvulsant therapy will always be somewhat unpredictable. | <urn:uuid:f26579aa-98db-4749-acb2-90cf5f4a6c8e> | CC-MAIN-2014-35 | http://manhattancats.com/Articles/seizures.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-35/segments/1408500823169.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20140820021343-00437-ip-10-180-136-8.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92611 | 1,799 | 2.953125 | 3 |
September 26, 2022 Health & Wellness
The Basics of Cholesterol
Since September 2022 is National Cholesterol Education Month, we wanted to share information about this important factor in heart disease and stroke risk. Read on to learn about risk factors, how you can lower your cholesterol, and what Medicare services are available regarding cholesterol.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy and fat-like substance found in the body with many functions including helping with building tissue and cells.
Many people hear “cholesterol” and think that it’s bad, but did you know there’s a “good” type too? Low-Density Lipoprotein, or LDL, is the “bad” type of cholesterol. It’s needed for the process of repairing cells but becomes dangerous when there’s too much of it. High-Density Lipoprotein, or HDL, is the “good” type because it helps move the bad cholesterol to your liver to be removed from your body.
What causes high cholesterol?
There are many risk factors for high cholesterol, including having diabetes, eating an excessive amount of saturated fat or trans fats, not getting enough exercise, tobacco and alcohol use, a family history of high cholesterol or heart disease, and a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30. Cholesterol levels can also increase with age, and men tend to be at higher risk than women.
If you have an excess of “bad” cholesterol, plaque may build up in your arteries. This would make the arteries narrow and eventually restrict blood flow. These situations could result in heart disease, a heart attack, or a stroke.
How can I lower my cholesterol?
There are many ways to help lower your cholesterol, but adjusting your diet seems to have the most impact. It can also be helpful to exercise daily, cut out alcohol and tobacco use, and be sure to stay hydrated. If you have a high BMI, weight loss can also help keep your cholesterol in check. Making some of the changes mentioned here can also help with weight management. The CDC has a great handout with tips on controlling your cholesterol.
Of course, prior to making any major health changes, you should always consult with your doctor first to make sure they approve of the plan. Some people need to take medication to manage their cholesterol levels.
How do I check my cholesterol?
Cholesterol levels are checked with a simple blood test. The test will tell you what your LDL and HDL levels are, as well as your total cholesterol level, and triglycerides level, which is a type of fat found in blood.
Screenings are typically recommended once every five years, starting as a child. Coincidentally, Medicare Part B will cover one screening every five years. Under Original Medicare, you wouldn’t have to pay anything for the tests if the health care provider accepts assignment.
If you have any of the risk factors, your doctor may recommend testing more frequently for you. In this case, you may have to pay for some or all of the service provided, but you can always check with your provider in advance to find out if Medicare will pay for it and/or how much it will cost you.
Here are some more resources that may help you stay heart healthy: | <urn:uuid:88e4f2c4-c0cf-4094-a4ab-2b374498ae56> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.smpwi.org/the-basics-of-cholesterol/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947475311.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20240301125520-20240301155520-00031.warc.gz | en | 0.951834 | 681 | 3.3125 | 3 |
of Accounting Information
The entire concept of financial accounting is to create and compile useful information for investors, creditors, and other decision makers outside the business entity. But in order for financial information to be useful in the decision making process, it must be understandable.
Understandable financial information is quality information that investors and creditors can use to for investment and credit decisions. After all, it wouldn't make sense for companies to issue financial information that no one can understand or use. It would be a waste of time.
Conversely, financial information is not tailored to everyone. GAAP requires financial information to be understandable to a reasonably informed person. That means that the average, uniformed person might not understand a set of financial statements. Businessmen and women along with investors and credits should however clearly understand the information presented in the financial statements.
That is why the FASB created the qualitative characteristics of financial information. These characteristics describe what useful information is and how it relates to financial decision-making. The main qualitative characteristics of accounting information are:
All accounting information should possess these qualities in order for it to be useful to outside users. | <urn:uuid:77e99cfa-0fb2-43a2-9fd3-00a0927fc2b4> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.myaccountingcourse.com/accounting-principles/qualitative-characteristics | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397111.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00154-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922021 | 229 | 3.4375 | 3 |
ESV Bible Translators Debate the word “slave”
English speakers understand the word “slave” as irredeemable, and understandably so. Yet the nuances of the language of slavery in the Bible refer to a world in which “bond-slaves” could be volunteer debtors who could sometimes work their way to freedom, a world in based not on race but on debt, a world that, when tracing through both testaments, we see a progressive God begin humanizing an institution with a unique teaching, and eventually inspiring the Western world to make the institution obsolete, yet not without paradoxically reflecting on their own faith as a response of volunteer “bond-slave” to one’s Lord.
When coming upon the word “slave” in either testament, it is hard to zoom out and see the context, one in which Old Testament slaves were given more dignity, in which New Testament slaves were to obey, not because the slave-master relationship was equal and just, but because it demonstrated the submissive servant-hood of Christ in the midst of injustice and inequality, and gave opportunity for slaves and masters to be reconciled in a more transcendent relationship, one of true equal brotherhood. When the story we are familiar with is the use of scriptures to justify some of the most brutal institutions of slavery the world has ever seen—the Atlantic Slave trade of the Caribbean and American coast—we blush with ignorance, wondering what to make of it all. To some, this leaves us with two options: Reject Christianity as barbaric for not outlawing slavery from the beginning, or murmur a regretful endorsement of slavery, so long as it’s benevolent.
The problem is failing to see the narrative scope of the Gospel across both testaments, how Christ ultimately came to “set the captive free”, both from physical and spiritual chains. But part of the problem also may be that the English word “slave” is a stumbling block. Here’s a fascinating look into an English Bible translation committee discussing whether to use the English word “slave” or “bond-servant” to meet the linguistic needs of contemporary English audiences. | <urn:uuid:b754acbd-f0ee-40a6-b7dd-97539a753c44> | CC-MAIN-2020-45 | https://calebcoy.blog/2013/12/19/inside-look-esv-bible-translators-debate-the-word-slave-at-tyndale-house-cambridge/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-45/segments/1603107891203.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20201026090458-20201026120458-00485.warc.gz | en | 0.94321 | 458 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Reflect on a graph for capturing two different bonds whose inverse relationship between price and interest rate is indicated by curves tangential at a single point but one more convex than the other. Why do bond investors prefer the bond with the greater convexity for investing as compared to the one with the lesser convexity?
We see a negative relation between bond prices and interest rates. A decrease in interest rates results an increase in bond prices. There is a higher increase in bond prices of more convex bond as compared to less convex bond.
If the interest rate increases, more convex bond depreciates lesser in value as compared to less convex bond.
Hence, there is a higher positive impact and lower negative impact for more convex bonds as compared to less convex bonds. Hence investors prefer to invest in more convex bonds.
Get Answers For Free
Most questions answered within 1 hours. | <urn:uuid:9d4b7f26-a848-4d8f-beab-fc7e11fc9d7d> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://justaaa.com/finance/38337-reflect-on-a-graph-for-capturing-two-different | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224653608.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20230607042751-20230607072751-00264.warc.gz | en | 0.94442 | 186 | 2.6875 | 3 |
|The American Museum of Natural History has a fantastic searchable visual database of it's |
African ethnographic collection. If you've never seen their website I recommend checking it out!
African Ethnographic Collection at the Museum dates to 1869, the year the Museum was
founded. The earliest collections were donated by or bought from missionaries; some material
was obtained from European museums, auction houses, or received as gifts. At the end of the
nineteenth century many explorers and travelers brought objects from Africa that were
acquired by the Museum. The African collection is extensive in terms of geographic coverage.
It includes North Africa, West Africa, and Madagascar, although its greatest concentration of
material is from central and southern Africa. The entire collection with over 37,000 objects is
Some additional resources on their website that are definitely worth checking out:
Collection History | Research and Projects | Photographs from Congo Expedition
| Library's Congo Website | <urn:uuid:f1cccb88-8727-4e2b-b98a-c4e81108514c> | CC-MAIN-2017-17 | http://randafricanart.com/protected/collection_photos.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-17/segments/1492917118477.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20170423031158-00408-ip-10-145-167-34.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951231 | 193 | 3.125 | 3 |
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Molecular testing is critical to the profession of laboratory medicine, and so physicians must understand the challenges of these technologies and how to use them properly.
FREMONT, CA: Molecular diagnostics (MDx) is a rapidly expanding branch of laboratory medicine that studies human, viral, and microbial genomes and the products they encode. Molecular diagnostic techniques and platforms are becoming more prevalent and essential in all aspects of anatomic and clinical pathology. The clinical laboratory has seen an outburst in the available list of tests based on DNA and RNA analysis over the last decade or so.
The accomplishment of the Human Genome Project and the rapid advancement of technology that has occurred from that effort have resulted in a successful transition from the research bench to the clinical laboratory bench. For the first time in diagnostic laboratory history, molecular pathology and diagnostics broaden the variety of information accessible to physicians, pharmacists, geneticists, forensic scientists, research scientists, and other healthcare providers.
Molecular diagnostics challenges:
The first and foremost direct-specimen molecular testing for infectious diseases was recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration 26 years ago. Since then, the accelerated advancement of molecular technology has been driven mainly by two areas: (1) automated extraction, augmentation, and detection platforms and (2) next-generation sequencing. As with any newly developed area, there are obstacles to overcome that laboratory medicine. Public health must be aware that these developments intersect with patient outcomes, healthcare, and public health policy.
The cost of this advanced technology may lead to even more health outcomes if economic decisions limit the use of MDx to specific communities or populations. Another issue with advanced and quickly implemented MDx platforms is the possibility of over-or under-utilization. Rapid MDx platforms, for example, are frequently more delicate and speedier than traditional culture methods. However, the adoption of these MDx assays has been so rapid that it has surpassed evidence of clinical utility in some cases. Another issue to consider is the need for healthcare professional education. To provide cost-effective and well-informed care to their patients, physicians must understand the fundamentals and challenges of these technologies and how to use them appropriately.
The possibility of a medical laboratory professional performing molecular diagnostic testing has become critical to the profession of laboratory medicine. Knowledge of pathogen detection and surveillance methodology, cancer biomarkers, inherited genetic disorders, and other biomarkers is essential for present and future professionals. The field is presently in need of well-trained medical laboratory professionals with solid biomedical science and medical laboratory science backgrounds, as well as a deep understanding of assay development technologies, who can transcend the current state of practice with ongoing developments in highly complicated testing. Knowledge of methodology related to pathogen detection and surveillance, cancer biomarkers, inherited genetic disorders, and other biomarkers is essential for present and future professionals.
See Also: Top Healthcare Solution Companies | <urn:uuid:8a61bb84-4d2f-431c-8a09-201ed4759259> | CC-MAIN-2021-49 | https://www.healthcaretechoutlook.com/news/molecular-diagnostics-and-its-challenges-nid-2568.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-49/segments/1637964358480.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20211128073830-20211128103830-00111.warc.gz | en | 0.94014 | 595 | 2.625 | 3 |
Timon of Athens
F OUR hundred years before the birth of Christ, a man lived in Athens whose generosity was not only great, but absurd. He was very rich, but no worldly wealth was enough for a man who spent and gave like Timon. If anybody gave Timon a horse, he received from Timon twenty better horses. If anybody borrowed money of Timon and offered to repay it, Timon was offended. If a poet had written a poem and Timon had time to read it, he would be sure to buy it; and a painter had only to hold up his canvas in front of Timon to receive double its market price.
Flavius, his steward, looked with dismay at his reckless mode of life. When Timon's house was full of noisy lords drinking and spilling costly wine, Flavius would sit in a cellar and cry. He would say to himself, "There are ten thousand candles burning in this house, and each of those singers braying in the concert-room costs a poor man's yearly income a night"; and he would remember a terrible thing said by Apemantus, one of his master's friends, "O what a number of men eat Timon, and Timon sees them not!"
Of course, Timon was much praised.
A jeweler who sold him a diamond pretended that it was not quite perfect till Timon wore it. "You mend the jewel by wearing it," he said. Timon gave the diamond to a lord called Sempronius, and the lord exclaimed, "O, he's the very soul of bounty." "Timon is infinitely dear to me," said another lord, called Lucullus, to whom he gave a beautiful horse; and other Athenians paid him compliments as sweet.
But when Apemantus had listened to some of them, he said, "I'm going to knock out an honest Athenian's brains."
"You will die for that," said Timon.
"Then I shall die for doing nothing," said Apemantus. And now you know what a joke was like four hundred years before Christ.
This Apemantus was a frank despiser of mankind, but a healthy one, because he was not unhappy. In this mixed world anyone with a number of acquaintances knows a person who talks bitterly of men, but does not shun them, and boasts that he is never deceived by their fine speeches, and is inwardly cheerful and proud. Apemantus was a man like that.
Timon, you will be surprised to hear, became much worse than Apemantus, after the dawning of a day which we call Quarter Day.
Quarter Day is the day when bills pour in. The grocer, the butcher, and the baker are all thinking of their debtors on that day, and the wise man has saved enough money to be ready for them. But Timon had not; and he did not only owe money for food. He owed it for jewels and horses and furniture; and, worst of all, he owed it to money-lenders, who expected him to pay twice as much as he had borrowed.
Quarter Day is a day when promises to pay are scorned, and on that day Timon was asked for a large sum of money. "Sell some land," he said to his steward. "You have no land," was the reply. "Nonsense! I had a hundred thousand acres," said Timon. "You could have spent the price of the world if you had possessed it," said Flavius.
"Borrow some then," said Timon; "try Ventidius." He thought of Ventidius because he had once got Ventidius out of prison by paying a creditor of this young man. Ventidius was now rich. Timon trusted in his gratitude. But not for all; so much did he owe! Servants were despatched with requests for loans of money to several friends:
One servant (Flaminius) went to Lucullus. When he was announced Lucullus said, "A gift, I warrant. I dreamt of a silver jug and basin last night." Then, changing his tone, "How is that honorable, free-hearted, perfect gentleman, your master, eh?"
"Well in health, sir," replied Flaminius.
"And what have you got there under your cloak?" asked Lucullus, jovially.
"Faith, sir, nothing but an empty box, which, on my master's behalf, I beg you to fill with money, sir."
"La! la! la!" said Lucullus, who could not pretend to mean, "Ha! ha! ha!" "Your master's one fault is that he is too fond of giving parties. I've warned him that it was expensive. Now, look here, Flaminius, you know this is no time to lend money without security, so suppose you act like a good boy and tell him that I was not at home. Here's three solidares for yourself."
"Back, wretched money," cried Flaminius, "to him who worships you!"
Others of Timon's friends were tried and found stingy. Amongst them was Sempronius.
"Hum," he said to Timon's servant, "has he asked Ventidius? Ventidius is beholden to him."
"Well, have you asked Lucullus?"
"A poor compliment to apply to me last of all," said Sempronius, in affected anger. "If he had sent to me at first, I would gladly have lent him money, but I'm not going to be such a fool as to lend him any now."
"Your lordship makes a good villain," said the servant.
When Timon found that his friends were so mean, he took advantage of a lull in his storm of creditors to invite Ventidius and Company to a banquet. Flavius was horrified, but Ventidius and Company were not in the least ashamed, and they assembled accordingly in Timon's house, and said to one another that their princely host had been jesting with them.
"I had to put off an important engagement in order to come here," said Lucullus; "but who could refuse Timon?"
"It was a real grief to me to be without ready money when he asked for some," said Sempronius.
"The same here," chimed in a third lord.
Timon now appeared, and his guests vied with one another in apologies and compliments. Inwardly sneering, Timon was gracious to them all.
In the banqueting hall was a table resplendent with covered dishes. Mouths watered. These summer-friends loved good food.
"Be seated, worthy friends," said Timon. He then prayed aloud to the gods of Greece. "Give each man enough," he said, "for if you, who are our gods, were to borrow of men they would cease to adore you. Let men love the joint more than the host. Let every score of guests contain twenty villains. Bless my friends as much as they have blessed me. Uncover the dishes, dogs, and lap!"
The hungry lords were too much surprised by this speech to resent it. They thought Timon was unwell, and, although he had called them dogs, they uncovered the dishes.
There was nothing in them but warm water.
"May you never see a better feast," wished Timon, "I wash off the flatteries with which you plastered me and sprinkle you with your villainy." With these words he threw the water into his guests' faces, and then he pelted them with the dishes. Having thus ended the banquet, he went into an outhouse, seized a spade, and quitted Athens for ever.
His next dwelling was a cave near the sea.
Of all his friends, the only one who had not refused him aid was a handsome soldier named Alcibiades, and he had not been asked because, having quarreled with the Government of Athens, he had left that town. The thought that Alcibiades might have proved a true friend did not soften Timon's bitter feeling. He was too weak-minded to discern the fact that good cannot be far from evil in this mixed world. He determined to see nothing better in all mankind than the ingratitude of Ventidius and the meanness of Lucullus.
He became a vegetarian, and talked pages to himself as he dug in the earth for food.
One day, when he was digging for roots near the shore, his spade struck gold. If he had been a wise man he would have enriched himself quickly, and returned to Athens to live in comfort. But the sight of the gold vein gave no joy but only scorn to Timon. "This yellow slave," he said, "will make and break religions. It will make black white and foul fair. It will buy murder and bless the accursed."
He was still ranting when Alcibiades, now an enemy of Athens, approached with his soldiers and two beautiful women who cared for nothing but pleasure.
Timon was so changed by his bad thoughts and rough life that Alcibiades did not recognize him at first.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"A beast, as you are," was the reply.
Alcibiades knew his voice, and offered him help and money. But Timon would none of it, and began to insult the women. They, however, when they found he had discovered a gold mine, cared not a jot for his opinion of them, but said, "Give us some gold, good Timon. Have you more?"
With further insults, Timon filled their aprons with gold ore.
"Farewell," said Alcibiades, who deemed that Timon's wits were lost; and then his disciplined soldiers left without profit the mine which could have paid their wages, and marched towards Athens.
Timon continued to dig and curse, and affected great delight when he dug up a root and discovered that it was not a grape.
Just then Apemantus appeared. "I am told that you imitate me," said Apemantus.
"Only," said Timon, "because you haven't a dog which I can imitate."
"You are revenging yourself on your friends by punishing yourself," said Apemantus. "That is very silly, for they live just as comfortably as they ever did. I am sorry that a fool should imitate me."
"If I were like you," said Timon, "I should throw myself away."
"You have done so," sneered Apemantus. "Will the cold brook make you a good morning drink, or an east wind warm your clothes as a valet would?"
"Off with you!" said Timon; but Apemantus stayed a while longer and told him he had a passion for extremes, which was true. Apemantus even made a pun, but there was no good laughter to be got out of Timon.
Finally, they lost their temper like two schoolboys, and Timon said he was sorry to lose the stone which he flung at Apemantus, who left him with an evil wish.
This was almost an "at home" day for Timon, for when Apemantus had departed, he was visited by some robbers. They wanted gold.
"You want too much," said Timon. "Here are water, roots and berries."
"We are not birds and pigs," said a robber.
"No, you are cannibals," said Timon. "Take the gold, then, and may it poison you! Henceforth rob one another."
He spoke so frightfully to them that, though they went away with full pockets, they almost repented of their trade.
His last visitor on that day of visits was his good steward Flavius. "My dearest master!" cried he.
"Away! What are you?" said Timon.
"Have you forgotten me, sir?" asked Flavius, mournfully.
"I have forgotten all men," was the reply; "and if you'll allow that you are a man, I have forgotten you."
"I was your honest servant," said Flavius.
"Nonsense! I never had an honest man about me," retorted Timon.
Flavius began to cry.
"What! shedding tears?" said Timon. "Come nearer, then. I will love you because you are a woman, and unlike men, who only weep when they laugh or beg."
They talked awhile; then Timon said, "Yon gold is mine. I will make you rich, Flavius, if you promise me to live by yourself and hate mankind. I will make you very rich if you promise me that you will see the flesh slide off the beggar's bones before you feed him, and let the debtor die in jail before you pay his debt."
Flavius simply said, "Let me stay to comfort you, my master."
"If you dislike cursing, leave me," replied Timon, and he turned his back on Flavius, who went sadly back to Athens, too much accustomed to obedience to force his services upon his ailing master.
The steward had accepted nothing, but a report got about that a mighty nugget of gold had been given him by his former master, and Timon therefore received more visitors. They were a painter and a poet, whom he had patronized in his prosperity.
"Hail, worthy Timon!" said the poet. "We heard with astonishment how your friends deserted you. No whip's large enough for their backs!"
"We have come," put in the painter, "to offer our services."
"You've heard that I have gold," said Timon.
"There was a report," said the painter, blushing; "but my friend and I did not come for that."
"Good honest men!" jeered Timon. "All the same, you shall have plenty of gold if you will rid me of two villains."
"Name them," said his two visitors in one breath.
"Both of you!" answered Timon. Giving the painter a whack with a big stick, he said, "Put that into your palette and make money out of it." Then he gave a whack to the poet, and said, "Make a poem out of that and get paid for it. There's gold for you."
They hurriedly withdrew.
Finally Timon was visited by two senators who, now that Athens was threatened by Alcibiades, desired to have on their side this bitter noble whose gold might help the foe.
"Forget your injuries," said the first senator. "Athens offers you dignities whereby you may honorably live."
"Athens confesses that your merit was overlooked, and wishes to atone, and more than atone, for her forgetfulness," said the second senator.
"Worthy senators," replied Timon, in his grim way, "I am almost weeping; you touch me so! All I need are the eyes of a woman and the heart of a fool."
But the senators were patriots. They believed that this bitter man could save Athens, and they would not quarrel with him. "Be our captain," they said, "and lead Athens against Alcibiades, who threatens to destroy her."
"Let him destroy the Athenians too, for all I care," said Timon; and seeing an evil despair in his face, they left him.
The senators returned to Athens, and soon afterwards trumpets were blown before its walls. Upon the walls they stood and listened to Alcibiades, who told them that wrong-doers should quake in their easy chairs. They looked at his confident army, and were convinced that Athens must yield if he assaulted it, therefore they used the voice that strikes deeper than arrows.
"These walls of ours were built by the hands of men who never wronged you, Alcibiades," said the first senator.
"Enter," said the second senator, "and slay every tenth man, if your revenge needs human flesh."
"Spare the cradle," said the first senator.
"I ask only justice," said Alcibiades. "If you admit my army, I will inflict the penalty of your own laws upon any soldier who breaks them."
At that moment a soldier approached Alcibiades, and said, "My noble general, Timon is dead." He handed Alcibiades a sheet of wax, saying, "He is buried by the sea, on the beach, and over his grave is a stone with letters on it which I cannot read, and therefore I have impressed them on wax."
Alcibiades read from the sheet of wax this
"Dead, then, is noble Timon," said Alcibiades; and he entered Athens with an olive branch instead of a sword.
So it was one of Timon's friends who was generous in a greater matter than Timon's need; yet are the sorrow and rage of Timon remembered as a warning lest another ingratitude should arise to turn love into hate. | <urn:uuid:4a21effe-beba-4084-9523-4af3c7ff618e> | CC-MAIN-2023-06 | http://www.gatewaytotheclassics.com/browse/display.php?author=nesbit&book=shakespeare&story=timon | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-06/segments/1674764500094.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20230204044030-20230204074030-00593.warc.gz | en | 0.990566 | 3,647 | 2.875 | 3 |
A Brief History
Several flags have flown over Baton Rouge since its founding. Those of France, England, Spain, West Florida, Louisiana, Confederate States of America, and the United States of America.
In 1699, French explorers discovered the area where Baton Rouge is now located. D'Iberville's writings refer to the area, as Istrouma or Red Stick, which when translated into French becomes Baton Rouge. Records of D'Iberville describe large reddened poles erected by Indians with fish and bear heads attached in sacrifice. These may have designated boundaries at a point separating the hunting grounds of the Bayou Goula and the Houma Indian tribes.
In 1718, the French are alleged to have constructed a fort near the area to protect travelers from New Orleans to northern outposts. The Baton Rouge area then belonged to France. The area was transferred to England by the treaty of Paris in 1763. Following this, the settlement was renamed New Richmond.
In September of 1779, the Spanish defeated the English at Fort Butte on Bayou Manchac and then captured Baton Rouge, so that by 1781 West Florida, including East Baton Rouge was under
In 1810, when the Spanish were overthrown by local settlers, approximately 1,000 persons resided in the Baton Rouge vicinity. The people declared themselves independent and renamed this
area the West Florida Republic. In a few months, the territory was annexed by Louisiana and was divided. At that time, East Baton Rouge Parish was created.
Louisiana was admitted into the Union on April 8, 1812. Baton Rouge was incorporated in 1817; it became the state capital in 1849.
For most of the duration of the Civil War 1861-1865, Baton Rouge was under Union control except for a brief period in 1862. During the war, the capital was relocated several
times; however in 1882 the center of government was returned to Baton Rouge at that time the city had a population of 7,197.
At the turn of the century, the town began to develop industrially due to its strategic location on the first bluff along the Mississippi River north of the Gulf of Mexico.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana's capital city is now 74.74 square miles in size with some 230,000 people. East Baton Rouge Parish
population is approximately 412,500 and is 472.1 square miles in size.
The Baton Rouge Flag is a field of crimson representing the great Indian Nations that once inhabited the area.
The crest on the lower left uses the red, white and blue representing the colors of the United States. The upper left of the shield is the
Fleur-de-lis of France, the upper right is the Castille of Spain, and the lower potion is the Union Jack of Great Britain. The crest
encompasses the emblems of the three foreign countries, whose flags have flown over Baton Rouge. The name "Baton Rouge" in white appears
prominently on the field of crimson.
Why We Have City-Parish Government
Unlike that of our rugged pioneer forefathers, life in our complex modern society has become one of interdependence. With
the growth and development of population centers (cities) replacing the sparsely settled areas of our country, demands for services that could not be provided by individuals increased.
This brought on the need for orderly government, a government of laws, administered by men elected by a majority from among the people to be governed.
There are changes in modern living other than the interdependence of people for goods and services. Conditions of today have vastly increased the services we require from government. Not long ago the roads supported only foot and horse traffic. The heaviest loads were buggies and wagons.
Today, we have high speed automobiles. Faster travel was not all the automobile brought. It produced more traffic and complicated traffic problems. Trucks and buses required improved roads and streets. Providing parking space in cities became difficult.
Problems multiplied, as urban areas grew. More policemen were needed. Street lights and traffic signals became necessary. Full-time, paid fire departments replaced volunteer fire
companies, as town sizes kept mushrooming. A short time ago sanitary needs of small communities did not require modern sewer systems. People had plenty of room and could dispose of their own garbage.
In the old days, local government provided few services. Today, public works departments are expected to provide many services. Management of the services of local governments soon became big business.
Demands for new services found local government inadequate. Local and municipal governments consisting of a few part-time public
officials and employees could not do the job.
Following World War II, thousands of new families flocked to East Baton Rouge Parish from across the nation to obtain
the many new highly skilled jobs available from the expanding industries and businesses. This economic boom projected Baton Rouge
into one of the leading industrial, educational and business centers of the south. The population pushed outward from the narrow city
limits and sprawled over into new subdivisions just outside the city limits.
The city limits in 1949 ran roughly to Terrace Street on the south, to Baton Rouge High School on the east and to Choctaw Road on the
north. On the west it stopped at the Mississippi River, as it does today. More than two-thirds of the entire population lived immediately outside the limits in unincorporated areas of the parish.
Until 1949, a loose and uncoordinated form of government known in Louisiana, as a police jury, struggled with the affairs of parish government.
Representatives from wards or districts of the parish met from time to time to deal with these affairs. Under severe limitations, it
attempted to provide the parish with improvements in roads, drainage, sewage and other facilities. The City of Baton Rouge constituted two wards of the parish and so was represented on the police jury.
The city had a government of its own which provided most of its services and facilities, it had a fire department and a police department, for example. However, the highly populated area outside of the two wards in the old city limits lacked many city services. Service was generally poor where it was provided at all. For
protection against fire, this larger area depended upon the willingness of the City Fire Department and availability of fire fighting equipment.
At the end of World War II, people in the parish and city turned their attention to these problems. An amendment to the state constitution was obtained authorizing a charter commission to draft a new form of government to be presented to the voters. The commission
was given wide power including authority to propose consolidation of the city and parish governments.
At an election on August 12, 1947, the voters of both the parish and the city adopted the presented Plan of Government. The vote was 7,012 to 6,705, the total being slightly over one-third of voters registered and eligible to vote.
The plan, which went into effect on January 1, 1949 abolished the police jury and the city commission council. It extended the city limits and substituted a consolidated system of a mayor and council for city and parish.
A new and fundamentally different plan for coping with the problems of metropolitan development was inaugurated in the Parish (county) of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on January 1, 1949. Although it had been devised by some of the best minds in local government and reviewed by the most capable legal talent available, it was nonetheless and
untried practical political and governmental experiment. There was, in fact no example by which those responsible for its implementation and administration might chart their course.
The fact that the Plan still exists (with but minor amendment) and that under it great strides have been, and are being, made in meeting
and solving the problems of Greater Baton Rouge, is a tribute not only to its drafters, but to the tenacity and courage of those elected officials charged with the responsibility of carrying out its
provisions. It is fair to say that the Plan of Government for the City of Baton Rouge and the Parish of East Baton Rouge has long since been
accepted by the community for which it was developed, and that under it, major improvements have been carried out which without it could not have been developed on a metropolitan basis.
In order to properly understand and evaluate the consolidation of local government in East Baton Rouge Parish beginning January 1, 1949(and its achievements since that date), it is necessary to consider and appreciate the factors leading up to and primarily responsible for that consolidation.
Like so many other industrial communities, Baton Rouge had experienced accelerated growth during the war years. In 1945, the incorporated City of Baton Rouge contained an area of
slightly more than 5-square miles and a population of 35,000 to 40,000 persons. The remainder of the urban population was in the unincorporated parish territory. The parish governing body was called
the "Police Jury;" it operated under restrictive statutory provisions and was poorly equipped for providing urban services, or for controlling the development of an urban area. While the limited incorporated city area had provided certain urban improvements for its inhabitants, most of these improvements had originally been
constructed in 1924-25, and were beginning to break down under the increased demand being placed on them.
Governmental and physical development, as such had thus reached a standstill for the City of Baton Rouge could not provide for the needs of the increased population when the vast
majority of that population was outside of the city limits, and the parish governing authority, on the other hand, was not legally equipped to do so. Several alternatives were possible. Additional
municipalities could be created to serve the new areas, or additional legislation could be sought which would permit the creation of districts under the Police Jury for the purpose of supplying municipal
services to these new areas. Neither plan provided a satisfactory solution for all of the problems, since obviously the continued decentralization through districts or by the creation of additional
municipalities would only make more difficult a solution needed in the best interest of the whole community. If the problem was to be met, and over-all development of the community achieved, a new metropolitan
legal structure was required.
Recognizing that no satisfactory solution could be found in the existing constitutional and statutory provisions, interested citizens proposed an amendment to the Constitution, which,
upon its adoption by the entire electorate, in November 1946, became Article 14, Section 3 (a), of that document. This constitutional provision authorized the creation of a "City-Parish Charter
Commission," which was vest with the authority to develop a "Plan of Government" to be submitted to the people of the Parish for adoption.
The Charter Commission was limited only by the "Constitution and laws" of the State of Louisiana with respect "to the powers and functions of
local government." The work of the Commission, and of its technical advisors, resulted in the development of a plan of government which
consolidated, coordinated and streamlined the functions of local government. The plan was adopted by the people of the parish on August 12, 1947 to become effective January 1, 1949. Basically, it accomplished and provided for the following things:
It extended the city limits of the City of Baton Rouge from approximately five square miles to approximately 30 square miles, so as
to include within the City of Baton Rouge a major portion of the residential areas of the parish.
It provided for a Mayor-President Council form of government. The Mayor-President, as the Chief Executive was vested with
responsibility for the administrative work of the government. His unusual title stems from the fact that he is the Mayor of the City of Baton Rouge and the President of the Parish Council.
- It consolidated the major departments of government.
It created urban, industrial and rural areas for taxing purposes.
It provided that no additional municipalities could be created thus eliminating the possibility of competing jurisdictions. Two small municipalities some distance from the City of Baton were
continued in existence. (This provision has since been deleted).
In any event, almost immediately after January 1, 1949, certain opposition groups, taking advantage of the unfriendly
attitude of those persons living in the annexed areas, began to seek substantive changes in the Plan of Government. It would be safe to say
that during the first four years there was more litigation concerning the operation of government in the Parish of East Baton Rouge than it its entire history.
Among other things, the new government was unable to secure operating funds until the validity of the Plan of Government
had been judicially determined. A declaratory judgment suit for this purpose was instituted contradictorily with the Attorney General of
the State of Louisiana. In the case of State ex. rel. Kemp vs. City of Baton Rouge, 215 La. 315,40 So. 2d 477, the Supreme
Court of the State of Louisiana held that the Plan of Government was valid.
As a direct result of the Plan of Government, and the centralized effort made it possible in dealing with over-all plans
and problems, the face of Baton Rouge has indeed been changed. The Bartholomew Report recommended the adoption of a comprehensive zoning ordinance. This was done in 1950, and the original ordinance has since
been extended to the entire parish. The Bartholomew Report recommended more stringent regulation of the subdivision of land. A city subdivision ordinance was adopted early in 1949, and a comprehensive
ordinance regulating subdivision development in both the parish and city was approved in 1955. As a result, when new areas are annexed to the city, the public facilities already meet recognized standards.
While much has been accomplished, problems still exist and will always exist in any healthy, growing community. There still exists a Sheriff's Office and City Police Department with
overlapping jurisdiction. The operation of certain so-called "constitutional offices" remains outside the effective control of the
local government, even though the local government is required to
advance substantial sums annually to the support of these offices.
Because of constitutional limitations, separate civil service systems
exist for the fire and police departments, which prevents an adequate
over-all integration of classified personnel.
Excerpt from R. Gordon Kean, Jr.
Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana
The city and parish were governed under the original plan until a few minor technical changes were approved in 1952.
In 1956, in order to further strengthen the Plan of Government, the people of East Baton Rouge Parish approved several
other amendments to the City-Parish Charter. The most significant amendment to authorize a limited veto power to the Mayor-President.
However, the new amendment empowered the City-Parish Councils to override a veto by a two-thirds majority. At this time the voters also
authorized the creation of a new post of Administrative Assistant to the Mayor-President, since the duties of this high office had become
so complex. The assistant relieves the Mayor-President of many routine duties.
In 1964, City-Parish voters approved an amendment
to the Plan of Government providing for the election of two councilmen
from Ward Two instead of one. Thus, the total membership of the Parish
Council increased from nine to ten. The amendment also provided for
adding councilmen after the Federal Census. As a result, an additional
councilman was elected for Ward Three at the General Election held
February 1, 1972 increasing the number to eleven.
In 1966, the voters of the parish approved further
amendments to the charter. Several technical changes which serve to
facilitate the workings of the government were approved. Also approved
was the establishment of $300.00 as the monthly compensation for City-Parish Councilmen. At this time, The voters also approved the creation
of a new unclassified position to be designated as Council Budget
Officer and to be appointed by the Parish Council.
In 1970, Section 2.07 was amended in order to
provide for the councilmen to take the oath of office on January 2nd
rather than January 1st. Other proposed amendments failed to be
approved by the voters.
On February 1, 1972, the citizens of East Baton
Rouge Parish voted to amend Section 2.01 relative to composition of
the governing body. This amendment was necessary for compliance with
the one man-one vote requirement. As a result, 12 single-member
districts were created by the Council. In addition, Section 9.12 was
amended to extend veterans' preference to all veterans and Section
1.10 was amended to provide for expansion of industrial areas. Eleven
other amendments were proposed but were rejected by the voters.
On October 27, 1979 the citizens of East Baton
Rouge Parish voted to (1) change the name of the Parish Clerk to
Council Administrator; (2) provide for penalties for the violation of
any ordinance or regulation; (3) provide for the President Pro-Tempore
to preside over the meetings of the Council with the right to speak
and vote; (4) provide that neither Council levy any new sales taxes
without a majority vote of the electorate.
On September 11, 1982, the citizens of East Baton
Rouge Parish voted to amend the entire Plan of Government with
specific reference to Section 2.01. The voters approved the
consolidation of the city and parish councils into one governing body
called the Metropolitan Council. The Council members are elected from
single member districts.
On April 16, 1988, the citizens of East Baton Rouge
Parish voted to amend the Plan of Government to provide for a
comprehensive master land use and development plan or more commonly
known as the "Horizon Plan."
On October 6, 1990 the citizens of East Baton
Rouge Parish voted to amend Section 9.02 of the Plan of Government to
increase the membership for the Personnel Board from three to five
members (one elected from the Department of Public Works employees and
one elected from the non-Department of Public Works employees) and the
remaining three to be appointed by the Metropolitan Council.
On November 18, 1995 the citizens of East Baton
Rouge Parish voted to provide for term limits for the Metropolitan
Council and Mayor-President, limiting service to no more than three
(3) consecutive terms of office, commencing January 1, 1997 and
On November 5, 1996 Section 5.04 of the Plan of
Government was amended so, as to delete the requirement that the
Director of Public Works be a licensed engineer in the State of
Louisiana provided that the second highest ranking official in the
department is so licensed. Additional qualifications include at least
five years practical experience in public works or highway
administration, a college degree (including completion of courses in
engineering, business management or public administration management) and at least ten years administrative experience in public works
City-Parish Consolidation: Some Questions and
What are the outstanding changes provided in the Plan of
The city boundaries were extended far enough to include almost
all the highly populated area.
The plan provided for unification or consolidation of the
parish and city, as far as possible.
The organization and form of the government was patterned
closely after the council-manager system.
What political boundaries are established by the
There are three areas established by the plan: urban, industrial and rural. The industrial area is designated in order to reserve the
area for industry and to separate it from the area in which the usual City-Parish services are provided. Industrial plants in this area must provide their own streets, street lights, sewerage
facilities, fire and police protection, and trash and garbage collection. No homes may be built in the industrial area.
The plan also provides for the separation of the urban and rural areas of the parish into three wards. Ward 1 is all of the urban
area. Ward 2 is the northern part of the rural area. Ward 3 is the southern part of the rural area.
A property owner may find that his property is in several different kinds of districts. The reason for creation of most of
these districts is that before the city took over these areas from the police jury, the district system was the only means of providing the desired services. It is still utilized even in the city when an
area of less than the entire city desires a particular improvement.
Are taxes and expenses lumped together under the consolidated government?
The revenues and expenditures of the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge are kept separately. However, some legal
gymnastics have been necessary to take full advantage of the taxing power of the parish in the city or urban area. The property tax homestead exemption granted by state law applies to state, parish
and special district taxes, but not to city taxes. Now while general state law empowers parishes to levy a 4 mill property tax for general purposes and cities to levy a 7 mill property tax, the state
constitution has this to say: If a city of more than 1,000 inhabitants provides and maintains its own street system, a parish may levy only one-half of the permitted millage within the area of
the city. Consequently, if the City of Baton Rouge maintained its own streets, the parish property tax rate in the city would be limited to 2 mills rather than 4 mills.
The Plan of Government, therefore, by simply turning the city streets over to the parish made two things possible: (1) the
collection of two additional mills of taxation in the city, and (2) the application of the homestead exemption to this additional millage paid by city property owners.
How does the government insure that funds of the parish and city are kept separate?
Individual budgets and accounts of the revenues collected for
each political unit keep the funds straight. A budget for a city or
a parish is no different from the family budget. Such a budget is a
plan showing the revenue or income which can be expected and how it
is to be spent. An account is merely a record of each budget
item-how much is allotted for it and how much has been spent. City
business is paid for out of the city budget and recorded in the
proper city account. The same is done for the parish.
It must be understood that territorial divisions of the parish
and city are less important than the division of powers and duties.
A taxpayer residing in the city pays parish taxes as well as city
taxes. The parish includes the urban or city area in its boundaries.
Consequently, from parish taxes and revenues the parish can be given
responsibility for the provision of all public ways such as
highways, street, bridges, sidewalks and airports. The
responsibility for providing street lights, regulating traffic and
granting bus and taxi franchises is left to the city. The costs of
maintenance of sewers, costs of garbage collection and building
inspections must be paid for out of city revenues.
It must be remembered that the council merely
approves the budgets. While the parish and the city funds are kept
separate, the executive and administrative departments perform the
duties of both the parish and the city. For example, when the
director of public works spends money for street lights, such money
comes from city funds in his account.
Street maintenance costs are charged to parish
funds. Overhead costs are borne by both city and parish funds. But
since the director has a unified and consolidated department, the
separateness of parish and city functions exists more in bookkeeping
than in actual operations.
Each department operates in the same manner. An
employee's salary may be paid one-half by the parish and one-half by
the city, but only one check is issued.
Have the separate city and parish functions been
paid for out of the proper budgets in actual practice?
The budgeting scheme has been followed exactly as
planned. In the case of streets in the city, however, there has not
been enough money for street improvements. By various legal means
the city has turned over to the parish considerable portions of the
money collected by the city sales taxes for street improvements.
It should be noted that the Plan of Government itself requires
the parish to allocate a portion of the parish tax revenues received
from the industrial areas to Baton Rouge, Zachary and Baker.
Are we not operating two separate governments?
We no longer have two separate councils. The complete unification of all the executive and operating departments which are under the Mayor-President or the Council indicates how thorough consolidation has been.
Consequently, underneath what are apparently separate governments is a real consolidation.
How the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches
This section outlines the specific duties of the
executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. The
legislative branch consists of the Council; the executive is the
Mayor-President. Broadly speaking, the mayor administers the affairs
of the city and parish under policies and procedures established by
the council of which the mayor is not a member. He can influence
policy through making recommendations to the Council and his
membership on the Planning Commission and Recreation and Parks
On November 8, 1995 the Plan of Government was amended to provide
that neither the Mayor-President nor the members of the Metropolitan
Council may serve more than three (3) consecutive terms of office,
commencing January 1, 1997, and thereafter.
Executive Branch: Mayor-President
Since the Mayor-President has so little power in establishing
policy, how important is his position? It is very important. The
Mayor-President is the key to the entire system. His duties and his
powers are considerable. In the absence of the Mayor-President, the
President Pro-Tempore is the acting Mayor-President.
The Mayor-President appoints most of the department heads and he
supervises and directs the services of those departments. His
responsibility is extensive when one considers that the Mayor appoints
the Director of Public Works, the Fire Chief, the Chief of Police, the
Director of Finance, the Purchasing Agent, the Personnel Administrator
and the Chief Administrative Officer.
The persons whom the Mayor-President and Council appoint, as
directors of departments come under the rules of the personnel system.
If you have problems affecting the maintenance of a street or road
in front of your home, garbage collections, street lights, sewers or
traffic, the Mayor-President or one of his department heads is the
person to contact.
The Mayor-President, through his purchasing agent, purchases
supplies for the government. Contracts, authorized by the Council,
which are let out for bids, are also handled by the Purchasing Agent
for the Mayor. The Council accepts or rejects the bids on larger
contracts. But the supervision and inspection of construction work
under contracts performed by private contractors is in the Mayor's
hands through his Director of Public Works.
Thus, from garbage collection to supervising the expenditure of
thousands of dollars in construction work, we look to the
Mayor-President, as the administrator. For him to do his job, the
Council must give him money to operate the departments and to pay the
employees. The Mayor's role is to select the men and women to do the
job and give them supervision and direction.
The daily routine of purchasing supplies, advertising for bids,
hiring employees, maintaining streets, preparing plans and
specifications for public improvements, collecting trash and garbage,
issuing building permits, providing police protection and fire
protection, and the bookkeeping for the funds of the parish and city
are performed by the Mayor through his department heads.
What else does the Plan of Government specify as the Mayor's
functions? It states that the Mayor is to (1) recommend policies and
programs to the Council, (2) inform the Council, as to the financial
condition of the City and Parish, (3) prepare and submit annual
budgets to the Council, and (4) submit annual financial and progress
reports to the Council. The Mayor then is very much like a business
manager or plant manager.
The preparation of annual budgets for submission to the Council is
one of the most important duties of the Mayor-President. He, with the
assistance of his Director of Finance, make every effort to submit a
well prepared budget to the Council. The Council approves the budgets
and may make changes; however, they cannot budget more money than the
Mayor estimates will be received. The departments are then required to
operate within the budget allocations.
It was previously pointed out that a budget is a device to control
and hold expenditures within the limits of expected revenue. The Plan
of Government provides that in a given year no expenditure may be made
which is not contained in the budget. However, if a surplus develops
over and above the funds budgeted, it may be appropriated by the
Council only after certification by the Director of Finance and
Mayor-President. The purpose of this requirement is to have all the
financial needs of the government considered at one time. The expected
revenues are allocated for various purposes by considering all needs
together. This means that the possibility of hasty and ill considered
appropriations for individual items is lessened.
Money can be spent only, as it is budgeted. However, special
procedure has been adopted for handling budget supplements throughout
The plan provides that if the council cannot agree on the budgets
by December 15, the budgets submitted by the Mayor for the next
calendar year become final.
It is apparent then, that the duties and functions of the
Mayor-President are considerable, and are very important.
Legislative Branch: Metropolitan Council
The council has authority for the establishment of policy which
includes such matters as authorizing the expenditures of funds,
establishing salary scales and employee classifications, granting bus
and taxi franchises, deciding on public improvements and building
programs, zoning and adopting subdivision regulations. The council
adopts ordinances to regulate the conduct of people and enterprises.
In 1951, the City Council collected all permanent city ordinances into
one book called the City Code of the City of Baton Rouge. In 1962 a
codification of the Parish laws was enacted. In 1983 the Metropolitan
Council combined these books and readopted the City and Parish Codes.
One of the most important policy decisions of the Council is
approving the yearly budgets. Also, if a surplus of revenue develops
over that budgeted, it is the decision of the Council, as to how it
shall be spent.
The Council may make any change in the preliminary budget as
submitted by the Mayor-President by a two-thirds vote of the entire
membership of the council, provided the changes do not exceed the
mayor's estimated revenues.
Six City-Parish officers are appointed by the
Metropolitan Council; the Chief Administrative Officer (the Council Administrator/Treasurer), the Parish Attorney, the Director
of Aviation, the Budget Officer, the Public Information Officer and
the Director of Animal Control. Most of the citizen members of the
boards and commissions discussed later in Part IV are appointed by the
Metropolitan Council. In addition, the Registrar of Voters is
appointed by the Council.
The Council has power to investigate "official misconduct of any
department, office or agency under its jurisdiction". This power
includes authority to compel appearance of witnesses and to administer
How the Council Does Its Work
The Council is constantly required to make many important policy
decisions as problems arise. These problems affect every citizen and
they require the Council to conduct frequent meetings. The Council
holds regularly scheduled meetings twice a month and regularly
scheduled zoning meetings once a month. However, on many occasions
additional meetings are called to handle emergency and special policy
matters that cannot wait for the regular meetings. It is at these
meetings with twelve councilmen attending that differences of opinion
invariable occur and these differences are frequently expressed in
warm exchanges during the democratic process of resolving them.
At council meetings public hearings are held on all matters of
major importance. The plan specifies a number of matters on which no
action may be taken without a public hearing. The number includes such
things as appropriating money, imposing regulations, levying
assessments on property to pay for paving projects, levying taxes and
several other types of measures.
What is a public hearing? As the words would indicate, it is an
open meeting at which the citizens can hear the debate and speak on
the matter up for hearing. The Plan of Government and Rules of
Procedure regulate the manner in which public hearings are held.
(See Section 2.12 of the Plan of Government)
A public hearing comes about in this way. The plan prohibits final
action by the council on such matters as those listed above at the
first meeting at which they are brought up. Therefore, a councilman
must first introduce a measure; that is, he must have it read to the
council and ask for a vote of the council as to whether it shall be
considered at a later meeting. The matter must be in writing. If they
vote is in favor of holding a public hearing at a later time, it is
announced for a future date; it cannot be less than six days
Meanwhile, the Council Administrator/Treasurer is required to
publish a public notice in the Official Journal, which is a designated
newspaper published in the parish.
The notice gives the date, time and place of the public hearing. At
the public hearing any interested citizen may appear before the
council and express his views or ask questions. Public hearings on
several subjects can be held at one meeting and this is usually the
case. If a citizen has opinions or information about a measure up for
consideration which he feels should be made known, he should appear at
the public hearing.
At the council meetings the President Pro-Tempore presides. The
Mayor-President may make recommendations and offer comments on various
items, but he has no vote. The Mayor-President, however, has limited
veto power over certain ordinances adopted by the council.
The Parish Attorney prepares drafts of all ordinances and
resolutions to be presented to the council. He attends council
meetings and committee meetings to render opinions on the legality,
legal operation or significance, and interpretation of ordinances and
resolutions. All department heads are required to attend council
meetings to explain matters of legislation affecting their
departments, give background facts and material, and advise the
When the council has finally acted upon a matter, it often
establishes some policy or program which the Mayor and his department
heads will administer. This means that authorizations for certain work
and appropriation of funds come from the Council.
Doing the work is the responsibility of the Mayor's
The Judicial Branch
Briefly, the judicial branch of government (the courts) consists of
the District Court (a state court), the City Court, and Justice of
the Peace ("J.P.") courts in the rural area. Persons accused of
misdemeanors, including violations of city ordinances, are tried in City
Court. A traffic violator, for example, goes before the City
No crimes in the rural area are tried in "J.P." courts. Some law
suits a non-criminal nature, and which involve small amounts of money,
may tried in city and justice of the peace courts. If, for example,
you sued your neighbor for damaging your fence, the case would likely
be in one of the courts. However, if a large sum of money or a serious
crime such as murder were involved, the case would go to district
Other than criminal trials, civil (non-criminal) matters are also
tried in the courts, the courts have functions more closely related to
policy and administrative questions of local government. Independent
of the executive and legislative branches, the courts apply
constitutional safeguards. The courts protect individual liberties and
private rights from infringement I acts of the other two branches.
Also, the courts settle questions of interpretations of council
ordinance state laws relating to local government and the powers of
the legislative at executive branches of government.
Boards and Commissions
Can the Mayor and the Council do all the work? Have they the time
and technical qualifications to take care of everything?
The answer to
these questions would be "No." It is for this reason that our plan of
government provided for the appointment of boards, committees and
commissions to deal with those problems, such as planning future
improvements, recreation, parks, health, plumbing, electrical,
air-conditioning, building regulations and zoning matters, that
require time and technical know-how. Members of these boards:
committees and commissions are made up of citizens who are appointed
by the Council, Mayor-President and other agencies of the government.
The Planning Commission
The Planning Commission of the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of
East Baton Rouge was established in 1949 as a part of the country's
earliest combined city and county (or city and parish) governing
units. Previous to the combined form of government, the Baton Rouge
City Planning Commission was created in 1941 under the provisions of
state statutes. The legislation mandated that the Planning Commission
"make and adopt a master plan for the physical development of the
municipality" and "promote public interest in and understanding of a
plan." The Planning Commission is a governmental agency directed by
state law and the Metropolitan Charter to guide the physical growth of
Baton Rouge and the Parish with comprehensive planning and land use
As well as, comprehensive and advance planning duties, the Planning
Commission develops zoning and subdivision regulations, and processes
and reviews all applications for zoning changes and subdivisions. The
commission and the planning staff make recommendations to the
Metropolitan Council for ordinances, ordinance changes and land use
The Commission Members
The Planning Commission is a nine member board that
advises elected officials on growth and development issues for the
Parish. The commission decides on subdivision issues that fall within
existing subdivision regulations, and serves in an advisory capacity
to the Metropolitan Council on any zoning or planning ordinance
changes or amendments.
Of the nine members, five are appointed for a
five-year term, on a rotating basis, by the Metropolitan Council.
Three of the appointees are from the city, and two are selected from
Parish residents. The remaining four Commission members are
representatives from the Office of the Mayor-President, the
Metropolitan Council, the Parish School Board and the Baton Rouge
Recreation and Park Commission (BREC).
The work of the Planning Commission is conducted
through the Planning Commission Staff, which is divided into three
general divisions. The Administration Division includes the Planning
Director and Assistant Planning Director, who tend to administrative
duties for the Commission. The Current Planning Division provides
professional assistance and advice to the general public for the
development of land in East Baton Rouge Parish; processes requests for
rezoning and subdivision of land; and administers ordinances included
in the Unified Development Code. The Advance Planning Division is
responsible for the coordination, implementation and update of the
City-Parish 20-year comprehensive plan, the Horizon Plan, and
accomplishes special studies related to long range planning for
development throughout the Parish.
The Horizon Plan
The Horizon Plan, a 20-year "Comprehensive Land Use
and Development Plan," is at work in East Baton Rouge Parish as a
"blueprint for the future." The plan was created with substantial
citizen involvement and adopted by the Metropolitan Council on January
The Horizon Plan focuses on seven major planning
elements: land use; transportation; wastewater, solid waste and
drainage; conservation and environmental resources; recreation and
open space; housing; and public services, public building, and health
and human services. Existing conditions, issues, goals, objectives and
implementation strategies, or "Action Items," are established for each
of the plan's elements. The City-Parish Planning Commission is
responsible for coordination of the entire plan, although the
implementation of Horizon involves many local agencies, organizations
Zoning and Subdivision Regulations
Zoning is permitted within the home-rule power of
the City-Parish as granted by the State of Louisiana. The land use and
development of land are regulated through the classification of the
Parish into various zoning districts with permitted uses for each
district. Zoning affects several aspects of development within each
district, including the intensity of development, height and bulk of
development, required lot and yard sizes, and parking requirements.
Zoning may also establish standards for noise, signs and landscaping.
Recognizing that community growth over time often
changes the character and needs of any community, the Unified
Development Code allows requests for zoning changes when the existing
zoning no longer allows reasonable use. Once a month the Planning
Commission, which also constitutes the "Zoning Commission," holds a
public hearing and considers such requests. Two public hearings - one
conducted by the Planning Commission and a second by the Metropolitan
Council -- are required before a zoning change takes place.
Persons requesting a change in zoning are
encouraged to visit the planning office and obtain a rezoning
application. Upon the visit, it may be helpful to discuss the proposed
zoning change with a member of the Planning Staff. A completed
rezoning application and any required fees must be submitted before
the Staff may accept the application for a zoning change. Also,
determination should be made as to the consistency of the proposed
zoning change with the Horizon Plan. If the zoning change is not
consistent with the Horizon Plan's "2010 Land Use Plan," the
applicant may choose to apply for an amendment to the Horizon Plan.
Procedures for the Horizon Plan amendment process are available upon
request to the Office of the Planning Commission.
Subdivision activity in the Parish, which must be
reviewed by the Planning Commission Staff, includes: the division of
any parcel of land into two or more lots; the construction of any road
through a parcel of land; the "resubdivision" of land previously
divided; and development of sites of at least five acres for two or
more multi-family buildings, office buildings, shops or store
buildings, warehouses or other commercial or industrial structures.
Planners make recommendations to the Planning
Commission, which in turn makes recommendations to the Metropolitan
Council concerning zoning changes or waivers from subdivision
regulations. The Metropolitan Council makes the final decision on
zoning and subdivision issues.
Capital Improvements Program
Capital improvements include all major construction
and improvements to public streets, sewers, buildings, parks and other
physical facilities. The Planning Commission, along with the
Department of Public Works and other City-Parish agencies, plays an
important role in development of the Capital Improvements Program
(CIP) for the Parish. The Horizon Plan, which outlines the CIP
process, places the Planning Commission in a major role for the
initiation and establishment of the CIP; preparation and review of the
CIP proposal; and final revisions to the CIP and Capital Budget. A
five-year CIP is prepared by the City-Parish on an annual basis.
Recreation and Park Commission
The members of this commission include six non-paid citizens
appointed by the council, the Mayor-President, a member of the school
board and a member of the Planning Commission. The commission
appointed a full time director to operate and maintain the facilities
operated by the commission.
This citizen board labors hard to provide parks, playgrounds,
playing fields such as softball diamonds, swimming pools, golf courses
and other recreational facilities. The Recreation and Park Commission
has exclusive responsibility to provide and maintain these facilities.
The commission is empowered to find its own means to finance
construction of park and recreational facilities, including the power
to issue its own bonds. (Authority for the commission to issue
bonds in contained in the state constitution and not in the plan of
Before issuing bonds to raise money, the planned construction must
be submitted for approval to the Planning Commission. However, the
Planning Commissions approval is not necessary if six members of the
Recreation and Park Commission favor a particular program. While the
commission is responsible for finding means of financing its own
improvements, the council is authorized to appropriate money to
support the commission.
The Plan of Government contains the essentials of a civil service
system for all employees, except those of the fire and police
departments who are covered by a civil service system provided by
Briefly, personnel matters are administered by a personnel
administrator appointed by the Mayor-President and responsible to a
personnel board. On October 6, 1990 the Plan of Government was amended
to add two additional members, making a total of five persons
appointed by the council to the board for three year terms.
Two "members must be classified employees (one elected from the
department of public works and one elected from the non-department of
public works employees). Although these two are appointed by the
council, they must be selected from three persons nominated by the
specified group of employees themselves. Three additional members are
appointed by the Metropolitan Council.
A classification plan is adopted by the Personnel Board upon
recommendation of the personnel administrator. The council, upon
recommendation of the personnel administrator, establishes pay plans
and pay ranges.
One of the duties of the Personnel Administrator is to give
competitive examinations for various positions to be filled in the
classified service. Any department head wishing to make an appointment
to fill a vacancy in his department must appoint one of three
applicants. The appointee must be one of the three having the highest
scores on the competitive examination. After he has been appointed and
passed a probationary six-month period, an employee may not be suspended from his job, demoted, reduced in
pay, or dismissed without having been given an opportunity for a
public hearing before the personnel board. The board hears the
arguments for and against the proposed action, and its decision on
such matters is final.
Library Board of Control
Were you aware that the parish library and its
services are provided by the City-Parish government? The
Mayor-President and five citizens appointed by the council form a
board which is responsible for the library in accordance with state
law. They appoint the librarian and assist in operating the library.
The expenses of operating the library come from parish funds.
All of the boards and commissions discussed above
are set up in the Plan of Government. In addition, other citizen
agencies have been established by the councils in various ordinances.
Additional authority in some cases is found in state law.
Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service Board
As mentioned earlier, policemen and firemen are
under a state Civil Service System. Under a city ordinance and state
law a municipal fire and police civil service board administers
personnel matters for the city firemen and policemen.
Metropolitan Board of Adjustment
City and parish zoning regulations not only prescribe what type of
buildings may be put on certain lots, but they also require, among
other things, that buildings be located certain distances from the
front, sides and rear of each lot. Even the height of buildings is
Suppose Mr. Jones applies for a permit to build a
house on his lot in a residential district. He is told at the
City-Parish permit office that the zoning regulations require him to
leave a certain number of feet on each side of his new house. Now
perhaps the lot was created before subdivision regulations prescribed
minimum widths for lots. The lot may be too small for Mr. Jones to
build a decent house and leave the prescribed number of feet on each
side. Mr. Jones may go before the Metropolitan Board of Adjustment
with his case. If he shows just cause for not following the zoning
ordinance, the board is empowered by council ordinance to relax the
rule in his situation. The council appoints members of the board.
Board of Appeal
An extensive building code for the City of Baton Rouge and Parish
of East Baton Rouge establishes regulations for the construction of
buildings. These regulations require that building plans be submitted
to the City-Parish Building Official before a building permit is
issued. The purpose of these regulations is to insure that all
construction is safe and free from fire hazards.
A Board of Appeal is provided for in the building code. It is
composed of five members who are qualified by experience and training
to pass upon matters pertaining to build construction and who shall be
appointed by the Mayor-President with Council approval.
Plumbing Board, Electrical Board, Air-Conditioning and Heating
Plumbing, electrical and air-conditioning installations are
controlled by codes adopted by the Council. These boards assist the
plumbing, electrical and air-condition inspectors who are under the
Director of Public Works, to interpret these codes and to prescribe
examinations for persons seeking licenses in their respective fields.
The boards are also intended to protect the average citizen whose
knowledge of these fields is generally limited.
Airport Commission and Public Utilities
The Parish Airport is a terminal facility owned by the City-Parish
Government. The Greater Baton Rouge Airport District was created by
Act 151 of 1969. A commission of citizens administers the operation of
The Metropolitan council is the Airport Authority and exercises
supervisory jurisdiction over the Board of Commissioners. The Director
of Aviation, who manages local airport facilities, is appointed by the
The public utilities providing electricity, gas and water are
privately owned in Baton Rouge.
The bus transportation is owned by the City-Parish and is
administered through the Capitol Transportation Corporation, a
Board of Health
The Plan of government makes no provision for a Health Department
or a Board of Health.
However, the state statutes provide that the
"governing body of each parish or municipality shall provide ample
means for the maintenance and operation of local boards and for the
promotion and conservation of the public health." For a number of
years there has been an active City-Parish Health Unit operated under
the supervision of a Health Unit Director. The operating costs have been jointly borne by the state, federal government and
the City and Parish.
In October, 1953, a Board of Health was established. The Council recommends to the State Board of Health the
names of five citizens for appointment to the board and the terms of these appointees run concurrently with members of the Council.
In order to provide for development of plans for beautification
throughout the City and Parish, a City-Parish Beautification
commission was created. This group, which is now a division of the
Department of Public Works, works with the Planning Commission to
insure that ecological and beautification considerations are included
as part of capital improvement projects undertaken.
State Government's Role
State government has long had a dominant role in the activities of
cities and parishes. The state legislature prescribes for local
governments certain basic procedures which they must employ in
carrying out their responsibilities, such as public bidding on
purchases and building contracts, civil service systems for larger
cities and in many others.
The state also provides some financial assistance to local
governments. Some of these comes in the form of state supplemental pay
to city policemen and firemen and to deputy sheriff's in the parish.
For many years also, the state has shared the revenue it collects
on sales of tobacco products with municipalities. The parish receives
revenues from stated collected beer tax, chain store tax, insurance
company tax and from the State Road Fund.
Beginning in 1972 the state instituted what the legislature called
"revenue sharing" with cities and parishes. These payments were
actually in place of property taxes previously paid to local
governments and did not result in a significant increase in revenues to the City-Parish.
The City-Parish form of government in East Baton Rouge was the first
consolidation of a county and city government in the United States.
Since its implementation on January 1, 1949, it has attracted national
attention and other cities have used this system as a model for
enhancing the efficiency of their local governments. The people of
East Baton Rouge Parish are extremely proud of the efficient,
consolidated government which has permitted progressive growth of East
Baton Rouge into a leading center of industry, business, education and
City and Parish Demographics
For information on City and Parish Demographics please view our | <urn:uuid:c61112a8-0122-4919-a62f-2fad62f24717> | CC-MAIN-2015-18 | http://brgov.com/aboutus.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-18/segments/1429246637445.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20150417045717-00118-ip-10-235-10-82.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955561 | 11,030 | 3.671875 | 4 |
Literally the word ‘statics’ implies causing to stand’. III common usage, the term static connotes a position of rest or absence of movement. However, economic statics docs not imply absence of movement, rather it denotes a state in which there is a continuous, regular, certain and constant movement without change. It is a state wherein economic activity goes 011 regularly and constantly on an even keel. Thus, remarks Pigou, Just ¥ the drops of water that form a stream arc always changing but its form remains Uie same so do, in a static state; the factors change but they are not of any consequence.
Harrod is of the view that static analysis is concerned with a state of rest. State of rest docs not signify a state of idleness but simply lack of investment with the result that the economy repeats itself over time. Harrod, of course, does not confine his concept of statics to such a rigidly defined state of affairs. He includes in it the once-for-all change whereby the economy shifts from one slate of rest to
Prof. Hicks has a somewhat different notion of statics. According to him, we should call economic statics those parts of economic theory where we do not trouble about dating. He means to say that economic statics studies stationary situations which are devoid of any change and which do not require any relation to the past or the future. Thus, the static economy of his vision is a timeless economy in which the various phenomena and their effects are analyses without reference to time. For instance, when we say that if price is lowered by 5 percent demand rises by 3 per cent, we are in the field of static analysis.
Clark maintains that a static state is characterized by the absence of five kinds of change : the size of population, the supply of capital, the methods of production, the forms of business organization and the wants of the people; but all the same the economy continuous to work at a steady pace. Marshall states that It is to this active but unchanging process …. that the expression static economics should be applied.
Frisch maintains .that by static analysis is meant “A method of dealing with economic phenomena that tries to establish relations between elements of the economic syst cruc prices and quantities of commodities-all of which have the same point of time. In other words, in economic statics we do not study anything about the connection between conditions at various points of time, e.g., sequences, lags, ete. The ordinary theory of demand and supply is an illustration of the static analysis. It builds up a relationship between demand and supply as they are supposed to be at any moment of time. The market situation is assumed to be immune from the influences of the decisions of past or by the future expectations of value (although actually it is not so).
Thus, static analysis being a timeless analysis assumes instantaneous adjustment of the indices. Prof. Samuelson states in this connection: “Economic statics concerns itself with the simultaneous or instantaneous determination of the economic variables by mutually interdependent relations. Since instantaneous determinations keep no link with the past or future, we can infer that economic statics contains no element of uncertainty in it. Prof. Kuznets, while commenting on this aspect, remarks that, “Static economics deals with relations and processes on the assumption of uniformity and persistence of either the absolute or relative economic quantities involved In simple words, economic statics presupposes that the-manner in which an economic unit changes is the same as it changed in the past and will change in the future It suffices, therefore, under economic statics, to study the economy in its present position.It gives only a “still picture” of the economy, a vision of the moment. disappearing as soon as itit makes its appear=nee
[av_button label='Get Any Economics Assignment Solved for US$ 55' link='manually,http://economicskey.com/buy-now' link_target='' color='red' custom_bg='#444444' custom_font='#ffffff' size='large' position='center' icon_select='yes' icon='ue859' font='entypo-fontello'] | <urn:uuid:a818c665-31ae-43d3-b601-547c69143067> | CC-MAIN-2021-25 | https://economicskey.com/economic-statics-7456 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-25/segments/1623488539480.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20210623134306-20210623164306-00051.warc.gz | en | 0.944777 | 876 | 2.515625 | 3 |
The relationship between humpback whales and orcas is tense to say the least, which is unsurprising given the orcas’ taste for humpback calves. The humpbacks vigorously defend their calves from attacks, but they also extend that protection to other species of sea mammals.
A new review of 115 historical observations of interactions between the two species reveals that it’s not uncommon for humpbacks to attack hunting orcas in much the same way that songbirds mob raptors.
It makes perfect sense for humpbacks to drive off predators that threaten their offspring. But in only 11 per cent of observations was it a humpback calf that was being hunted. The rest of the time, the target was a seal, sealion, another whale or dolphins, or even, on one occasion, a sunfish.
In one striking encounter an adult humpback rescued a seal that had been knocked from an ice floe by orcas, by raising it out of the water on its belly and holding it in place with its fins. Humpbacks have been observed protecting their own calves in this way.
While it may be tempting to credit the whales with something resembling human morality – an urge to protect the weak from the strong, perhaps – Robert Pitman of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is reluctant to anthropomorphise the animals. He believes this apparently altruistic behaviour can be explained in terms of self-interest.
“I don’t think that humpback whales have moral codes,” he told BBC Wildlife Magazine. “My guess is that they are just focused on preventing killer whales from having their way during attacks, regardless of what the prey species may be.”
In which case, the other species to which the humpbacks extend their protection benefit as a side effect of the whales’ simple rule of thumb.
“The behaviour can persist because it is the net results that pays off for the humpbacks,” said Pitman. “And adult humpbacks are not at risk of predation from killer whales, so the cost of them intervening is rather small.”
Source: Marine Mammal Science.
Main image: A humpback whale breaches at Uramba Bahia Malaga National Natural Park in Colombia. © Dan Kitwood/Getty | <urn:uuid:d688c1d1-b3c4-481b-9162-bd2a63826002> | CC-MAIN-2021-43 | https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/mammals/humpbacks-protect-other-species-from-orca-attacks/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-43/segments/1634323585302.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20211020055136-20211020085136-00616.warc.gz | en | 0.956468 | 473 | 3.34375 | 3 |
Now showing items 1-10 of 19
Strengthening Actions for Nature in North America: Regional Input to UNEA-5
In preparation for the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5), the United Nations Environment Programme’s North America Office (UNEP North America) hosted a series of six virtual consultation ...
Summary of the Proposed Africa Green Stimulus Programme: Note by the Secretariat - African Ministerial Conference on the Environment - Eighth Special Session - Ministerial Meeting
The African Green Stimulus Programme is an innovative African-led initiative that is being developed to support the continent’s recovery response to the devastating socio-economic and environmental impacts of the COVID-19 ...
Making Peace with Nature: A Scientific Blueprint to Tackle the Climate, Biodiversity and Pollution Emergencies
This report presents a flexible scientific blueprint for how the climate change, biodiversity and pollution emergencies can be tackled jointly within the framework of the SDGs. The first of its kind, this report gathers ...
Decisions - XXII Meeting of the Forum of Ministers of Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean
Adopted Decisions of the XXII Meeting of the Forum of Ministers of Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean: Decision 1: Pollution; Decision 2: Sustainable Consumption and Production and circular economy – key drivers ...
GEO-6 for Youth
GEO-6 states that unless we radically and urgently change our economies and our societies, we will not be able to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.One of the greatest challenges facing young ...
Key Messages - Making Peace With Nature: A Scientific Blueprint to Tackle the Climate, Biodiversity and Pollution Emergencies
• Climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution add up to three self-inflicted planetary crises that are closely interconnected and put the well-being of current and future generations at unacceptable risk. • Ambitious ...
Report: XXII Meeting of the Forum of Ministers of Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean - February 1-2, 2021
Report of the XXII Meeting of the Forum of Ministers of Environment of Latin America and the CaribbeanREPORT, February 1-2, 2021
Transforming Food Systems [Factsheet]
100 million farmers and 1 billion consumers for climate and nature friendly food systems. UNEP proposes a global initiative to kick-start a carbon-neutral and nature-positive agriculture and food sector. It will benefit ...
Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Cities: The Power of Nature-Based Solutions - A Working Paper for the G20
This report investigates the potential of nature-based solutions (NbS) to help build smart, sustainable and resilient cities. It draws from more than a decade of research and experience from G20 countries and beyond. It ...
Dialogue on Strengthening Actions for Nature to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in Asia and the Pacific - Fourth Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific: Discussion Document for Agenda Item 6
The fourth session of the Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific will take place both on-site and virtually from 5 to 7 October 2021, organized jointly by the Ministry of Environment of the Republic ... | <urn:uuid:16021881-730a-4394-9c0b-07995597a551> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/1/discover?rpp=10&filtertype_0=subject&filtertype_1=subject&filtertype_2=subject&filter_relational_operator_1=equals&filter_relational_operator_0=equals&filter_2=SUSTAINABLE+DEVELOPMENT&filter_1=CLIMATE+CHANGE&filter_relational_operator_2=equals&filter_0=NATURE+CONSERVATION&filtertype=dateIssued&filter_relational_operator=equals&filter=%5B2020+TO+2022%5D | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233511386.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20231004152134-20231004182134-00537.warc.gz | en | 0.852567 | 701 | 2.625 | 3 |
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. Genesis 2:1-2 ESV
Welcome to the first indication of non-linear storytelling in the book of Genesis. Because even though all of creation is finished, Genesis 2:4 provides you with a retelling of everything you were just told in chapter one.1
In Chapter 2 Verse 7, we’re told of the creation of man and the absence of plants, but didn’t he create plants in already on Day 3 (Genesis 1:12) and say they sprouted already?
In Chapter 1, plants are on Day 3, and man on Day 6. In my previous commentary, I mentioned that there are evenings and mornings 3 days before the sun and moon were created. Obviously, this is not linear. Obviously, this is not a science textbook from which to make dogmatic claims.
I appreciate my church treating the creation of man as an “open hand” doctrine, which basically means, as long as you believe God is Creator, the mechanics of how exactly everything happened don’t matter and we can respect each other’s views, while remaining in fellowship. There are certain interpretations of the biblical text that my church is willing to break fellowship over, but your interpretation of Genesis 1 & 2 isn’t one of them.
Controversy and questions aside, isn’t it amazing that God rests? Chapter 2 adds a new bit of information about this “God” for the reader. Later in scripture, we’ll find that God does not get tired2, yet he rests.
Not only that, he blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because he rested on it. A God that created matter, space, and time itself, rests. Amazing!
Holy is a word that’s easy to gloss over and not properly define.
What does it mean to be “holy?” The word translated as holy is quadash (pronounced kaw-dash’), and it means “to be set apart or consecrated.”
These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens. Genesis 2:4 ESV
These are the generations of…
You will hear this phrase over and over again.
- generations of Adam – Genesis 5:1
- generations of Noah – Genesis 6:9
- generations of Shem, Ham, and Japheth – Genesis 10:1
- generations of Shem – Genesis 11:10
- generations of Terah – Genesis 11:27
- generations of Ishmael – Genesis 25:12
- generations of Isaac – Genesis 25:19
- generations of Esau – Genesis 36:1, 9
- generations of Jacob – Genesis 37:11
This phrase is critical to the structure and organization of Genesis, and maybe that’s why it’s called Gene-sis.
What’s fascinating is that the author (or editor) chose to give the created work it’s own genealogy. The pattern is to say, “these are the generations of” and then list the genealogy. So it seems here in Verse 4, that whatever comes after that phrase will be the genealogy of the heavens and the earth.
Chapter 2 goes on to tell a story of no plants, no rain, and a watery mist. Then God forms man from the dust of the ground.
Throughout Genesis 1, God was called Elohim, the plural form of the Hebrew word Eloah. In Genesis 2:4, we’re introduced to a new name, the “LORD God,” or “YHVH Elohim.” YHVH are the consonants of the Lord’s name used with the vowels omitted, always translated in English as LORD (all caps) to denote the same reverence for the name, and let you know that it’s the name YHVH being invoked.
The ancient Jews believed that the name Yahweh was too holy to even write. So in an effort to follow the second commandment and not use the Lord’s name in vein, they used YHVH instead. Often when Jews write in modern English literature (as well as a few Christian denominations), they will write the word G-d instead of fully spelling it out.
This new name used all of a sudden in Chapter 2, in what seems to be a separate account of creation, lends credence to the J, E, P, and D documentary hypothesis of authorship of the Torah, where rather than one author, there are many authors and Moses maybe functioned more as an editor compiling existing texts and oral traditions, while others that came after him provided further edits and composition. Obviously Moses’ authorship of the Pentateuch can’t be taken completely literally, since he didn’t write about his own death in Deuteronomy 34.
Genesis 2 is a retelling of Genesis 1, with an emphasis on man. Rather than a timeless cosmic deity who creates by command, God is presented a potter, who intimately forms man from the dust of the ground and breathes life into him.
And the LORD God formed the man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7 KJV
Sometimes things just sound more epic in the King James – “man became a living soul.” This is one of the most interesting aspects of philosophy and also the Bible.
What is a soul, exactly?
Some people say spirit. Some people use the two terms interchangeably. Some people say “You are a spirit, you have a soul, and you live in a body.”
I’ve found after many years of study that the bible is not very specific, and when people claim it is, it can be pretty easily demonstrated that they’re reading their personal beliefs into the passages. I’ve even gotten into an online debate with someone about how just non-specific the Bible is on these matters.
It also brings up questions about general anesthesia. I’ve had it twice in my life, once at the age of thirteen when I broke my arm completely (my right arm looked like a lightning bolt) and again when I had my wisdom teeth removed at the age of twenty. Both times I was there, and then I was not, and then I was there again. Except the not part didn’t really exist for me. It’s more like I was there, and then there again but slightly disoriented. No perception of the passage of time.
If I took some people’s notions of mind-body dualism seriously, my spirit should have been off playing golf somewhere and making memories, or at least dreaming. There was none of that.
I’m sort of an expert when it comes to dreams, having had lucid dreams my whole life, and I’ve experienced portions of the sleep-wake cycle that people are not normally conscious for. Anesthesia allowed me to skip time – twice – even in spite of me treating the experience like a game thinking, “I bet I can keep myself wake, in spite of these drugs.”
I played twice, I lost twice.
I remember at age thirteen, my doctor put my broken arm into some contraption and hooked up my fingers to what looked like Chinese finger traps. Then he told me to count down from ten. I don’t remember getting past five.
It was through my first experience with anesthesia that the invincible thirteen year old version of me began to realize just how mortal he was. Not only could my arm break from a simple game of basketball, but someone could gas me, or stick me with a needle, and my body would just… respond… and there wouldn’t be a damn thing I could do about it.
Alzheimer’s disease and brain damage make even better cases against at least the traditional surface-level interpretation of the immortal soul, that remembers its life on Earth.
Theistic Evolutionists like myself are of diverse opinions when it comes to the creation of Adam. There is no monolithic Theistic Evolutionary view of the creation of Adam. Most of us are agnostic about how literally to take Genesis 2:7, and are happy to find out in Heaven.
Some think man evolved and became conscious or “ensouled” at some point, that the first conscious human was Adam, and that he formed his own basic language rooted in the self-awareness of his own being.
Valtar Krajcar, Ph.D., a Catholic and Theistic Evolutionist, has a speculative position that I find truly interesting, not because I agree or disagree, but rather because it’s a logical progression of what would have to be true if Adam was not a special creation. If man was not a special creation, it makes the story of Adam, first conscious human, one truly wrought with wonder, adventure, and peril – a sort of hero’s journey.
And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. Genesis 2:8
Notice how Adam was created outside the garden, and then later placed into it, but Eve was made in the garden. I’ve read books like Wild at Heart, as well as A Biblical Case for an Old Earth that go into some detail about implications for the spirit and divine nature of God imprinted in men.
A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. Genesis 2:10-14 ESV
This is where the style of the story diverges a bit and provides more concrete locations. It’s similar to Genesis 14:10, a story most people take as history rather than allegory, using real landmarks to place the reader spatially. But Jesus also did the same with his parables, saying things like “A man from Samaria…” (Luke 10:33). He doesn’t give the man’s name, or even the name of the injured victim he helps. Parables in the New Testament were used to illustrate truth, and the same can be said of Genesis 2.
The truth being communicated is that God is the creator, and man hold’s a special place among created things, being made in the image and likeness of God.
The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. Genesis 2:15-17
Next we see the man given an assignment. Not only is he to have dominion over all created things (Genesis 1:26), he is to work and keep the garden in which God places him. If the garden was perfect, he wouldn’t have to tend it. Here already we see – if we’re talking about a literal garden – at least plant death at work, because in order to keep a garden, it has to grow, and you have to kill portions of it to keep it from overgrowing. To eat any plant-life, it must decompose into its constituent parts, which is death.
Then we see a warning from God about the garden. Eat of every tree but one. Even the tree of life was available to him. Imagine that!
Moreover, a perfect garden doesn’t have a built in self-destruct button, in the form of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Maybe most important is the issue of God’s warning, “for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Surely a follow-up question to a brand-new man formed in the wilderness, who knows nothing of good or evil would ask, “What is death?”
Adam doesn’t ask this, and many believe it’s because he knew exactly what animal death was, especially if you consider what he names the animals in Verse 19, that is, if Adam spoke Hebrew.
Just a few quick examples:
- The Hebrew word for eagle, “nesher” (Strong’s 5404) comes from a root word meaning “to lacerate.”
- The word for snake, “nachash” (Strong’s 5172) means to hiss, or to “whisper a magic spell.”
- The word for lion, “ari” (Strong’s 738) comes from a root word meaning “to pierce” and “violent.”
According to Traditional Jewish Exegesis, the name that Adam gave Eve, “Isha” (woman) and “Chava” (Eve, i.e. life-giver) only makes sense if spoken in Hebrew.
Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. Genesis 2:19 ESV
And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. Genesis 2:19 KJV
Verse 19 is the first time the man is called “Adam” in the KJV. Why does the ESV not begin using his name until Verse 20? I can’t say for sure.
But I do know that the Hebrew word adam means “man.” Strong’s concordance distinguishes between H120 adam which is a noun, and H121 Adam which is translated as a proper noun. ESV seems to follow the distinction in Strong’s concordance more strictly than the KJV.
But neither translation makes a perfect distinction between the two. You’d have to ask a Hebrew scholar to get any good information on this.
The ESV keeps using the man almost everywhere that the KJV uses Adam…until Genesis 3:17 where the ESV begins consistently using the proper noun Adam.
Another aspect of Verse 19, is one that has always seemed a bit strange to me, but it might just be strange in hindsight, because unlike this man, I already know how beautiful and angelic human women are, so it makes no sense to parade animals in front of him. Adam didn’t have that knowledge yet.
To understand this curious series of events, we have to go backwards to Verse 18, and forwards to Verse 20.
Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. Genesis 2:18-20
It looks as if God is allowing Adam to pick a mate, and so he marches the entire animal kingdom before him, so that he can name them and look for a “helper.” He finds none suitable for the task.
So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Genesis 2:21-22
Adam names every animal on the planet, takes a long nap, and then meets his wife for the first time, and names her “woman.” That’s, uh, quite the busy schedule to fit into 24 hours on the 6th day, but you know Adam was obviously The Flash, so it makes perfect sense.
What did YOU do today?
Named every animal on the planet, took a nap, met a FINE woman, and wrote her a song.
I remember hearing or reading that Verse 23 is a song, or at least a type of poem, in Hebrew:
This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.
And it’s written that way in the ESV. I don’t blame Adam at all. If the first woman I ever saw was a fully grown naked female that God himself had created just for me, I’d have burst into song like it was High School Musical!
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Genesis 2:24
You know a passage is important when Jesus himself quotes it (Matthew 19:5), and Paul calls it a profound mystery (Ephesians 5:32).
Remember how this train of thought began?
These are the generations of the heavens and the earth, when they were created…
Those thoughts now come to a close with a man being introduced to his wife, and the narrator saying:
And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. Genesis 2:25
The stage is set, creation is finished.
Keep in mind that the original book of Genesis in Hebrew was not written in chapter and verse. Scholars did that later to organize everything. Jesus doesn’t use chapter and verse when quoting the Torah.↩
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. – Isaiah 40:28↩ | <urn:uuid:bf03ad02-ddc1-4233-9658-125cf4b3c3a9> | CC-MAIN-2021-17 | https://www.ovienmhada.com/2016/08/24/genesis-chapter-two/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-17/segments/1618038060603.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20210411000036-20210411030036-00317.warc.gz | en | 0.967538 | 3,975 | 2.59375 | 3 |
The front facadeThis union terminal served in the 1930s to unite seven different railroad lines and five separate terminals. The train concourse was 450 feet long and the station could accomodate 216 trains daily. After rail traffic diminished and after several failed attempts to rescue the terminal, it became the Cincinnati Museum Center, incorporating several museums.
|The New York architects were assisted by Paul Cret and Roland Wank, who are credited with the arched half-dome and the Art Deco style.|
|The figures on the facade, representing Transportation and Industy, are by Maxfield Keck.|
Click here to return to index of art historical sites.
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Click here to see the home page of Bluffton College. | <urn:uuid:47deeb2f-e405-48fa-a048-a111e23fc055> | CC-MAIN-2018-34 | http://www.bluffton.edu/homepages/facstaff/sullivanm/ohio/cincy/rrstation/union.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-34/segments/1534221213158.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20180817221817-20180818001817-00018.warc.gz | en | 0.948739 | 172 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Development of the RECCO® Rescue System started back in the 1970s, and like any early electronic device, it was big and heavy. For more than 30 years RECCO® has remained dedicated to improving the technology and its products. The first detectors used by rescuers had to be carried on a large backpack and weighed 16 kg. Today, rescuers use the ninth generation detector that weighs less than 1 kg. About the size of schoolbook, the detector is easy to carry.
Film: The RECCO® System
Get a closer look at the functionality and usage of the RECCO® Rescue System.
See movie (2.48 min)
A two-part technology
The RECCO® Rescue System is two-part technology. Ski resorts and mountain rescue teams carry RECCO® detectors, which send out a search signal. RECCO® reflectors worn by skiers, riders and other outdoors people, bounce back a directional signal that directs the rescuer straight to the reflector. Unlike other technologies, multiple RECCO® reflectors on a person can improve detection.
Sophisticated radar technology
The RECCO® Rescue System is sophisticated radar technology, but for the end user it is easy to use. Organized rescue teams can use the lightweight hand-held detector on the ground or from a helicopter, which allows for fast searching of large or dangerous areas. Skiers and riders are equipped with RECCO® reflectors that need no attention or effort. The only requirement is that skiers and riders make good decisions to avoid avalanches and other mountain dangers.
The RECCO reflector provides a second chance
RECCO® reflectors do not prevent avalanches, nor do they guarantee location or survival of a buried or lost person. Reflectors are also not a substitute for an avalanche rescue beacon. However, when someone needs more help than their friends can provide, RECCO® reflectors do provide another chance. | <urn:uuid:4a89d0bb-ff0b-4152-9a82-e0a4a951630d> | CC-MAIN-2015-40 | http://recco.com/the-recco-system | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-40/segments/1443736676381.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20151001215756-00105-ip-10-137-6-227.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.89174 | 393 | 2.8125 | 3 |
If you haven’t followed the state of Missouri’s social media saga, here it is in 26 words or less: Missouri passed a law banning teachers from having private conversations with students on social media sites like Facebook. Then it repealed it over free speech concerns.
The repeal, which covers the most controversial part of the law, is still pending the approval of Gov. Jay Nixon, who had requested that the legislature repeal the law. Lawmakers went a step further, though, and revised the language, directing districts to devise policies by March 1 to prohibit inappropriate communications.
That sounds like a more tempered approach than they took the first time around, which a just said was overly broad and would have a chilling effect on free speech. Teachers would have potentially been in trouble just friending a student — or a former student under the age of 18 — on their Facebook or MySpace account.
The law stems from concerns that sites like Facebook and Twitter offer opportunities for inappropriate relationships between teachers and students, even at a time when the U.S. Department of Education encourages educators to take full advantage of this realm as a teaching tool.
Missouri isn’t the only place to raise this question. In Pinellas County, Florida, the school board voted to ban teachers from communicating with students on Facebook or Twitter. Education Week takes a look at how the issue is being debated in Los Angeles.
You can read how teachers feel about it on — what else — a Facebook topic page.
What do you think? Is social media another valuable way teachers can connect with students, or should their contact be limited only to school and other public or supervised venues (such as a professional Facebook or MySpace account open to all, including supervisors and parents)? Is there a way to accomplish the spirit of laws like Missouri’s without the pitfalls? Do schools even need special rules for online behavior, or would a general code of conduct regarding relationships with students suffice? | <urn:uuid:54d15074-e892-4657-aa71-7bf2c4253835> | CC-MAIN-2014-23 | http://blog.timesunion.com/opinion/it-depends-what-you-mean-by-like/15217/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-23/segments/1405997902579.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20140722025822-00141-ip-10-33-131-23.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958488 | 398 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Science Shows Fish Have Feelings, So Do Fish Feel Pain When Hooked?
Fishing for sport is one of the leisure activities under stiff opposition from animal rights groups. The bone of contention has always been that fish suffer pain when hooked and no living animal should be made to suffer so much. Assumptions aside!
Do fish really feel any pain under the hook or its just hogwash? What does research tell us?
Before we can jump into the subject of fish and pain, let us first attempt to define what pain is so that we can have a better perception of the topic.
Yes, it may not need defining since every one of us has gone through it one time or another. But it may be different for other species. So how can we tell if an animal or even fish is feeling pain?
However, there are guidelines that researchers employ to determine pain and that are what we are going to use.
The first requirement is that it must be a negative sensory experience caused by something that possibly can result in tissue damage. Can we quickly name a number of stimuli in that category – any ideas?
It must also make the one feeling the pain take protective measures such as the move away from the stimuli. What would happen if you felt no pain and you were standing barefoot on hot coals?
It would undoubtedly lead to some significant tissue damage, even leading to cases of amputation. The experience must also lead to a change in behavior such as loss of appetite – no one talks about how their favorite meal tastes when in pain.
If an experience results in all of the above, then we can confidently state there is a pain. So, do fish feel pain or not? You must have a pretty good idea, but we find out well in the following write up.
But is there research that actually Indicates Fish don’t Feel Pain?
In one research conducted by a team of seven researchers and published in the Journal Fish and Fisheries, it concluded that fish are impervious to pain. In other words, they do not feel pain.
The reaction you see in them is just an unconscious reaction in an attempt to free itself.
According to Professor James Rose, fish lacks the necessary brain power to process pain. They have a minimal number of pain receptors that are insufficient to indicate pain. And so, the guilty conscious among anglers has not basis, in their opinion.
The team made reference to an earlier study involving trout fish, hooked and then released. Professor Robert Arlinghaus, who was part of the research team, noted that the fish continued with their daily activities as if nothing had happened.
This, according to him, was one of the best indications that the trout felt nothing. But is this true? Do the fish feel any pain?
But can we Trust this Research?
In a rejoinder to the research, famous neuroscientists Hanna Damasio and Antonio Damasio conclude that there is no evidence indicating confinement of feelings in humans to cerebral cortex – a part of the brain responsible for processing pain.
Rather, the enteric and peripheral nervous systems, as well as, the other brain structures play an essential role in the development of feelings.
But what do Damasio and her colleague mean by that?
It merely means that the argument highlighting the incapability of fish brain to process pain may not hold water after all. The renowned neuroscientists imply that the fish may not need a highly developed brain to feel pain.
Their brain structure, as it is, is sufficient for the fish to experience pain.
The fish do not have neocortex as humans do, but this can never be sufficient proof indicating fish don’t feel pain. As neurobiologists contend, we shouldn’t only look for answers from the anatomy but also by observing behaviors.
It is not impossible for the brain to function differently across species – it’s what we call adaptation. This means that different beings can experience pain differently and it doesn’t necessarily have to be the same way that we experience it.
So, which Available Evidence Indicates that Fish feels Pain
They may not scream, but you may notice some grimace when you rip the hook off the mouth of the fish. You don’t need much evidence to prove that fish feel pain. The way they behave when exposed to irritating substances pretty much tells a lot, and this is what the research by Braithwaite and others proved.
Basically, Braithwaite wanted to study the fish and determine whether they felt pain like other animals. Therefore, they exposed the fish to various substances that were pretty irritating.
The poor fish behaved in the same way that you would in a similar situation – pretty much. Their gills beat faster, rubbing the affected spots against the tank and lost appetite – this was the best indicator of pain.
Neurobiologists have long known that fish experience pain since they have a nervous system that responds to it. Just like other bigger animals like a dog or horse, fish have neurotransmitters whose primary purpose is to alleviate pain – endorphins.
In other words, endorphins are natural painkillers that animals produce when in pain. And why else would fish produce them?
There is a detailed map by researchers underscoring more than 20 receptors all over the body of a fish including the head and mouth. The spot where the barbed hook goes has these receptors meaning that the fish apparently feel a significant amount of pain as they try to wriggle out of the hook.
Other research indicates that fish can avoid harmful events like electric shock simply because they feel pain when they come into contact with it. And the study by Beukema suggests that the smallmouth bass never returns to their nest after release from hooking.
The Rainbow Trout Research
Of course, countless studies are indicating that fish experience pain. Among the most important and conclusive studies is the one involving rainbow trout. Bee venom is one of the most painful substances. Researchers injected this substance on the lips of the rainbow trout and observed its behavior.
However, the fish lost appetite and started rocking back and forth on the sand. The rainbow trout also rubbed their lips on tank walls, possibly in an attempt to alleviate the pain. Those injected with a non-harmful liquid never behaved in a similar manner.
Trout is a species with a reputation for avoiding new objects. The fish injected with the bee venom paid no attention to the new Lego tower that researchers put in the tank. Which indicates that their focus was elsewhere – of course where else but on the pain?
But those provided with painkillers and those injected with a saline solution were mainly avoiding the new object.
Human patients produce similar results, thereby confirming what medical professionals have known for a very long time – that pain interferes with a person’s mental ability.
Do Fish then Remember Pain?
In one research, fish exposed to heat showed signs of wariness, as well as, fear indicating that they remember it quite well.
Together with other researchers from Queen’s University Belfast, Rebecca Dunlop and her colleagues found that fish could remember the pain and learn actually to avoid it.
This negates what James Rose and colleagues were saying regarding pain as a reflex response. According to Dunlop, fish experience, remember and learn to avoid pain.
It, therefore, goes without saying that if the fish experience pain, then angling is, of course, a cruel sport. It is in the same category with hunting.
What is the Benefit of this Pain?
In her position paper, Dr. Stephanie Yue wrote that pain is an adaptation developed through the evolutionary process to ensure animals survive and so it is quite impossible for it to disappear.
It is through the pain that animals and fish can take measures and avoid the harmful stimulus or substance causing the pain.
For example, you are more likely to seek first aid or medical attention when some of part of your body starts feeling pain. Without pain, some simple ailments would lead to irreparable tissue damage or even death.
In the case of animals in the wild, pain helps avoid further tissue damage and allow time for recovery. This is why the good doctor Yue referred to it as an evolutionary adaptation to ensure survival – and we can’t agree more, can’t we?
So why would it be any different when it comes to fish?
Well, there is a significant body of research indicating that fish do actually feel pain. They also learn to avoid it just like other animals do – this is what research suggests. So the next time you go angling, don’t consider it as a non-cruel sport. It is no different from taking a gun and running to the forest for buck hunting. But this shouldn’t discourage you from going fishing with your loved ones. Fishing has its benefits. | <urn:uuid:94b6bdf1-b81c-49db-ace7-b48280462700> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://www.buyfishingguide.com/do-fish-feel-pain-when-hooked/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224653501.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20230607010703-20230607040703-00296.warc.gz | en | 0.957425 | 1,818 | 2.9375 | 3 |
This post was written with the help of Mike McQuinn, one of the leaders of Jerry Brown's LGBT movement.
There's been a lot of talk this election season about Jerry Brown's refusal to defend Prop 8 in court. As Attorney General, his utmost responsibility is to uphold the law, and he found the measure to be in direct violation of the constitution--plain and simple.
But you might not know that Jerry has been standing up for gay rights for decades. So in honor of GLBT History Month, here's a little California history lesson for you.
Back in the day, we had a discriminatory law in place that made consensual sex between two gay men a felony. In 1975, shortly after becoming governor, Jerry successfully repealed it.
Abolishing the measure proved to be a difficult undertaking. In fact, Jerry's Lieutenant Governor broke the tied vote in the State Senate. Controversy notwithstanding, when the repeal bill got to his desk, Jerry unflinchingly signed it.
Fast-forward three years to Jerry's re-election campaign. Alongside his name on the November ballot was an incredibly divisive proposition dubbed the Briggs Initiative. This initiative aimed to give school boards the power to fire gay and lesbian teachers solely based on their sexual orientation.
A typical politician running for re-election at the time (and maybe even now) would have ducked the issue and focused his energies on his own campaign. But Jerry was, and is, no typical politician, so he decided to take a bold public stance against discrimination.
With the likes of Supervisor Harvey Milk and President Jimmy Carter, Jerry campaigned to defeat the Briggs Initiative. Like the anti-sodomy law before it, Jerry knew such government intrusion into personal life represented the antithesis of the society he'd been striving to govern since his first day in public office.
The Briggs Initiative was annihilated at the polls. Jerry coasted to victory.
But he wasn't satisfied with the progress already made on his watch just yet.
After his re-election, Jerry supported legislation barring employment discrimination based on sexual orientation because, as he explained, the "diversity of our people can be a cause of hatred and anxiety or the source of strength and continued achievement. The choice is ours."
He also appointed five openly LGBT judges to the bench, including two firsts: the first openly gay and openly lesbian judges in United States history.
Although nearly 20 years passed before either another LGBT judge was appointed or the employment protections envisioned by Jerry became state law, none of these sweeping reforms would have been possible without his pioneering spirit and commitment to promoting equality.
Follow Carly Schwartz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/carlicita | <urn:uuid:e0ee506e-0f3c-4205-835f-19ace78ccbb4> | CC-MAIN-2015-48 | http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carly-schwartz/how-jerry-brown-has-been_b_770698.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-48/segments/1448398450559.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20151124205410-00243-ip-10-71-132-137.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980564 | 548 | 2.953125 | 3 |
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Monsieur Eek is a short novel by playwright David Ives, intended for ages 9–12. It was first published September 1, 2001 by HarperCollins. The book is set in MacOongsafooden, in 1609. It is about a monkey who gets arrested for being a French spy. The book is based on a real law in medieval times that allowed animals to be convicted of crimes.
Eek the chimp ends up being accused guilty. However, he is rescued and not hanged. MacOongsafooden's population starts to rapidly rise.
|This article about a children's novel of the 2000s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
See guidelines for writing about novels. Further suggestions might be found on the article's talk page. | <urn:uuid:cc38fc0f-f3dc-428c-a7c1-b6520c94a79e> | CC-MAIN-2017-17 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsieur_Eek | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-17/segments/1492917121121.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20170423031201-00291-ip-10-145-167-34.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96228 | 190 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Estimated Water Depths in Ancient Martian SeaThe Eridania basin of southern Mars is believed to have held a sea about 3.7 billion years ago, with seafloor deposits likely resulting from underwater hydrothermal activity. This graphic shows estimated depths of water in that ancient sea.
A recent estimate of the total water volume of the ancient Eridania sea is about 50,000 cubic miles (210,000 cubic kilometers), about nine times the total volume of North America's Great Lakes. The map covers an area about 530 miles (850 kilometers) wide.
The reference bar indicates color coding of depth, from red, at right, showing depth of about 300 feet (100 meters) to black showing depth more than 10 times that depth. This graphic was included in a 2017 report "Ancient hydrothermal seafloor deposits in Eridania basin on Mars" in Nature Communications.
Image Credit: NASA | <urn:uuid:08f79504-baa5-496a-9884-4119d6e89f76> | CC-MAIN-2018-39 | https://marsmobile.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/2017/estimated-water-depths-in-ancient-martian-sea | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-39/segments/1537267160923.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20180925024239-20180925044639-00130.warc.gz | en | 0.885099 | 185 | 3.5 | 4 |
Volume 15, Number 11—November 2009
Hepatitis E Outbreak on Cruise Ship
In 2008, acute hepatitis E infection was confirmed in 4 passengers returning to the United Kingdom after a world cruise. Epidemiologic investigation showed that of 789 persons who provided blood samples, 195 (25%) were seropositive, 33 (4%) had immunoglobulin [Ig] M levels consistent with recent acute infection (11 of these persons were symptomatic), and 162 (21%) had IgG only, consistent with past infection. Passenger mean age was 68 years. Most (426/789, 54%) passengers were female, yet most with acute infection (25/33, 76%) were male. Sequencing of RNA from 3 case-patients identified hepatitis E virus genotype 3, closely homologous to genotype 3 viruses from Europe. Significant association with acute infection was found for being male, drinking alcohol, and consuming shellfish while on board (odds ratio 4.27, 95% confidence interval 1.23–26.94, p = 0.019). This was probably a common-source foodborne outbreak.
In 1980, hepatitis E virus (HEV) was recognized as a cause of human disease (1,2). HEV infections can be asymptomatic or they can induce clinical hepatitis, which may be severe or life threatening, particularly for pregnant women. Other clinical manifestations associated with HEV infection have been reported. HEV is usually transmitted by the fecal–oral route and has an incubation period of 15–60 days (3). Four HEV genotypes that infect humans have been identified: genotype 1 is regularly found in HEV-endemic areas such as Africa and Asia; genotype 2 in Mexico and West Africa; genotype 3 in the United States, Europe, and Japan; and genotype 4 in Asia (3,4). Although HEV is increasingly recognized as a cause of hepatitis in industrialized countries (5,6), it is thought to be a relatively uncommon cause of viral hepatitis in the United Kingdom.
On March 27, 2008, the Southampton Port Health Authority informed the Health Protection Agency (HPA) of 4 elderly ship passengers with jaundice, who were returning from a world cruise. Because they had been fully vaccinated against hepatitis A, HEV was considered and subsequently identified as the probable causative agent. The ship had departed from Southampton, UK, on January 7 and returned on March 28, 2008. The ship had sequentially visited ports in Madeira, the Americas (South, Central, and North), the Caribbean region, Samoa, Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Egypt, Greece, and Spain before returning to the United Kingdom. Although the ship had only 1,800 passenger berths (cruise ship company data), the cumulative total of passengers during the cruise approached 3,000 because persons joined and left at different ports.
Because the outbreak of HEV was unusual, especially because it occurred on a cruise ship, and had potential public health implications, an epidemiologic investigation was undertaken. The investigation aimed to identify additional cases, help prevent future incidents by identifying possible risk factors for infection, describe the outbreak epidemiology, and further scientific understanding of the epidemiology and natural history of hepatitis E infection. The investigation was approved and commissioned by the HPA’s Hepatitis Programme Board. All participants had been passengers on board the cruise ship and volunteered and gave written informed consent. Ethics approval was not required.
The investigation focused on all UK passengers who had been on the cruise at any point from January through March 2008. Contact addresses were provided by the cruise ship company, and 2,850 passengers were sent letters inviting them to participate in the investigation and explaining why. On the basis of when they were most likely to have been exposed (ascertained from the first 4 cases), participants were asked to go to their own doctors to give blood samples within 2 weeks (the time frame for detection of immunoglobulin [Ig] M). HPA provided sample kits with prepaid return packaging. Blood samples were tested for HEV antibodies (IgG and IgM) by using the Fortress Diagnostics ELISAs (Fortress Diagnostics Limited, Antrim, Northern Ireland) at the Virus Reference Department at the HPA Centre for Infections. Assays were run in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. The Fortress assays were chosen for this investigation because our validation exercises (data not shown) had demonstrated these assays to be more sensitive and specific than some other commercially available assays. Samples were screened for IgG, and those that were positive were then tested for IgM. The IgM-seropositive samples were further analyzed for HEV RNA, and those that were RNA positive were genotyped as previously described (7). Briefly, phylogenetic analysis of a 300-bp region of open reading frame 2 was conducted. The generated sequences were compared with genotype 3 sequences from the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States and with genotype 1, 2, and 4 sequences retrieved from GenBank.
Participants returned self-completed questionnaires by mail. Detailed information was collected about demographic characteristics, potential risk factors and cofactors for disease (medical conditions, food and drink consumption, excursions, water exposure such as water activities in pools on the cruise ship and swimming in the sea while off the ship) and any relevant signs and symptoms. All HPA documents and files containing patient identifiable information were handled and stored in compliance with Caldicott guidance (8).
Participants were classified according to their serologic results as having had recent acute infection (serologically confirmed by HEV IgM and IgG), past infection (serologically confirmed by HEV IgG only and therefore unlikely to have been acquired during the cruise), or no infection (serologically negative for HEV IgG). Those with recent acute infection also provided further blood samples for liver function testing and confirmatory HEV antibody testing. Patients with acute cases were followed up by the local Health Protection Unit of the HPA. Liver function tests were performed by local services, and results were reported back to the HPA on a specific form. Blood samples for HEV testing were returned by mail as described above. A symptomatic hepatitis case was defined as recent acute infection in a patient with signs and symptoms compatible with HEV infection, e.g., jaundice and/or dark urine and pale feces. To ensure no false-positive results, additional testing was conducted on samples taken at least 1 month later from these IgM-seropositive participants.
We compared risk factors and exposure for those with recent acute infection with those for seronegative controls. Persons who had evidence of past infection were excluded because they had probably been immune during the study period. Single and multivariable logistic regression, using Stata statistical software, release 10.1 (StataCorp, College Station, TX, USA), was performed to identify the most likely cause of the outbreak and to estimate time and place of exposure. Specific exposures with estimated odds ratios (ORs) >1, p<0.2, and at least 50% of cases of recent acute HEV infection, were included in a multivariable model. The least significant factor was dropped from the model in a stepwise fashion until all remaining exposures exhibited a significant association: p<0.05 and OR >1.
After the multivariable model was finalized, we added each port visited, 1 at a time, to identify where participants may have been exposed to HEV. The interaction between food item and location was also considered by using a stricter selection criterion of significance level p<0.01.
Of the 2,850 passengers, >1,100 volunteered and 851 (30%) participated in the investigation (Figure). Blood samples and questionnaires were available from 659 participants. Of these 659, age range was 22–92 years old (mean age 68 years); >90% participants were 55–79 years of age. Of 789 participants who gave blood samples, 426 (54%) were female and 363 (46%) were male.
Including the 4 case-patients identified on the cruise, 33 (4%) participants were classified as having had recent acute infections. A fall in IgM titer with a rise in IgG titer in the second sample collected 1 month later confirmed the acute infections. Another 162 (21%) were classified as having had past infection and 594 (75%) as having had no infection (Figure). Genotyping of RNA sequences obtained from 3 case-patients found genotype 3 virus with sequence homology close to that of other genotype 3 viruses reported throughout Europe.
Univariate analysis showed no statistical association between acute HEV infection and age group (Table 1). Infection was associated with gender; women were less likely than men to have been infected during the cruise. Some evidence indicated association with alcohol consumption; all nondrinkers were HEV negative, and those who drank alcohol (past or present) were more likely to have been infected. Alcohol was consumed by ≈84% of participants, 11% of whom exceeded the recommended weekly intake (defined as a maximum weekly intake of 21 units for men and 14 units for women). Medical conditions, including liver disease, did not appear to be significant risk factors.
Odds of becoming infected were higher for passengers who had embarked from Southampton than for passengers who had joined the cruise at other ports (p<0.001). No evidence of association with recent HEV infection was found at any of the ports visited. Of those exposures ashore within the risk period, only excursions in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA (OR 2.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.89–5.49, p = 0.086), and Pago Pago, Samoa (OR 3.26, 95% CI 1.41–7.53, p = 0.006), were significantly associated with infection.
Of the potential exposures on board, univariate analysis showed the following to be significantly associated with infection: unpasteurized cheese, paté, venison, and shellfish (Table 2). When shellfish were further differentiated (prawns, lobster, crab, mussels, scallops), the association appeared to be significant for lobster and crab; however, few HEV-positive participants said that they had eaten lobster (n = 9) or crab (n = 4). The final multivariable model (Table 3) showed the following to be associated with HEV infection: being male, drinking alcohol, and eating shellfish while on board.
Recent Acute Infections
Of the 33 participants who had had recent acute infections, 25 (76%) were men 57–87 years of age (mean 68 years), and most (76%) were taking medication. All had drunk alcohol, 7 (21%) of whom had exceeded the recommended weekly units. Only 11 had symptoms compatible with hepatitis; 22 (67%) had either no symptoms or nonspecific symptoms of a cold (Figure). Age, gender distribution, and the proportion receiving medication were similar among those who were symptomatic (8 [73%] were male, average age 68 years; 8 [73%] were taking medication) or asymptomatic (13 [76%] were male, average age 69 years; 12 [71%] were taking medication). However, 4 (36%) symptomatic participants had consumed excess alcohol compared with only 1 (6%) asymptomatic participant.
Symptom onset was during March 6–24 (mode March 8, median March 12). Of the 11 symptomatic passengers, 5 had visited the ship’s doctor 3–5 days after symptom onset, 3 had been hospitalized, and 6 reported having been sick for 6–21 days (median 12 days).
Of the 11 (33%) participants who met the case definition for symptomatic hepatitis, all had loss of appetite, malaise, dark urine, and nausea. Other signs were jaundice and vomiting (n = 7); abdominal pain or discomfort or pale stools (n = 5); and headache, weakness, shakiness, joint pain, rash, or depression. Weeks later, a second phase of illness was reported by 2 participants; both experienced abdominal pain or discomfort, and 1 also had dark urine and lethargy. Blood test results for bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and albumin were available for 10 of 11 participants with symptomatic hepatitis. Levels >2× the expected maximum were found for bilirubin (n = 6), alanine aminotransferase (n = 5), and alkaline phosphatase (n = 2). Aspartate aminotransferase levels were reported for only 3 participants with symptomatic hepatitis and were elevated for 2. Subsequent testing for 2 case-patients showed that liver function had returned to within reference limits. Liver function test results were also reported for 14 of 22 participants who did not have symptomatic hepatitis; none were appreciably elevated. Blood samples from this group were taken later than for those with symptomatic hepatitis, so the possibility of abnormal liver function in the earlier phase of infection cannot be excluded.
Exposure Period and Potential Source of Infection
Our analysis suggests that passengers were at higher risk for HEV infection if they were on the cruise from January 7, when the ship left Southampton, until February 14, when it arrived in Sydney. Most of those with recent acute HEV infection had embarked (January 7) and disembarked (March 28) in Southampton. However, 6 passengers, who were later seropositive, disembarked in New Zealand or Australia and 1 embarked in San Francisco and disembarked in Hong Kong. These dates indicate that the second leg of the cruise, from San Francisco (January 26) to Auckland (February 11), was the likely exposure period and suggest that the outbreak incubation period was 25–40 days.
A symptomatic case-patient who had late-onset disease had shared a cabin with a case-patient who had early-onset disease; the late-onset disease was potentially a secondary infection. Excluding this possible secondary case from repeat statistical analyses did not affect our results.
Information about onshore activity during this likely exposure period, including organized excursions, was available for 32 of 33 participants who had had recent acute infections. All 32 had gone ashore in Honolulu, Pago Pago, and Auckland. However, no common activities or excursions were noted, and most did not consume any food while ashore, except in Auckland. A variety of foods were consumed while ashore, and no common food was identified. Overall, analysis of excursions and food and drink consumed while ashore during the second leg of the cruise found no evidence that the infection was acquired while ashore.
Association between shellfish consumption while on board and recent HEV infection was further investigated. All seafood had been frozen; most was put on board in Southampton, but some was sent later from the United Kingdom or purchased in Australia. Lists of seafood used on board during the cruise were provided by the cruise ship company. Seafood was served on 34 of 38 days between Southampton and Sydney. Prawns and mixed seafood (mixture of shrimp or small prawns, salmon, cod, mussels, hake, and squid) were served most frequently. Implicating any particular shellfish was difficult because crab, lobster, mussels, scallops, shrimp, prawns and mixed seafood were all served at least 1 time during the suspect period of travel between San Francisco and Auckland.
This hepatitis E outbreak among passengers during a 3-month world cruise was reported at the end of the cruise, after passengers had already disembarked and returned home. Nevertheless, the fact that approximately one third of eligible passengers were able to give blood samples within a short time enabled detection of an acute antibody response. The testing algorithm was adopted on the basis of the onset dates of the first 4 cases and the expected time delay between contacting the passengers and actually receiving samples in the laboratory for testing. It was therefore thought to be unlikely that screening for HEV RNA would provide a useful marker of recent acute infection.
One study limitation was that participants were self-selected and may not therefore represent a random sample of passengers on the cruise. Also, the time between the cruise and completion of questionnaires may have made recalling foods consumed during the cruise difficult. However, most returned questionnaires were completed comprehensively, leaving no reason to suspect differential recall between case-patients and others.
Evidence of recent acute hepatitis E infection was found for 33 participants. The evidence of past infections for 162 (21%) is consistent with hepatitis E seropositive rates of ≈25% of UK residents >55 years of age (9). Only 11 participants with acute infection reported illness compatible with hepatitis; 22 (two thirds) were asymptomatic or had unrelated symptoms. This investigation provided a unique opportunity to diagnose asymptomatic infection in an exposed group and found a much higher asymptomatic rate than previously reported (≈3%–4%) (3,10). Elevated liver function test results appeared to be associated with symptomatic cases; however, because those without apparent clinical signs were tested a longer time after exposure, their liver function could have returned to within reference limits.
HEV RNA was detected in only 3 case-patients, suggesting that RNA had cleared by the time most samples were tested. Virus RNA sequences were identical and belonged to genotype 3, suggesting a common-source outbreak. Genotype 3 is the main type of HEV found in industrialized counties, including the United Kingdom. Although it has also been reported in North America, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand (4), the genotype 3 virus found in this outbreak had close sequence homology with genotype 3 strains reported in Europe.
The evidence implicates the second leg of the cruise (January 26–February 11). Although infection could have been acquired while ashore, the epidemiologic investigation suggests that exposure occurred while on board the ship. The estimated incubation period for this outbreak, 25–40 days, is shorter than but within the range of the reported incubation period for hepatitis E (15–60 days) (3).
The 3 associated risk factors (gender, age, shellfish consumption) remained significant in multivariate analysis. First, male passengers were more likely to have been infected than female passengers; 76% of recent acute infections were in men. A marked excess of indigenously acquired HEV cases in middle-age and elderly men has been reported in England, Wales (5), and other European countries (10–12). Our study suggests that this observed excess is not caused by ascertainment bias because men are at higher risk for disease, but rather it appears to be a genuine difference in exposure. Second, alcohol consumption was associated with recent infection. Although excess alcohol consumption could compromise hepatic function and predispose to symptomatic hepatitis E infection, as suggested by our study, alcohol consumption is probably not causally linked to exposure. The association may indicate a propensity for risk behavior that could not be controlled for in the analysis. Third, consumption of shellfish on board the ship was strongly associated with HEV infection. Further analysis did not implicate a particular type of shellfish, and cross-contamination of shellfish from a single vehicle is possible, but because the virus is waterborne and has been shown to contaminate shellfish (13–15), this association is biologically plausible. Other studies have shown that HEV can be foodborne, and illness has been linked to consumption of undercooked or raw meat (16–18).
Many of the 33 recent acute HEV infections, predominantly in men who drank alcohol, were asymptomatic and would otherwise have gone undiagnosed. We found no evidence of continuing transmission, other than 1 potential secondary case, or of any breaches of public health standards on board the ship. However, the analytical study and supporting genotype findings challenged the initial assumption that the outbreak was due to infection acquired while ashore. This investigation suggests that shellfish, which are known to be a common source of other viral infections, are a potential source of HEV infection in Europe.
Dr Said is a senior scientist in the Department of Gastrointestinal, Emerging and Zoonotic Infections at the HPA Centre for Infections in the United Kingdom. Her research interests include hepatitis E virus and West Nile virus.
We are grateful to the investigation participants, the cruise ship passengers, and P&O Cruises for their cooperation. We also thank John Woodhouse and the HPA Hepatitis Programme Board for their support; the Regional Hepatitis Leads and colleagues nationwide who collected samples and data for the investigation; our colleagues at the HPA Centre for Infection, who rallied to help in the early stages; Rosie Zambra for conducting onboard environmental investigations; Aminah Chaudry, Cletha Fiahlo, Radha Patel, Debra Hunt, and Pauline Francis for data entry; and Belkis Hassan, Sharon Barnett, and Siew Lin Ngui for help with sample processing, testing, and result validation.
- Wong DC, Purcell RH, Sreenivasan MA, Prasad SR, Pavri KM. Epidemic and endemic hepatitis in India: evidence for a non-A, non-B hepatitis virus aetiology. Lancet. 1980;2:876–9.
- Khuroo MS. Study of an epidemic of non-A, non-B hepatitis. Possibility of another human hepatitis virus distinct from post-transfusion non-A, non-B type. Am J Med. 1980;68:818–24.
- Panda SK, Thakral D, Rehamn S. Hepatitis E virus. Rev Med Virol. 2007;17:151–80.
- Pelosi E, Clarke I. Hepatitis E: a complex and global disease. Emerg Health Threats J. 2008;1:e8 [cited 2009 Sep 7]. Available from http://www.eht-forum.org/ehtj/journal/v1/pdf/ehtj08008a.pdf
- Lewis HC, Boisson S, Ijaz S, Hewitt K, Ngui SL, Boxall E, Hepatitis E in England and Wales. Emerg Infect Dis. 2008;14:165–7.
- Teo CG. Hepatitis E indigenous to economically developed countries: to what extent a zoonosis? Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2006;19:460–6.
- Ijaz S, Arnold E, Banks M, Bendall RP, Cramp ME, Cunningham R, Non–travel-associated hepatitis E in England and Wales: demographic, clinical and molecular epidemiological characteristics. J Infect Dis. 2005;192:1166–72.
- Crook MA. The Caldicott report and patient confidentiality. J Clin Pathol. 2003;56:426–8.
- Ijaz S, Vyse AJ, Morgan D, Pebody RG, Tedder RS, Brown D. Indigenous hepatitis E virus infection in England: more common than it seems. J Clin Virol. 2009;44:272–6.
- Mansuy JM, Abravanel F, Miedouge M, Mengelle C, Merviel C, Dubois M, Acute hepatitis E in south-west France over a 5-year period. J Clin Virol. 2009;44:74–7.
- Buti M, Clemente-Cesares P, Jardi R, Formiga-Cruz M, Schaper M, Valdes A, Sporadic cases of acute autochthonous hepatitis E in Spain. J Hepatol. 2004;41:126–31.
- Borgen K, Herremans T, Duizer E, Vennema H, Rutjes S, Bosman A, Non-travel related hepatitis E virus genotype 3 infections in the Netherlands; a case series 2004–2006. BMC Infect Dis. 2008;8:61.
- Zuckerman JN. Hepatitis E and the traveller. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2003;1:73–6.
- Koizumi Y, Isoda N, Sato Y, Iwaki T, Ono K, Ido K, Infection of a Japanese patient by genotype 4 hepatitis E virus while travelling in Vietnam. J Clin Microbiol. 2004;42:3883–5.
- Renou C, Moreau X, Pariente A, Cadranel JF, Maringe E, Morin T, A national survey of acute hepatitis E in France. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2008;27:1086–93.
- Tei S, Kitajima N, Takahashi K, Mishiro S. Zoonotic transmission of hepatitis E virus from deer to human beings. Lancet. 2003;362:371–3.
- Tamada Y, Yano K, Yatsuhashi H, Inoue O, Mawatari F, Ishibashi H. Consumption of wild boar linked to cases of hepatitis E. J Hepatol. 2004;40:869–70.
- Takahashi K, Kitajima N, Abe N, Mishiro S. Complete or near-complete nucleotide sequence of hepatitis E virus genome recovered from a wild boar, a deer and four patients who ate the deer. Virology. 2004;330:501–5.
Suggested citation for this article: Said B, Ijaz S, Kafatos G, Booth L, Thomas HL, Walsh A, et al. Hepatitis E outbreak on cruise ship. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2009 Nov [date cited]. Available from http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/15/11/09-1094.htm
1Other members of the Hepatitis E Incident Investigation Team: Helen Harris, Rosie Zambra, Richard Tedder, Ariane Halm, John Woodhouse, Annette Wood, Autilia Newton, Deborah Wilson, Erika Duffell, Grainne Nixon, Keith Neal, Susan Bennett, Sultan Salimee, Torbjorn Sundkvist, Sandra Johnson, Debbie Harmer, Ashesh Modi, Valerie Decraene, Alison Smith Palmer, John Cowden, Robert Smith, Meirion Evans, Catherine Mitten, Faustina Montsho-Hammond, Peter Sheridan, and Charles Irish.
Comments to the Authors
West Nile Virus RNA
in Tissues from Donor
Transmission to Organ | <urn:uuid:1937ad14-854e-4a8b-9f88-046e4b55de36> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/15/11/09-1094_article.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386163988740/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204133308-00088-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961712 | 5,541 | 2.890625 | 3 |
Develop a coding project and/or research a topic related to computer science of the student’s choice.
Indicators For This Outcome¶
Create a proposal document for a coding project that includes discussion of the basic premise or problem to be solved, key features and project team members and their roles.
Construct a tool (e.g., rubric, checklist, self-evaluation form or peer-evaluation form) to assess the process and products involved in a student-directed study.
Develop a coding project using the same or a different programming language than those used in Computer Science 20.
Examine an area of collaborative research between computer science and another field.
Research the application of computer science in other fields (e.g., art, trades, sciences, mathematics and medicine).
Inquire into the current state and/or societal implications of a current trend in computing such as hacking, artificial intelligence, robotics, microcontrollers, game design, cryptography, mobile development or intellectual property.
Present the research or project to peers. | <urn:uuid:a3f116e1-a13f-427c-b8c9-4335f98438d8> | CC-MAIN-2021-49 | https://cs20.ca/StudentResearch/ProjectOverview.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-49/segments/1637964363006.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20211204185021-20211204215021-00193.warc.gz | en | 0.851129 | 222 | 2.625 | 3 |
Identity theft is a serious crime that can affect everyone regardless of age, gender, or credit worthiness. Here are some simple tips to avoid being a victim:
Do not leave your wallet or purse unattended in your vehicle - Increasingly, identity thieves are committing vehicle burglaries in order to obtain your identification cards, credit cards, and checkbooks. Leaving these items in your vehicle places you at a higher risk of being victimized.
Use a shredder - If you need to dispose of any documents or papers containing any of your personal identifying information, make sure you shred them first. Identity thieves engage in the practice of “dumpster diving” to look through your trash and find your information.
Secure your WiFi connection and never access your online bank accounts through an open or unsecured WiFi connection - Any information sent through an unsecured connection can be intercepted by identity thieves, giving them access to your accounts. | <urn:uuid:a8469d8c-fbce-4eaa-80eb-fe92f39f4c58> | CC-MAIN-2018-39 | http://ppines.com/525/Identity-Theft-Prevention | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-39/segments/1537267161638.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20180925123211-20180925143611-00446.warc.gz | en | 0.924973 | 188 | 2.5625 | 3 |
It seems like the latest buzzword among houseplant lovers is LECA. As I bounced through my numerous houseplant groups on Facebook, I kept seeing LECA pop up all over. So, what is it?
LECA is an acronym that stands for lightweight expanded clay aggregate. It is made up of little balls of clay—a growing medium—and used in place of soil. It is commonly used in hydroponic gardening.
How exactly do you plant anything with roots in small balls of clay? I've spent years writing about outdoor gardening and have never used anything but soil to grow plants. So I decided to seek out LECA experts to determine if these clay balls are worth the hype. Jas Jefferson of Black Girls with Gardens and contributor at Plants.com shared her knowledge of LECA with me.
The biggest question I had was, why replace your soil with LECA at all? The soil has nutrients and is biodegradable. Once you've exhausted your potting soil, you can toss it in the compost. What advantages does LECA have over something tried and true?
LECA Provides the Right Amount of Water
"It provides all plants need to—grow, water and oxygen," says Jefferson. "The LECA materials allow it to absorb water directly to the roots without suffocating them." The baked clay balls soak up water and expand.
"The clay retains the water and releases it for the plant's use a little at a time. The clay balls prevent the plants from completely drying out but still provide proper drainage, which means less watering—perfect for those who forget to water or are on vacation. "It's good for busy people," explains Jefferson, "you can add a little extra water, and the system stays moist longer."
LECA Keeps Pests at Bay
"Houseplant pests such as aphids love to live in damp soil with rotting matter," says Jefferson. "LECA doesn't contain any live organisms, which means no pests." This is the number one reason for the switch from what I witnessed in my houseplant groups. Plant parents were tired of dealing with fungus gnats and root rot, so they got rid of the soil and replanted their babies in LECA.
LECA Takes Up Less Storage Space
Although there's such a thing as "all-purpose" potting soil, not all plants love them. Currently, in my potting shed, I have about five different types of potting soil. The soil is specific for the types of plants I own. With LECA, there's no need to purchase different soil for your orchids or succulents—it works for virtually every kind of plant. "It's ideal for an apartment or small-space gardeners," says Jefferson, "because it requires less storage than traditional houseplant growing methods. No need to store big bags of soil."
LECA Is Less Messy
"We've all done it," says Jefferson, "When watering a plant in the sink or its spot, soil spills on the floor or countertops—that doesn't happen with LECA." The main thing you have to deal with LECA is the dust when you first open the bag. After the initial soak, the clay balls are dust-free and ready to pot up.
LECA Is Reusable
Soil does not stay full of nutrients forever. Whenever you repot a plant, you need to replace the soil. "You can use LECA balls over and over again," says Jefferson, "even forever if you maintain and clean it properly." As your plant grows out of their containers, all you need to do is transfer it and the LECA to the new pot. If you are reusing the clay balls for another plant, it needs to be washed thoroughly first.
The Cons of Using LECA
LECA may seem like a miracle growing medium, but it does have its cons.
It Can Be Pricey to Transition
For one, it's expensive—three to four times more costly than soil. The initial cost to convert all your plants to a LECA medium isn't cheap.
You Have to Buy Fertilizer
Besides the high start-up cost, you need to purchase hydroponics fertilizer or liquid fertilizer specific to your plants. All LECA does is take care of watering your plants; it does not provide any nutrients.
You May Have to Buy New Pots and Other Tools
You will also need to get pots without drainage holes and other gear such as pH monitors. For LECA to soak up water, it needs a closed bottom vessel. You keep the container about a ⅓ the way full of water to maintain a constant absorption. You will also need to monitor the water quality to ensure that it's holding the right pH level. The pH level is crucial because it affects nutrient availability for your growing plants.
Plants That Thrive in LECA
The good news is that most houseplants thrive in LECA, including monstera, orchids, and snake plants. "Each plant has unique water needs whether grown in soil or hydroponic systems," says Jefferson, "so when changing over to a LECA growing system, you'll need to calibrate your watering and fertilizing based on the tailored needs of your plants."
Tips to Get Started With LECA
Now that you know all the pros and cons of LECA, are you ready to take the plunge? Jefferson offers these tips to get started:
- When selecting plants to transition from soil to LECA, it's helpful for beginners to start off using younger plants with less dense root systems or to use cuttings propagated in water.
- The roots of houseplants grown in soil differ structurally from those that grow in water so that the transition can be jarring, especially for older or larger plants.
- As with any significant change to your houseplants, there's always some risk to the plant. While you're building up your LECA skills, start with those that aren't expensive or cherished plants.
- You'll need new tools (a pH testing kit and new pots, among other items) to get started, but these can be easily found online or at select local garden retailers.
- It's important to remember that LECA provides water but not nutrients, so growing plants in this medium will require periodic applications of hydroponics fertilizer.
- These needs vary, so put a little time into research, so your particular plant will ensure it will thrive in its new environment. | <urn:uuid:08020458-589b-41ee-b171-61b30f39e70f> | CC-MAIN-2022-21 | https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-leca-and-why-do-houseplant-gurus-love-it-5092763 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-21/segments/1652662584398.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20220525085552-20220525115552-00391.warc.gz | en | 0.950601 | 1,337 | 3.125 | 3 |
These sentences are great for reading centers and individual student practice. Simply cut out the strips and put them on a ring. (you can also leave them as individual strips or organize them however you want). Students touch each dot as they read the words. This helps with concepts of print, reading with 1:1 correspondence, using beginning sounds and pictures to decode text, and helps students to focus on what is being read while increasing their vocabulary.
The higher level cards do not have the dots because pointing to words is discouraged at this reading level. This set is three of four. For a discount, buy my pack of sight word sentences. You can print each set and glue it to different color paper to identify the level. | <urn:uuid:769519ac-f4cd-42bb-9355-9e750e38a216> | CC-MAIN-2017-47 | https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sight-word-sentences-pack-3-2355794 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-47/segments/1510934808935.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20171124195442-20171124215442-00280.warc.gz | en | 0.965582 | 145 | 3.6875 | 4 |
As Moore's Law has packed more and more transistors onto a single memory chip, scientists have fretted for years that electric charges that "leak" out from those tiny components might cause unpredictable errors in neighboring semiconductors. But now a team of Google researchers has demonstrated a more unexpected problem with that electromagnetic leakage: hackers can use it to purposefully corrupt portions of some laptops' memory, and even to bypass the security protections of those computers.
In a post on its Google Project Zero security blog Monday, a group of the company's researchers revealed new hacker exploits that take advantage of what's known as the "Rowhammer" technique. Here's how Rowhammer gets its name: In the Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) used in some laptops, a hacker can run a program designed to repeatedly access a certain row of transistors in the computer's memory, "hammering" it until the charge from that row leaks into the next row of memory. That electromagnetic leakage can cause what's known as "bit flipping," in which transistors in the neighboring row of memory have their state reversed, turning ones into zeros or vice versa. And for the first time, the Google researchers have shown that they can use that bit flipping to actually gain unintended levels of control over a victim computer. Their Rowhammer hack can allow a "privilege escalation," expanding the attacker's influence beyond a certain fenced-in portion of memory to more sensitive areas.
Google's hack shows a fundamental flaw in basic computer hardware that could be impossible to fully patch in existing vulnerable computers.
"We have shown two ways in which the DRAM rowhammer problem can be exploited to escalate privileges," the researchers write in their blog post. "History has shown that issues that are thought to be 'only' reliability issues often have significant security implications, and the rowhammer problem is a good example of this. Many layers of software security rest on the assumption the contents of memory locations don't change unless the locations are written to."
Though the Google researchers' bit-flipping attack isn't merely theoretical, it would be far from simple to pull off in practice. The Project Zero team limited their exploit testing to laptops running Linux, and even then found that it only worked on less than half the models of computer they tried. Nonetheless, their hack shows a fundamental flaw in basic computer hardware that could be impossible to fully patch in existing vulnerable computers, and might force computer makers to reconsider the security implications of electromagnetic leakage in memory.
"This is definitely some of the more important security research to come out in years," says well-known security researcher Dan Kaminsky, who gained fame for finding a critical security flaw in the Internet's domain name system in 2008. "We think of a computer as deterministic...The moment it isn’t, you have undefined behavior, and in security undefined behavior is redefinable behavior. The [software] developer doesn’t know what the computer's going to do, but the attacker does."
Google didn't make its researchers available for an interview despite WIRED's request, and a spokeperson wrote in a statement only that "We’re working closely with hardware manufacturers to help mitigate the issue.”
In their blog post, however, Google researchers write that they first learned of the Rowhammer phenomenon from a paper published by a team of Intel and Carnegie Mellon University researchers last year. (A response blog post from Cisco security analysts traces the findings back earlier, to at least 2012.) That paper showed only that bit flipping was possible through repeatedly accessing a neighboring row of memory; it didn't attempt to actually turn that technique into a hacker exploit.
"The previous academic paper described this as a possibility," says Morgan Marquis-Boire, a former Google security researcher who now runs security for First Look Media. "What [Google's] Project Zero has done is sit down and study this and find the conditions to exploit it in real time, in the real world."
The first advancement the Google researchers made was to "hammer" memory rows on both sides of the position in memory they targeted—doubling the opportunities for electromagnetic charge to leak from one memory row to the next. The researchers didn't specify how long they ran their program, but they suggest that their double-Rowhammer technique makes it vastly more effective. "For many machines, double-sided hammering is the only way of producing bit flips in reasonable time," they write. "We have observed 25+ bits flipped in one row on one particularly fragile machine."
But the Googlers' real advancement is in how they used that technique to break into protected portions of a computer's memory. In one attack, for instance, they write that they were able to gain full administrator control of a Linux operating system. That exploit worked by flipping bits in a so-called "page table" that acts as a table of contents showing where virtual memory addresses map to physical memory. After enough tries, corrupting that map sometimes redirected the attack program to more sensitive portions of memory it wasn't meant to access. In some cases, it redirected the program to the page table itself, allowing the attacker to then rewrite any portion of memory he or she chose.
“What’s so interesting about Rowhammer: It's a physical world problem.”
In another attack, the Googlers' Rowhammering allowed them to escape the "sandbox" in Google's native client, a system used to run code inside a browser with limited privileges. Though Google has since disabled a function of its native client that allowed the attack, the attack nonetheless hinted at the possibility that Rowhammering in the future might allow an attacker to compromise a computer via a malicious website.
The Google researchers didn't share any of the names of the computers or memory makers whose products were affected by their exploits, or the full details of the success rates of their attacks. They did, however, include a chart of 29 unidentified makes and models of laptops. Of those 29, only 15 were susceptible to bit flipping. For their sandbox escape, they report that only 13 percent of the bit flips their technique created actually made the exploit possible. They offered no information about just how often their Linux operating system privilege escalation attack worked.
The researchers include other important caveats to their technique, too: they admit that their bit flipping would only work on memory that doesn't have an error correction feature common to many computers' memory. That feature may explain why their attack didn't work at all in nearly half of the Linux-running laptops they tested. And they say that a computer under more "memory pressure"—one that's using more of its memory resources to run programs at the time of attack—might be harder to exploit.
Even so, the Googlers' work represents an important step in proving that many computers' DRAM has an inherent physical flaw, and one that can't be fixed with a mere software patch. The researchers released a Rowhammer test program, which allows users to check if their memory is vulnerable to bit flipping. And they suggest that memory makers consider implementing new Rowhammering protections that "refresh" memory after a certain number of accesses to adjacent positions to prevent electromagnetic leakage from causing bit flips.
Still, ex-Googler Marquis-Boire points out that what makes the Rowhammer vulnerability so insidious is that isn't fundamentally a software issue. And that will make fixing it a much more complex process than the typical software update. "That’s what’s so interesting about Rowhammer: It's a physical world problem," he says. "And physical world attacks are always the hardest to patch." | <urn:uuid:514c6d24-4118-4bd9-83cc-3892da47f91d> | CC-MAIN-2018-51 | https://www.wired.com/2015/03/google-hack-dram-memory-electric-leaks/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-51/segments/1544376828056.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20181217020710-20181217042710-00347.warc.gz | en | 0.955404 | 1,565 | 3.640625 | 4 |
You may not have heard of “dollar-cost averaging,” but there’s a good chance you’re using that method to invest. And that’s a good thing.
It can reduce the average price you pay per share when you invest in the stock market.
What’s dollar-cost averaging?
It’s just the practice of investing a specific amount of money on a regular schedule—say, weekly, biweekly or monthly. So, when prices are high, you purchase fewer shares, and when prices are low, you can purchase more shares. That means that over time you can lower your average cost per share compared to what you may have paid if you bought all shares at once.
“If you invest regularly, you’re dollar-cost averaging,” says Certified Financial Planner Gary Silverman, founder of Personal Money Planning in Wichita Falls, Texas. the practice of investing a specific amount of money on a regular schedule—say, weekly, biweekly or monthly. When prices are high, you purchase fewer shares, and when prices are low, you’ll be able to afford more.
What are the advantages of dollar-cost averaging?
Regularly investing a set amount has a few benefits. First, it allows you to put your money to work as soon as you earn it. Because you don’t need to save up a lump sum to invest all at once, it’s much easier to get started.
Second, by investing regularly and at varying prices, you increase your potential to profit—even if an investment’s long-term returns are relatively flat, says Silverman. For example, let’s say that shares of an ETF cost $20 on January 1 as well as December 31. In all likelihood, over the course of the year, that price has fluctuated. But by purchasing more shares when the price is lower and fewer when it is higher, you could be capturing some gains that you would have missed out on had you invested all at once at the start of the year.
Take this hypothetical chart, for example, where the stock price sits at $20 for three months out of the year, dips below $20 for seven and only increases for two months:
|Month||Share Price||Shares Purchased With $1,000|
As a result, the average share price is actually $18.88—meaning the average amount you paid for a share is $1.12 (or more than 5 percent) less than what you’d pay if you invested the full $12,000 in January. Yes, share prices could have risen a lot in between those two dates instead, and you may have ended up paying a little more on average than you would if you’d gotten lucky with your timing and picked up all your shares at $20. But trying to time the market is extremely hard and often a losing proposition.
Finally, dollar-cost averaging can help take the emotion out of investing. While it can be tempting to panic-sell when the market drops, doing so can mean you end up making a common mistake: selling low and locking in losses, then buying high as the stock recovers. Locking into a disciplined approach with dollar-cost averaging can help you stay the course, even in volatile times.
“People have a tendency to feel more comfortable investing if the market has been going up for quite a while and feel less comfortable after it has gone down. But this is generally the exact opposite of what you should be doing,” Silverman says. “Dollar-cost averaging allows investors to get past this tendency.”
Of course, dollar-cost averaging doesn’t guarantee you’ll make a profit or never lose money—no strategy can do that. But it’s a smart way to take advantage of the market’s natural fluctuations and start establishing good investing habits.
October 11, 2016 | <urn:uuid:c6d4f667-8fc9-4d90-80ca-6635784eb927> | CC-MAIN-2018-51 | https://grow.acorns.com/dollar-cost-averaging-is-simple-investing-strategy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-51/segments/1544376827175.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20181216003916-20181216025916-00635.warc.gz | en | 0.949797 | 821 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Where is the pollution in your home ?
Knowing that indoor air is up to 8 times more polluted than outdoor air and that we spend an average of 80% to 90% of our lives in closed spaces, it is important to know the sources of indoor pollution we are exposed to. Most often invisible, indoor air pollutants are numerous and can be easily hidden in each room of your house.
With the help of the following diagram, you will be able to identify the pollutants and allergens that affect your health on a daily basis, and thus set up a suitable AIR ET SANTÉ air purification solution.
AIR ET SANTÉ air purifiers are equipped with a high-performance medical filtration system that removes fine particles, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and allergens from the air in your home.
By purifying the air, you reduce the risk of exposure to indoor pollution and preserve your health.
carpet, rug, parquet
The outdoor air impact our indoor's.
1. If you live in a polluted area, for instance the city center or next to a agricultural zone, your indoor air can be contaminated.
2. The existence of trees or plants surrounding your habitat can create pollens and have consequences on your health with you are either allergic or sensitive.
Some equipments in you interior can generate pollution.
3. Furniture covered with varnish or chemicals can release VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) that pollute the interior of your home.
4. Air conditioning or VMC, if it is not well maintained or stuck, can prevent air from circulating or renewing itself.
5. A washing machine or a dryer can produce humidity. If they are places in a already humid or in a poorly ventilated room, they can create moisture that contaminates your indoor spaces.
6. The heating mode of a house can also impact negatively the indoor air pollution of your home. It is for instance the case with open fireplaces that generate fine particles as well as combustion devices like water-heater.
Your daily activites have consequences on indoor air pollution.
7. DIY can be a risky activity, it produces dust and uses often dangerous products.
8. Cooking can create vapors and fumes that pollute your indoor space.
9. Cleaning your home can have negative impact on your indoor air since the cleaning products you use are often made with many chemicals that contaminate your air and have strong odors.
10. Scenting the indoor air with sprays, essential oils or candles has harmful consequences on the air. They emit VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) that contaminate the air in your home.
11. Smoking inside or by the window can have a negative direct impact on your health but also that of your loved ones. This is an important source of pollution.
If you have respiratory allergies, the following elements can impact your health and your indoor air.
12. Having domestic animals. If you are allergic to cat's or dog's hairs, it can have strong consequences on your health.
13. Dust mites, present in your home, can also affect your breathing and your health if you are allergic.
14. Construction or decoration materials (paint, varnish, glue...) are often composed of numerous chemicals from which they emanate VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) that pollute the indoor air of homes.
15. Flooring also has an impact on indoor air pollution. If you have carpet, many rugs or parquet, these floors are more difficult to clean and can contain many dust mites and can contaminate your home.
Know more about : | <urn:uuid:4c24a4ba-5746-4000-a577-1b379d7018e1> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://www.air-and-health.com/pollution-air-interieur/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224648635.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20230602104352-20230602134352-00384.warc.gz | en | 0.921747 | 795 | 3 | 3 |
This project is aimed at finding the optimum structural system in preliminary building designs that consider wind loads.
Wind loading competes with seismic loading as a dominant environmental loading for building structures, especially high-rise towers. The distribution of wind action on buildings can be obtained from wind tunnel tests, wind codes of design standards, and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations.
Recent advances in numerical techniques and computer hardware/software have increased designers’ ability to analyse and simulate wind-related processes. In this project, wind loads on a building are firstly simulated using CFD and then the BESO algorithm is applied to optimise the topology of building structures, such as columns and braces.
Usually the overall stiffness of the building is maximised. Some of the building components might be assigned as non-designable, e.g. floor slabs and the lift core. Multiple wind directions combined with gravity are considered, and the most efficient structural form is achieved under multiple load cases.
- Mr Peter Felicetti
- Professor Mike Xie
- Dr Jiwu Tang
- J.W. Tang, Y.M. Xie, P. Felicetti, J.Y. Tu and J.D. Li, ’Numerical simulations of wind drags of straight and twisted polygonal buildings’, The Structural Design of Tall and Special Buildings, 22, pp 62-73, 2013. doi:10.1002/tal.657
- J.W. Tang, Y.M. Xie and P. Felicetti, ’Conceptual design of building structures subjected to wind load by using topology optimization’, Wind & Structures, 18(1), pp 21-35, 2014. | <urn:uuid:a04218c0-548f-48af-9698-593f2c3a84b0> | CC-MAIN-2018-22 | https://www.rmit.edu.au/research/research-institutes-centres-and-groups/research-centres/centre-for-innovative-structures-and-materials/projects/optimisation-of-building-structures-using-cfdbeso | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-22/segments/1526794867254.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20180525235049-20180526015049-00045.warc.gz | en | 0.883853 | 360 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Inge Auerbacher was born in Germany on December 31, 1934. Sixty Jewish families, including Inge's, had lived there for over 200 years. Inge's father served during World War I. He was wounded and received the German Iron Cross for his bravery. No amount of patriotic service could make the Nazis respect the Jews as human beings. Jews were hated and blamed for Germany's troubles. Inge's grandparents lived a far away, but they visited often. For Inge's second birthday, they gave her a beautiful blond-haired, blue-eyed doll. Inge slept with the doll and took her everywhere. One day, Inge leafed through the pages of her mother's album of movie stars and pointed to a striking woman with blue eyes and blond hair. When she asked who the lady was, her mother answered, "That is Marlene Dietrich." Inge immediately said, "I will name my doll Marlene." Many years later as an adult, she learned that the factory's name for this style of doll was "Inge." The doll had been designed for the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. The peace of the Jewish community was shattered by Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), a massive riot directed against the Jews in Germany and Austria on November 9th and 10th, 1938. A mob broke windows in the Jewish homes and stores. They demolished the inside of the synagogue and tore apart the holy scrolls, called "Torah" in Hebrew. Inge, her mother, and her grandmother saw it all from their living room, surrounded by broken glass. In the morning her father and grandfather were arrested and sent to Dachau concentration camp. Luckily, they were released after a few weeks. They spoke of the horrible treatment they had received. It was clear his patriotism and war medal would not help his family. Inge's family sold their home and moved in with her grandparents hoping they would find safety in another country soon. They were the only Jewish family in their village of a thousand people. By late 1941, all Jews age six and up were forced to wear the yellow Star of David sewn on their clothing. The star had the word Jude [Jew] on it, which marked them as outcasts. The family was increasingly frightened and their hopes of fleeing growing fainter. Six months later, the family was sent to a concentration camp where a guard ripped Inge's treasured Dutch boy pin from her coat, shouting "You won't need this where you're going!" He tore open her doll to search inside the hollow body for hidden valuables. Tears ran down Inge's cheeks as she watched, helpless. Satisfied that the doll was empty, the guard finally handed back her beloved Marlene. They were herded onto a crowded train and during the two-day trip, they were given little food. When they finally stopped, the guards ordered them to leave their belongings near the railroad tracks. Inge had her doll, Marlene, in her arms. Her family was sent to a large barrack to sleep on the concrete floor. Conditions at the Terezin concentration camp were harsh. Mice, rats, fleas, bed bugs, and lice were the inmates' constant companions. Meals consisted of a dark soup, a small portion of turnips, and a potato, with a small bread ration once a week. The people had to stand in long lines to get the meager food rations ladled into metal dishes. In all of this filth and hunger, Inge felt lucky that she had Marlene for company. The doll slept in a broken cardboard box near her head on the bunk. The war ended in Europe in May of 1945. Inge and her parents were finally able to immigrate to America in May of 1946. Eleven-year-old Inge was clutching the faithful Marlene when the family arrived in New York City where Inge still lives today. As for Marlene, she is now a symbol to the world of steadfast love and endurance. Inge donated Marlene to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC as a loving gift for all mankind. | <urn:uuid:da9693ff-e77b-485b-90ed-f108930004bd> | CC-MAIN-2018-05 | https://www.bookdepository.com/We-Are-One-Book-by-Me/9781514130339 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-05/segments/1516084891705.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20180123012644-20180123032644-00274.warc.gz | en | 0.990634 | 846 | 2.96875 | 3 |
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