text
stringlengths 198
621k
| id
stringlengths 47
47
| dump
stringclasses 95
values | url
stringlengths 15
1.73k
| file_path
stringlengths 110
155
| language
stringclasses 1
value | language_score
float64 0.65
1
| token_count
int64 49
160k
| score
float64 2.52
5.03
| int_score
int64 3
5
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Royal Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2014
Sir Henry Guildford (1489-1532)
A portrait drawing of Sir Henry Guildford (1489-1532). A bust length portrait facing three-quarters to the right. He wears a hat and chain. A study for the painting in the Royal Collection (RCIN 400046). Inscribed in an eighteenth-century hand at upper left: Harry Guldeford Knight.
Sir Henry Guildford (1489-1532) was one of Henry VIII’s closest friends. On the King’s accession in 1509 he was appointed Esquire of the Body - a personal attendant on the King - and Master of Revels, responsible for organising the lavish entertainments at court. His parties included morris dancers, moving stages and a series of elaborate costumes for the young King. Guildford’s influence at court was cut short in the 1519 purge of the so-called ‘minions’, an attempt by older statesmen to limit the influence of hot-headed young men on the 28-year-old monarch. Guildford soon returned to court, however, and developed a distinguished career as Comptroller of the Royal Household. In his continuing support for Katherine of Aragon he made a dangerous enemy of the King’s mistress, Anne Boleyn, and it is a mark of his friendship with Henry that he remained in post until his death in 1532.
Guildford was a keen scholar as well as an experienced courtier, and his humanist interests may have drawn him to Hans Holbein (1497/8-1543) who arrived in England with a recommendation from Desiderius Erasmus. The two almost certainly worked together in the planning of revels at Greenwich in 1527, when a ‘Master Hans’ carried out much of the decorative painting. Guildford was one of the first in England to commission a portrait from Holbein; both the preparatory drawing and the finished oil painting survive.
This work, the preparatory drawing for the painting, demonstrates Holbein’s versatility with chalk, which he has sharpened to create firm lines, blunted to give the contours of the hat, smudged to suggest the rich black of Guildford’s hair and dampened to give a flesh-coloured tone to the face. A slight line of pen and ink has been used to sharpen the bottom right edge of Guildford’s soft hat. The sheet has been cut down, but originally may have included the staff of office held in the sitter’s right hand. The preparatory drawing for the portrait of Guildford’s wife Mary, which survives in Basel, is on a much larger sheet (55.2 × 38.5 cm), and is probably closer to the original size of the present drawing.
The drawing is one of 11 by Holbein for which the final painted portrait survives. By laying tracings of Holbein drawings over the corresponding paintings, researchers have shown just how closely Holbein followed his preparatory sketches. This makes clear that, although today Holbein’s drawings are valued and admired as works of art in their own right, for the artist they were tools for the production of a finished portrait. He appears to have used a variety of methods to transfer images from drawing to painting. While the portrait of Thomas More has been pricked around its contours to allow these to be transferred by means of dusted chalk, the outlines of the majority of surviving portrait drawings, including this example, appear to have been traced onto panels with metalpoint and a chalk-covered paper, which would leave chalk lines on the panel.
Catalogue entry adapted from The Northern Renaissance. Dürer to Holbein, London 2011
Charles II, King of Great Britain (1630-85) | <urn:uuid:34827e82-2cac-4869-9340-192d3b77183c> | CC-MAIN-2014-42 | http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/912266/sir-henry-guildford-1489-1532 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-42/segments/1414119646269.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20141024030046-00212-ip-10-16-133-185.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965941 | 807 | 2.59375 | 3 |
facilitative - Meaning in Hindi
Sorry, we could not find an exact match.
We are constantly improving our dictionaries. Still, it is possible that some words are not available. You can ask other members in forums, or send us email. We will try and help.
Definitions and Meaning of facilitative in English
- freeing from difficulty or impediment.
- "facilitative changes in the economic structure"
Ad-free experience & much more
Important words and phrases in Marathi (For beginners)
About facilitative in Hindi
See facilitative meaning in Hindi, facilitative definition, translation and meaning of facilitative in Hindi. Learn and practice the pronunciation of facilitative. Find the answer of what is the meaning of facilitative in Hindi. देेखें facilitative का हिन्दी मतलब, facilitative का मीनिंग, facilitative का हिन्दी अर्थ, facilitative का हिन्दी अनुवाद।
Tags for the entry "facilitative"
What is facilitative meaning in Hindi, facilitative translation in Hindi, facilitative definition, pronunciations and examples of facilitative in Hindi. facilitative का हिन्दी मीनिंग, facilitative का हिन्दी अर्थ, facilitative का हिन्दी अनुवाद
Vocabulary & Quizzes
Try our vocabulary lists and quizzes. | <urn:uuid:fae3af83-3cb6-4ad3-b1f0-c180e826a827> | CC-MAIN-2022-49 | https://shabdkosh.com/dictionary/english-hindi/facilitative/facilitative-meaning-in-hindi | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-49/segments/1669446710898.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20221202050510-20221202080510-00054.warc.gz | en | 0.778326 | 433 | 2.53125 | 3 |
How a Painting of a Funeral Shaped the History of Art
The 19th century gave way to some of the most important artistic movements in history and gifted us with some of the most recognizable names in art: Monet, Degas, Cezanne, and Van Gogh. A name that might be less familiar to you and others is Gustave Courbet. His famous painting titled, “A Burial at Ornans” is incredibly important to art historians.
So why is this funeral scene so important?
Prior to 1851, Courbet was relatively unknown. That all changed when he exhibited this 22-foot-long painting at the government-sponsored Paris Salon, the most highly prestigious international art exhibition at that time. Courbet’s painting depicted a scene of rural life in a way that was very new and controversial. At the time, such a grand scale and careful attention to detail was exclusively reserved for showcasing “important” people; royals, aristocrats, and war heroes. But here was a simple and somber scene of middle-class citizens at a gravesite. It was true to life and contained no exaggerated spiritual connotations or romanticizing of death. He steered clear of symbolism and metaphor in favor of showing the reality of death. Instead of idealizing the people’s suffering, he showed the realness of grief. Believe it or not, this was a radical concept at the time. Realism was, to most audiences, even thought of as grotesque. Many viewers reacted as if Courbet’s work was an attack on art itself. They were offended that he represented rural, ordinary folk in a way that was traditionally reserved for those with much higher status and power. He seemed to portray the poor and suffering as if they had noble importance.
Courbet called this exhibition the “debut of my principles” and it solidified him as the leader of the Realist Movement in Paris. The support he gave, and the attention he paid, to the poor and oppressed was not accepted very well by the government, but he was determined to achieve artistic independence from the Salon-controlled academic style of art. Courbet was a huge inspiration to other artists, revolutionizing Western Art in many ways and paving the way for other modern movements like Impressionism. Shortly after his death in 1877, Courbet’s sister donated “A Burial at Ornans” to the French Ministry of Fine Arts, and it can now be viewed at Musée d’Orsay in Paris.
Courbet not only changed the course of art history, but he encouraged society to view grief in a new way. It isn’t something to be ashamed of; it’s simply a part of the healing process – something that everyone will experience. He, like other artists, musicians, and writers, used his platform to show us the reality of loss and the ways we can help one another recover. | <urn:uuid:d0ef0a8e-1d2a-4ebf-ab56-1e58066fffa5> | CC-MAIN-2019-04 | http://m.staabfuneralhomes.com/blog/painting-funeral-shaped-history-art/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-04/segments/1547583658901.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20190117082302-20190117104302-00173.warc.gz | en | 0.972306 | 607 | 3.9375 | 4 |
Human brains grow three times larger than those of our primate cousins – and researchers have just figured out how.
In a study led by the Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK, researchers identified a molecular “switch” that can make ape and human brain organoids grow like the other.
“This provides some of the first insight into what is different about the developing human brain that sets us apart from our closest living relatives, the other great apes,” says lead researcher Madeline Lancaster.
The organoids used in the study are 3D tissues, about the size of a pea, grown in a lab from stem cells from humans, gorillas and chimpanzees. They were used to model early brain development in vitro, showing how stem cells called neural progenitors split into identical daughter cells to make neurons. The more they multiply, the more neurons will develop later.
Neural progenitors start with a cylindrical shape that makes it easy for them to multiply, but over time they elongate into a conical shape (like a stretched ice cream cone). This has previously been shown to slow their multiplication.
This new research, published in the journal Cell, used brain organoids to show that this transition occurs more slowly in humans compared to gorillas and chimpanzees – over seven days, compared to five.
The progenitor cells in human brain organoids not only retained their cylindrical shape for longer, but also split more frequently so more cells were produced. This was linked to a gene called ZEB2, which switches on sooner in gorilla brain organoids than in human. By delaying the effects of the gene, the researchers found that gorilla brain organoids develop slower and become larger.
“We have found that a delayed change in the shape of cells in the early brain is enough to change the course of development, helping determine the numbers of neurons that are made,” explains Lancaster. “It’s remarkable that a relatively simple evolutionary change in cell shape could have major consequences in brain evolution.”
It is important to note, however, that organoids are only models and do not replicate how fully grown brains function – this study just provides insight into the mechanisms that take place during key stages of brain development.
Lauren Fuge is a science journalist at Cosmos. She holds a BSc in physics from the University of Adelaide and a BA in English and creative writing from Flinders University.
Read science facts, not fiction...
There’s never been a more important time to explain the facts, cherish evidence-based knowledge and to showcase the latest scientific, technological and engineering breakthroughs. Cosmos is published by The Royal Institution of Australia, a charity dedicated to connecting people with the world of science. Financial contributions, however big or small, help us provide access to trusted science information at a time when the world needs it most. Please support us by making a donation or purchasing a subscription today. | <urn:uuid:b3184d64-ef46-48ef-91bf-9cd1e75e6331> | CC-MAIN-2021-49 | https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/why-do-humans-have-bigger-brains-than-apes/?amp=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-49/segments/1637964364169.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20211209122503-20211209152503-00311.warc.gz | en | 0.946667 | 619 | 3.9375 | 4 |
In CSI, the phenomenally successful television show about forensic science, DNA evidence is usually presented as something of a clincher. It's often said that a crime-scene sample that matches a suspect's genetic fingerprint leaves only a one in a million chance that he or she is innocent, and this sort of evidence is often among the most likely to convince judges and juries.
The police and the Home Office see it as so valuable and reliable that they want the Police National DNA Database to retain samples from people who are arrested but never convicted, even though the European Court of Human Rights has ruled this unlawful.
Since it was developed by Sir Alec Jeffreys in 1984, DNA fingerprinting has indeed helped to solve thousands of crimes, both convicting the guilty and exonerating the innocent. But valuable as it is, it is no more infallible than any other investigational tool. A fresh reason why has been highlighted this week by the New York Times, with a story suggesting that genetic evidence can easily be faked.
A team from an Israeli company called Nucleix, led by Dan Frumkin, has fabricated samples of blood and saliva that were provided by one person, but which carry the DNA of another. The scientists, whose work is published in the journal Forensic Science International: Genetics, also showed they can build DNA samples to match anybody whose genetic code is recorded in a database, without even obtaining any tissue.
The implications sound pretty worrying. An enterprising criminal could cover his tracks, and frame someone else, by collecting cells from a glass they had used and turning it into a saliva or blood sample carrying the innocent person's DNA. An unscrupulous policeman with access to the DNA database might even be able to use its contents to create evidence that would implicate a suspect. The techniques involved, Frumkin claimed, are not particularly complicated. "You can just engineer a crime scene," he told the NYT. "Any biology undergraduate could perform this."
It's quite true that DNA evidence is potentially open to manipulation in this manner. I'm not entirely convinced, though, that this paper undermines its value in criminal investigations quite as extensively as it might seem.
For a start, as The Register notes, it's already perfectly plausible for a criminal to plant hair from another person at a crime scene, without recourse to a laboratory. Frumkin's claims about the simplicity of making DNA evidence notwithstanding, few criminals will have the resources or know-how to do it. And in many cases, their own DNA will be more abundant than the evidence they plant -- a rapist, for example, will still be vulnerable from the semen he leaves behind him.
Frumkin's company, incidentally, is trying to sell police forces a system it has designed for telling manufactured DNA apart from the real thing, by analysing methylation patterns (which are involved in switching genes on and off). It clearly has an interest in promoting the idea that this is going to be a major problem.
What this research does highlight, however, is the danger of treating DNA evidence as something special. Important as it can be, it can only ever be one element of the evidence that builds a case beyond reasonable doubt -- and that applies whether or not it is easy to fake.
The one-in-a-million probability of a chance match is a good place to start. The basic maths are correct enough, but that doesn't mean that the chances that a suspect who matches that sample is innocent are also one in a million. All that a match does is to place that person at the crime scene -- and most crime scenes will be littered with DNA from perfectly innocent people. Absent further evidence pointing to guilt, that should never be sufficient to convict.
What matters is the context in which DNA is found, and the supporting evidence. DNA from semen found on a rape victim, or skin cells under the fingernails of a murder victim, is one thing. A few hairs on the floor of a corner shop that has been robbed are quite another.
However simple it is to fabricate DNA evidence, it should never be trivial to plant it in a properly convincing way. So long as we see genetic fingerprints as one tool among many for solving crimes, and do not exaggerate what they can tell us, we should be reasonably safe from miscarriages of justice.Visit Times online for more information | <urn:uuid:85b61dca-9143-49a9-86be-a123dea35cc1> | CC-MAIN-2016-22 | http://sciencesowhat.blogspot.com/2009/08/fabricated-genetic-fingerprints-and.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-22/segments/1464049277313.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20160524002117-00103-ip-10-185-217-139.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975994 | 886 | 3 | 3 |
▲Click to view image details
▲Click image to select
- Kuwagata Keisai(Kitao Masayoshi) (鍬形蕙斎(北尾政美)) [1764-1824]
- 33.2 x 55.7㎝
- With mounting
- 121.1 x 68.3㎝
- Light color on silk
- *Signature "紹真筆" and seal "紹真"
*Poem on the right: "袖婦(ふ)るひ/ふるひ出(いづ)らん/花の寄(よせ)" and signature "嵐亭富屋"
*Kuwagata Keisai (鍬形蕙斎) (1764~1824)
Ukiyoe artist in the late Edo period. Studied under Kitao Shigemasa first and called himself Kitao Masayoshi.
Santo Kyoden is his fellow pupil.
Started his life as an illustrator and bacame famous for having drown a bird's-eye view of Edo.
After becoming an official painter of Tsuyama domain, he studied under Kano Korenobu, called himself Kuwagata Keisai(鍬形蕙斎) or Tsuguzane (紹真),
stopped creating woodblock prints and drew many original drawings.
In addition to Kano school, his style of work contains Yamatoe and Rinpa.
As his name was inserted in "戯作者考補遺" written by 木村黙老, he was a highly esteemed painter at that time.
*嵐亭富屋… haiku poet in the middle Edo period.
Inquiries about Works | <urn:uuid:0df73079-b8c9-48d9-bc17-f482a7fa34bf> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://gallery-so.net/artistwork/oharame | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875145746.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20200223032129-20200223062129-00225.warc.gz | en | 0.951136 | 446 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor August Ernst, Kronprinz des Deutschen
Reiches und von
(06.05.1882 - 20.07.1951)
place of birth: Marmorpalais, Potsdam (Brandenburg)
Preußen: Kronprinz, OBH, General der Infanterie
sons born to Kaiser Wilhelm
II and Augusta Victoria, Friedrich Wilhelm (Willy) was formally referred to as the
"His Imperial Highness Crown Prince William of the German Empire
and Prussia". During the Great War,
his British counterparts often
referred to him at the Clown Prince.
Although he did not begin actual military service until 18,
at the age of six (1888) he became youngest corporal in the
Prussian Army and, as was customary for all Hohenzollern princes, was commissioned
in 1892 as a 10-year old in the 1st Foot Guards. He never became a
however, which was apparently a deep embarrassment
to his father the Kaiser. Following one of their frequent quarrels ,
Willy was at least initially denied a command in the coveted Totenkopf Husar Regiment (the Death's Head Hussars).
He then spent four years as a
cadet studying at the Plön Academy alongside his
brother, Eitel Friedrich, and two years studying law in Bonn.
His pre-war politics were very right-wing, focusing on Pan-Germanism as
well as anti-semitism.
by relying on the sword can we gain the place in the sun that is
our due, but that is not voluntarily accorded us."
Crown Prince Wilhelm
shortly prior to the Great War
The Crown Prince served most of the
pre-war years with the 1. Foot Guards Regiment in Potsdam, but he also
commanded a Leib-Hussar regiment in Danzig under the noted Totenkopf
commanding general August von Mackensen. For a few months immediately
prior to the war, Willy was also in service with the Great General Staff
in Berlin. He married Duchess Cecelie zu Mecklinburg, with whom he had
four sons and two daughters. His eldest child Wilhelm served as First
Lieutenant during the Second World War and was mortally wounded during
fighting at Valenciennes, France.
As Germany mobilized for the Great War in early August 1914, the
32-year old princely lieutenant general was given command of the Fifth
Army which was tasked with holding the French in check along the Western
Front's southern flank. Granting command of a field army to a crown
prince was also a time-honored Hohenzollern tradition. Although
Willy was a leader with sound insight and fairly good instincts, he did
nonetheless have a dubious reputation as a commander -- the Allies
ridiculed him as an imbecile and referred to him as the Clown Prince
-- but his early successes in the Ardennes helped change this
reputation somewhat. His troops early on were able to capture the
fortress at Longwy, and he was awarded a much-coveted Pour le
Merite in 1915 for his leadership and valor. His insistence on going
on the offensive and charging into Lorraine, however, also forced
Chief of Staff von Moltke to transfer some northern flank divisions to
the south, thus altering the von Schlieffen Plan.
Crown Prince Wilhelm's troops were also engaged at Verdun
in 1916, an
experience which caused him to begin to see the senselessness of the
He thereafter was charged with leading Army Group Deutscher Kronprinz
which in 1918 had some noteworthy successes along the Aisne-Champagne
front. He continued to become more disillusioned about Germany's
prospects and in vain campaigned Supreme Headquarters to pursue a policy
As the war ended, the young general followed his father
into exile in the Netherlands, living on the island of Wieringen in the
Zuiderzee and officially renouncing any right to the throne. In 1923, he
returned to his wife Cecilie at their home in Potsdam where he began
rubbing shoulders with some of the Nazi leadership, including Hitler
himself. The German government paid an allowance to Willy and his
brothers but threatened to cut them off should they ever speak out
against the Nazis. Hitler's promise to the Crown Prince that that he
would eventually restore the monarchy was of course never to take place.
Willy remained a civilian during World War Two, but he was placed under
arrest by the French for a short time after the war. Shortly after
moving to Hohenzollern Castle in Hechingen Baden-Württemburg,
the erstwhile crown prince and army commander died of a heart attack in
1951. He is laid to rest there in the St. Michaels-Bastei.
der Infanterie ..
le Mérite .................
àls d.1GR.z.F., d.Gren.R.1, d.Kür.R.2, d.Hus.R.1., d.2.GLR.,
d.Bayer.6.Inf.R., d.1.UlanR., d.Sächs.Gren.R.101, d.Ulan.R.21.,
d.Württ.Inf.R.120, ud.1.SeeBn, OberstInh.d.Öster.
Ungar.Jazygier u.Kumanier 13.Hus.R., i.Öster.7.Hus.R, Chef d.
Russ.Kleinruss.Drag.R.14, àls d.Russ.Leib Garde St.Petersburg
R.König Friedrich Wilhelm III., Chef d.Großbrit.11.Prince
Alberts Own Hus.R., àls d.Spanisch.Drag.R.11.Numancia. | <urn:uuid:784f8c5f-23fb-44f3-b782-b7d0b126bc7c> | CC-MAIN-2014-52 | http://home.comcast.net/~jcviser/aok/fwkronprinz.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-52/segments/1418802769894.131/warc/CC-MAIN-20141217075249-00162-ip-10-231-17-201.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935513 | 1,310 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Central and Northern Ukraine overview
Central and Northern parts of Ukraine are well known for their highly developed and diverse agriculture, which creates the basis for a variety of food processing productions.
Central and Northern Ukraine info
The region is also rich in assorted minerals including oil and natural gas as well as other minerals used in chemical products and building material manufacturing.
Considerable areas of forest make Central and Northern Ukraine one of the leaders in wood working and paper industry. Significant population of the region creates stable demand for locally produced consumer goods and electric and electronic appliances.
Other products of Central and Northern Ukraine machine building enterprises include agricultural and construction machinery, aircrafts, different production equipment and vehicles. | <urn:uuid:9c99ddb3-5c34-471d-9943-99f84bfc79bd> | CC-MAIN-2015-06 | http://ukrainetrek.com/central-district | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-06/segments/1422115869647.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20150124161109-00225-ip-10-180-212-252.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947029 | 136 | 2.515625 | 3 |
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is responsible for promoting workplace health and safety in the United States, and it enforces standards for acceptable practices for a wide range of workplace activities. OSHA limits air pressure from open outlets because of risk of injury through dead-ending.
Dead-ending occurs when the nozzle or outlet of a hose, tube or other aperture is blocked. Blocking or "dead-ending" a high-air-pressure outlet with a hand or other body part can lead to air entering the body through the skin, causing soft tissue damage or an air bubble in the bloodstream, known as an embolism. If the air enters through a cavity such as a nostril or ear, physical injury can be serious.
High-Pressure Air in the Workplace
A threat of workplace injuries from dead-ending of high-pressure air jets arises primarily in the use of compressed air guns for cleaning purposes. Very high-pressure air is often used to drive power tools, but is also effective at removing detritus when sprayed through a nozzle or cleaning lance.
Under standard number 1910.242, regulating the use of hand and portable powered tools and equipment, OSHA has issued a directive limiting the pressure of air expelled through the nozzle of equipment used for cleaning purposes to less than 30 psi, or pounds per square inch. OSHA recommends the use of air pressure regulators, which can control the pressure of air supplied to the outlet of a cleaning tool, while allowing higher-pressure air to be driven directly to power tools. | <urn:uuid:de6be524-adcf-4142-bbc2-f6f5c42d2224> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://www.ehow.com/facts_6925556_osha-standard-dead_end-pressure.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886102307.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20170816144701-20170816164701-00455.warc.gz | en | 0.925298 | 316 | 3.109375 | 3 |
A black hole of miser gas
It seems to be like that for the black hole in the cluster of galaxies RX J1532.9 3021. It would seem that in fact, it takes everything for itself, blocking the birth of thousands of billions of stars. It is what has been shown in a study based on satellite data from Hubble and Chandra and appeared in the Astrophysical Journal in November 2013.
A composite image (X-ray and optical) where the two telescopes Chandra and Hubble show the black hole at the center of the cluster of galaxies RX J1532.9 3021. Credit: Observations in the X-ray: NASA / CXC / Stanford / J.Hlavacek – Larrondo et al, in the optical observations: NASA / ESA / STScI / M.Postman & CLASH team
Miser gas. It seems that the black hole in the cluster of galaxies RX J1532.9 3021 is besieged by miser gas. It would, in fact, take everything for itself, blocking the birth of thousands of billions of stars. It is what has been shown in a study based on satellite data from Hubble and Chandra and appeared in the Astrophysical Journal in November 2013.
The scene of the “crime” is located about 3.9 billion light years from Earth, and shows an extreme phenomenon that has been noticed in other galaxies, but on smaller scales.
According to scientists from the Chandra Observatory “the large amount of hot gas near the center of the cluster is an enigma.” The hot gas that emits X-rays should cool down and the gas of higher density at the center of the cluster should cool down even faster. The pressure in this central region where the gas is colder than it should be, it should go down, and it may fall toward the galaxy’s gas farther, thus forming trillions of stars along the way.
However, in this case, astronomers have found no evidence of this expected star formation at the center of the cluster.
What is then blocking the stars? According to data from Chandra and the National Science Foundation Karl G. Jansky, Very Large Array, he guilty party could be the supersonic jets emitted by the black hole in the central galaxy of storage pushing out the gas present in the area, forming cavities on both sides of the galaxy. These cavities, among other things, are immense: 100,000 light years in diameter each, which makes them less big as the Milky Way (The Milky Way is a disk about 120000 light years).
The big question is: where does this power come from? Could it be that the black hole is ultramassive (ten billion times the mass of the Sun) and therefore would have a mass that emit jets without eating itself and produce radiation. Alternatively, the black hole could be smaller (one billion times the mass of the Sun), but it would rotate more quickly, which would enable it to make such powerful jets. | <urn:uuid:09789bd8-fbe9-4d3b-99b2-1e9f72d7ea89> | CC-MAIN-2018-17 | https://spacefan.org/a-black-hole-of-miser-gas/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-17/segments/1524125937193.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20180420081400-20180420101400-00574.warc.gz | en | 0.943545 | 615 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Seventy-five percent of species found in Madagascar do not exist anywhere else in the world. Unfortunately, more than ninety percent of Madagascar’s original forests have been destroyed resulting in the displacement of many species of animals. Eden Reforestation Projects restores natural habitats and helps protect some of the endangered species found in Madagascar.
At least seventeen lemur species have gone extinct since humans arrived on the island of Madagascar. Out of the one hundred eleven known lemur species and subspecies, one hundred five lemur species are critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable. Coquerel’s sifakas are one of the many lemur species labeled under the endangered category. It is estimated that fifty percent of the Coquerel’s sifakas population has decreased over the past fifty years, primarily as a result of deforestation. As forests are destroyed by slash and burn agriculture, livestock farming, and charcoal production, the Coquerel’s sifakas lose their habitat.
Radiated tortoises are one of the world’s rarest tortoises. This species naturally resides in the south and southwestern regions of Madagascar. Radiated tortoises are critically endangered due to a loss of habitat, being poached for food, and pet trade exploitation. It is illegal to export and import radiated tortoises as a critically endangered species. However, people still smuggle radiated tortoises out of Madagascar. Recently, Eden Reforestation Projects stopped eight radiated tortoises from being smuggled and nursed them back to health at the Eden Nature Center in Mahajanga.
There are over 150 species of chameleons. Two-thirds of all of these chameleon species are endemic to Madagascar and over fifty percent of them are threatened with extinction. The Belalanda chameleon, bizarre-nosed chameleon, and Namoroka leaf chameleon are three examples of chameleon species that are critically endangered. Deforestation and pet trade are the primary reasons the chameleon population is declining. To prevent chameleons from becoming extinct, protection of the species and their habitat is critical.
Protecting Endangered Species
As poaching and deforestation continue, the risk of extinction increases for all of the species in Madagascar. Eden Reforestation Projects is taking action to protect and restore natural habitats through their Employ-to-Plant methodology. They have hired hundreds of local villagers in Madagascar to restore their forests by planting trees. To this day, over 309 million trees have been planted in Madagascar, and thousands more are being planted every day. Eden Reforestation Projects is partnered with two National Park systems in Madagascar to reforest and revive endangered species’ natural habitat. The projects ’ restoration efforts are bringing back the forests and creating a haven for many of the endangered species in Madagascar.
Eden Reforestation Projects further protects endangered and vulnerable species through the Eden Nature Center. Some of these species include the aye-aye, the flat-tailed spider tortoise, the fossa, the madagascan flying fox and the madagascar sea-eagle. Employees of Eden Reforestation Projects safely retrieve species that are in danger due to smuggling, poaching, injuries, and more. At the Eden Nature Center, species are nursed back to health and are protected from further harm. These species are either released back into their natural habitat or within the Nature Center’s forest to continue wildlife conservation efforts. | <urn:uuid:333a2449-72f6-4e06-b430-9707afbfd1c2> | CC-MAIN-2020-45 | https://www.activegiving.de/2020/07/15/endangered-species-in-madagascar/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-45/segments/1603107878662.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20201021235030-20201022025030-00291.warc.gz | en | 0.925279 | 708 | 3.359375 | 3 |
Waiting until a child is in third grade or later before identifying dyslexia is no longer acceptable, researchers say.
A new study shows that a large reading achievement gap between dyslexic and typical children is already present by first grade, but early effective intervention at the beginning of school can narrow or even close it.
“These new data represent a paradigm shift in how dyslexia has been perceived up to now, with current emphasis often on reading by grade three,” says senior author Sally Shaywitz, professor of learning development at Yale University.
“We now know that the achievement gap between typical and dyslexic readers is already present and large at first grade. Developmentally, we know that reading growth is greatest in the very first years of school. This mandates that the screening and identification of children with dyslexia occur early, even prior to first grade.”
For the study, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, researchers conducted a longitudinal study of reading from first grade to 12th grade and beyond and found that as early as first grade, compared with typical readers, dyslexic readers had lower reading scores. Further, their trajectories over time never converge with those of typical readers.
“If the persistent achievement gap between dyslexic and typical readers is to be narrowed, or even closed, reading interventions must be implemented early, when children are still developing the basic foundation for reading acquisition,” says Emilio Ferrer, professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis.
“These data demonstrate that such differences are not so much a function of increasing disparities over time, but instead reflect marked differences already present in first grade between typical and dyslexic readers,” the authors write, but implementing screening and effective reading programs as early as kindergarten offers the potential to close the achievement gap. | <urn:uuid:8d01aae1-bd2d-4185-923a-803968ea2514> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | http://www.futurity.org/dyslexia-reading-diagnosis-1042602/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585371830894.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20200409055849-20200409090349-00432.warc.gz | en | 0.965473 | 383 | 3.46875 | 3 |
King Henry VI, who contested the Wars of the Roses, in spirit at least, with King Edward IV had only one child, Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales. In 1469, the Earl of Warwick, the Kingmaker, had rebelled against King Edward IV with the king’s brother George. In need of support, Warwick allied himself with Henry VI’s wife, Margaret of Anjou, in France and planned an invasion to place the captive Lancastrian king back upon the throne. In 1470 Edward was forced into exile in Burgundy. With him, amongst others, was his youngest brother Richard, who took ship at King’s Lynn for exile on the day of his 18th birthday. King Edward returned in 1471 to reclaim his throne. Warwick was killed at the Battle of Barnet, leaving the separate Lancastrian army led by Margaret of Anjou as the only remaining force opposing him. George had re-joined his brothers, finding the rewards of a Lancastrian restoration somewhat lacking. On 4th May 1471, Prince Edward took the field of battle at Tewkesbury to press his father’s cause against King Edward IV. The Lancastrians lost the battle and Prince Edward was killed either during the fighting or in the rout that followed.
Shakespeare has Richard as Duke of Gloucester plotting the murder of the 17 year old prince and revelling in the death. Holinshed’s ‘Chronicle’, which was first published in 1577, claims that Richard struck the first blow against Edward. Before that, Polydore Vergil, Henry VII’s official historian, wrote in his ‘Anglica Historia’ that William, Lord Hastings, George, Duke of Clarence and Richard, Duke of Gloucester killed the young man after the trio had captured him. The most contemporary sources are the Yorkist account of ‘The Arrivall of Edward IV’ which has Edward ‘slayne in the field’ and the Lancastrian Warkworth’s ‘Chronicle’ which has Prince Edward captured by his brother in law George, Duke of Clarence whilst fleeing the field after the battle was lost. Warkworth describes Prince Edward crying to the Duke of Clarence, his brother in law by virtue of their marriages to the daughters of the Earl of Warwick, for mercy. Clarence, until only recently allied to the cause of Edward and his mother, Margaret of Anjou, refuses to listen to the Prince’s pleading and has him executed on a makeshift block in the field.
The closest that we have to an impartial contemporary source is the ‘Crowland Chronicle’, the author (or authors, as it is a continuation chronicle written by several different individuals) of which is unknown. The writer is generally considered to be a well informed, politically active and astute person, perhaps working within the court. On the subject of Tewkesbury and Prince Edward’s death, the Chronicle walks something of a middle line, remaining uncommitted in telling us ‘…there were slain on the queen’s side, either in the field or after the battle, by the avenging hands of certain persons, prince Edward, the only son of king Henry…”. The Crowland Chronicler then lists other notable names slain but is obviously uncertain precisely what happened to each of them, even from a well informed position. The ‘avenging hands’ could belong to King Edward, to Richard or to George as we will see later.
So, it seems, the story of Richard’s personal culpability grew as his reputation darkened. ‘The Arrival’ smoothes over the incident, if there was one, and whilst this may be expected from a Yorkist source, even the Lancastrian Warkworth did not blame Richard, but rather his fickle and ambitious brother George for any atrocity.
It is worth considering, though, what the implications might be if it had in fact been Richard that killed Edward. If the Prince died during the fighting of the battle as ‘The Arrivall’ suggests, then there can be no crime committed here. Although only 17 years old, Prince Edward was, by the standard of his time, of age for battle. His own mother had sent him, or at least allowed him to ride, onto the field of battle and both must have been aware of the risks involved. If Richard personally slew the Prince during the course of the battle then I suspect he and his brother the king would have considered it a reason for celebration.
Edward IV’s Sunne In Splendour
Edward represented the revitalisation of the Lancastrian cause. His father was a disastrous king who few would wish to see on the throne again. Edward, however, was a young, active and promising candidate to breathe new life into the failing line. It is entirely possible that Edward and Margaret intended to have Henry step aside in favour of his son once the fight was won, so the removal of this last big threat to Yorkist rule would have been a cause for celebration to King Edward IV.
What of an execution after the battle? Well, if Richard had perpetrated such an act it would also, by the standard of the age, have been a fact of war. Distasteful and illegal, yes, but not a singular event. With the battle lost, what other outcome was likely for the young man? Richard, Duke of York, the father of Edward IV, George and Richard was killed at the Battle of Wakefield in 1460. At the time, Edward was 18 years old and mustering reinforcements to assist his father. He did not arrive in time. George was 11 years of age and Richard only 8. Alongside the Duke of York died his other son, Edmund, then aged 17, the same age as Prince Edward was at Tewkesbury. The Duke was killed during the fighting and Edmund was supposedly executed in the field afterwards by Lord Clifford, the son of a Lancastrian killed at the earlier Battle of St Albans, in an act of vengeance. This story is not a certain fact either, but bears a striking resemblance to the tale of Prince Edward’s end.
Not only were the Duke and Edmund killed, though, they were ritually humiliated and their bodies brutalised. Richard’s corpse was placed sitting on an anthill, a paper crown on his head while Lancastrian soldiers laughed and jeered, bowing to the dead body. Then, the bodies of Richard, Edmund and the Earl of Salisbury were decapitated so their heads could be placed on spikes on Micklegate Bar at the entrance to York. That kind of cruel treatment of a corpse was distasteful and dishonourable even in those more brutal times. Could this be the motive for the ‘avenging hands’ the Crowland Chronicler alludes to? Hands, of course, could mean more than one person. Did the sons of York exact their revenge at Tewkesbury?
If Prince Edward was, in fact, executed in cold blood after the battle and if the act was at the direction of Richard, Duke of Gloucester rather than George, Duke of Clarence, might it not be at least understandable? The cause for which Prince Edward brought war to England once more was the promotion of a faction that had murdered Richard’s own father and brother and despoiled the bodies. The Lancastrians had set the benchmark and killing as a form of retribution was rife throughout the Wars of the Roses.
So why is this incident singled out? It can only be because it could be used to demonstrate an aspect of Richard’s personality – a proclivity for vicious, cold blooded killing of young people – which could then be extrapolated to make him the potential, if not indeed likely, child killer that he was, by reputation, becoming. Shakespeare cannot be entirely blamed for this fabrication, since by the time Holinshed wrote Richard’s guilty participation had become an accepted version of the demise of the poor, young, innocent Lancastrian Prince of Wales. Richard had done it at least once. What would stop him doing it again, to boys even younger, relations even, if the prize were big enough?
Given that there is no conclusive evidence that this incident even took place, and given that the contemporary material that does claim it as fact blames someone other than Richard, Duke of Gloucester, I do not believe that we could find him guilty, certainly not beyond a reasonable doubt and not even on the balance of probability. That measure would seem to lay the blame for any offence at Clarence’s feet. I believe later writers found accounts of the incident that blamed George and thought that the story would serve a better purpose, be more dramatic and foreboding if George were simply replaced with his brother. With the benefit of hindsight, this and accusations that followed were the foundations upon which Richard was to be accused of his most notorious crime. We will see the laying of those foundations take another dark turn in the next part of the story.
Matthew Lewis is the author of a brief biography of Richard III, A Glimpse of King Richard III and the novel of King Richard III’s life Loyalty. Matt can also be found on Twitter @mattlewisauthor.
To receive the latest Royal Central posts straight to your email inbox, enter your email address below and press subscribe.
Join 437 other subscribers | <urn:uuid:26844f84-1ead-431b-8677-db20c4545f52> | CC-MAIN-2015-06 | http://royalcentral.co.uk/blogs/history/the-defence-of-richard-iii-part-2-the-foundations-of-evil-13790 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-06/segments/1422115858583.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20150124161058-00032-ip-10-180-212-252.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979003 | 1,959 | 3.171875 | 3 |
There has been a growth of investigation into the concept of successful aging in recent years. The most commonly used explanation is the increase in lifespan of those living in modern times, the most beneficent group as of yet being the “baby boomers”,
or the generation of people born right after WWII. A substantially larger amount of people are living past retirement than ever before, and they are looking to the best way to continue into life after accomplishing most of the goals that they set for themselves so long ago. There have been many studies into the subject, with methods ranging from following the subjects health over long periods of time to making connections between activities and happiness. For the most part, all of these studies have made very similar conclusions in how to help yourself age well.
The key factor to successful aging seems to be the idea of overall “wellness” (Seeman 1). Wellness is the goal which is accomplished through the manipulation of many different aspects of an aging person’s lifestyle. The most important aspects include intellectual, emotional, physical, social, occupational, and spiritual wellbeing. Though different people may have had different ways of taking care of each dimension of their wellness, it may be noted that each person who took care of every dimension in some way were still as happy as those who did the same through different methods (Seeman 2).
One example of this can be seen through the methods of maintaining physical health. Whether it is biking, walking, jogging or leisurely playing Frisbee with a pet, it has been shown that peoples overall health takes on a much more positive influence from daily physical activity (CDC 1). Many seniors do not realize the many benefits of physical activity. Amongst obvious reasons, activity seems to help prevent or slow down the onset of high blood pressure, stroke, depression, colon cancer, osteoporosis, and obesity, diabetes. Maintaining strength also helps to prevent falls and counteract the loss of muscle mass that comes from aging, also known as sarcopenia (CDC 2).
Some things that may seem to be the smallest part of your life may be helping you in many ways. For most people, getting together with friends for group activities, even competitive ones, have shown to help the individuals sustain their intellectual, emotional, and social dimensions. This is why seniors are encouraged to involve themselves in recreational activities with others.
With the realization of the need of physical activity for seniors came about the rise of senior sensitive group activities at health clubs and gyms. For example, many sports clubs offer water classes, which is easy on seniors who have issues with arthritis (CDC 3). There are businesses marketed towards seniors now that there are more of them. One such example I happen to know of is a portable video game made for seniors to play with while idly waiting in a bus, or sitting down at the park with a morning tea. It was created to help maintain the player’s cognitive skills while aging through the many simple yet challenging timed mini-games.
So really things are looking good for the older generations of today, and are constantly growing to be even better for the elderly of the future. | <urn:uuid:97049229-c244-4936-8b20-6fd40c28c5e6> | CC-MAIN-2021-31 | https://www.freeonlineresearchpapers.com/successful-aging/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-31/segments/1627046154089.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20210731105716-20210731135716-00418.warc.gz | en | 0.974627 | 644 | 2.703125 | 3 |
On March 24, 2016, after a 45-year effort, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) issued a final rule intended to limit workers’ exposure to respirable crystalline silica, a carcinogenic dust pervasive in nearly every industry, including construction, foundries, and fracking, and a cause of lung cancer and kidney disease. Under the new rule, the permissible exposure limit (“PEL”) that workers can be exposed to for airborne crystalline silica has been lowered to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air (50 µg/m3) averaged over an eight-hour day – a sharp reduction of previous PELs. The Department of Labor has declared the new regulations “among the broadest that OSHA has issued, in terms of the number of industry sectors and establishments potentially affected,” and the new rules are expected to impact more than 675,000 workplaces. To reduce the risk of receiving OSHA citations for exposing employees to high silica levels, employers in a broad range of industries will have to implement new procedures to reduce worker exposure to silica dust.
OSHA first created standards addressing silica in 1971, during the agency’s initial year of existence. Under the previous standard, general industries could not expose their workers to a PEL greater than 100 µg/m3, while the construction industry could not expose workers to a PEL greater than 250 µg/m3. Since the standard was adopted in 1971, the government has repeatedly attempted to lower the PELs but has not been successful due to silica’s ubiquitous nature – it is present almost everywhere. Silica is found in roads, buildings, and sidewalks, and in substances such as sand, stone, rock, concrete, brick, block, and mortar. As such, exposure to silica occurs in a wide array of workplace operations, including cutting, sawing, drilling, and crushing of concrete, brick, block, rock, and stone products (such as in construction tasks), and operations using sand products (such as in glass manufacturing, foundries, sand blasting, and hydraulic fracturing). After nearly 45 years of regulatory inaction, OSHA has finally succeeded in lowering PELs to 50 µg/m3 – representing half the previous PEL for general industries and an 80 percent reduction of the previous PEL for the construction industry. These new limits will impact hundreds of thousands of workers, with OSHA estimating that of the 1.85 million construction workers exposed to silica, over 640,000 will be exposed to levels that exceed the new PEL. For maritime and general industry workers, including those in oil and gas operations, jobs involving concrete, and jobs at foundries and railroads, OSHA has estimated that more than 125,000 workers will face exposure levels higher than are permissible under the new rule. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels has noted that the new regulations “will have a bigger impact than any regulation that OSHA has issued in the last 20 years in terms of saving lives and preventing illnesses.”
In addition to reducing the PEL to 50 µg/m3 for an average eight-hour day, the rules impose additional obligations on employers, such as a requirement to implement procedures to measure silica amounts that workers are potentially exposed to if those amounts may be at an action level of 25 µg/m3. Furthermore, in a shift from traditional OSHA procedures, the regulations now require that employers first use engineering controls to limit worker exposure to silica dust, a new direction for OSHA. If engineering controls cannot adequately limit exposure, companies must provide workers with respirators or limit worker access to high-exposure areas. Moreover, employers are required to develop a written exposure control plan, offer medical exams to highly exposed workers, and train workers on silica risks and how to limit exposures. Employers are also required to provide medical exams to monitor highly exposed workers and give information regarding their lung health.
The new final rule marks only the second time in 15 years that there has been a new, comprehensive health standard promulgated by OSHA, and the news media is already calling the silica regulation “the most significant change in workplace health law” during the current administration. News organizations have noted that the long delay in announcing changes to the silica standard is a result of the rule “imposing enormous costs on business.” It is anticipated that employers will have to purchase updated equipment to implement methods that will help reduce exposure to silica, including isolating silica-generating activity to less-populated areas, applying appropriate liquids to work areas to reduce the ability of the toxic dust to enter the air, and utilizing vacuums to collect the silica before workers are exposed to the dust. To implement such procedures, OSHA has conservatively estimated that the new rule will cost $511 million annually to implement for the construction industry alone. Employers estimate that the actual cost of compliance will be about 10 times greater, reaching $5 billion annually.
It is expected that the regulatory community will challenge the new cost-prohibitive requirements discussed in the final rule and the lower PELs. Employers should consult a team well versed in OSHA law that can help implement new cost-effective procedures to ensure compliance with the new standards and minimize employer liability. | <urn:uuid:4dbe6dc4-b038-4778-97fb-aa9d34bb0b1d> | CC-MAIN-2016-40 | http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=bc555921-6fa5-4288-8430-700e70d8c6ff | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-40/segments/1474738660706.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20160924173740-00048-ip-10-143-35-109.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948291 | 1,107 | 2.78125 | 3 |
What Creature Befriends you ?
ly specialized Arctic predator. In the winter, it feeds on benthic prey, mostly flatfish, at depths of up to 1500 m under dense pack ice. Narwhal have been harvested for over a thousand years by Inuit people in northern Canada and Greenland for meat and ivory, and a regulated subsistence hunt continues to this day. While populations appear stable, the narwhal has been deemed particularly vulnerable to climate change due to a narrow geographical range and specialized diet. Contents [hide] 1 Taxonomy and etymology 2 Description 3 Behavior and diet 4 Population and distribution 5 Predation and conservation 6 Humans and narwhals 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External links
Male narwhals weigh up to 1,600 kilograms (3,500 lb), and the females weigh around 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb). The pigmentation of the narwhal is a mottled black and white pattern. They are darkest when born and become whiter in color with age. The most conspicuous characteristic of the male narwhal is its single 2–3 meter (7–10 ft) long tusk, an incisor tooth that projects from the left side of the upper jaw and forms a left-handed helix. The tusk can be up to 3 meters (9.8 ft) long—compared with a body length of 4–5 meters (13–16 ft)—and weigh up to 10 kilograms (22 lb). About one in 500 males has two tusks, which occurs when the right incisor, normally small, also grows out. A female narwhal has a shorter, and straighter tusk. She may also produce a second tusk, but this occur
Remember to rate this quiz on the next page!
Rating helps us to know which quizzes are good and which are bad
- What Minecraft Creature Are you? by Ireallydontlikethis
- Which Loveless character are you? by Sarah
- What kind of Christian are you? by Patrick
- What Mythological Creature are YOU??? by Ayanna Hazzard
- What magical creature are you by cats
Create a quiz on GotoQuiz. We are a better kind of quiz site, with no pop-up ads, no registration requirements, just high-quality quizzes. Hey MySpace users! You can create a quiz for MySpace, it's simple fun and free. | <urn:uuid:1f770137-4c20-4229-b060-3c5737781728> | CC-MAIN-2016-18 | http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_creature_befriends_you | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-18/segments/1461860116878.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20160428161516-00209-ip-10-239-7-51.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939373 | 504 | 2.96875 | 3 |
A Hungarian man of around thirty, the Count met and married Helena Goldenberg, known afterward as Countess Andrenyi, while doing diplomatic work in Washington, D.C. Aware of his wife’s direct connection to the Armstrong family, he’s especially protective of her and squares off against Poirot to try to keep him from questioning her. Count Andrenyi stabs Ratchett in his wife’s stead.
Count Andrenyi Character Timeline in Murder on the Orient Express
The timeline below shows where the character Count Andrenyi appears in Murder on the Orient Express. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 2 Chapter 7
Part 2 Chapter 15
Part 3 Chapter 4
Part 3 Chapter 9
...the person most likely to have killed Ratchett had no part it in it, namely Countess Andrenyi. The Count Andrenyi took her “place” and stabbed Ratchett. Poirot further identifies Hildegarde Schmidt... (full context) | <urn:uuid:c97ceaa1-ad1b-4012-8e24-9e10c5b0862c> | CC-MAIN-2021-21 | https://www.litcharts.com/lit/murder-on-the-orient-express/characters/count-andrenyi | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-21/segments/1620243991553.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20210510235021-20210511025021-00291.warc.gz | en | 0.955056 | 217 | 2.53125 | 3 |
For the purposes of today's discussion, we will consider two early firearm types today: the arquebus and the musket. These were generally muzzle-loading weapons using matchlock technologies.
Examples of arquebuses. Click on the image to enlarge. Public domain image.
The arquebus is one of the oldest types of firearm used in Europe. The first use of arquebuses in large numbers was in Hungary in the late 1400s by King Matthias Corvinus. The idea spread westwards, and soon, Italian troops and then, Spanish and Portuguese troops started using arquebuses in the early 1500s, followed by the French around 1560. Typically, the weapon weighed about 5 kg. (11 pounds) and fired a ball about 12 - 20 mm. (about 0.5-0.75 inches) diameter.
The musket was simply a larger version of the arquebus, with a longer and heavier barrel. Since the barrel was heavier, a typical musketeer would also carry a couple of sticks to rest the end of the barrel on. A musket also has more recoil than an arquebus, therefore its user needed to be correspondingly stronger to withstand this recoil. Specialized troops, such as the Turkish Janissaries, Russian Streltsy and the French Musketeers, were formed to use this weapon. These soldiers were paid more than ordinary soldiers.
We will also consider early handguns in our study today.
During 1988 to 1989, staff members of Steiermärkisches Landeszeughaus (Steyr Provincial Armory) in Graz, Austria, conducted tests using 16 firearms dating from 1571 to post-1750, with equal numbers of specimens from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The guns were mostly mass-produced specimens, such as might be typically issued to infantry troops. Three of the weapons had rifling, the others were smoothbore guns. A couple of the guns were rejected after early inspection revealed that they had potentially dangerous weaknesses in the metal. The remaining 14 weapons were test fired 325 times under controlled conditions, in a testing range operated by the Austrian Army.
The results were summarized in a paper by Dr. Peter Krenn (Steiermärkisches Landeszeughaus) , Colonel Paul Kalaus (Austrian Army), and Dr. Bert Hall (University of Toronto), in a paper titled "Material Culture and Military History: Test-Firing Early Modern Small Arms". Dr. Krenn and Col. Kalaus conducted the firing tests and did the original study and Professor Hall edited and translated their work and added his own conclusions to the end of the paper.
The guns were mounted on rigid frames (to absorb recoil consistently), sighted on to the target, fired using electrical means (bypassing their original firing mechanisms) and velocities measured carefully using modern electronic chronographs. Modern black powder ("Koln-Rottweil Number 0" grain 0.3-0.6 mm.) was used for these tests. The exact weight of powder charge was determined to be approximately one-third of the ball weight, but this varied from piece to piece, so they determined the optimum charge of each one experimentally and reported results with that charge. As part of the tests, they also brought two modern production assault rifles and a modern pistol used by the Austrian military, so that they could compare the results against modern firearms. The modern firearms used for this test were:
- Austrian Army Assault Rifle model 1958 (basically, a licensed version of the FN FAL rifle using the 7.62x51 mm. NATO cartridge).
- Austrian Army Assault Rifle model 1977 (Steyr AUG A1 rifle using 5.56x45 mm. NATO cartridge).
- Austrian Army Semi-Automatic Pistol model 1980 (Glock model 17 pistol using the 9x19 mm. cartridge)
Targets were shot at distances of 30 meters (about 100 feet) for pistols and 100 meters (330 feet) for the muskets, arquebuses and rifles. Target size was 167 cm. tall and 30 cm. wide (about 5 feet 6 inches tall and 1 foot wide), basically the frontal area of an average standing human soldier. Accuracy tests were done by measuring the scatter pattern of the bullet holes in paper targets. For penetration testing, the targets were generally made of spruce or mild steel, and additional penetration tests were also done to blocks of soap, gelatine, modern steel plate and 16th century armor plate.
First, most of the older weapons had velocities measured at between 400 to 500 meters/sec (or about 1300 to 1640 feet/sec). Compared to this, the two modern rifles clocked in at 835 meters/sec (approximately 2740 feet/sec) and 990 meters/sec (approximately 3250 feet/sec), and the modern pistol fired at around 360 meters/sec (approximately 1180 feet/sec). Moreover, the round balls of the older weapons tended to lose velocities much more rapidly. A spherical ball loses speed about three times faster than modern bullets do on average. Therefore, the effective range of these older weapons were much less than modern weapons, as they lose penetrative power much more quickly. This is one reason why historical commanders told their soldiers to shoot at closer ranges.
Now what about accuracy of these weapons? The Graz tests showed that the smoothbore muskets were pretty inaccurate at 100 meters, with most showing about 50% chance of hitting the target at 100 meters. Only one rifled musket (an Austrian rifled musket from the second half of the 18th century) showed a "better than random chance" probability of hitting the target. The other two rifled muskets showed much poorer results. The scatter area of four out of fourteen guns tested was larger than the target area and two more had a scatter area nearly as large as the target. By comparison, the modern rifles (the FN-FAL and the Steyr AUG) both had a 100% chance of hitting the target at the same distance.
The ancient pistols fared much better in the tests: they were much more accurate at 30 meters, scoring hits with 85% and 99% probability (by comparison, the modern Glock pistol scored at 99.5%). Of course, bear in mind that these tests were done at 30 meters, rather than 100 meters, so the accuracy of older weapons seems to depend on the distance to the target.
It is interesting to note that these tests show that the accuracy of these firearms did not significantly improve between the 16th to the 18th centuries. Note that human error was completely eliminated in these tests, as the guns were all fitted to rigid frames and sighted into the target and the ignition was done by electrical means. Also, the gunpowder used for testing was made with modern methods, so it was much more stable and consistent than the gunpowder used in the 16th to 18th centuries. So what was the cause of this inaccuracy over longer distances then? Well, one of the primary causes is the Magnus effect, named after Gustav Magnus, a German physicist who studied it in 1852.
The Magnus effect, on a backspinning ball in an airstream. Image licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license
The Magnus effect causes the round spinning sphere to experience an aerodynamic lift, which changes the direction of travel of the sphere. Anyone who has watched or played ball sports such as tennis, golf, baseball, paintball etc. has observed this effect. For instance, any time a tennis player or golfer hooks or slices a shot, the ball will start curving in some direction. Baseball pitchers use this same effect to throw curve balls. The effect becomes more apparent, the further the sphere moves.
For a smoothbore weapon, nothing can be done to eliminate the Magnus effect. Other features in the gun can make it more inaccurate, but even the best quality smoothbore weapon cannot overcome this fundamental problem. The inherent ballistic qualities of such smoothbore weapons meant that they were only effective when used in mass formations and at close ranges.
In our next post, we will also study the results of the penetration tests conducted for the same weapons. As it happens, the penetration tests also have a factor in determining the effectiveness of a weapon. | <urn:uuid:5375afd6-245a-4da1-8360-25cc462d3164> | CC-MAIN-2018-47 | https://firearmshistory.blogspot.com/2016/01/effectiveness-of-old-firearms-i.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-47/segments/1542039744750.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20181118221818-20181119003818-00246.warc.gz | en | 0.967996 | 1,731 | 3.65625 | 4 |
You love your floppy-eared bunny to bits and naturally hope it reaches a ripe old age. That’s why you have a burning desire to know what age a rabbit can live to. You might be wondering: how old is my rabbit actually? And how do I give it a long and healthy life?
Unfortunately, we can’t give you a hard and fast answer to the question of how long a rabbit can live. A rule of thumb? About 8 to 10 years, although there are also rabbits that live 12 years or older. In general, smaller breeds live a little longer than the larger ones.
But of course there are exceptions. After all, nutrition and exercise play an important role in the life expectancy of your rabbit even more than its breed and predisposition. Rabbits require very specific nutrition and care, and if you take this into consideration, your beloved pet will receive the best gift you can give it: a healthy and long life.
Your rabbit's health is closely related to the food it eats. Preferably give the animal muesli or extruded pellets tailored to its needs. This way you can be sure that your bunny gets the necessary nutrients and that the food you give it supports its gastrointestinal system. Also provide plenty of hay: it keeps the digestive system active. This not only helps wears down your rabbits teeth - which continue to grow throughout its life - it also helps your rabbit get long in the tooth.
A rabbit does not belong in a small cage. Your pet should be able to move freely, and ideally should be allowed out of its enclosure for a few hours a day. After all, a sedentary life can lead to obesity and heart problems.
Neutering or spaying a rabbit can also positively affect the life expectancy of your rabbit, because sterilization significantly reduces the risk of cancer. Also have the animal regularly vaccinated against the viruses that cause myxomatosis, RHD and RHD2. | <urn:uuid:86589287-54af-476f-b958-d2643269fbac> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://www.versele-laga.com/en/gb/for-your-animal/rabbits/tips-and-facts/rabbit-life-expectancy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510300.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20230927135227-20230927165227-00161.warc.gz | en | 0.936394 | 407 | 3.078125 | 3 |
Accounting for Every Drop: Day Three at the World Water Forum in Istanbul
The path of 'virtual water' related to coffee imports to the Netherlands. Image via the Water Footprint Network
The concepts of a carbon footprint, and, more recently, a water footprint are meant to evoke the mark we leave on the planet with the products and services we create and consume -- to remind us that, say, the beans in our morning cup of coffee took water to grow and created greenhouse gas emissions when they were transported to the store.
But when done in detail, a water footprint also serves to map our virtual path around the planet, the path from the T-shirt worn in San Francisco to the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan dried up by unsustainable cotton production, or to the bones of an endangered Indus River dolphin, a victim of pesticide runoff from the same industry.
Water 'Hot Spots'
It's not enough, Professor Arjan Hoekstra of the University of Twente says, to know that a kilogram of dry pasta takes 1,560 liters of water to produce, or that the average American's lifestyle requires 660,430 gallons a year. A water footprint that also takes into account when and where this water is coming from can help a business or country identify the "hot spots" most impacted by its actions to better direct policies to reduce or offset water use.
Hoekstra's countrymen in the Netherlands, for example, have an overall water footprint half that of Americans, but one that falls much more heavily outside of the country -- 80 percent of the Netherlands' global water footprint is externalized, four times the figure for the United States.
Blue, Green, And Grey Water
Quantity vs. quality is is another important factor not always considered in calculating water footprints, said Hoekstra's fellow panelists at a Universidad Politécnica de Madrid-sponsored event at the 5th World Water Forum. European Union water policies, for example, are more focused on preserving water quality than reducing the overall quantity of water used, said Teresa Elola Calderón of the University of Liège in Belgium.
Sugarcane production in Brazil, on the other hand, may be water-efficient, but it causes intensive degradation to water supplies. That's why Hoekstra includes in his analyses both the "green" (rainwater) and "blue" (surface or groundwater) water that is used up by agriculture and industry and the "grey" water that such activities pollute, diminishing its value to people and nature.
Economic Value of Water
The economic value of water was another hot topic, with Ramón Llamas of the Real Academia de Ciencias de España suggesting that many countries (though not the very poorest) may need to move from a focus on more "crops and jobs per drop" to one of "more cash and nature per drop." Countries like Jordan and Israel are already following this paradigm, he said, importing many of their staple foods from water-rich countries and using their scarce water resources for more economically productive uses.
It seems logical for nations, and people, to grow the foods most suited to their climate and hydrological resources, but might not the reduced water footprint be canceled out by an increased carbon footprint, as imports and exports grow?
Water And Energy Intertwined
Such conundrums show that water and energy -- and climate change -- are not problems that can be tackled separately. If you focus on biomass as an alternative energy source, for example, you end up contributing to water scarcity -- its water footprint is three times that of hydropower and almost 70 times that of crude oil, according to Hoekstra's calculations.
So too do carbon capture and storage schemes, which may seem to be helping fight global warming, increase water use dramatically -- by 50 to 90 percent -- added Jamie Pittock, a WWF research fellow at Australian National University. And many techniques for addressing water scarcity, including desalination, pumping deeper groundwater, and large inter-basin water transfers, are extremely energy-intensive.
Stepping Away From Untenable Trade-Offs
Trying to solve environmental problems this way is like chopping off just one of the Hydra's heads -- two more immediately grow back.
One small step toward better integration comes from the Pacific Institute in the Bay Area, which, Heather Cooley explained, has developed water-to-air computer models that allow managers of both urban and agricultural water districts compare the energy use and greenhouse gas emissions of various water-management plans. It's a good first step away from untenable trade-offs.
More Coverage Of The 5th World Water Forum
What is this 'Big Water Meeting'? Day 1 at the World Water Forum
Linking Water, Conflict, Gender, and Migration: Day 2 at the World Water Forum
More On Water Footprints
Calculate Your Water Footprint
Measure Your Food's Water Footprint
Water: The Hidden Cost of Your Food and Drink
Should Food Labeling Show Water Footprint?
S.E.E.ing Change on Water Sustainability
Green Stats: 2500 | <urn:uuid:836ce0a2-dc93-406c-99df-b1c9fa3d7277> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/accounting-for-every-drop-day-3-at-the-world-water-forum.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386163037893/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204131717-00099-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931243 | 1,055 | 3.234375 | 3 |
The Cornell Method
See a sample of Cornell notes here.
The Cornell Method provides a systematic format for condensing and organizing notes without laborious recopying. After writing the notes in the main space, use the left-hand space to label each idea and detail with a key word or "cue."
Rule your paper with a 2 ½ inch margin on the left leaving a six-inch area on the right in which to make notes. During class, take down information in the six-inch area. When the instructor moves to a new point, skip a few lines. After class, complete phrases and sentences as much as possible. For every significant bit of information, write a cue in the left margin. To review, cover your notes with a card, leaving the cues exposed. Say the cue out loud, then say as much as you can of the material underneath the card. When you have said as much as you can, move the card and see if what you said matches what is written. If you can say it, you know it.
Organized and systematic for recording and reviewing notes. Easy format for pulling out major concept and ideas. Simple and efficient. Saves time and effort. "Do-it-right-in-the-first-place" system.
When to Use
In any lecture situation.
Dash or indented outlining is usually best except for some science classes such as physics or math.
- The information which is most general begins at the left with each more specific group of facts indented with spaces to the right.
- The relationships between the different parts is carried out through indenting.
- No numbers, letters, or Roman numerals are needed.
Listening and then write in points in an organized pattern based on space indention. Place major points farthest to the left. Indent each more specific point to the right. Levels of importance will be indicated by distance away from the major point. Indention can be as simple as or as complex as labeling the indentations with Roman numerals or decimals. Markings are not necessary as space relationships will indicate the major/minor points.
Well-organized system if done right. Outlining records content as well as relationships. It also reduces editing and is easy to review by turning main points into questions.
Requires more thought in class for accurate organization. This system may not show relationships by sequence when needed. It doesn't lend to diversity of a review attach for maximum learning and question application. This system cannot be used if the lecture is too fast.
When to Use
The outline format can be used if the lecture is presented in outline organization. This may be either deductive (regular outline) or inductive (reverse outline where minor points start building to a major point). Use this format when there is enough time in the lecture to think about and make organization decisions when they are needed. This format can be most effective when your note taking skills are super sharp and you can handle the outlining regardless of the note taking situation.
See a sample of mapping here.
Mapping is a method that uses comprehension/concentration skills and evolves in a note taking form which relates each fact or idea to every other fact or idea. Mapping is a graphic representation of the content of a lecture. It is a method that maximizes active participation, affords immediate knowledge as to its understanding, and emphasizes critical thinking.
This format helps you to visually track your lecture regardless of conditions. Little thinking is needed and relationships can easily be seen. It is also easy to edit your notes by adding numbers, marks, and color coding. Review will call for you to restructure thought processes which will force you to check understanding. Review by covering lines for memory drill and relationships. Main points can be written on flash or note cards and pieced together into a table or larger structure at a later date.
You may not hear changes in content from major points to facts.
When to Use
Use when the lecture content is heavy and well-organized. May also be used effectively when you have a guest lecturer and have no idea how the lecture is going to be presented.
See a sample of charts here.
If the lecture format is distinct (such as chronological), you may set up your paper by drawing columns and labeling appropriate headings in a table.
Determine the categories to be covered in the lecture. Set up your paper in advance by columns headed by these categories. As you listen to the lecture, record information (words, phrases, main ideas, etc.) into the appropriate category.
Helps you track conversation and dialogues where you would normally be confused and lose out on relevant content. Reduces amount of writing necessary. Provides easy review mechanism for both memorization of facts and study of comparisons and relationships.
Few disadvantages except learning how to use the system and locating the appropriate categories. You must be able to understand what's happening in the lecture
When to Use
Test will focus on both facts and relationships. Content is heavy and presented fast. You want to reduce the amount of time you spend editing and reviewing at test time. You want to get an overview of the whole course on one big paper sequence.
Write every new thought, fact or topic on a separate line, numbering as you progress.
Slightly more organized than the paragraph. Gets more or all of the information. Thinking to tract content is still limited.
Can't determine major/minor points from the numbered sequence. Difficult to edit without having to rewrite by clustering points which are related. Difficult to review unless editing cleans up relationship.
When to Use
Use when the lecture is somewhat organized, but heavy with content which comes fast. You can hear the different points, but you don't know how they fit together. The instructor tends to present in point fashion, but not in grouping such as "three related points."
A revolution is any occurrence that affects other aspects of life, such as economic life, social life, and so forth. Therefore revolutions cause change. (See page 29 to 30 in your text about this.)
Revolution - occurrence that affects other aspects of life: e.g., econ., socl., etc. C.f. text, pp. 29-30
Melville did not try to represent life as it really was. The language of Ahab, Starbuck, and Ishmael, for instance, was not that of real life.
Mel didn't repr. life as was; e.g., lang. of Ahab, etc. not of real life.
At first, Freud tried conventional, physical methods of treatment such as giving baths, massages, rest cures, and similar aids. But when these failed, he tried techniques of hypnosis that he had seen used by Jean-Martin Charcot. Finally, he borrowed an idea from Jean Breuer and used direct verbal communication to get an unhypnotized patient to reveal unconscious thoughts.
Freud 1st -- used phys. trtment; e.g., baths, etc. This fld. 2nd -- used hypnosis (fr. Charcot) Finally -- used dirct vrb. commun. (fr. Breuer) - got unhynop, patnt to reveal uncons. thoughts. | <urn:uuid:0e15eb9b-ed6b-42f1-b86b-84b54edabd98> | CC-MAIN-2018-13 | http://www.suffolk.edu/academics/53915.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-13/segments/1521257645069.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20180317120247-20180317140247-00131.warc.gz | en | 0.925318 | 1,493 | 3.59375 | 4 |
Your BlackBerry allows you to send emails and text messages to co-workers and friends. It is likely that most of your contacts, especially your professional supervisors, appreciate a well-written message. Capitalizing the correct letters in your messages makes them easier to read and understand. BlackBerry devices give you three ways to capitalize a single letter in your messages. When you want to type a message using nothing but capital letters, BlackBerry devices also offer a caps lock feature.
Press and hold down the "Shift" key and the letter you want to capitalize to make it a capital letter.
Hold down the desired letter key for several seconds to capitalize the letter.
Press the "Space" key two times to insert a period in your message. The next letter you type is capitalized.
Activate the caps lock by pressing the "Alt" and right "Shift" keys together. Press "Shift" to deactivate the caps lock.
- Use the caps lock sparingly. Most people do not enjoy reading a message written entirely in capital letters.
- Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images | <urn:uuid:eda3d92c-699c-467a-8807-d8e7aea5c27a> | CC-MAIN-2018-34 | https://smallbusiness.chron.com/capital-letters-blackberry-38098.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-34/segments/1534221213737.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20180818193409-20180818213409-00489.warc.gz | en | 0.869949 | 222 | 2.640625 | 3 |
The human voice is an incredibly versatile instrument. Through choir practice, you’ll have heard first-hand some of the incredible things the voice can do but the possibilities are truly endless. From rapping and screaming to beatboxing and complex overtone techniques, no one singer can claim to be a master of every vocal technique, and researchers continue to discover new and exciting forms of singing amongst tribal cultures, even today.
One such obscure technique is Rekuhkara. Once practised by the Ainu tribe of Northern Japan, the last singer passed away in 1976, leaving only recordings and academic reference as legacy. The sounds produced are thought to mimic local animals, the yips of foxes are perhaps most obvious in the clip below.
Rather than being used for performance, Rekuhkara was intended more as a game with two “players” with winners being determined by who could set the fastest pace or who could sing the longest. Tournaments would take place during festivals, with the winner being the player who could beat the most other competitors.
One singer would form a tube with their hands and chant into the open mouth of their partner, while the other would use their vocal chords to modulate the sound, as if singing in reverse, using someone else’s voice. Think of it as a form of “vocal tennis”
Because of the unusual nature of the singing, efforts to revive the practice have emerged in recent years, using old recordings as reference.
Similar techniques also exist amongst Inuit cultures, Katajiaq, with the two cultures sharing Siberian heritage, possibly also linking them to Tuvan throat singing, made famous recently by Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory.
Throughout the world, there are many more examples of singing that push our understanding of what singing is, even though we might like to think everything is set in stone. It just goes to show you, everyone is learning all the time. | <urn:uuid:6e8a6224-89af-46ba-8538-e531d608e02b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://bigmouthchorus.com/research-article-based-news/pushing-the-boundaries-of-singing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00197.warc.gz | en | 0.972749 | 398 | 3.546875 | 4 |
All Kinds of Minds uses a neurodevelopmental framework that serves as an organizing structure to help educators understand learning and learners.
If we describe a framework as a set of file folders, the All Kinds of Minds neurodevelopmental, or learning, framework is composed of eight file folders called "constructs." These constructs – and the framework as a whole – are based on a synthesis of research from neuroscience, cognitive psychology, child and adolescent development, and related fields about how the brain functions and how these functions affect student learning and performance at any point in a student's development.
This framework provides educators with a foundation of expertise about learning. It also serves as an effective system for richly describing, organizing, and addressing students' learning strengths and weaknesses.
Below is a summary of the eight constructs in our learning framework:
|Attention||Maintaining mental energy for learning and work, absorbing and filtering incoming information, and overseeing the quality of academic output and behavior|
|Higher Order Cognition (Complex Thinking)||Comprehending concepts, generating original ideas, and using logical approaches to address complex problems|
|Language||Understanding incoming oral and written information and communicating ideas orally and in writing|
|Memory||Briefly recording new information, mentally juggling information while using it to complete a task, and storing and then recalling information at a later time|
|Neuromotor Functions (Controlling Movement)||Using large muscles in a coordinated manner, controlling finger and hand movements, and coordinating muscles needed for handwriting|
|Social Cognition (Making and Keeping Friends)||Knowing what to talk about, when, with whom, and for how long; working and playing with others in a cooperative manner; and nurturing positive relationships with influential people|
|Spatial Ordering (Visual Thinking)||Understanding information that is presented visually, generating products that are visual, and organizing materials and spaces|
|Temporal-Sequential Ordering (Keeping Track of Time/Order)||Understanding the order of steps, events, or other sequences; generating products arranged in a meaningful order; and organizing time and schedules|
Along with our core beliefs, this framework serves as the foundation for training and other products we have developed. | <urn:uuid:f838cf02-5d9f-4d37-9887-92b0b8e4f7a1> | CC-MAIN-2017-47 | http://allkindsofminds.org/learning-framework | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-47/segments/1510934806979.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20171123214752-20171123234752-00173.warc.gz | en | 0.915298 | 457 | 3.65625 | 4 |
By Martine Rutten, MK 27
It started as a nice proposal-winning catchphrase for the MK27 project: “we will use serious gaming to raise awareness about sustainable planning of land and water resources, among decision makers and citizens.”
Then during our first project meeting, our Vietnamese partners really hooked onto this idea and asked me “when and how are we going to implement this?”
Further discussion led to the idea that serious gaming would not only be useful for raising awareness but also for data collection. If we could “gamify” data collection, we could make more sustainable use of citizen observatories. Yet the question “how to implement this?” remained.
Luckily, the Dutch program NICHE-NUFFIC also liked this idea and was willing to support a game-design training. During a hot week in August in Hanoi, we designed a range of gaming prototypes at Thuyloi University. The experienced serious game designer, Annebeth Lois, guided us through this process using the steps described in guidelines that you can find on the MK27 wikispaces page. At the end of the week, we designed the prototype of A Walk around the Lake, the LandscAPPer, and a few others.
The ambitious goal of the board game, A Walk around the Lake, is that players will develop more “water resources friendly” behavior. Players are asked questions that guide them in learning about the personal impact they have on the water systems, what impact pollution has on them, and what they can do about it. They are asked questions such as: what are sources of micro plastics? How many fish do you eat per week (with feedback on how much plastic that equals to)? How often do you re-use your plastic bag?
The game seeks to change behavior by making people aware of the problem, showing alternative actions and using the positive effect of reinforcing social norms by playing the game in a group and referring to environmental-friendly behavior of role models such as famous pop artist or soccer players.
First tests showed mixed results. We still need to work on the framing of the game to avoid responses such as “ games are for children” and “the government should take care of the water.” Yet the initial reactions from participants playing in Hanoi around the lakes and during the VaCI conference on October 19th have encouraged us to continue and improve the design step by step. The next big test will be in December, with a Hai Ha commune in Hai Hau district, Nam Dinh province. As our project progresses we seek to include more and more results in the game. The translation of complex research results into something easily understandable with a “human dimension” is a challenge for researchers.
The LandScAPPer is a second idea that evolved from the workshop. This App starts with the question “are you the healthiest landscaper?” and guides the player through several stages. The first stage is land use validation. The player will see the most accurate land use map which has been produced by MK27 and is asked to check its accuracy. Points can be gained for correct classification, but even more for correcting incorrect sections. In this way we believe that “ground truthers” will actively seek areas that are not correct in the map. By taking a photo, they can upload proof that something on the map is incorrect. In the next stage, we will ask players what kind of land use they anticipate in the future. This will provide us with valuable information for scenario development. After this, we would ideally like to give the player an idea of how specific land use effects ecosystem services.
Students of Hanoi University of Natural Resources are our guinea pigs. Again, it is a challenge for researchers to simplify the outcomes of complex models for the students and add the “human dimension.” In the last stage, we would ask some questions on the valuation of ecosystem services. Given that data quality is always a large concern in Citizen Science, we are now working on quantifying any errors related to land use classification by citizens.
The development of this app would be very ambitious, but would nicely tie a lot of the MK27’s work together so it is a goal worth striving for. Currently teams of MK27 researchers and students are working very hard to test the prototypes, adjust the prototype and test again. As we learnt during the gaming training, many cycles are needed to develop a good game. Follow the progress on our wikispaces page or on Facebook. Any ideas on how to add a “human dimension” that you have from your own research on Healthy Rivers and Landscapes are very welcome. | <urn:uuid:f6734d52-ec64-4bea-b1d8-e54698b0728f> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://wle-mekong.cgiar.org/gaming-for-awareness-and-data-collection-the-healthy-river-story-and-healthy-landscapper/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875145839.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20200223185153-20200223215153-00516.warc.gz | en | 0.962823 | 969 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Call us today! 415-519-2800 [email protected]
The Health Messenger, Message and Audience
There are three aspects we need to consider when developing medical communications:
1) the message itself – what information will be effective, what action do you want people to take
2) the messenger – who is best to deliver the message (not always the health expert), and
3) the audience – what is their culture, their level of knowledge
Let’s take a look at each of these aspects individually, and then summarize as they leverage each other.
For populations to take health messages seriously, messages have to be important and relevant to the impacted populations. This should not just be the opinion of the health experts. The populations you are trying to reach should be able to understand how the health issue affects them as individuals, their families, their neighbors or others they care about.
The timing of messages is also very important, as it will determine their acceptance and the urgency with which the population responds. Messaging should change for example if it is in advance of a health issue, vs in the middle of one, vs following one.
Messages can be focused on health experts and what they should do differently, as well as directed to specific populations, and what take-aways should result.
Care must be taken to make sure that the messages are not presented in hard-to-understand medical jargon but in clear, succinct, simple, and understandable language that people can understand irrespective of their knowledge of the issue. In an era where information could be obtained from many sources, especially unregulated social media accounts, it is important that the sources of health information for public communication are credible, reliable, and verifiable. Such information should be based on data and plausible science which a reasonable individual or community could understand. Messages should not create fear or panic, or stigmatize populations based on association, geography, or lifestyle. Most importantly, communities usually want to know what they need to do to reduce their exposures and risks, and improve health outcomes.
(Remember back to the early days of the AIDS crisis, when the disease was first rampant among the gay population. The homosexual lifestyle was vilified and associated with disease. We later saw how AIDS became widely distributed through all populations worldwide, regardless of sexual orientation.)
In addition to messaging, every health message is deficient without an appropriate actionable component for your primary audience. Consider that you are not just relaying information to your audience. You are accomplishing two other tasks. First, you’re also working to increase their health literacy as well. Health literacy is defined as the degree to which a person has the capacity to obtain, communicate, process, and understand basic health information and what services are available to make appropriate health decisions. Second, you are encouraging your audience to take a specific action or series of actions to improve their health outcome. By crafting messages that follow these guidelines, individuals and communities will be better able to make informed healthcare decisions for themselves.
When we talk about the health messenger, we’re referring to any individual who relays health information. This could mean anyone or any media – a health professional, a media promotion, a family member, a friend, a colleague, a neighbor.
People share health messages with friends and family because they feel a communal responsibility. With a relevant, timely, and credible message, the community can become important advocates for your efforts. For effective health communication, the “messenger” is as important as the “health message” itself. The messenger should be a good listener, credible, and trustworthy. Their presentation should be straight-forward, honest, and non-judgmental. The message is more credible when the messenger has a track record of dealing with similar issues and providing reliable information in the past. A messenger’s credibility is built from an in-depth knowledge or expertise in the subject area – no matter who they are.
You should not expect audiences to listen to your message if you cannot demonstrate that you have the knowledge to speak on the subject. And for the messenger to have the desired impact, they have to be approachable, culturally sensitive, using appropriately nuanced language, and be perceived as a dependable partner who will be there for the long haul.
As populations tend to be skeptical of health messages in today’s world of the internet, where misinformation and rumors are easily spread, it is important that there is a perception that the messenger really cares about the health of a population, and has the knowledge and expertise to be that messenger. The notion of a partnership between the health communications expert and the population, working together towards achieving a common goal of good health outcomes, with both parties contributing in their respective ways, is vital.
The intended audience should be an equal partner in this communications trifecta. For them to participate effectively, they have to feel that the health issue affects them or has the potential to affect them, their families, or their communities, directly or indirectly. It is important that they don’t feel blamed for the health effects that are being addressed but more as partners in bringing solutions to the health problem.
A key component of this is ensuring that the audience understands and agrees that their views will be factored into developing solutions. In addition, for many community members, knowing that their local leadership is on board with a particular message and messenger, can help build trust, and they may be more willing to listen and act accordingly. Because the audience may have different backgrounds, beliefs, or cultures, and different groups may receive and react to messages differently, every effort should be made to direct messages to the different groups within an audience, considering factors such as age, gender, social morays, and socioeconomic status.
Since these groups would tend to ask about what actions they should take to influence health outcomes, deliberate efforts should be made to provide actionable messages relevant to a specific group based on these same factors.
To do so means understanding the community’s concerns, identifying trusted subject-matter experts, and utilizing the preferred medium for message delivery (tv, radio, print, apps, social media, text-messaging, in-person, as appropriate). Together, you can develop actionable and appropriate messages for various target audiences.
Health communication and reporting to achieve desired health outcomes should not be a single event. It should be an ongoing activity that utilizes all available media tools. These are powerful tools, when combined with:
1) the correct message,
2) adapted to the right medium,
3) delivered by the right messenger, and
4) whose message is directed at the appropriate audience.
To ensure effectiveness, measurements have to be in place at each stage to assure that:
1) the messages are delivered appropriately,
2) the intended audience received the credible message, and
3) then took actions to address the health issue.
This dynamic process should result in adjustments to each pillar of our communications – the message, the messenger, and the intended audience – until the desired health outcomes are achieved.
Since 2008, InQuill Medical Communications has successfully promoted client health initiatives and medical practices locally, nationally, and internationally to attract and engage targeted audiences with the latest in online and social media techniques. Want help getting your message out, making it unforgettable, and building your business? Contact us at [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:2b27f2ec-854a-4f43-a1a8-7abf85801a5f> | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | https://inquill.com/category/health-literacy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593657169226.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20200716122414-20200716152414-00096.warc.gz | en | 0.950755 | 1,512 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Last Sunday (July 24th), with the help of some fantastic volunteers, we conducted our Meadow Survey at Centenary Field!
This monitoring of Centenary Field will help us to keep track of whether our new biodiversity management plan increases the number of plant species in the hay meadow. Our biodiversity management plan is a long-term strategy, and it may take up to six years for big differences to become visible!
The type of assessment we carried out was a “Rapid Assessment Meadow Survey” to look for positive and negative indicator species – AKA, species which represent the diversity and overall health of the grassland.
We investigated twenty individual “quadrats” (1m x 1m squares), recording all the indicator species found within each quadrat square. We were very pleased to find several positive indicators, including vetchlings, sweet vernal grass, buttercups, and yellow rattle.
We’d love to say a great big THANK YOU to all of our fantastic volunteers, who managed to help us investigate all twenty quadrats within 2 hours. Brilliant stuff!
If you are interested in volunteering for future Climate & Nature projects, please sign up to our Climate & Nature volunteer mailing list. | <urn:uuid:fd3761bb-1393-4052-b310-4f1fe0669afc> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://framptoncotterell-pc.gov.uk/meadow-survey-what-we-found/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296948756.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20230328011555-20230328041555-00406.warc.gz | en | 0.920896 | 252 | 2.921875 | 3 |
In this paper Gary Lachman interrogates the conventional theory that human consciousness is a passive, mechanistic phenomenon created by chance. Overturning this dogmatic idea of materialist science rooted in Darwin’s theory of evolution, Lachman proposes a far more persuasive alternative that the development of consciousness is an active process that “reaches out” toward the external word and in doing so, “evolves” from within.
One of the themes I write about in many of my books is the evolution of consciousness. Although the idea of an evolution of consciousness can be understood in a Darwinian way, that is not the way in which I understand it, nor is it the way in which the many philosophers, psychologists, and other thinkers whose work I draw on understand it.
Perhaps the simplest way to understand the difference between the two is that from a Darwinian point of view, any evolution that consciousness may have undergone has been determined by strictly physical, material factors. That is to say, it has been the result of outer, external factors impinging on our inner world, that inner world itself being the result of previous external influence which, in some way that has yet to be explained, gave rise to what we experience as our inside—the mind and our consciousness of it and the world. How a physical world that can be measured, weighed and perceived by the senses produced a non-physical, immaterial world that cannot—we can weigh thoughts only metaphorically—is as much a mystery now as when ancient philosophers first raised the question. This is true regardless of repeated announcements by strict materialist thinkers that they have nailed it—which is, of course, another metaphor.
In contrast to this, the view of the evolution of consciousness that I am partial to sees things rather differently. For it, the external world that is supposed to account for our inner one is itself a product or a result of factors in consciousness which precede it. That is to say, in this view consciousness or mind is prior to the external world that we perceive as something outside and separate from us. It is for this reason that the philosopher of language Owen Barfield, whose work I draw on in several of my books, remarked that “interior is anterior,” meaning the inner precedes the outer, an idea I hope to flesh out further as we go along.
Chance is one of the bugbears of Darwinian Science.
“I have hitherto sometimes spoken as if the variations. . .were due to chance. This, of course, is a wholly incorrect expression, but it serves to acknowledge plainly our ignorance of the cause of each particular variation”
– Darwin, The Origin of Species
“. . .’chance’ is just a word expressing ignorance. It means ‘determined by some as yet unknown, or unspecified, means’.”
– Dawkins, The Selfish Gene
Although there are many variants to this idea, the generally accepted view of evolution is that it is a process governed by chance. However life first appeared—and contrary to much common opinion we still simply have no idea how that happened—once it did it was subject to influence from what we call the environment, coupled with random mutations, whose cause has never been satisfactorily explained, but which the chance theory of evolution must rely on to get the ball rolling. Mutations that are helpful and beneficial in the struggle for life—the well known battle of the survival of the fittest—are retained and aid life in its development, and the environment is a kind of funnel, guiding life in the direction it must travel in order to survive. Mutations that are unhelpful are weeded out—or, put more precisely, the organisms (along with their genes) in which they occur are.
No doubt scientists trained in the accepted evolutionary theory will consider my statements here as examples of unhelpful mutations in our attempt to conceptualise evolution, and will welcome their weeding out. That may be so, but I think that in a general way I have got the basic idea.
So, what we have in this scenario is a protean but passive stuff—life—that is subject to influence from its environment, as well as from unexplained but necessary chance mutations occurring within itself. Good mutations help it carry on—“good” being defined as helpful to survival—while bad mutations don’t. That many critics of this view, beginning with Samuel Butler, who pointed out its flaws in a series of books in the late nineteenth century, have shown it to be untenable, has not prevented it from acquiring a sacrosanct status in the popular mind, although to be sure, specialists do recognise that it has some unhelpful mutations of its own that prevent it from being accepted at face value.
Paley introduced the image of the watchmaker to Metaphysics:
“. . . when we come to inspect the watch, we perceive. . . that its several parts are framed and put together for a purpose, e.g. that they are so formed and adjusted as to produce motion, and that motion so regulated as to point out the hour of the day; that if the different parts had been differently shaped from what they are, or placed after any other manner or in any other order than that in which they are placed, either no motion at all would have been carried on in the machine, or none which would have answered the use that is now served by it. . . . the inference we think is inevitable, that the watch must have had a maker–that there must have existed, at some time and at some place or other, an artificer or artificers who formed it for the purpose which we find it actually to answer, who comprehended its construction and designed its use.”
– from Natural Theology 1802
At bottom, what it amounts to is the idea that given enough time, enough helpful mutations will have occurred in order to produce us, and the enormous variety of other life forms with which we share this planet. The watch is made without the watchmaker, all respect to William Paley aside. This view is encapsulated in the physicist Sir Arthur Eddington’s remark that given enough time, an army of monkeys tapping on typewriters would produce all the books in the British Library.
This however is untrue, as the monkeys would not be able to read what they had typed out. What they had finally produced would be as meaningless to them as what their first flurry of random typing had turned out. If this scenario is at all possible—and there is no reason to believe that it is—they would only have tapped all the letters in the proper sequence by accident, including chapter headings, footnotes, page numbers and all the rest. Without the mind behind the letters, what they had produced would not be books. And we would have to have the books properly written to compare to the monkeys’ results in order to know what they had done. At best what these industrious monkeys would have produced was a copy. And for anyone to know this—and the monkeys surely wouldn’t—the original must be on hand.
I can’t recall the source, but one response to this idea is that it amounts to accepting that if enough junk metal parts were thrown together, the result would eventually be a Cadillac. So far this hasn’t happened.
The basic view from the other camp, the one I find myself in, is that rather than a passive, pliable stuff infinitely amenable to alteration by its environment and its own unstable character, life develops from the inside out. There is an active something within life that reaches out and takes advantage of the environment in order to further its own development. We can call this an “opportunistic” view of evolution, with an active desire to evolve—the anthropomorphism is unavoidable—finding the optimum available to it and going for it. This is a view that in different ways Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, Goethe, Henri Bergson, Bernard Shaw, Nietzsche, Hans Driesch and Darwin’s contemporary Alfred Wallace, with whom he shared credit for the so-called discovery of evolution, among others, professed. It is generally vilified as Vitalism, the idea that something else besides physical matter and chance is involved in the evolution of life, some inner drive to evolve, what Bergson called the “élan vital” and Shaw translated as the “life force.”
In both cases, the force involved was not conceptualised as a physical energy like electricity, although, to be sure, not a few in the eighteenth and nineteenth century believed such a force existed; Mesmer’s “animal magnetism” for example. It was something like an intention, a will, rather as I have the intention and will to write this essay. Of course for materialist thinkers, intention and will cannot be weighed or measured and so must not exist, or rather must really be nothing but a derivation from some material factor that does. This in the end amounts to the belief that a thought and the neurons in the brain associated with it are identical. I think it is safe to say they are not. If I cut open my head I—or someone else—may see my neurons, but they won’t see my thoughts.
This is also why we say someone has a “great mind” but not a “great brain.” Einstein, whom we all agree had a great mind, had a brain of less than average size.
So much for evolution. Now for consciousness.
A view about consciousness that is parallel to the passive theory of evolution is what we can call the “blank slate” picture of the mind. This is associated with the philosopher John Locke but it was promoted a bit earlier by his predecessor René Descartes. For both, the mind is passive, in the same sense that for strict Darwinians life is passive. For both, the mind or consciousness reflects the outer world, as a mirror does our image. If nothing is in front of a mirror, it will reflect nothing. For Locke, our minds are tabulae rasae, blank slates. He famously said that “nothing is in the mind that was not first in the senses.” This means that our consciousness is empty, blank, until it is written upon, or impressed upon, by stimuli coming from outside, and brought to it by the senses. There are many reasons both came to this conclusion—Descartes actually did believe we came equipped with something he called “innate ideas” but let’s not quibble—and in Locke’s case undermining the idea of the divine right of kings, by which monarchs claimed a holy dispensation for their rule, was part of the deal. It is Locke’s blank slate that is behind the self-evident truth in the United State’s Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal”—equally blank, that is.
There are many arguments against the blank slate view of consciousness, reaching back to Plato, none of which necessarily involves re-establishing the divine right of kings. One that obstetricians have observed is that babies dream while still in the womb. If their senses have not yet brought stimuli in from the outer world to write upon their blank slates, what do they dream about? Granted that their eyes open while in the womb and that they are aware of sounds coming from outside, it is still the case that their waking and sleeping experience differs very little. The world they are aware of in either state is for all intents and purposes identical, so there is very little written on their blank slates for them to draw on when dreaming. What seems more likely is that they come equipped with some material already furnished.
It is also the case that for some time after birth—up to two years—babies exist in what the Jungian historian of consciousness Erich Neumann called an “ouroboric” state of oneness with the mother. Until this is broken, they have little awareness of a world other than themselves; they exist in what Barfield called a “participatory” state of consciousness. Rather than see themselves as we do, separate from a world that is other, they “participate” with it, with little sense of a difference between inner and outer. It seems that rather than arriving like an empty flat which he or she needs to go to Ikea to fill up, babies arrive, as the poet Wordsworth said in “Intimations of Immortality”, “not in entire forgetfulness/And not in utter nakedness/But trailing clouds of glory” which, sadly, we sooner or later lose sight of. Wordsworth also points out that, as we get older, “the glory and freshness of a dream” fades from view. But it was there at the beginning.
What we enter life equipped with are what Plato called the Forms and more recently the psychologist C. G. Jung called archetypes. Other thinkers have offered other suggestions. Edmund Husserl, the father of phenomenology, out of which existentialism emerged, argued persuasively, to my mind at least, that rather than reflect the world, consciousness reaches out and grabs it. It is more of a hand than a mirror. Plato would say we grab it through the Forms, which are a kind of stencil through which we fashion a picture of the world. Jung would say we do it via the archetypes, which are sort of psychic blueprints that allow us to organize our experience. Immanuel Kant, on whom Jung often relies, talked about “categories,” which are rather like a pair of glasses we wear in order to have any experience at all. There are many differences between these various ideas and many hairs have been split in spelling these out. But the main insight is that something already in the mind reaches out and fashions our picture of the world, and that without this the senses would have no world to perceive. Hence, “interior is anterior,” our inside precedes our outside.
This is not to say, as some may already be grumbling about, that it’s all in the mind, or that we create reality out of whole cloth. We don’t create reality per se. It is really there. But we do create our picture of reality. To use another metaphor, think of a television or radio tuner. We don’t create the programs on our TV sets or radios. But we can get good reception or bad. And we can extend this metaphor a bit to cover the contention that consciousness exists solely in our individual heads. The programs we watch on television don’t originate in our TV sets, but in a studio somewhere else. Our TVs pick up the broadcast which comes from somewhere outside. If I broke open my TV I wouldn’t find the actors in the show I was watching there, just as if I broke open my head I wouldn’t find my thoughts.
What all this suggests is that consciousness is an activity. It is something we do, rather than something we have. I can be more or less conscious, not in the sense that I have more or less of the stuff in my head, but in the sense that it is—or I am—more or less active. Not in the sense of physically active, but in the sense that I put more into being conscious, I put more of myself into it. In other words, I make more of an effort at it. Husserl spoke of the activity of consciousness as “intentionality,” an idea that the writer Colin Wilson drew on in his work in developing what he called a “new existentialism,” one that avoided the pessimistic dead-ends of old school existentialists such as Sartre and Heidegger. Intentionality is the activity of reaching out and grabbing the world, and for Wilson and Husserl, the more we reach out and grab it, and the stronger our grasp, the more meaning we perceive in it.
What led Sartre and to a perhaps lesser degree Heidegger to seeing the world as meaningless—he does have his mystical moments—is that they lost sight of this link between intentionality and meaning and accepted the view of consciousness as a passive reflection. Hence their philosophies are ultimately founded on the idea that existence is meaningless. Wilson found that if we increase our intentionality by uncovering the sources of our “unconscious intentions,” we find that the world is much more meaningful than our more passive state can perceive. As he says, there is a “will to perceive” as well as perceptions. If we can increase our will to perceive, we increase our perception. Wilson devised methods of doing this, but the starting point is recognising that, as Husserl says, “perception is intentional.” We actively, albeit unconsciously, direct our attention at the world, not passively reflect it.
But it is not only existentialists who see the world as meaningless. Scientists, in whom we place more trust these days than we do in philosophers, see it this way too. At least the majority of the vocal ones do; there are some who disagree, but they are generally seen as suspect by their less optimistic peers, and because of this often keep a low profile. One example should suffice. In his book about the Big Bang, The First Three Minutes, the eminent physicist Steven Weinberg concludes his account of the creation of the universe on this dour note: “The more the universe seems comprehensible, the more it also seems pointless.” We may purse our lips at a Sartre or Heidegger or their many epigones informing us that existence is meaningless. But when a scientist tells us this, we tend to listen.
What Barfield believed, and what we can find in other philosophers of consciousness such as Rudolf Steiner, Jean Gebser, and others, is that in earlier ages, human beings did not experience the world in the way that we do, as something radically separate from ourselves, as a strictly other “outside”, opposed to our subjective “inside.”
This view of the meaninglessness of existence, however, is really a rather recent one. We can say that it got its start in the early seventeenth century with the rise of science and became pretty well established by the end of the nineteen century, with its predominance more or less unchallenged to this day. Since then we have been, as the novelist Walker Percy put it, “lost in the cosmos.” The more we have learned about the universe, the more we have come to see that there seems no reason for it, nor for our appearance in it. Yet people of earlier times did not feel this way. We may say that this is because people of an earlier time believed in something in which we do not: religion. That may be. But if so, why did they believe in it? Did they simply have some bad ideas that we have discarded? Or was something deeper at work?
Owen Barfield, who I mentioned earlier, believed there was, and, in a general sense, his idea is shared and echoed by many other thinkers, some of whom I have written about extensively in my book A Secret History of Consciousness. What Barfield believed, and what we can find in other philosophers of consciousness such as Rudolf Steiner, Jean Gebser, and others, is that in earlier ages, human beings did not experience the world in the way that we do, as something radically separate from ourselves, as a strictly other “outside”, opposed to our subjective “inside.” As mentioned earlier, this opposition, between inside and outside, is something we do not experience for the first two years of our lives. Not to draw too strong an analogy, but through his study of the history of language, Barfield came to the conclusion that people of an earlier time, lived in a much more “participatory” relationship to the world than we do, in a way akin to how we experience it in our first years. They were in it more than we are, part of it in a way that we are not, or at least do not experience ourselves to be. They felt at home in the cosmos in a very real sense. As Barfield suggests, they felt the world to be a kind of tapestry, into which they were woven, along with everything else, where we feel in the cosmos in the sense of it being a kind of “container” we find ourselves in, having no idea how we got here. (As Heidegger says, we are “thrown” into the world.) They belonged to the world in a way that we feel we do not.
Heraclitus was a pre-Socratic philosopher known for having left the comforts of his wealthy family for a contemplative life in the mountains. There he developed his philosophy that the universe is fundamentally a process of continual change. He famously compared life to a river, stating that “everything flows and nothing abides.” And furthermore, “Ever-newer waters flow on those who step into the same rivers”; consequently, “You cannot step twice into the same rivers.” Recognizing the unity of all being, Heraclitus declared, “He who hears not me but the logos will say: All is one.” He also observed that “Unless you expect the unexpected, you will not find it, for it is hidden and thickly tangled.”
We can say that our sense of belonging to the world began to loosen with the rise of reason and rationality, which we can place circa the sixth or fifth century BC, in the period the philosopher Karl Jaspers called the “Axial Age.” This was a time when a global shift in human consciousness took place, and which produced the spiritual, moral and ethical beliefs that continue to guide mankind, although, to be sure, their power to persuade has lessened in recent times. But while religious inspirations arose in China, India, Persia, and the Holy Lands, in Greece something different took place. There began the rise of what Husserl called “theoretical man,” the man of logical enquiry. Where Confucius, Lao-Tse, Gautama Buddha, Zoroaster, and the Hebrew prophets were concerned with the question of how we should live—and the jury is still out on that one—in Greece, pre-Socratic philosophers such as Thales, Anaximander, Heraclitus and others wanted to know what was real, what the universe was made of. These are the kinds of questions that eventually gave birth to what we know as science.
These are, of course, important questions, but in order to pursue them thoroughly, the older mythical understanding of the world had to be jettisoned. A mythical narrative about how the world came into existence does not answer the question of what the basic “stuff” is of which it is made. The poetic view which told a story had to give way to the prosaic one which arrived at fact. Thus began what we have come to call the “disenchantment of the world,” the end result of which is the sense of the world’s meaninglessness and our sense of being lost in it.
“The Ouroboros has been said to have a meaning of infinity or wholeness. In the age-old image of the Ouroboros lies the thought of devouring oneself and turning oneself into a circulatory process, for it was clear to the more astute alchemists that the prima materia of the art was man himself. The Ouroboros is a dramatic symbol for the integration and assimilation of the opposite, i.e. of the shadow.”
– C. G. Jung
This would be a sad ending, and one that many people, scientists and existentialists among them, feel compelled to accept. But Barfield, Wilson, and the other people I write about disagree. They accept that for something like the kind of independent thought, freedom, and rational enquiry that we cherish to arise, it was necessary to cut ourselves off from the sense of being at home in the universe in the old way, the unreflective, ouroboric, participatory consciousness enjoyed by our ancestors and which, we assume, animals still enjoy today. (As the philosopher Max Scheler said, animals never say “No” to the universe, even when in pain; we do it all the time.) But this is only part of a process, the process of, as Barfield says, achieving self-consciousness. Our current consciousness is a product of time, of history, of evolution, not a final state or “consciousness per se.”
Just as we shifted from an earlier unconscious participation with the cosmos to our current detached relationship to it, Barfield and the other philosophers of consciousness I write about, believe there is good reason to recognise that we are in the process of shifting to a further conscious state of participation. Or at least we have the possibility of doing so; sadly, there are no guarantees. This is a consciousness that retains its independence and freedom of thought and will, but is not hamstrung by the sense of meaninglessness that informs many forms of contemporary philosophy—deconstructionism and postmodernism, for example—or the kind of gloomy pronouncements that physicists such as Steven Weinberg and others have made about our relation to reality. Evidence for this comes in the variety of mystical or altered states of consciousness that these thinkers examine and which I look at in my books.
I cannot go into detail about these here—space does not allow it. But in general the content of these experiences is a sense of meaning that is overpowering at times, so much so that we can begin to understand the brain not as a producer of consciousness—as many neuroscientists do—but as a kind of reducing valve, dampening down the meaning to a level we can appreciate without being overwhelmed by it, an idea that Bergson proposed in the late nineteenth century (and which again we can upgrade to the analogy of a TV and the programs it receives: we need to tune in to one, not have them all at once.) But to follow this idea, I must engage in the kind of self-promotion that most writers of integrity find odious but which, at times, they must nevertheless pursue. That is to say, suggest that the reader of this essay seek out and read my books. Here are some titles to get you on your way.
A Secret History of Consciousness
Lost Knowledge of the Imagination
Beyond the Robot: The Life and Work of Colin Wilson
Gary Lachman is the author of twenty-one books on topics ranging from the evolution of consciousness to literary suicides, popular culture and the history of the occult. He has written a rock and roll memoir of the 1970s, biographies of Aleister Crowley, Rudolf Steiner, C. G. Jung, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Emanuel Swedenborg, P. D. Ouspensky, and Colin Wilson, histories of Hermeticism and the Western Inner Tradition, studies in existentialism and the philosophy of consciousness, and about the influence of esotericism on politics and society. He writes for several journals in the UK, US, and Europe, including Fortean Times, Quest, Strange Attractor, Fenris Wolf, and his work has appeared in the Times Literary Supplement, Times Educational Supplement, Guardian, Independent on Sunday, Sunday Times, Mojo, Gnosis and other publications. He lectures regularly in the UK, US, and Europe, and his work has been translated into a dozen languages. He has appeared in several film and television documentaries and on BBC Radio 3 and 4 and is on the adjunct faculty in Transformative Studies at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Before becoming a full-time writer Lachman studied philosophy, managed a new age bookshop, taught English Literature, and was a Science Writer for UCLA. He was a founding member of the pop group Blondie and in 2006 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Lachman was born in New Jersey, but since 1996 has lived in London, UK. | <urn:uuid:0d628dea-b471-49b2-839c-a885f7cb3c4c> | CC-MAIN-2021-17 | https://thesecularheretic.com/the-evolution-of-consciousness/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-17/segments/1618039544239.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20210421130234-20210421160234-00244.warc.gz | en | 0.973243 | 5,917 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Topic: Money And Banking
Topic: Money and Banking
Respond to each of the following questions.
1. Explain the principal-agent problem as it pertains to equity contracts.
2. Why does the free-rider problem occur in the debt market? Provide one (1) supporting fact.
3. Your bank has the following balance sheet.
Reserves- $50 million
Securities- $50 million
Loans- $150 million
Checkable deposits-$200 million
Bank capital-$50 million
If the required reserve ratio is 10%, describe two (2) actions that the bank manager should take if there is an unexpected deposit outflow of $50 million?
4. How can specializing in lending help to reduce the adverse selection problem in lending? Provide two (2) examples to support your response. | <urn:uuid:6f0f469f-e41d-47fc-bd00-356ab6512c29> | CC-MAIN-2022-49 | https://homeworkhelpforyou.com/topic-money-and-banking/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-49/segments/1669446710789.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20221201021257-20221201051257-00463.warc.gz | en | 0.892906 | 193 | 3.1875 | 3 |
About Pink Bermuda Sand
The Royal Gazette featured a wonderful article on our incredible Pink Bermuda Sand. The full story is here, but I've pulled some excerpts from the beautifully written article by Ali Hochberg of the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences for you to peruse.
Although some people believe the sand’s colouration is just a trick of the eye caused by the warm glow of the setting sun, there is a scientific explanation as to why some of Bermuda’s beaches actually do have pink-hued sands and the answer rests with marine organisms known as “foraminifera.”
Foraminifera (or “forams” for short) are single-celled marine organisms with shells, called “tests”, that are made of calcium carbonate, the same material found in the shells of other marine organisms such as corals, lobsters and mussels. Forams are not considered animals because they do not have bodies that are divided up into multiple cells; however, they are also not quite plants because they don’t photosynthesize like plants and algae.
In Bermuda, one particular species of red foraminifera, Homotrema rubrum, grows abundantly on the undersides of coral ledges. When the forams die, either naturally or from the crushing forces of wave action, their tests sink to the bottom. Over time, tidal forces and waves wash these tests ashore, where they mix with the white crushed skeletons of other marine organisms, giving the sand a pink hue.
Despite their small size, foraminifera play an important role in geologic sciences. Because they have a calcium carbonate shell, forams are well-preserved in the fossil record. Combined with their abundance in the ocean, this gives scientists an accurate record of the evolution of forams, as well as a reliable way to date the age of the surrounding substrate.
So, the next time someone asks about Bermuda’s famous pink sand, you can tell them our beaches get their beautiful colour because of a very small marine organism: the red foraminifera.
Below are a few of our favourite images of Pink Bermuda Sand, both in our studio and around Bermuda.
Stonehole Bay, South Shore, Bermuda
Close up of Pink Bermuda Sand in our Hamilton Studio
Alexandra's Pink Sand Heart Pendant takes a staycation at Cambridge Beaches, Bermuda
Photographer Amanda Temple shooting Alexandra's Pink Sand Jewellery on South Shore
Our favourite Splash Collection Bermuda Pink Sand Ring | <urn:uuid:f1aa9dd8-5b2c-48af-bc22-f45004673672> | CC-MAIN-2017-22 | https://www.alexandramosher.com/pages/about-pink-bermuda-sand | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-22/segments/1495463609054.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20170527191102-20170527211102-00082.warc.gz | en | 0.937193 | 521 | 3.078125 | 3 |
Four decades before it was destroyed by the Holocaust before its buildings were burnt to the ground and replaced with acres of barbed wire, the city of Chorzów, Poland was home to an unassuming man who would soon inspire social acceptance and celebration of the disabled for ages to come.
It was in the small town of Königshütte that Ludwig Guttmann first dabbled in the field of medicine. At the age of 18, Guttmann was volunteering in a local hospital for coal miners when he came across a patient who fascinated him. The patient was a coal miner with a broken back who was only expected to live for 3 months. Guttmann remarks in his memoirs that “it was the picture of that young man which remained indelibly fixed in my memory,” inspiring him to pursue neurology and earn a Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Freiburg. Guttmann accelerated through the ranks of his local hospital and by 1933 was renowned as Germany’s top neurosurgeon.
However, with Adolf Hitler securing the position of Chancellor of Germany and the escalating Nazi influence driving the German people to xenophobic brutality, Guttmann and his publicly Jewish family were in serious danger. In April-June 1933, Germany’s inhabitants witnessed some of the most exhaustive antisemitic legislation due to Hitler’s totalitarian process of Gleichschaltung (Nazification). The systematic targeting of people based on their religion, ethnicity, political ideologies, sexual orientation, and health was escalating and danger was inevitable.
Chief among Guttmann’s concerns was the ban on all Jewish and female doctors in the workplace. Replaced by the National Socialist German Medical Association (NSDÄB), Guttmann was forced to resign from his position and subsequently became the director of a Jewish hospital in Breslau.
On the night of 9 November 1938, Kristallnacht, a pogrom sanctioned by the Nazi’s paramilitary, resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Jews and the transfer of an additional 30,000 to concentration camps. Throwing away all self-preservation, Guttmann knew it was time to act and save whoever he could by telling his staff to admit anyone and everyone to his hospital. Guttmann was fully aware of the life-threatening consequences his actions but he accepted his ultimate fate, writing in his memoirs that he prepared himself for detainment by “donn[ing] boots and a coat before setting off to the hospital the next morning.”
Indeed, Guttmann was correct in assuming his actions wouldn’t go unnoticed. As recalled by his daughter, Eva Loeffler, the “Gestapo came to see my father, wanting to know why so many admissions had happened overnight.” Guttmann obligingly answered their questions, taking the officers on a tour of the hospital wing “from bed to bed” all the while “justifying each man’s medical condition.” Of the 64 patients admitted during Kristallnacht, only four were deported to labour camps. Guttmann willfully tied the noose around his neck to protect his people from persecution.
This was just the beginning of the rise of the Third Reich, and Guttmann’s entire family was depending on him. If he continued to operate under Nazi dictatorship, their arrest and possible deportation would be inevitable. Yet, along with being arrested, deported, and barred from unionised medical practice, Jews were no longer considered German citizens. Therefore, Guttmann’s passport and those of his family had been destroyed. They were stranded, and war was imminent.
Miraculously, however, in December 1938, Joachim von Ribbentrop, the Reich’s new Foreign Minister, instructed Guttmann to travel to Portugal to treat a friend of the Dictator António de Oliveira Salazar, in an effort to align Germany with Portugal during the war. Guttmann obliged and was permitted a two-day stay in England on his return. However, once he was provided with a visa, Guttman contacted the Council for At-Risk Academics and fled with his family to Oxford, England where they took asylum.
Gradually, along with many other displaced Jews, England was transformed from an urgent sanctum from Nazi persecution to a new home.
Yet, the Guttmann story doesn’t end here. In fact, for many, it only begins on British soil. Now that Ludwig Guttmann had the advantage of being an equal member of society, he fully embraced every opportunity. After witnessing the deplorable treatment of disabled soldiers and paraplegics, who had an overall mortality rate of 80 per cent in the First World War and an average of 3 months to live after injury, Guttmann set his mind to innovating a philosophy of rehabilitation through physiotherapy.
Guttmann proposed his sports-based rehabilitation plan to the Medical Research Council of England and was quickly commissioned as the director at the National Spinal Injuries Centre at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital.
In an interview with The Independent in 2012, his daughter Eva once again reflected on her father’s fight for the acceptance of sports therapy, saying, “patients thought he was dreadful, nurses thought his ideas were dreadful, and other doctors thought he was mad. He had to fight for everything – but because he succeeded, you see the change in everybody.”
On 28 July 1948, on the same day as the London Summer Olympics, Guttmann organised the world’s first games for disabled persons, in the courtyard of the Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Eva remembers helping out by “pulling the arrows out of the archery butts and picking up the ball during table tennis matches.”
These games, founded to help patients regain physical skills and confidence, slowly grew to include international competitors by 1952. Later on, the International Olympic Committee recognised Guttmann with the Sir Thomas Fearnley Cup. This paved the way for the first official Paralympic Games in Rome in 1960 and the creation of the British Sports Association for the Disabled. Guttmann was finally recognised for his work in the medical field when he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) and Associate Officer of the Venerable Order of Saint John. He was also awarded the Fellowship of the Royal Society, and knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
Guttmann’s efforts in the fields of physiotherapy and paraplegic rehabilitation were incredibly progressive and they pushed for acceptance of disabled persons just a few years after they would have been targeted and executed. He consciously sought to end the eugenics movement, not only by restoring the confidence of disabled persons traumatized by the Second World War through sport but by celebrating their disabilities as strengths on an international scale.
22 November – 22 December marks Disability History Month. This is a time to reflect on how much progress has been made to represent people with disabilities and how this cause can be promoted today. Ludwig Guttmann’s defiant altruism is only one of the countless inspiring, yet overlooked stories that need to be heard, not just this month, but forever.
Image: Australian Paralympic Commitee via Wikimedia Commons | <urn:uuid:23a33cc4-ed83-4891-91b8-4a3b4fd8893c> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://studentnewspaper.org/pioneering-the-paralympics-from-persecution-to-progression/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474715.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20240228112121-20240228142121-00277.warc.gz | en | 0.979615 | 1,510 | 3.109375 | 3 |
People with Crohn's disease often have anemia due to vitamin B 12 , folate , iron deficiency , or due to anemia of chronic disease . The most common is iron deficiency anemia from chronic blood loss , reduced dietary intake, and persistent inflammation leading to increased hepcidin levels, restricting iron absorption in the duodenum. As Crohn's disease most commonly affects the terminal ileum where the vitamin B12/ intrinsic factor complex is absorbed, B12 deficiency may be seen. This is particularly common after surgery to remove the ileum. Involvement of the duodenum and jejunum can impair the absorption of many other nutrients including folate. If Crohn's disease affects the stomach, production of intrinsic factor can be reduced. | <urn:uuid:c15bfb0c-1393-41e6-9106-8a95cb5b7130> | CC-MAIN-2018-26 | http://qzn.stoynev.us/enfermedad-de-crohn-esteroides.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-26/segments/1529267864848.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20180623000334-20180623020334-00108.warc.gz | en | 0.909855 | 161 | 3.140625 | 3 |
Creating a slideshow works very similar to creating a theory page. Learn more about creating theory pages here.
In the Author environment, click on the tab Slideshow. Next, click on the New button.
You will now see a screen with four fields:
Name: Give your new slideshow a name.
Theme: Choose the color scheme of your slideshow.
Position: You will see two input fields here. For the one on the left, the one labelled Chapter, choose within which chapter you want to create the slideshow.
You will now see a second input field, labelled Subchapter. Here, choose within which subchapter you want to create this slideshow.
Status: Do you want to publish your slideshow already? Publishing it means it can be used by Teachers, and subsequently Students.
Is it just a draft? You can leave it unpublished, but remember to publish it when you are ready!
You can also import a PowerPoint presentation by clicking on the Import powerpoint button.
Creating new slides
You will see that your slideshow has no slides yet. Click on Add slide to start creating a new slide.
An input field will appear. Give your new slide a name. Click the Save button to save.
You have now created a new slide, but it's still empty. Click on the edit icon to start adding text. Adding text works the same way as when creating a theory page.
In the slides tab, you can edit the texts for each slide and use other options to edit the slides, but you can also change the order the slides appear in. To change this order, simply drag the slides to the desired position by the handles next to them.
The order is saved automatically. You can also choose whether you want to display the slide numbers before the slide names.
You can preview your slide by clicking the view icon or by clicking the icon or by clicking the View slideshow button in the top-right of the screen.
Adding images, video, code, and tables works in the same way as when creating a theory page.
Learn more about slideshows:
How to add PowerPoint | <urn:uuid:5e70fdb5-b2b3-4c23-bf5b-bc1d0aa5efb5> | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | https://help.sowiso.com/en/articles/3725462-create-slideshows | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100276.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20231201053039-20231201083039-00117.warc.gz | en | 0.863413 | 433 | 2.78125 | 3 |
Compose a 2000 words essay on Road Rage. Needs to be plagiarism free! The study also concluded that reports of violent traffic incidents have increased about 7 percent every year since 1990″ (www.alligator.org/edit/issues/97-fall/971117/a01rage.htm). Traffic can spell a day. Rush hour is becoming a major factor that can turn the next minute or the next hour into a blissful run or a nightmarish situation. The government is taking all driving issues very seriously. Safety measures are being improved and implemented. Errant and abusive drivers are being sought and penalized. However, citizens and agencies alike are not doing enough to make the highway a safer place for all people.”A call to NHTSA elicited that the two-thirds figure above probably had its origins in a statement made in July by NHTSA Administrator Ricardo Martinez to a House of Representatives Subcommittee on Surface transportation. What Dr. Martinez actually said was, “We estimate that about one-third of these crashes and about two-thirds of the resulting fatalities can be attributed to behavior associated with aggressive driving””(http://www.drivers.com/article/168). Over the past years, the number of deaths in road mishaps is a stable figure on the national statistics. People are working hard to address the situation. They find ways to counter the occurrence of heavy traffic. They increase personnel visibility at all points to be responsive to accidents. Motorists are educated about defensive driving and road safety. But with all the precautionary measures being applied to ensure a blissful pace on the highway, plans and methods to instill good values among drivers are nil.There is a big difference between situations involving accidents to a road spat between two ill-tempered motorists. Accidents are not planned. Preventive actions to avoid such situations come by way through the imposition of proper directives and regulations. “In contrast to the more popular crime control approach, a nontraditional application of crime prevention through environmental design, which focuses on traffic facilitation, is offered to address violent and aggressive drivers” (http://eab.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/35/5/621).A confrontation between individuals is another thing. Although, there are punitive laws against the uncontrolled behavior of people, what becomes questionable is the effectivity of such actions to prevent them from engaging again into violent confrontations on the road in the future.”The media couldn’t talk enough about the awful carnage. Even a piece by the columnist William Safire, on the death of Princess Diana, was titled ROAD RAGE IN PARIS” (http://www.fumento.com/atlantic.html). It has clamored for the need for preventive measures on the road. People are encouraged to drive safely. They are told to watch the road, slow down, and to give way at intersections. | <urn:uuid:fdff99a6-19c3-4f12-acf9-ca38750a0912> | CC-MAIN-2019-09 | https://www.essaybrook.net/compose-a-2000-words-essay-on-road-rage-needs-to-be-plagiarism-free-the-study/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-09/segments/1550249406966.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20190222220601-20190223002601-00425.warc.gz | en | 0.962914 | 604 | 2.609375 | 3 |
About Somnathpur Temple
Somnathpur temple, also known as "Kesava temple" is one of the famous temples in Karnataka state. It is located on the bank of river Kaveri in a small village of Somnathpur, which is 38 km from Mysore. This Somnath temple Mysore is said to be the last major temple of Hoysala dynasty. Somnathpur temple was constructed in 1268 A.D. during the reign of Narsimha III by his army general "Somnath", hence the name of temple is named after him. The temple is the best preserved monument of Hoysala architecture.
Somnathpur Temple History
The interesting Somnath Temple history takes back to the golden era of Hoysala dynasty of Narsimha king. However the Kesava temple was built during the reign of Narsimha III (1254 AD - 1291 AD) before 740 years in 1268 AD by his army commander Somnath. In the earlier years he had founded a small village on the bank of river Kaveri, which he named Somnathpur after his name.
To reveal the proud history of Somnathpur plan Somnath temple tour. Besides the Somnathpur temple history and all its related facts are also inscribed on the slab in old Kannada script at the entrance.
Architecture of Somnathpur Temple
The whole Somnathpur Temple is constructed on a broad raised platform so that the devotees may perform a pradakshina of the temple. The temple is built stellar in shape , adorned with three abounding carved pinnacles with a common Navranga.
The The outer walls of the temples are decorated with beautiful carvings. The platform on which the temple stands, is adorned with two seated lions. The temple is structured in a series of bands, winding around a star from the building. The main entrance of the temple complex is in the east side of the courtyard. The main shrine at the center is abound by a rectangular premises of subsidiary shrines and cloisters.
In the entire temple sculptures of elephants can be seen in different stance and poise, that are decorated with chains and bells. The main three idols housed in the temples of Lord Kesava, Janardhana and Venugopala. But the idol of Lord Kesava is missing at present, while the other two still can be seen in their original form.
Places to Visit Around Somnathpur Temple
- Mudukuthore (famous for Mallikarjuna temple)
- Talakad (famous for Vaidhyanatheshwara temple)
- Shivanasamundaram aka Bluff and Shimsa (famous for Gaganachukku and Bharachukku waterfalls) | <urn:uuid:92440159-29d8-4651-8807-6cc034bf6966> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | http://south-india-tour-package.com/south-indian-temples/karnataka-temples/somnathpur-temple.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579251684146.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20200126013015-20200126043015-00131.warc.gz | en | 0.96765 | 594 | 3.046875 | 3 |
Impact of Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors appear to play roles.
Type 1 Diabetes
Results from the body's failure to produce insulin, the hormone that "unlocks" the cells of the body, allowing glucose to enter and fuel them. It is estimated that 5% of Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes
Results from insulin resistance (a condition in which the body fails to properly use insulin), combined with relative insulin deficiency. In adults, type 2 diabetes accounts for about 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.
Symptoms of Diabetes
Diabetes often goes undiagnosed because many of its symptoms seem so harmless. Recent studies indicate that the early detection of diabetes symptoms and treatment can decrease the chance of developing the complications of diabetes.
Diabetes symptoms include: frequent urination, excessive thirst, extreme hunger, unusual weight loss, increased fatigue, irritability and blurry vision. If you have one or more of these diabetes symptoms, see your doctor right away. You can also take our Online Diabetes Risk Test
to find out if you are at risk for diabetes.
How Many Are Affected by Diabetes*?
- 25.8 million: The estimated number of children and adults in the United States who have diabetes.
- 79 million: The estimated number of Americans who have pre-diabetes.
- 1.9 million: The number of new cases of diabetes diagnosed in people aged 20 years or older in 2010.
- 1 in 3 children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime if current trends continue. The ratio is even greater for minority children with 1 in 2 developing diabetes in their lifetime.
- Based on recently announced diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes, it is estimated that gestational diabetes affects 18% of pregnancies. Prior studies have shown women who have had gestational diabetes are at risk (of up to 60%) for developing diabetes in the next 10 to 20 years.
*Statistics released by the CDC in January 2011 | <urn:uuid:a2d08054-1b1d-4167-aa61-2e852c46b4a6> | CC-MAIN-2015-27 | http://tour.diabetes.org/site/PageServer?pagename=TCW_impact_of_diabetes | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-27/segments/1435375099758.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20150627031819-00098-ip-10-179-60-89.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924493 | 461 | 3.421875 | 3 |
Columbia, South Carolina, the capital and largest city of the state, and the seat of Richland County. It is in the center of South Carolina on the Congaree River.
Columbia is a commercial center and has a number of light manufacturing industries. Among the goods produced here are textiles, wood products, and processed foods.
Columbia is an important educational center; the University of South Carolina, Columbia College, and Benedict College are found here. Interesting places in Columbia include the State House, built during 1855-1905; the boyhood home of President Woodrow Wilson; the South Carolina State Museum; Riverbanks Zoological Park and Botanical Garden; and a number of well-preserved pre-Civil War houses.
Columbia was founded as the state capital in 1786. The city was captured by Sherman's troops during the Civil War and more than half of it was destroyed by fire in 1865. (For picture, see SOUTH CAROLINA) | <urn:uuid:07b487f5-f0be-49eb-a182-a2e69ed6dead> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://geography.howstuffworks.com/united-states/geography-of-columbia-south-carolina.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440645356369.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827031556-00001-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958528 | 201 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Diet and Acne Update: Carbohydrates Emerge as the Main Culprit
April 2014 | Volume 13 | Issue 4 | Original Article | 428 | Copyright © April 2014
Shereen N. Mahmood MD and Whitney P. Bowe MD
Department of Dermatology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY The
The prevalence of adult acne in the US appears to be increasing over the last few decades. But what’s behind the rise: is it nature or nurture? We are well aware that genetics can strongly influence a patient’s risk of developing acne. However, significant changes in germline genetic variants are unlikely to have occurred over the last 20 years. Consequently, we are forced to examine environmental variables, including diet. This review article presents the most updated evidence supporting a link between refined carbohydrates and acne. Based on the data summarized here, dermatologists should encourage their acne patients to minimize their intake of high glycemic index foods.
J Drugs Dermatol.
Acne vulgaris is a common skin condition, particularly in developed Western nations. More than 85% of adolescents suffer from this ubiquitous and psychologically debilitating disease, which is moderate to severe in about 15–20% of patients.1 Acne often persists into adulthood with 64% of individuals in their 20s and 43% of individuals in their 30s showing signs of visible acne.2,3,4 Another study of more than 2000 adults showed that 3% of men and 5% of women still had definite mild acne at the age of 40 to 49 years.5
Pathogenesis of acne is characterized by androgen-stimulated overproduction of sebum, follicular hyperkeratinization, inflammatory mediators, and colonization by organisms such as Propionibacterium acnes.6 These generally agreed on factors have guided treatment towards hormone control, antimicrobial therapy, and vitamin A derivatives. We are well aware that genetics can strongly influence a patient’s risk of developing acne. However, with the prevalence of adult acne in the US increasing over the last few decades7, significant changes in germline genetic variants are unlikely. Consequently, elucidating the relationship of environmental factors such as nutrition and diet have become more important in the recent study of acne.
The relationship between diet and acne, however, has been historically controversial. In the1930s through the 1960s, patients were regularly counseled regarding their dietary habits, as dietary triggers were thought to play a major role in acne. Following two critically impactful studies8,9 dietary restrictions were deemed no longer necessary. The idea that diet affected acne was relegated to myth. In 2007, one of the authors10 published a review in the JAAD re-implicating certain dietary factors in acne based on emerging evidence. This article concluded that refined carbohydrates and certain dairy products, in particular skim milk, appeared to be associated with acne.Since that review, several studies have been conducted, further elucidating which dietary factors play the largest role when it comes to acne. In this update, we present those studies and confirm our initial suspicion that refined carbohydrates are indeed the main dietary contributors to acne. This article is meant to serve as a follow up to that original JAAD publication, providing an update on the evidence linking diet and acne with a specific focus on carbohydrate intake.
PubMed - Medline database was used to allow for a thorough literature search. An attempt was made to also include published abstracts in order to broaden the search for available information. Articles published over a 4-year period (2009-2013) that reported results relating to diet and acne were incorporated. Medical Subject Headings (MESH) were used to search articles and free text to search article abstracts that contained (1) a term related to acne and (2) a term related to diet and nutrition. Prospective controlled trials, prospective and retrospective cohort studies, case-control studies, and large case series examining the role of diet in acne, published in the English language and on humans were included in this review. See Table 1.
Influence of Carbohydrate Intake on Acne Severity
The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of the relative potential of food to raise blood glucose levels as compared to equal amounts of carbohydrates within the food. It gives a sense of the quality of the carbohydrates present in food as it reflects the rate of carbohydrate absorption. Glycemic load (GL) determines the potential of a food to raise blood glucose as well as insulin as it accounts for the glycemic index of a particular food (quality) as well as the amount of food consumed (quantity).11 | <urn:uuid:93a880df-c701-4e31-8c43-c190cafb165c> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://jddonline.com/articles/dermatology/S1545961614P0428X/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627997801.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20190616062650-20190616084650-00241.warc.gz | en | 0.953261 | 942 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Black wool dye
CHOOSING FABRICS. Rit is most effective on numerous natural, washable fabrics and products, such as:
a. 100percent cotton fiber, linen, silk, wool, ramie
b. Synthetics such as rayon and nylon
c. Fiber combinations with at the very least 60percent cotton or other dyeable dietary fiber (blends will tint evenly but won't attain color)
d. Nylon-based synthetic such as those present in buttons, fasteners and lacrosse sticks
e. All-natural materials particularly lumber, wicker, report, feathers and cork
But you can find fabrics and products that will not accept dye, such as for instance:
a. 100percent polyester, acrylic, acetate, fiberglass, spandex and metallic fibers
b. Fabrics with rubberized backing (shower mats or toss rugs)
c. Textiles with unique finishes such as for example water repellents
d. Fabrics with bleach damage or considerable staining
e. Materials washable only in chilled water or labeled “dry clean only”
f. Polyethylene plastic materials like tennis disks
g. Polycarbonate plastic materials eg eyeglass frames
Fiber content and body weight in addition impact just how color appears making textiles like cotton, wool and silk absorb dye in a different way, slightly altering the hue and brightness for the opted for color. If you should be in question regarding whether your material encourage dye or attain the color you desire, we recommend testing a swatch.
DYE PREP. Cover workshop with a plastic table address or newsprint and also have paper towels or sponges handy to protect against any feasible spills.
Wear plastic gloves to protect fingers from getting stained and to insulate all of them whenever using hot-water.
Use plastic buckets or stainless-steel pots the dye bathtub. You may color in a stainless steel sink. Don’t dye or wash items in a porcelain or fiberglass sink or tub since they are likely to get stained./p>
OBTAINING TRUE COLOR. Always follow manufacturer’s care guidelines for the textile along with Rit Dye package or bottle instructions.
Eliminate stains on fabric or use Rit Color Remover before dyeing for fabric to an off-white or cream-color. This will help achieve consistent shade results whenever dyeing.
Dissolve dust dye carefully in 2 glasses of hot liquid very first in order to prevent dye spotting. Stir dissolved dust dye or well-shaken liquid dye into dye bathtub until evenly dispersed. Never ever pour fluid or powder dye directly on fabric unless looking to achieve a certain imaginative result.
Make sure to make use of adequate dye the body weight or measurements of the task. Including, for a pound of dried out material (about 3 yards), usage one package of Rit dust or 1/2 bottle of Rit liquid in 3 gallons of liquid. You want enough water for the fabric to maneuver freely in dye shower such that it can take in the dye uniformly throughout the apparel.
Whenever dyeing 1 pound of dried out textile in dark or bright colors like Ebony, brownish, Cocoa Brown, Navy, Purple, Wine, and Dark Green, use double the number of dye (2 plans of Rit dust or 1 bottle of Rit fluid) in 3 gallons of liquid.
When it comes to deepest shade, usage a liquid temperature of 140ºF/60ºC and hold heat continual while dyeing (the stove top strategy or an automatic washer work best). Note: If tap water is not hot enough, temperature liquid from the stove, in a teakettle or perhaps in the microwave.
If dyeing an apparel one or more shade, it's frequently far better focus on the lightest color and move to the darkest.
For more intense shade when dyeing materials containing cotton fiber, rayon, ramie, or linen, add 1 glass salt to your dye bath. When dyeing nylon, silk and wool, add 1 glass white vinegar on dye bath. If possible delay including the sodium or vinegar until 5 minutes after the textile has been doing the dye shower. The wait will assist you to advertise level dyeing.
Add 1 tablespoon laundry detergent to all the dye baths to help market level dyeing.
The longer the apparel is immersed in dye bathtub, the much deeper the ensuing shade. Products can remain in the dye bath to 60 minutes provided water continues to be hot. You’ll also need to make sure the item obtains continual agitation or stirring.
Garments also look darker when damp and just before washing.
Once you eliminate clothing from dye shower, wash in warm, after that cool water until water runs obvious. (tepid water really helps to wash down area dye better.)
Clean your fabric/clothes in hot water with moderate detergent and then rinse carefully in cold water. Device dried out or hang dried out.
TAKING CARE OF DYED ITEMS. The first two or 3 x, wash your dyed product on it's own in cool water with a tiny bit of non-bleaching detergent. Constantly clean your dyed clothes with comparable colors in cold water with moderate detergent. Dry cleansing silks and unique fabrics is preferred.
CLEANING. Clean bins and sinks immediately after dyeing by scrubbing with heated water and powdered cleanser or bleach.
Clean automatic washer making use of greatest water-level with hot-water, detergent and 1 cup chlorine bleach using total wash period. Clean lint traps. Plastic or rubberized device components is tinted but cannot stain laundry. | <urn:uuid:18485f12-825f-46b8-b678-856e04c22541> | CC-MAIN-2021-04 | http://www.tsmsizing.com/DyeWool/black-wool-dye | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-04/segments/1610703527850.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20210121194330-20210121224330-00392.warc.gz | en | 0.889836 | 1,178 | 2.546875 | 3 |
For the 1st time for basic readers, the Dalai Lama provides a accomplished assessment of an important educating of Buddhism.
Perhaps the most distinction among Buddhism and different religions is its knowing of our center identity. The life of the soul or self, that's primary in several how one can Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, is admittedly denied in Buddhism. Even additional, trust in a “self” is obvious because the major resource of our problems in life. but a real figuring out of this educating does not lead one to a despairing, cynical worldview with a feeling that existence has no meaning—Far from it, a real realizing ends up in real happiness for someone and the best resource of compassion for others.
In 2003 and in 2007, the Dalai Lama used to be invited to manhattan to offer a sequence of talks at the crucial Buddhist view of selflessness. This new publication, the results of these talks, is now provided to assist increase know-how of this crucial doctrine and its usefulness in residing a extra significant and chuffed life.
While the Dalai Lama deals an entire presentation of his teachings on those key philosophical issues for contemplation, he additionally indicates readers tips to deliver those teachings actively into their very own lives with ideas for a private practice. it's only by means of really residing those teachings that we let them lead to a real transformation in our belief of ourselves and our lives
A Profound Mind bargains vital knowledge for these devoted to bringing approximately swap on this planet via constructing their very own non secular functions, whether or not they are Buddhists or now not.
Quick preview of A Profound Mind: Cultivating Wisdom in Everyday Life PDF
Similar Buddhism books
Conserving all of the loved characteristics of Huston Smith's vintage The Religions of guy and the present totally revised and up to date The World's Religions, this wonderful pictorial presentation refines the textual content to its excellent necessities. In designated, soaking up, richly illustrated, and hugely readable chapters on Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity and primal religions, we discover clean and engaging shows of either the variations and the similarities one of the all over the world spiritual traditions.
Now in paperback, this functional consultant to cultivating compassion grants Buddhist and mental perception correct the place we want it most—navigating the problems of our day-by-day lives. Compassion is frequently obvious as , altruistic excellent cultivated through saints, or as an unrealistic reaction of the naively kind-hearted.
The 1st entire translation of a vintage Buddhist text on the adventure via residing and dyingGraced with starting phrases via His Holiness The Dalai Lama, the Penguin Deluxe version of The Tibetan e-book of the lifeless is "immaculately rendered in an English either sleek and detailed. " Translated with the shut help of prime modern masters and hailed as “a super accomplishment,” this e-book faithfully offers the insights and intentions of the unique paintings.
Rennyo Shonin (1415-1499) is taken into account the "second founder" of Shin Buddhism. lower than his management, the Honganji department grew in dimension and tool, changing into a countrywide association with nice wealth and impact. Rennyo's good fortune lay in conveying an enticing non secular message whereas exerting potent administrative keep watch over.
- Twelve Examples of Illusion
- The Book of Equanimity: Illuminating Classic Zen Koans
- The Everything Hinduism Book: Learn the traditions and rituals of the "religion of peace"
- A Climate: A Philosophical Study
- True Love: A Practice for Awakening the Heart
Extra info for A Profound Mind: Cultivating Wisdom in Everyday Life
If we discover it too sizzling, we flip it down. The legislations of contrary forces works the following simply because warmth and chilly don't dwell concurrently with out one undermining the opposite. equally, we will get rid of darkness in a room through switching at the mild. simply because the legislation of contrary forces operates in various methods in the flora and fauna, it additionally operates in our psychological global. as a way to counter our unfavourable feelings corresponding to anger and hatred, we domesticate loving-kindness and compassion. equally, to counter powerful emotions of lust and attachment we meditate at the impurity and impermanence of the item of our wish. Our notion method opposes our afflictive feelings and steadily diminishes them. Such antidotes will purely undermine our afflictions; they won't do away with them absolutely. A awareness of vacancy, since it is grounded in perception, has an intensive impact upon our adverse psychological developments, just like switching on a gentle in a dismal room, because it instantly dispels our routine ignorant greedy at inherent life. a few of our afflictions have a cognitive personality, whereas others are extra impulsive in nature. Anger and attachment, for instance, are impulsive, owning a miles decrease cognitive personality. Our basic lack of knowledge has a far greater cognitive caliber. hence, with a view to counter it we needs to domesticate its direct contrary, the knowledge figuring out vacancy. even though either knowledge and lack of knowledge are psychological traits, the facility of our primary lack of knowledge comes basically from lengthy habituation. although, our primary lack of information is at odds with the way in which issues really are: there's, in truth, no foundation for our flawed belief, and no legitimate help for it in cause. by contrast, although vacancy might firstly be obscure, the idea that of vacancy is in accord with truth, because it is grounded in legitimate adventure and will face up to logical scrutiny. when we have cultivated knowledge figuring out vacancy, we needs to elevate its power through constructing familiarity with it. Our knowledge will thereby steadily achieve some degree the place it may possibly remove our primary lack of information. in addition, the basic nature of our brain is its readability and luminosity. those characteristics of brain are natural and unpolluted. via our lengthy cultivation of knowledge, it truly is attainable to eliminate our primary lack of knowledge to the purpose the place the afflictions, besides any propensity towards afflictive proposal bobbing up in dependence upon our lack of knowledge, are eradicated. This probability of elimination all stumbling blocks to natural luminosity and realizing indicates our strength to achieve a kingdom of omniscience. established ORIGINATION So, who am I? Who or what's on the center of me? Am I any of the person psychological or actual parts that make up what i feel of as “me”? Or am I an insignificant blend of them? If i'm really not identifiable with the person components of the physique, and but can't be pointed out with the gathering of those components, then who am I? may I be pointed out as anything cut loose and self reliant of those actual parts? | <urn:uuid:bab806af-ef83-40d3-994a-e39edbce415a> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://globalkidsedu.com/lib/a-profound-mind-cultivating-wisdom-in-everyday-life | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886120194.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20170823113414-20170823133414-00295.warc.gz | en | 0.931122 | 1,416 | 2.625 | 3 |
Combining optical waveguides and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is a key requirement for optical sensors based on organic materials. A device architecture in which the active layers of the OLED also form the waveguide structure is demonstrated (see figure), and it is shown that the choice of materials with adequate optical an electrical properties is crucial to obtain low-loss waveguides.
If you can't find a tool you're looking for, please click the link at the top of the page to "Go to old article view". Alternatively, view our Knowledge Base articles for additional help. Your feedback is important to us, so please let us know if you have comments or ideas for improvement. | <urn:uuid:c952df88-f715-4f9d-b5c5-b86121232c13> | CC-MAIN-2016-30 | http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.200702837/full?wol1URL=/doi/10.1002/adma.200702837/full®ionCode=US-VA&identityKey=b14a5aee-f9ec-4ab4-b313-22fdfdbf4111 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-30/segments/1469257821671.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20160723071021-00045-ip-10-185-27-174.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916861 | 144 | 2.671875 | 3 |
One of the most difficult problems that gardeners face is plant disease. In many cases there is no cure, and the only treatment is the removal of the affected parts of the plant. Plant diseases continue to live on leaves, twigs and other debris removed from the plant, as well as debris that falls to the ground. Hard rains can splash the disease organisms back onto the plant, and some diseases are carried on the wind, making prompt cleanup and disposal essential to prevent the further spread of disease.
Disposal of plant leaves, houseplants and other small debris from diseased plants is easily accomplished by sealing the debris in a plastic bag and placing it in a garbage can with a lid. Large debris such as tree limbs and large numbers of plants present special challenges. It is a good idea to learn about other methods for what to do with infected plants should this be your situation.
Can You Burn Diseased Plant Debris?
One of the most commonly asked questions in reference to diseased plant disposal is, “Can you burn diseased plant debris?” The answer is yes. Burning is a good way to dispose of diseased plant debris, but check with local authorities first. Burning is banned or restricted in many areas.
Where burning is allowed, local authorities may restrict burning when weather conditions, such as drought and strong winds, encourage fires to spread. Some locations restrict the type of containment used for fires.
Diseased plant debris must be disposed of promptly. If you can’t burn it right away, consider another method of diseased plant disposal.
What to Do with Infected Plants
Burying diseased plant debris is a good method of disposal. Some diseases can live in the soil for years, so bury the debris as far from the garden as possible in an area that you don’t plan to use for garden plants. Cover the debris with at least 2 feet of soil.
Composting sickly plants is risky. You may be able to kill fungal and bacterial diseases by maintaining the compost pile at temperatures between 140-160 F. (60-71 C.) and turning it often. However, some viral diseases can survive even these high temperatures. Therefore, it’s better to use another disposal method rather than take a chance that you may spread plant diseases throughout the garden in your compost.
Plant diseases are also spread on gardening tools. Disinfect your tools with a 10 percent solution of household bleach or a strong disinfectant after caring for diseased plants. Disinfectants can damage tools, so rinse them thoroughly with water after disinfecting. | <urn:uuid:16d327a6-2ca9-4cc5-b9f4-752bdee16692> | CC-MAIN-2018-43 | https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/diseased-plant-disposal.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-43/segments/1539583511897.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20181018173140-20181018194640-00118.warc.gz | en | 0.950553 | 530 | 3.4375 | 3 |
Introduction Influenza exerts a significant health burden on human populations across temperate, subtropical and tropical regions . The striking seasonal pattern that characterizes influenza in temperate populations has long suggested a causal link between seasonal fluctuations in climatic and social factors and influenza transmission –. Temperate regions of the northern and southern hemispheres are characterized by highly synchronized annual influenza epidemics during their respective winter months , . In contrast, influenza seasonal characteristics are more diverse in tropical and subtropical regions; some sites experience annual epidemics coinciding with the local rainy season –, whereas others are characterized by semi-annual epidemics or year-round influenza activity without well-defined influenza seasons , , . Recent epidemiological studies indicate that low levels of specific humidity are associated with the onset of pandemic and epidemic influenza in the US , , consistent with laboratory experiments and animal models suggesting that low specific humidity favors virus survival and aerosol transmission –. There are several alternative explanations for the winter seasonal transmission of influenza in temperate regions, including the inhibition of host immune function due to decreased exposure to solar radiation , , and the inhibition of mucociliary clearance by the inhalation of cold-dry air . Person-to-person contact rates may also strengthen in the winter due to increased indoor crowding, modulated by school terms . There are few biological explanations for the association between precipitations and influenza activity reported in some tropical and subtropical regions, although rainy conditions may also favor indoor crowding . Although it is common for epidemiological studies to examine relationships between seasonal influenza activity and climatic factors for individual sites, few studies have assessed the consistency of these relationships across a broad range of temperate, subtropical and tropical sites. A recent study evidenced a link between influenza and temperature based on aggregate country-level data, but did not characterize the geographical and climatic boundaries that define regions experiencing different influenza seasonality patterns . Here we investigate both relative and absolute associations between climatic factors and the timing of seasonal influenza epidemics for 78 individual sites sampled globally . We develop models that predict the month of peak influenza activity for each study site as a function of climatic variables and identify climatic thresholds accounting for the diversity of influenza seasonality patterns observed globally. Methods Data Influenza epidemiological data We used a recently developed global database that provides information on the month of maximum influenza activity (“influenza peaks”) for 78 sites worldwide, of which 39% were located in the tropics. A detailed description of the database is provided in the Supplement and , and is briefly summarized below. The data were compiled based on a systematic literature review of published influenza and respiratory virus surveillance studies, reporting weekly or monthly laboratory-confirmed influenza cases for a period of 12 consecutive months or more, augmented with electronic data from regional or national influenza surveillance schemes. Studies focused on the 2009 A/H1N1 pandemic virus were excluded to restrict the analysis to seasonal patterns of inter-pandemic influenza. We identified 85 studies matching our inclusion criteria, encompassing 78 sites in 40 countries sampled during the period 1975–2008, with median study duration of 2 years (Figure 1). A majority of study sites (76%) represented a specific city rather than a state, province, or region. The 24% of study sites representing regional level data encompassed areas that were relatively small and homogeneous with respect to climate, including countries such as Italy and the Republic of Korea; states within large countries such as Michigan, USA or Victoria, Australia; climatologically-homogeneous regions in Peru; provinces within Thailand; multiple cities in northern Argentina or in Taiwan; and a subtropical island in Japan. 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003194.g001 Figure 1 Map of 78 study sites included in this study. The site symbols indicate whether a location has annual or semi-annual influenza activity, and symbol size is proportional to the duration of the epidemiological studies used to determine the month of peak activity for each location. For sites with multiple years of data, the peak influenza month of each year was determined and the average month of peak influenza was calculated. Because some sites were characterized by semi-annual influenza activity, influenza peaks separated by four months or greater were considered distinct influenza seasons (see Supplement for more information). Indeed, 17 sites (22% of the dataset) concentrated in East and South-East Asia, and equatorial regions of Central and South America, were characterized by two distinct influenza peaks within the year (Figure 1). Of these 17 sites with semi-annual influenza peaks, 15 had a primary peak (present in all study years) and a secondary peak (present in a subset of years), while primary and secondary influenza peaks were not distinguishable in two sites. We report results from analyses performed on the superset of sites consisting of all primary and secondary influenza peaks (n = 96), as well as the subset restricted to primary influenza peaks (n = 76). In addition to the epidemiological influenza database gleaned from the literature and encompassing 78 sites, we collected laboratory-confirmed influenza epidemiological data for 9 countries from FluNet, the WHO global influenza surveillance effort , to ensure proper model validation with an independent disease dataset. The group of 9 countries (Spain, Tunisia, Senegal, Philippines, Vietnam, Colombia, Paraguay, South Africa, and Argentina) was selected because they were latitudinally diverse, with a heavy focus on subtropical and tropical regions, each country was relatively small geographically, and provided several years of data. We also favored countries that were not represented in the original 78-location database. Climate data For the 78 influenza sites, we compiled average monthly temperature (°C), relative humidity (%) and precipitation (mm) data from the CRU/Oxford/IWMI 10′ latitude/longitude gridded dataset (CRU CL 2.0) . This dataset was selected because of its global coverage, high spatial resolution, and monthly temporal resolution (equal to the temporal resolution of the epidemiological dataset). We then calculated the average monthly specific humidity (g/kg)—a measure of absolute humidity—from relative humidity, temperature and surface pressure (estimated from elevation) . Because the CRU climate dataset consists of monthly averages for the arbitrary multiyear period of 1960–1991 and does not necessarily represent the local monthly conditions in the years sampled for influenza activity, we also considered a more recent meteorological dataset from the NCEP/NCAR Global Reanalysis (GR) project . Unlike the CRU dataset, the GR dataset provides comprehensive time series data for 1948-present, which enables calculation of average monthly meteorological conditions for the appropriate time periods at all sites. The major drawback of the GR dataset is its coarser spatial scale (2°×2° latitude/longitude), which can obscure local variability in weather and climate. To evaluate potential biases associated with a mismatched time period (CRU dataset) and a coarse spatial resolution (GR dataset), we performed a comparative analysis of both datasets (Figure S1 in Text S1). We established that the root-mean-square (RMS) error introduced by the mismatched temporal period was 3–5 times smaller than the RMS error introduced by a coarse spatial resolution. Thus, herein we report the results of analyses based on temperature, specific humidity, relative humidity and precipitation data from the more spatially-resolved CRU dataset. We also use the solar radiation variable from the GR dataset as the CRU dataset does not have appropriate solar radiation information (Supplement). Finally, we obtained climate data from the CRU and GR datasets for the most populous city in each of the 9 countries selected from FluNet for additional model validation. Statistical Analyses of Influenza and Climate Exploratory rank analyses We conducted exploratory analyses based on a non-parametric rank order approach to assess the relative association between influenza peaks and seasonal climate variation. Specifically, we ranked the monthly values of temperature, solar radiation, specific humidity, and precipitation for each site in ascending order. We calculated the mean of the ranks corresponding to the peak influenza month(s) for each site. Assuming that there is no relative relationship between climatic factors and timing of influenza peaks, we would expect mean ranks of 6.5 (“null value”). We also performed the rank order analysis across latitude by employing a window spanning 10° of latitude and sliding it across 5–50°N/S latitude at 2.5° intervals. We calculated the mean rank for each climate variable corresponding to influenza peaks for all the sites within each interval. To test for significance we generated a null distribution (p = 0.05) by bootstrapping randomly generated distributions for each latitudinal interval. We evaluated lag relationships of up to 4 months between climate factors and influenza peaks. Univariate and multivariate regression To assess the absolute relationship between influenza seasonality and climate, we developed univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. Because exploratory analyses revealed a bimodal relationship between influenza peaks and some of the environmental predictors we employed second-degree polynomial functions for climate predictors. We also added interaction terms describing the deviation of each monthly predictor from its annual average. The dependent variable was a vector of months indicating the presence or absence of an influenza peak for each site and month. As a sensitivity analysis, we considered mixed effects logistic models with independent intercepts (exchangeable covariance structure) to control for the repeated measurements in each site and different disease periodicities (i.e., annual versus semi-annual influenza activity). We found this did not have a significant effect on the modeled relationships and therefore report the results from classical logistic regression for simplicity. We used the “all possible subsets” multivariate regression approach and retained models in which all predictors were significant (p = 0.05). In conjunction with a jackknife leave-one-out method we assessed model fit with a “peak prediction metric” that was defined by calculating the difference between the observed month of peak influenza activity versus the month with the highest predicted probability of a peak for each site. The cumulative proportion of peaks predicted within +/−1 month of the observed peaks were compared to the upper 97.5%, 99% and 99.9% thresholds of the cumulative proportion of influenza peaks randomly distributed within +/−1 months of the observed peaks (10,000 runs). In addition to using the peak prediction metric to quantify model performances across all sites, we compared model performances between sites in high latitudes (poleward of 25°N/S), middle latitudes (12.5–25°N/S) and low latitudes (equatorward of 12.5°N/S). We evaluated lag relationships of up to 4 months between the predictors and influenza peaks. For additional model validation, we confronted the predictions of the selected multivariate climate model against the seasonal distribution of influenza viruses in independent sites selected from the FluNet database. Defining influenza geographical and climatic boundaries The rank order and logistic regression analyses indicated that the relationship between seasonal climate and influenza peaks was not consistent globally. Low temperatures, solar radiation and specific humidity corresponded to epidemics in high latitudes, whereas high levels of precipitation, specific humidity and relative humidity corresponded to epidemics in low latitudes. To try to synthesize these results, we explored whether the seasonal range of climatic factors in a site was predictive of the environmental conditions during the local influenza season. Specifically, we constructed a binary dependent variable by classifying each influenza peak as either ‘cold-dry’ or ‘humid-rainy’ based on whether the influenza peak corresponded to a month with a specific humidity rank less than or equal to 6 or greater than or equal to 7, respectively. Specific humidity was chosen to classify the peaks because the rank-relationship between influenza peaks in the low latitudes was the opposite of the relationship observed in high latitudes, and because specific humidity was significantly correlated with other relevant climate predictors, including temperature (Pearson rho = 0.87, p<0.0001) and precipitation (Pearson rho = 0.62, p<0.0001). We then used the site-specific annual minimum and maximum of each environmental predictor to generate a conditional probability function through logistic regression. We defined the value at which the function equaled 0.50 to be the threshold between cold-dry and humid-rainy influenza locations. We used a jackknife leave-one-out method to assess the accuracy of the logistic model in predicting the climate conditions corresponding to each influenza peak. Finally, for additional model validation, we confronted the predicted probability function against observed influenza activity patterns in the independent study sites selected from FluNet. Results Influenza Peaks and Climate: Rank Analysis Across the 78 sites, influenza peaks generally coincided with months of lower temperature, lower solar radiation and lower specific humidity than expected under the null hypothesis (mean rank = 4.3 [95% CI: 3.7, 5.0] for temperature, 4.5 [95% CI: 3.9, 5.1] for solar radiation and 4.8 [95% CI: 4.0, 5.6] for specific humidity). In contrast, relative humidity and precipitation did not significantly deviate from the null value (mean rank not significantly different than 6.5). The association between influenza peaks, temperature, solar radiation, relative humidity and specific humidity was most significant when the influenza peaks lagged 1-month behind the environmental predictors. We obtained similar results when the analysis was restricted to primary influenza peaks. A similar analysis performed with a sliding geographical window revealed that the association between influenza peaks and climatic variables varied with latitude (Figure 2). The strongest association was found at high latitudes poleward of 25°N/S, with influenza peaks preferentially occurring in months with the lowest temperature, solar radiation and specific humidity. Influenza peaks occurred in the months with the highest levels of relative humidity and lowest levels of precipitation poleward of approximately 40°N/S. Primary influenza peaks equatorward of 10°N/S corresponded to the months with the highest annual levels of specific humidity and precipitation (p<0.05); whereas there was no association with temperature, solar radiation and relative humidity. In middle latitudes ranging between 12.5–25°N/S, there was no significant association between influenza peaks and climatic variables. 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003194.g002 Figure 2 Influenza peaks and climate by latitude. The mean monthly rank of each climate variable corresponding to the month of peak influenza for each 10° latitudinal band. Solar radiation, temperature and specific humidity are lagged by 1 month. The background interval corresponds to the 95% null distribution. (A) displays the results for both primary and secondary influenza peaks; whereas (B) shows the results for primary influenza peaks only. Influenza peaks corresponded to months characterized by low ranks of temperature, solar radiation, and specific humidity in high latitudes. Primary influenza peaks corresponded to months with high ranks of humidity (both relative and specific) and precipitation in low latitudes. Univariate and Multivariate Models for Influenza Peaks Temperature and specific humidity were the best individual predictors of influenza peaks. The model fits improved slightly when influenza peaks lagged 1-month behind these predictors, and accurately predicted 56–66% of the peaks in the global datasets, with highest accuracy at latitudes poleward of 25°N/S (Tables 1 and 2). The modeled relationship between specific humidity and all influenza peaks was U-shaped, with lowest probability of an influenza peak at 12 g/kg of specific humidity and increasing probabilities at lower and higher values (Figure 3). The analysis restricted to primary peaks revealed a similar relationship, with a minimum influenza probability at 11 g/kg. Unlike specific humidity the modeled relationship between temperature and influenza peaks was monotonic, with the greatest probability of a peak corresponding to low temperatures. Although the specific humidity and temperature models were the best predictors of the timing of influenza peaks across all sites, they were not significant predictors of influenza peaks equatorward of 25°N/S. 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003194.g003 Figure 3 Influenza peaks, specific humidity and precipitation. (A) Estimated U-shaped relationship between the likelihood of an influenza peak and average monthly specific humidity across all sites, based on logistic regression (Table 1). The left side of the curve is strongly correlated with the relationship between specific humidity and influenza survival and transmission observed in laboratory studies , , . However, the mechanism that causes the pattern on the right side of the curve is not readily explained. (B) The relationship between average monthly specific humidity and precipitation across all sites. Influenza peaks clustered in months associated with low specific humidity and high precipitation conditions. This suggests that precipitation may explain the occurrence of humid-rainy influenza peaks and may be responsible for the right hand side of the U-shaped curve between specific humidity and influenza (A). 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003194.t001 Table 1 Environmental models for all influenza peaks, by latitudinal interval. Proportion of peaks accurately predicted by each model Climatologies Coefficients (SE) AIC All Peaks n = 96 aHigh Latit. n = 50 bMiddle Latit. n = 31 cLow Latit. n = 15 Temperature (Precipitation)2 −0.05 (4.66e-6) 1.10e-5 (7.78e-5) 590 0.61*** 0.82*** 0.39 0.40 Temperature −0.03 (0.01) 611 0.59*** 0.84*** 0.39 0.20 Specific Humidity (Specific Humidity)2 −0.54 (−0.09) 0.02 (3.82e-3) 593 0.56*** 0.78*** 0.32 0.33 (Solar Radiation)2 −2.06e-5 (4.18e-6) 578 0.52*** 0.70*** 0.39 0.20 Relative Humidity 0.03 (0.01) 613 0.41* 0.52*** 0.19 0.47 (Precipitation)2 7.28e-06 (1.95e-6) 615 0.31 0.22 0.39 0.47 Expected Values i.e. null distribution (95% CI) 0.25 (0.16 0.34) 0.25 (0.14 0.38) 0.24 (0.09 0.42) 0.25 (0.00 0.53) * p<0.05, ** p<0.01, *** p<0.001. a high latitudes are regions poleward of 25°N/S. b middle latitudes are regions between 12.5°N/S and 25°N/S. c low latitudes are regions equatorward of 12.5°N/S. The results of selected logistic regression models, based on Aikake Information Criterion (AIC) and the proportion of peaks accurately predicted by each model using a jackknife leave-one-out method. These values can be compared against the expected values and corresponding confidence intervals under the null distribution in the bottom row. The models are in descending order based on the proportion of peaks accurately predicted. Influenza peaks were lagged by 1-month with respect to each environmental variable with the exception of precipitation. 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003194.t002 Table 2 Environmental models for primary influenza peaks. Proportion of peaks accurately predicted by each model Climatologies Coefficients AIC All Peaks n = 76 aHigh Latit. n = 47 bMiddle Latit. n = 20 cLow Latit. n = 9 Temperature Specific Humidity −0.10 (2.56e-3) 0.10 (1.76e-3) 501 0.70*** 0.87*** 0.30 0.67** Temperature −0.05 (0.01) 504 0.66*** 0.85*** 0.35 0.33 Specific Humidity (Specific Humidity)2 −0.55 (0.09) 0.02 (4.18e-3) 493 0.62*** 0.81*** 0.35 0.22 (Solar Radiation)2 −3.50e-5 (5.14e-6) 471 0.59*** 0.72*** 0.40 0.33 Relative Humidity 0.02 (0.01) 521 0.43*** 0.53*** 0.10 0.67** (Precipitation)2 5.24e-06 (2.57e-6) 524 0.32 0.21 0.40 0.67** Expected Values i.e. null distribution (95% CI) 0.24 (0.13 0.38) 0.24 (0.16 0.36) 0.20 (0.05 0.45) 0.20 (0.00 0.55) * p<0.05, ** p<0.01, *** p<0.001. a high latitudes are regions poleward of 25°N/S. b middle latitudes are regions between 12.5°N/S and 25°N/S. c low latitudes are regions equatorward of 12.5°N/S. Same as Table 1 but these are the results for primary influenza peaks only. There was a strong inverse relationship between solar radiation and the probability of an influenza peak, especially when influenza peaks were lagged by 1-month. The solar radiation model outperformed the temperature and specific humidity models based on AIC, but it was not as strong a predictor of the timing of the influenza peaks (Tables 1 and 2). Precipitation was a weak predictor of influenza peaks overall, but it was a strong predictor of influenza peaks equatorward of 12.5°N/S, particularly for primary influenza peaks (p<0.01) (Tables 1 and 2). Unlike the other climate variables, precipitation-based models performed slightly better when no lag was considered between precipitation and influenza activity. Relative humidity was a strong predictor of influenza peaks globally, particularly when a 1-month lag was applied to the influenza peaks. There was a positive association between relative humidity and influenza peaks in high and low latitudes, but this model was a poor predictor of influenza peaks in middle latitudes. Further, the relative humidity model was not as strong as the specific humidity, solar radiation and temperature models (Tables 1 and 2). Overall, the multivariate models most predictive of influenza peak timing included combinations of temperature and precipitation (all peaks, Table 1), and temperature and specific humidity (primary peaks, Table 2). These models accurately predicted peak influenza months in 78% and 89% of the 9 independent sites selected from the FluNet database, respectively (Figure 4). Further, the models predicted a nearly uniform probability of influenza peaks every month of the year in equatorial Colombia, a location that experiences minimal seasonal climatic fluctuation (Figure 4). Taken together, this analysis exploring the shape of the relationship between climatic variables and influenza highlights the covariability between specific humidity and temperature, and the significant predictive power of these variables at high latitudes. In contrast, precipitation and relative humidity were predictive of influenza peaks at low latitudes. Interaction terms describing monthly deviations from the annual average of each environmental predictor marginally improved some models but did not affect the main conclusions (Tables S1 and S2 in Text S1). 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003194.g004 Figure 4 Influenza seasonal distribution for 9 sites selected from an independent epidemiological dataset and climate model outputs. (A,C,E,G,I,K,M,O,Q) Box plots indicate the proportion of influenza cases occurring in each month of the year for 9 countries with multiyear data selected from FluNet. Results of the best-fit climate models for all and primary peaks (Tables 1 and 2) are displayed for comparison. Specific humidity and temperature were advanced one month to account for the one month lag between influenza peaks and these variables. Although the models were designed to estimate the timing of peak influenza activity, they also provide estimates of the seasonal distribution of influenza virus circulation. (B,D,F,H,J,L,N,P,R) The right column displays the monthly precipitation, temperature and specific humidity for each location. Dotted lines indicate the climatic thresholds for each variable. In general, when temperature or specific humidity drops below their respective thresholds, or precipitation surpasses its threshold, there is an increase in influenza activity. Geographic and Climatic Boundaries Predictive of Influenza Peaks To further characterize the distribution of influenza peaks globally and identify the geographical and climatic boundaries defining influenza seasonality patterns, we categorized sites based on whether influenza epidemics occurred in months with low (cold-dry season) or high (humid-rainy season) levels of specific humidity relative to the local climatology (Figure 5). We found that the annual minimum level of specific humidity in a site was predictive of the seasonal characteristics of influenza activity locally. Sites characterized by cold-dry influenza peaks generally experienced annual minimum specific humidity values less than 12 g/kg when all influenza peaks were considered, and approximately 11 g/kg when the analysis was restricted to primary influenza peaks (Figure 5). The minimum specific humidity models were statistically significant, and classified 75% of the 96 total influenza peaks correctly (p<0.001, Figure 5C), and 82% of the 76 primary peaks correctly (p<0.001). Annual minimum temperature was a slightly better predictor of the type of influenza peak characterizing a site, correctly classifying 77% and 87% of all peaks and primary peaks, respectively (p<0.001). Sites characterized by cold-dry influenza peaks generally had annual minimum temperature values less than 21°C when all influenza peaks were considered, and approximately 18°C when the analysis was restricted to primary influenza peaks. The temperature and specific humidity models differentiated between the 6 cold-dry and 3 humid-rainy influenza peaks available in the independent FluNet sites with 100% and 78% accuracy, respectively. 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003194.g005 Figure 5 Climatic thresholds predictive of influenza seasonal characteristics. (A) density plot showing the specific humidity in absolute terms (x-axis) and relative terms (y-axis) during influenza peaks across all sites. The plot shows that a vast majority of influenza peaks occurred in “cold-dry” conditions when specific humidity was lower than 8 g/kg and ranks were less than 4, or during “humid-rainy” conditions when specific humidity was greater than 14 g/kg and ranks were greater than 9. (B) a line plot showing the average annual range of specific humidity (y-axis) for each location (x-axis). Sites are ordered based on minimum specific humidity. The black dots indicate the specific humidity during the month of the primary peak and circles indicate specific humidity during secondary peaks. Together, the plots suggest that sites with the lowest annual minimum specific humidity have influenza peaks when specific humidity is at locally-minimal levels. (C) a map displaying the predictions of a logistic regression indicating the probability of an influenza peak during the cold-dry season, versus the humid-rainy season, based on annual minimum specific humidity. The markers indicate the 78 study sites with influenza peaks classified as cold-dry (circles) and humid-rainy (squares). (D) same as (C) but the model is based on annual minimum temperature. Annual minimum solar radiation was a significant predictor of the type of influenza peaks, comparable to temperature and specific humidity, correctly classifying 71% and 79%of all peaks and primary peaks, respectively (p<0.001). Annual minimum relative humidity and annual monthly maximum precipitation were also significant predictors, but the models were significantly weaker than the other models. It should be noted that 12 sites had both a cold-dry and humid-rainy influenza peak, assuring that one peak would be classified incorrectly when all influenza peaks were considered. Taken together, this analysis indicates that thresholds in specific humidity and temperature, and perhaps solar radiation, are associated with the timing of the influenza season and the occurrence of influenza activity in the dry-cold or humid-rainy months of the year. The specific humidity and temperature models were then used to predict the expected seasonal characteristics of influenza globally (Figure 5C–D). Both models suggest that seasonal influenza activity coincides with the humid-rainy season in large areas of Central and South America, and Southern Asia; while predictions were more uncertain in middle latitudes and there were inconsistencies between the two models for parts of Central Africa. In particular, the model driven by minimum temperature predicted the occurrence of humid-rainy influenza peaks in most of Central Africa, while the model driven by minimum specific humidity predicted a more restricted zone of humid-rainy peaks concentrated on the Western coast of this region. These discrepancies can be explained by a combination of warm year-round temperatures in this area, with low specific humidity values in parts of the year. Discussion We explored the association between influenza seasonality and climate in a representative sample of 78 global sites, spanning an absolute latitudinal range between 1° and 60°. Our analyses revealed two distinct types of climatic conditions associated with influenza seasons observed globally: “cold-dry” and “humid-rainy”. In general, sites that experienced low levels of specific humidity and temperature (less than 11–12 g/kg and 18–21°C) for at least one month during the year were characterized by seasonal influenza activity during the months with minimal levels of specific humidity and temperature. In contrast, sites that maintained high levels of specific humidity and temperature were generally characterized by influenza epidemics during the most humid and rainy months of the year. The predictions of our climate-based models compared favorably to influenza epidemiological information collected independently of the dataset used for the model-building exercise. The bimodal nature of the relationship, in both relative and absolute terms, between specific humidity and influenza peaks, and its strong relationship to other climate variables such as temperature and precipitation, makes specific humidity a useful gauge of the environmental favorability of influenza activity across all latitudes (Figure 5). However, although the specific humidity models were significant predictors of influenza peaks globally, this was primarily due to their performance in high latitudes. In low latitudes, precipitation was a stronger predictor of the timing of influenza activity, with peaks typically occurring in months with average precipitation greater than 150 mm (Figure 3). Overall, although precipitation was strongly associated with influenza peaks in low latitudes, the timing of influenza peaks in this region was more difficult to predict than in high-latitude sites. Several sites in this region were not characterized by well-defined influenza season; rather, influenza activity was present year-round likely due to the limited seasonal environmental variation that characterizes much of the region. For example, equatorial sites such as Iquitos, Peru, and Singapore—where influenza seasonality is weak , — experience limited fluctuations in precipitation, with monthly averages constrained to a narrow range of 150–300 mm year-round. In contrast, middle and low-latitude sites such as Fortaleza, Brazil and Yangon, Myanmar —which are noted for their well-defined influenza seasons , —are characterized by large amplitude range in average monthly precipitation from 25 mm in the dry season to over 300 mm and 600 mm in the rainy season, respectively. Model performances were particularly poor in a number of middle latitudes sites. Predicting influenza peaks in these sites may be complicated by large seasonal swings in climate that characterize the region, generating both cold-dry and humid-rainy seasons that are equally favorable for seasonal influenza activity, such as in Senegal (Figure 4). For these sites other factors might play a critical role in determining the timing of influenza activity, including population mixing (i.e., travel) with regions that do experience well-defined influenza seasons , , or the seasonal phasing with school cycles . Moreover, the presence of both cold-dry and humid-rainy seasons could explain the occurrence of semi-annual influenza epidemics in some of these middle-latitude sites. For example, Hong Kong has a primary influenza peak in winter when average monthly specific humidity and temperature are less than 8 g/kg and 17°C, and a secondary influenza peak in summer when average monthly precipitation is near 400 mm. Temperature was a strong predictor of influenza seasonality in high latitudes, suggesting that cold temperatures may drive seasonal epidemics in these regions. However, previous analyses of laboratory experiments have indicated that specific humidity is a more parsimonious predictor of virus survival and transmission than temperature . Furthermore, individuals in temperate regions spend a vast majority of their time indoors where temperature is managed and does not correlate well with outdoor temperatures. Yet, temperature may affect the timing of influenza epidemics through mechanisms independent of virus survival; for example, low outdoor temperatures may promote indoor crowding, thereby increasing person-to-person contact rates –. It is also possible that even limited exposure to cold outdoor temperatures can have long-lasting physiological effects on hosts that make them more susceptible to infection or affect viral shedding . Additional experimental and observational work is needed to disentangle the contribution of specific humidity and temperature on influenza seasonality; epidemiological information from Central Africa would be particularly useful in this respect as our climate-based predictive models disagreed in this region. The findings that both cold-dry and humid-rainy conditions are associated with influenza peaks could be used to support the hypothesis that two distinct mechanisms account for influenza seasonality in temperate and tropical climates, perhaps due to changes in the dominant mode of transmission . For example, specific humidity may drive the timing of influenza epidemics in high latitudes by increasing virus survival and enabling aerosol transmission; whereas direct transmission or transmission by fomites may dominate in low-latitude sites where rainy conditions favor indoor crowding. Middle latitudes may be a transition zone where influenza seasons are driven by low specific humidity or high levels of precipitation depending on local climate. Another intriguing possibility is that the relationship between specific humidity and virus survival underlies influenza transmission across all latitudes. For example, a few experimental studies have indicated a U-shaped relationship between relative humidity and influenza virus survival, suggesting a similar relationship for specific humidity given that experiments were held at constant temperature –. Other laboratory studies, however, have indicated that virus survival and transmission increase monotonically as specific humidity decreases , , . Further, the hypothesis that specific humidity drives influenza transmission globally is inconsistent with the low predictive power of this climatic variable in middle and low-latitude sites in our study. Relative humidity was a strong predictor of influenza peaks in high and low latitudes, but a poor predictor in middle-latitude. In high-latitude regions, relative humidity can vary significantly between indoor and outdoor environments, and it is typically minimal indoors during the winter when building air is heated. Our analysis relied on outdoor humidity and hence we cannot rule out that winter influenza epidemics in high latitudes could be related to low indoor relative humidity and associated changes to host physiology, such as reduced mucociliary clearance . In low latitudes it is possible that relative humidity is confounding precipitation in our analysis. Disentangling these two factors will require more highly-resolved epidemiological data from equatorial regions, and further experimental and observational studies. Solar radiation was also a significant predictor of influenza peaks in high latitudes suggesting that it may also underlie influenza seasonality in these regions, perhaps through variation in vitamin D intake . However, solar radiation was not as strong a predictor of influenza peaks as were specific humidity and temperature. This corroborates recent studies indicating that specific humidity is a stronger predictor of seasonal influenza activity than solar radiation and vitamin D variability in the U.S. , . Still, the potential seasonal forcing of solar radiation on influenza transmission warrants further experimental and observational investigation. The power of this study was rooted in the large number of spatially diverse sites used to develop the epidemiological and climatic databases and associated models. However, the challenge of describing seasonal influenza activity consistently across a variety of data sources required a crude epidemiological measure, such as the average month of peak influenza activity. This measure of influenza activity has several key drawbacks. Foremost, all months with the exception of the peak influenza months were considered equal, whether they had substantial influenza activity or not. Second, the month of peak influenza activity may not be contemporaneous with the month in which transmission is under the most environmentally favorable conditions, since non-environmental factors such as viral seeding, population susceptibility, and person-to-person contact rates likely play a role in the timing of influenza epidemics , . In this respect, it is reassuring that a 1-month lag maximized the association between influenza peak and most of the climatic variables, which is broadly consistent with the time scale of the ascending phase of a local epidemic. Third, we could not assess putative geographical variation in the transmission potential or intensity of influenza epidemics. For example, we may expect locations that have the most favorable environmental conditions to experience the greatest influenza annual attack rates and reproduction numbers, holding all other relevant variables equal. A further limitation relates to between-year variability in influenza timing and the limited temporal sampling of our dataset, which may have resulted in imprecise estimates of the average influenza peak in some sites, especially sites that had only one year of influenza data. However, sensitivity analyses limited to multi-year studies revealed similar relationships between climate predictors and influenza peaks, confirming the robustness of our results. Finally, we were unable to check whether between-year fluctuations in climatic variables may result in departures from average influenza seasonal characteristics in specific years. This question could be an interesting area for future research with more temporally refined epidemiological datasets. A number of follow-up studies could help refine our understanding of the small and large-scale processes underlying influenza seasonality. For example, experimental infections in humans under controlled temperature and humidity conditions could determine which environmentally-mediated mechanisms are most important for human-to-human transmission. However, there are several ethical and methodological hurdles to overcome in such studies . Seasonal fluctuation in contact rates could be monitored by wireless sensor technology, which has recently proved successful in estimating dynamic contact patterns in schools and at conferences –. On a broader spatial scale, determining regional differences in influenza transmission dynamics and attack rates would be most informative. A recent study has suggested that the reproduction number of seasonal epidemics was lower on average in Brazil than in temperate countries, which could be mediated by environmental factors . Modeling of long-term influenza time series data could help assess the transmission impact of seasonal fluctuations in population mixing in different regions, such as those associated with school cycles and transportation networks , , . For example, epidemiological evidence indicates that influenza circulation was weakly seasonal in Iceland prior to the 1930s, presumably because of low connectivity with other populations, and epidemics only became fully synchronized with those in Europe and the USA following a dramatic increase in international travel in the 1990s . Hence, efforts to collate multiyear influenza epidemiological information retrospectively and prospectively in various regions of the globe, especially from middle and low latitude regions, will be of tremendous help to further elucidate the environmental and population drivers of seasonality. In conclusion, our study broadens our understanding of the relationships between seasonal influenza epidemics and environmental factors and provides a synthesis of epidemiological and climatic characteristics across temperate, subtropical and tropical regions. We have highlighted the importance of thresholds in specific humidity, temperature and precipitation that are associated with the epidemiology (and potentially the modes of transmission) of influenza. The results of this study could help improve existing influenza transmission models by providing a more accurate estimate of the environmental forcing on transmission processes, particularly in low and middle latitudes , . Further, our models could be used to predict the seasonal timing of influenza activity in locations with little or no observational data on influenza activity, and help target surveillance efforts and optimize the timing of seasonal vaccine delivery, . More broadly, we hope that our work will generate interest in testing the association between climatic patterns and infectious disease across a wide range of diseases and latitudes, particularly for respiratory and enteric pathogens that display marked seasonality , . A better understanding of the environmental, demographic and social drivers of infectious disease seasonality is key for improving transmission models and optimizing interventions . Supporting Information Text S1 Additional information regarding data and results. Included is a more detailed description of the influenza database and the algorithm developed to define each “peak”. We also provide a comparison of CRU and GR climate datasets, and provide results from additional predictive models of peak influenza timing. (DOC) Click here for additional data file. | <urn:uuid:705ae690-a02d-49e7-99fa-edb04941c031> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://www.scienceopen.com/document?vid=86df5906-4972-42e0-accf-5c919e98a91f | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875141806.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20200217085334-20200217115334-00231.warc.gz | en | 0.91982 | 8,422 | 2.953125 | 3 |
Is There Any Point In Hybrid Cars?
By Paul Homewood
By Alister Doyle | September 19 2016
(Reuters) The last gasoline-powered car will have to be sold by about 2035 to put the world on track to limit global warming to the most stringent goal set by world leaders last year, a study said on Thursday.
The report, by a Climate Action Tracker (CAT) backed by three European research groups, said a drastic shift was needed towards clean electric cars and fuel efficiency since transport emits about 14 percent of world greenhouse gas emissions.
Last December, world leaders at a Paris summit set a goal of limiting a rise in temperatures to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times while “pursuing efforts” for a much tougher 1.5 C (2.7F) ceiling.
“We calculate that the last gasoline/diesel car will have to be sold by roughly 2035,” the CAT report said, to make the car fleet consistent with staying below 1.5C. It assumes the last fossil-fuel vehicles would be on the roads until 2050.
As the report indicates, this is a much stiffer target than generally thought before. As far as the UK is concerned, cars account for 11% of GHG emissions, plus another 7% for HGV and vans.
The Committee on Climate Change, in their Fifth Carbon Budget, are planning on electric cars and vans accounting for 61% of sales by 2030, but crucially hybrids account for 38%.
Meanwhile, electric car sales still fail to make much headway, with pure electric cars accounting for just 0.4% this year so far. Hybrids fare slightly better with 1.8%.
But just how much difference do hybrids make, and are they cost effective?
Many manufacturers now offer hybrid alternatives, so it is easy to compare like with like. Ford, for instance, have a hybrid version of the Mondeo Titanium. It has similar performance to the 1.5 Duratorq diesel model, so we can make a few comparisons:
|Mpg – combined||78.5||70.6|
|Max speed||119 mph||116 mph|
Of course, real life fuel economy will be worse than the manufacturers figures, but this should apply to both models.
So we find that, not only is the hybrid dearer, it actually has poorer fuel economy. (It should be pointed out that the hybrid is better for urban driving).
There are two other factors to take account of:
1) Ford’s warranty covers the battery for up to 3 years/60000 miles. But, as with all car warranties, this only covers repair or replacement as a result of a manufacturing defect.
Whether they would replace a battery that started to deteriorate before then is anybody’s guess.
What we do know, though, is that Ford’s extended warranty for Years 3 and 4 specifically excludes batteries. This would seem to indicate that they have little confidence that the hybrid battery would last much longer then 3 years.
According to the Hybrid Shop in the US, “despite the sterling reputation of Toyota’s hybrid power storage systems, any given battery can only survive so many charge cycles, and cars reaching into the 100,000 mile range are certainly within the borders of the battery pack danger zone”, and replacement batteries would cost at least $3600.
While this may not affect driver of newish cars, it is likely to mean that second hand prices for hybrid cars will be pretty poor, when it comes to trade them in.
2) The Mondeo hybrid is only available in 4-door, presumably because of the amount of space the battery takes up. This is a definite drawback, particularly as storage space is 30% less than the 5-door (and even less compared with the 2-seat mode).
On the face of it, hybrids now have little going for them. In reality, conventional cars have caught them up in terms of fuel efficiency.
There should be little surprise about this, car manufacturers have been steadily improving this for decades, and without any need for government diktats.
As the Committee on Climate Change show, this has enabled emissions from domestic transport to remain pretty stable, despite the large increase in the number of cars on the road since 1990.
Returning to the initial topic, it is hard to see any significant reduction in emissions arising from large scale deployment of hybrid cars, either in the UK or world wide. It appears to be pure electric cars or bust. | <urn:uuid:2230b2db-a17a-40f8-a811-b346dae36057> | CC-MAIN-2017-17 | https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2016/09/24/is-there-any-point-in-hybrid-cars/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-17/segments/1492917123635.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20170423031203-00371-ip-10-145-167-34.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947947 | 953 | 2.734375 | 3 |
During early 2004, four planets will be visible in the same section of the sky. Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will all be visible during the evening hours.
This alignment is easy to observe from the Northern Hemisphere; you only have to go outside any clear night in the early evening during March, April or May and look toward the west. Three bright objects are easily seen with the naked eye (they are Saturn, Jupiter and Venus). Mars is dimmer, but also visible.
Venus is the brightest planet and easy to observe with the naked eye. However it shows little detail when observed through a telescope.
Mars varies in brightness more than other planets. It can vary from bright red to pale pink over its two year cycle. Observation from earth based telescopes is worthwhile only near opposition (which occurs once every two years).
Jupiter is easy to observe with the naked eye. If you use binoculars you may be able to see some of the four brightest moons (which may be visible as small dots near the bright disk of Jupiter). With a small telescope, you can see bands in the atmosphere and up to four moons (sometimes one or more of the moons are behind the planet and not visible).
Saturn is easy to observe with the naked eye. If you use a small telescope, you will able to see the rings (except every few years when the rings are “edge-on,” and thus not visible from our vantage point). Normally you can see the brightest moon, Titan, and possibly other moons.
More on the Planets
- Venus—an Ultraviolet image as seen by the Pioneer Venus Orbiter; It was taken February 5, 1979.
- Mars—the Valles Marineris canyon system. Three volcanoes are visible on the left. This photograph is copyright 1997-1999 by Calvin J. Hamilton, all rights reserved.
- Jupiter—Voyager 1.
- Saturn—High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research | <urn:uuid:5e02620e-3217-44fe-b49c-c3c1728e7509> | CC-MAIN-2021-10 | https://www.glaac.org/astronomy-at-the-beach-2020/aatb-2019/aatb-previous/planetary-2004/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-10/segments/1614178375439.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20210308112849-20210308142849-00087.warc.gz | en | 0.933615 | 405 | 3.890625 | 4 |
COMMON SWORD TERMINOLOGY
More information on Japanese blade types, click here
Backsword — A sword blade, which has a cutting edge only on one side. Most commonly found on curved blades, such as sabers, falchion, and cutlass.
Basket — An arrangement of steel bars, and panels that form a basket-like cage around the grip (and the wielder’s hand). These are most commonly found on Scottish basket-hilted swords, and European rapiers.
Blade — The section of the sword, which is not part of the hilt.
Boshi- The curved edge of the point on a Samurai sword.
Chappe — A flap of leather attached to a sword’s crossguard, which serves to protect the mouth of the scabbard and prevent water from entering. Also called a Rain Guard.
Cruciform — A generic term for any sword which when inverted point downward will form the shape of a crucifix. This was, to a degree, a religious symbol to the knights of the crusading era.
Daisho — The primary swords of the Samurai, a set of the Katana and Wakizashi.
Edge — The cutting portion of the sword’s blade.
Ferrule — A metal band at either end of the grip used to secure the leather or wire wraps. Also used as a decoration.
Finger guard — A small crescent shape bar which extends from the sword’s guard, and rises parallel to the sword’s ricasso, which enables a user to loop their finger over the guard (which increases point control, but decreases cutting power), without fear of being injured by an opponent’s blade sliding down their own.
Fuchi — The collar on the guard of a Japanese sword.
Fuller — A groove down the center of a blade, used to both lighten a sword, and conserve sword steel (making a wider blade possible with less material). Often mistakenly called a “Blood Groove.”
Full tang — A sword tang that passes the entire length of the grip, and is attached directly to the sword’s pommel.
Grip — The part of the hilt held by the user (the handle).
Guard/Cross-guard — The section of the sword hilt whose purpose is to protect the wielder’s hand. It may take of the shape of a simple bar, a steel basket, a flat disc, or several other forms.
Habaki — The blade collar on a Japanese sword.
Hamon — The “line” or visual characteristic typical of Japanese blades caused by the use of differential hardening.
Hilt — All of a sword, except for the blade, including the cross-guard, grip, and pommel.
Kashiri — The pommel on a Japanese sword.
Katana — A long Japanese sword.
Kissaki — The point of a blade on a Samurai sword.
Kogatana — A mini Tanto Japanese sword.
Kozuka — The grip on a small Japanese knife.
Knuckle guard — A curved bar which extends from the guard to pommel, designed to prevent the user’s hand from being cut by a sliding blow from an opponent’s weapon.
Menuki — The decorative ornament on the handle of a Japanese sword.
Mune — The back of the blade on a Samurai sword.
Pas d’An –- The portion of a rapier’s guard, which surrounds the base of the sword blade.
Point — The tip of the sword’s blade.
Pommel — A counter-weight at the end of a sword’s hilt, used to balance the sword. Also may be used as a striking implement.
Quillon(s) — Renaissance term for the crossguard. Used almost exclusively when referring to rapiers.
Quillon block — Section of the rapier’s hilt where the guard’s arms (both bars, and rings) are attached. The tang of the sword blade also passes through this point, with the ricasso on one side, and the sword’s grip on the other.
Rat-tail tang — A more modern method of manufacturing involving a small diameter rod being welded onto a normal tang. This method has proven faulty in many low-end swords in that they often break due to poor welds.
Ricasso — Any narrowing or thickening of a sword’s blade, which remains unsharpened, just above the guard. Increases the user’s ability to loop a finger over the guard, to increase control of the point.
Saya — The scabbard for a Japanese sword.
Scent stopper — Pommel type which resembles the stopper in an antique perfume jar.
Shinogi — The grind edge of the blade on a Japanese sword.
Tachi — The original Samurai sword worn suspended from an intricate belt.
Tang — The section of the sword blade that the hilt is attached to. This part of the sword is not visible when the blade is fully mounted.
Tanto — A short Japanese sword.
Tsuba — The hand guard on a Japanese sword.
Tsuka — The handle or grip of a Japanese sword.
Tsukaito — The cord wrapping on the handle of a Japanese sword.
Wakizashi — A medium length Japanese sword.
Welded tang — A tang where the steel of the blade has had another piece of steel (very often low carbon steel) welded on to it as an extension.
Wheel — A pommel that is in the shape of a flat disc. It may have added features, such as beveled edges, or raised center sections.
Wire-wrap — Spun and twisted metal wire (may be iron, brass, bronze, copper, etc.), which is then wrapped around the sword grip, often used to increase the ability to grip a sword’s handle. Also a sign of wealth, as these grips tended to be more expensive to manufacture.
Yakiba — The edge of the blade on a Samurai sword.
Ready to purchase a Katana? click here | <urn:uuid:46e7c7a7-c6ce-4e90-b19f-26b604372c24> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://iloveswords.com/news/sword-terminology/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947473819.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20240222125841-20240222155841-00461.warc.gz | en | 0.887637 | 1,298 | 3.59375 | 4 |
Do you need something fun to go along with your nursery rhyme unit! If so this is for you!!
In this packet you will receive:
1. Two interactive stories
2. Emergent Reader (black and white so students can color and take home with them!)
3. Three sets of questions pertaining to the nursery rhyme (five questions, all are the same for each set just differentiated for different learning styles and ability level)
--No answer cues
--2 picture cues
--3 picture cues
I have also included all the choices as small squares for added difficulty as you can place them all on the table (or on the board) and ask students the questions while they are looking at some or all of the choices.
This also supports students who are non-verbal or have limited language. You could laminate these and put them in their communication books.
***You will also receive questions in black and white to save on ink!
Check out my other Nursery Rhyme Sets:
Jack and Jill
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Little Miss Muffet
Hey Diddle Diddle
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Itsy Bitsy Spider | <urn:uuid:5017d1c2-0301-4160-9e88-5d03d22db687> | CC-MAIN-2018-26 | https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hickory-Dickory-Dock-Nursery-Rhyme-Kit-1944111 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-26/segments/1529267865438.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20180623225824-20180624005824-00252.warc.gz | en | 0.940951 | 243 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Why does one of your cats turn to the other, and attack, in response to something outside? This lashing out is called redirected aggression, and is a common problem in multi-cat households. It might be present in your household, even if your cats are indoor-only.
Dr. Francine Rattner, in the Capital-Gazette's "Ask a Vet" column, describes how redirected aggression is much more of a problem for cats than for dogs. With dogs, according to Dr. Rattner, they might attack each other in response to a dog on the other side of their fence, but they "forgive and forget" pretty quickly. She says the same is not true of cats. Redirected aggression can be a source of long-term conflict in multi-cat households.
The first thing you have to do is identify your cats' trigger. Oftentimes, it will be seeing a strange cat outside a window. As hard as it might be, you should restrict access to windows where they might see the strange cat. Dr. Rattner says shutting the drapes may be sufficient, however, it might also be a good idea to find out if the cat belongs to anybody in your neighborhood. If so, you could consider talking to them about keeping their cat in their own yard.
You might also consider some "cat repellent" to keep strange cats out of your yard. Rosemary, hawthorn, rue herb, and lavender all give off scents that cats don't like. Depending on where you live, you can plant these around your garden and near your house to help keep these cats away. Also, if you have bare spots in your garden, where cats like to use the dirt as a litter box, you can use something like river rock or lava rock as a ground cover, so they can't dig nearly as easily.
This, alone, won't solve the problem, though. Removing the trigger is only a part of everything you need to do. Dr. Rattner says one way you can stop your cats from attacking each other is to separate them, and then slowly reintroduce them. The Cat Coach, from the website The Cat Coach, agrees. To make your cats become friends again, separate them, allow them to calm down in a dark, quiet place, and keep them separated for awhile. Then begin reintroducing them to each other.
One thing you can do to keep stress as minimal as possible is to use a pheromone diffuser in the room where you're reintroducing them. Feliway has such a diffuser, and you can find it at Petsmart. The pheromones mimic the friendly pheromones found in cats' cheeks and foreheads, and helps to keep them calm.
The cats need to associate each other with friendliness and warmth, not with fear and anger. That is what will ultimately stop the aggression. If you're having problems with aggression, redirected or otherwise, and you don't know what to do, contacting an animal behaviorist might be a good idea. | <urn:uuid:8f2b8ef8-b703-4cec-8e2c-e0e86846a0e9> | CC-MAIN-2014-49 | http://www.examiner.com/article/what-is-redirected-aggression-cats-and-how-can-you-handle-it?cid=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-49/segments/1416931007150.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20141125155647-00243-ip-10-235-23-156.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966845 | 634 | 2.546875 | 3 |
This survey is a synthesis of the economic, social, cultural, and political history of the Atlantic slave trade, providing the general reader with a basic understanding of the current state of scholarly knowledge of forced African migration and compares this knowledge to popular beliefs. The Atlantic Slave Trade examines the four hundred years of Atlantic slave trade, covering the West and East African experiences, as well as all the American colonies and republics that obtained slaves from Africa. It outlines both the common features of this trade and the local differences that developed. It discusses the slave trade's economics, politics, demographic impact, and cultural implications in relationship to Africa as well as America. Finally, it places the slave trade in the context of world trade and examines the role it played in the growing relationship between Asia, Africa, Europe, and America. This new edition incorporates the latest findings of the last decade in slave trade studies carried out in Europe and America. It also includes new data on the slave trade voyages which have just recently been made available to the public.
In The Press
“Klein is especially adept at using statistical studies to shed light on social and cultural history. . . . This is a concise and thoughtful synthesis of interdisciplinary history.” – Journal of Interdisciplinary History | <urn:uuid:b0f29504-7a5e-444b-bb9d-7a87c6a6ff1b> | CC-MAIN-2019-35 | https://www.ebooks.com/en-us/564378/the-atlantic-slave-trade/herbert-s-klein/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-35/segments/1566027317037.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20190822084513-20190822110513-00364.warc.gz | en | 0.923627 | 253 | 2.578125 | 3 |
APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY:
- Pharmaceutical / nutraceutical industry: antioxidants, antihistamines, wound healing / antifibrotic medicines
- Life sciences research: pharmaceutical, cosmeceuticals and food additive products such as avenanthramides and Tranilast
- Chemical production
- Ecological and nontoxic
- Potentially less expensive than other production methods
- More rapid production / purification than current technologies including oat seed extraction
- Versatile—the enzymes expressed can utilize a variety of substrates (e.g., HS-CoA, cinnamoyl-S-CoA) to generate cinnamoyl anthranlilates for the applications described above
Dominique Loqué and Aymerick Eudes of the Joint BioEnergy Institute have developed a method for biologically producing Tranilast and other cinnamoyl anthranilates using a genetically engineered food-grade yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Tranilast is an antihistamine produced chemically and used in Japan and South Korea to treat asthma and various allergy-associated diseases.
Cinnamoyl anthranilates other than Tranilast are either extracted from oat seeds or produced chemically and have antioxidant, antigenotoxic, and antifibrotic activity. The new method produces these substances at less expense, without the environmental toxins typically associated with chemical synthesis, and more rapidly than current methods, since the molecules produced are secreted in the growing media. The process is expected to scale up without losing the advantages over current production methods.
The JBEI scientists genetically modified Saccharomyces cerevisiae to express two enzymes found in certain plants: (i) 4-coumarate:coenzyme A ligase (referred to as “4CL5”) and (ii) hydroxycinnamoyl/benzoyl-CoA:antrhanilate N-hydroxycinnamoyl/benzoyltranferase (referred to as “HCBT”). These enzymes catalyze two sequential reactions that ultimately produce cinnamoyl anthranilates from cinnamic acids and anthranilate derivatives. The enzymes can act on different substrates, so that the same genetically modified yeast can produce various cinnamoyl anthranilates, depending on which precursors are provided in the culture medium. In experiments under non-optimized production conditions, the yeast was grown for 15 hours with several precursors and readily produced tranilast and 26 of its analogs.
The JBEI method opens the door for eco-friendly, inexpensive production of a group of chemicals useful in medical therapy and life sciences research.
The Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI, www.jbei.org) is a scientific partnership led by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and including the Sandia National Laboratories, the University of California campuses of Berkeley and Davis, the Carnegie Institution for Science and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. JBEI’s primary scientific mission is to advance the development of the next generation of biofuels.
DEVELOPMENT STAGE: Proof of concept.
STATUS: Patent pending. Available for licensing or collaborative research.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Eudes A., E.E.K. Baidoo, F. Yang, H. Burd, M.Z. Hadi, F.W. Collins, J.D. Keasling, D. Loqué. “Production of tranilast [N-(3′,4′-dimethyoxycinnamoyl)-anthranilic acid] and its analogs in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisae,” Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. DOI: 10.1007 /s00253-010-2939-y (Oct. 24, 2010).
SEE THESE OTHER BERKELEY LAB TECHNOLOGIES IN THIS FIELD:
REFERENCE NUMBER: EIB-2923 | <urn:uuid:41fb4364-f0c8-4364-8126-cd518cab9c68> | CC-MAIN-2014-41 | http://www2.lbl.gov/tech-transfer/techs/lbnl2923.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-41/segments/1410657120974.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20140914011200-00318-ip-10-196-40-205.us-west-1.compute.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.875342 | 855 | 2.765625 | 3 |
North Carolina created the state’s Education Lottery in 2005 amid promises that the money would be used solely to supplement current funds for education. Before passage, then-Gov. Mike Easley assured state residents that money from the Education Lottery would “supplement, not supplant existing spending for education,” and he would “not recommend nor sign legislation that reduces the state’s spending for education.”
That promise has not been kept. To help balance the 2008-09 budget, Gov. Bev Perdue emptied $50 million from lottery reserves. The 2009-10 budget diverted to the General Fund $69 million in lottery money slated initially for school construction.
Every other state that has created an education lottery has implemented safeguards limiting and even outlawing raids by the legislature or the governor. Many have protected their lottery funding by making such diversions a violation of the state constitution. North Carolina lacks those protections.
Although the stated intent of the lottery was to supplement education funds, the language of the bill changed before passage, allowing the option to replace existing education money.
Even where lottery funds theoretically are supplanting other education spending, some money is being misused. WRAL-TV reported in May that spending meant to reduce class size instead kept student-teacher ratios in K-3 schools constant. And though General Fund spending on education has increased since the lottery was created, the percentage of the General Fund dedicated to education has dropped.
Tracing a single lottery dollar is difficult, says Terry Stoops, director of education policy at the John Locke Foundation. All the money goes into a pool for education, he says, but at that point it’s difficult to isolate General Fund dollars from lottery funds.
Outrage over redirected lottery money rose last year, when Perdue withdrew money from school construction projects, which she later returned, and emptied the Lottery Reserve of $50 million, which she did not return, to help balance the state budget.
Perdue justified pulling the lottery money into the General Fund because over half of the general fund relates to public schools and teachers.
While Perdue has said she is open to legislation securing lottery funds for education, she also contends that such legislation would not prevent her from using funding from the lottery to balance the budget, as she did when she permanently diverted $50 million last year.
The lack of any safeguards to protect the lottery funds led Stoops to call the lottery “Bev’s piggybank.” Other critics suggest that the legislature should be honest and remove the term “education” from the lottery’s official title.
Perdue cast the tiebreaking vote bringing the lottery into existence, notes Bill Brooks, president of the North Carolina Family Policy Council. Now she “takes from the lottery whenever she feels the need to do so, but it’s within her right and power [as governor] to do this.”
Brooks is concerned that lottery funds are defrauding education funds in more ways than mentioned. “Everyone knows coupling ‘education’ with ‘lottery’ was a shell game to get it passed … but it doesn’t help education.”
The lottery makes it harder for the public to approve education bond issues, Brooks says, because “people see the signs that say ‘$83 million lottery’ and they think lots of money is going toward education, so they wonder why they should vote on bonds.”
The lottery routinely uses funds inappropriately, Brooks says, but the General Assembly didn’t “write into the law that you can’t use the funds for things other than education, so you can’t stop the ‘misuse’ of funds.”
Amanda Vuke is an editorial intern at Carolina Journal. | <urn:uuid:2b122dd6-b076-4287-9950-e1957c08934b> | CC-MAIN-2016-40 | https://www.carolinajournal.com/news-article/lottery-funds-continue-to-be-diverted-for-unauthorized-purposes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-40/segments/1474738663202.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20160924173743-00026-ip-10-143-35-109.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959399 | 791 | 2.71875 | 3 |
By John Milton
The poem concerns the Christian story of the Fall of Man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Milton's purpose, stated in Book I, is to "justify the ways of God to men" and elucidate the conflict between God's eternal foresight and man's free will.
eBooksHome | Inspirational Articles | General Essays | Sermons | Library - Home | Baselios Church Home
A service of St. Basil's Syriac Orthodox Church, Ohio
Copyright © 2009-2020 - ICBS Group. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer
Website designed, built, and hosted by International Cyber Business Services, Inc., Hudson, Ohio | <urn:uuid:67d14699-3de8-4255-8655-4aad56e218aa> | CC-MAIN-2021-21 | http://malankaraworld.com/Library/eBooks/Milton/Default.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-21/segments/1620243991650.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20210518002309-20210518032309-00507.warc.gz | en | 0.879941 | 150 | 2.984375 | 3 |
What is aortic valve replacement surgery?
In aortic valve replacement surgery, your aortic valve is replaced with a different valve—mechanical or tissue. This procedure may be necessary if you have a valve defect or disease or another heart or vascular condition. The purpose of the procedure is to improve blood flow through your heart, improving symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath. Aortic valves can be replaced through traditional open heart surgery or through a minimally invasive technique called Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).
Aortic valve repair, though less common, may be possible. Aortic valve repair is a difficult procedure and should be performed only by very experienced surgeons.
When heart valves are severely malformed or destroyed, they may need to be replaced with a new mechanism. Conditions that may require you to have valve replacement include valve stenosis and regurgitation.
Why choose Ohio State for aortic valve replacement surgery?
Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center offers a team approach to heart valve surgery, which means each patient is evaluated by a cardiologist, a cardiac surgeon, a cardiac sonographer, interventional cardiologist and an anesthesiologist. This integrated approach means that each patient’s heart valve disease is treated individually, with that particular patient’s needs and physical condition in mind.
In addition, we offer minimally invasive surgery, called Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), which results in smaller incisions, reduced hospital stays and shorter recovery times. Open heart surgery is also available if that is determined to be the best treatment option.
What to expect during aortic valve replacement surgery
Preparing for your procedure
Prior to your aortic valve replacement, you’ll meet with your physician to discuss your medical history, medications you take and any questions you have. Tests you may have before heart valve surgery include:
- Chest X-ray – A radiograph or picture of the heart and lungs including blood vessels, ribs and bones of the spine
- Blood tests – Studies to detect enzymes that leak into the blood when the heart has been damaged and to detect infection and antibodies
- Urine tests
- Electrocardiogram (EKG/ECG) – A test that records the electrical activity of the heart
- Cardiac catheterization – A procedure to check for problems in coronary arteries. A long, thin tube (catheter) is inserted into an artery or vein in the groin, arm or neck, then threaded to the heart. The physician injects a contrast solution into the artery and takes X-rays to check for blockage and other abnormalities.
- CT angiogram (computed tomography angiogram) – An imaging procedure that uses CT technology to produce cross-sectional, detailed images of blood vessels
- Echocardiogram (also called echo) – This test uses sound waves to assess the function and structure of the heart muscle and valves
If you use tobacco, you will be instructed to quit at least two weeks before surgery. Tobacco use can interfere with the blood’s ability to clot properly. Your physician can prescribe a nicotine-replacement product to help you stop tobacco use. You may want to visit your dentist prior to surgery to ensure there are no infected teeth in your mouth.
As in the case of most surgeries, your physician will ask you to not eat or drink a certain number of hours beforehand, often nothing after midnight the night before.
The area where your incision will be made is shaved and cleaned prior to surgery to reduce risk of infection. You will be given anesthetic medication to put you “to sleep” during surgery.
During your procedure
For traditional open heart surgery to replace the aortic valve, you are connected to monitoring equipment (electrocardiogram) to check your heart’s activity during the procedure. You also have an intravenous line in your arm to provide anesthesia throughout the procedure. A mechanical respirator breathes for you during the surgery, via a tube inserted in your windpipe. Another tube, inserted in your nose and through your throat, prevents air and liquid from pooling in your stomach. Still another tube, a catheter, is inserted into your bladder.
Heart valve surgeries require the use of a heart-lung machine. This keeps blood flowing during the procedure. The machine takes over this function for your body, and your body takes over again when the procedure is completed.
The surgeon makes an incision in your chest to access your valve. The replacement is made, your heart is restarted, and the heart-lung machine is disconnected. Traditional valve surgery takes several hours.
If you have minimally invasive surgery, the incision is much smaller and the hospital stay and recovery time are shorter.
Recovery after aortic valve surgery
If you have traditional heart valve surgery, you may remain in the hospital for as long as a week or two.
Your medical team will help you get up and about one or two days after surgery. You may feel stiff and sore, but it is important to breathe deeply and cough to clear fluids from your lungs. You will be allowed to eat normally in most cases.
After your surgery, you may need to take medication to prevent blood clots from forming on the new valve. You also may hear a mechanical valve clicking in your chest. This is normal.
If your job involves primarily sitting at a desk, you usually can return to work in four to six weeks.
Advancing Care for Structural Heart Disease at Ohio State
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
Minimally invasive treatment for severe aortic stenosis
How the TAVR Procedure Works
This video shows how the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedure is performed.
Life-Saving Valve Replacement
Learn how the team at Ohio State saved Veneta's life with a transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedure.
Heart Valve Surgery: What to Expect
When a patient suffers narrowing or leakage of the heart valves, testing may reveal that the patient needs valve repair or replacement. Juan Crestanello, MD, a cardiovascular surgeon at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center explains the general process of heart valve surgery. | <urn:uuid:2ddb8cdb-5437-4dce-86a5-ff7c802fd5a6> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/heart-vascular/conditions-treatments/aortic-valve-replacement | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549424945.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20170725002242-20170725022242-00066.warc.gz | en | 0.925845 | 1,300 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Sci. Signal., 10 February 2009
Neurobiology Water in the Brain
L. Bryan Ray
Science, Science Signaling, AAAS, Washington, DC 20005, USA
Named for its role in stimulating hematopoiesis, erythropoietin (EPO) is also a neuroprotective agent that helps minimize damage to brain tissue after destructive events like trauma or stroke. Gunnarson et al. describe a mechanism by which EPO might produce at least part of its protective effects. Tissues surrounding damaged areas in the brain are subject to further damage as a consequence of swelling. One way in which this occurs is through excessive signaling by metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), which cause increased permeability of aquaporin 4 (AQP4) water channels in glial cells known as astrocytes. In a mouse model that reproduces such swelling-induced damage, Gunnarson et al. showed that administration of EPO improved neurological symptoms. In brain slices, treatment with EPO eliminated swelling caused by administration of an agonist for mGluRs in hypotonic conditions. In primary cultures of astroglial cells, stimulation of mGluRs caused characteristic oscillating increases in the concentration of intracellular free Ca2+ with a period of about 15 seconds in about a third of the cells. In cells exposed to EPO before stimulation of mGluRs, however, the number of cells with oscillations decreased and the regularity of the oscillations was disrupted. EPO has a range of effects that probably contribute to its beneficial effects in minimizing brain injury. It can inhibit apoptosis and can directly inhibit release of glutamate. The authors argue that inhibition of glutamate-induced increases in water permeability and consequent swelling should be added to the list.
E. Gunnarson, Y. Song, J. M. Kowalewski, H. Brismar, M. Brines, A. Cerami, U. Andersson, M. Zelenina, A. Aperia, Erythropoietin modulation of astrocyte water permeability as a component of neuroprotection. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 106, 1602–1607 (2009). [Abstract] [Full Text]
Citation: L. B. Ray, Water in the Brain. Sci. Signal. 2, ec55 (2009).
The editors suggest the following Related Resources on Science sites:
In Science Signaling
Science Signaling. ISSN 1937-9145 (online), 1945-0877 (print). Pre-2008: Science's STKE. ISSN 1525-8882 | <urn:uuid:6c78e946-4a6c-46b4-ac8a-17d5e7008ec3> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://stke.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/sigtrans;2/57/ec55 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1393999654272/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305060734-00067-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.907739 | 555 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Back toChapter Home
1. What is a Species?
2. What is a Hybrid?
3. Who Can Cross with Whom?
4. Taxonomy of Rhododendrons
5. Modern Taxonomic Rhododendron Grouping
6. Hardiness of Rhododendrons
7. Site Selection for Rhododendrons
8. Planting Rhododendrons
9. Fungal and Insect Enemies
10. Shaping and Pruning Rhododendrons
11. Creating New Rhododendron Varieties
12. Collecting and Germinating Seed
13. Growing Germinated Seedlings
14. Transplanting Young Rhododendrons
15. Vegetative Propagation by Cuttings
16. Using Hormones to Root Cuttings
17. Propagation by Grafting and Layering
18. Growing in Less than Ideal Conditions
19. Plant Identification and Labeling
20. Compatible Companion Plants
21. Selecting Compatible Shrubs and Small Trees
22. Compatible Trees with Interesting Foliage
23. Compatible Large Trees and Flowering Trees
24. Growing Fragrant Rhododendrons
25. Showing Rhododendrons in Public Competitions
26. Rewards of Growing Rhododendrons as a Hobby
27. Naming and Describing Rhododendron Varieties
© All Portland Chapter content copyrighted
2011. Content, including photos, may be reproduced only with permission of the Portland
chapter of the ARS. | <urn:uuid:a5a1c785-aff2-47a5-b934-0831dfeea629> | CC-MAIN-2018-47 | http://rhodies.org/resources/Goheen_index.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-47/segments/1542039743353.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20181117102757-20181117124757-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.670594 | 320 | 3.71875 | 4 |
Tilhill Forestry, July, 2018
Working in forestry and harvesting constantly presents challenges, varying wildly from site to site and from season to season. One major issue that has the potential to cause problems found across pretty much every site we manage however is diffuse pollution.
Diffuse pollution (DP) can come from a variety of sources, and is different from point pollution in that point pollution, as the name suggests, comes from a single point in large quantities. Conversely, diffuse pollution often comes from a range of different sources in smaller quantities, which individually may not have a huge effect but when looking at the entire water catchment, can be devastating to fish stocks, biodiversity, water purity and more.
We have had a number of recent extreme weather events, the most notable of which was the 'Beast from the East'. Intermittent, heavy snowfall, interspersed with warm, wet periods, can lead to the potential for significant diffuse pollution risks in rural areas. This is because rapidly melting snow, combined with heavy rainfall events, can run off sites, whether that be a forest or farm, incredibly quickly.
As forestry and harvesting managers, it is our job to manage our woodlands effectively to prevent this from happening.
To this end, Tilhill Forestry is in the process of developing a Diffuse Pollution E-Learning platform, which, in conjunction with our other DP training and Toolbox Talks etc, will help to ensure that all of our site operatives have the necessary knowledge and experience in spotting the potential for diffuse pollution occurring in hazardous areas and how to prevent an event taking place.
I’ve been lucky enough to be a member of the E-Learning Project Team, led by our Environment & Quality Manager Nicola Abbatt, and to work with managers across the company to pull together resources to help with the project’s development.
Most recently, I visited Senior Forest Manager John Ferguson in his Bala office in North Wales to acquire some drone footage of examples of good practice with regards to diffuse pollution mitigation. This included videos of excellent brash usage to protect the ground from rutting and soil degradation, bridge construction to safely traverse rivers and streams, and, arguably most importantly, a pre-commencement meeting to plan all forest works with diffuse pollution in mind. The E-Learning platform is currently in development, and will hopefully be ready for preliminary trials later this year.
Diffuse pollution is just one of the many, many considerations that must be made before work is carried out on a forest site, but it is undoubtedly one of the most important. We’re coming to the end of one of the longest, driest, warmest spells in recent history, which makes it easy to push diffuse pollution issues to the back of one’s mind. However, we should instead be looking at this as an opportunity for the future, and use this dry weather to put appropriate controls in place across all of our sites to mitigate future diffuse pollution potential. | <urn:uuid:8634b9c3-5ff1-4f4b-8af4-8c8348ce9d31> | CC-MAIN-2019-04 | https://www.tilhill.com/blog/it-must-be-crystal-clear/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-04/segments/1547583659677.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20190118025529-20190118051529-00351.warc.gz | en | 0.954457 | 608 | 2.765625 | 3 |
LearnEnglish Kids. School Radio - Nursery songs and rhymes. 45+ Quick & Easy Kids Crafts that ANYONE Can Make! Raising Children Network. LearnEnglish Kids - British Council. TeachingEnglish. A new way to learn. The Woman Who Changed Her Brain: Barbara Arrowsmith-Young at TEDxToronto. Carol Read. Alison Gopnik: What do babies think? Heuristic play. Heuristic play is rooted in young children’s natural curiosity.
As babies grow, they move beyond being content to simply feel and ponder objects, to wanting to find out what can be done with them. Toddlers have an urge to handle things: to gather, fill, dump, stack, knock down, select and manipulate in other ways. Household or kitchen utensils offer this kind of activity as every parent knows, and can occupy a child for surprising stretches of time. | <urn:uuid:8f94f6a3-8f28-4449-bf7b-16c92b8a5200> | CC-MAIN-2017-47 | http://www.pearltrees.com/nomess | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-47/segments/1510934807344.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20171124085059-20171124105059-00606.warc.gz | en | 0.912744 | 181 | 2.890625 | 3 |
A clear, concise and detailed analysis of the eclectic and beautiful visual and material culture of Catholicism. Focusing on a carefully curated selection of Catholic art and artefacts, this book explains the meaning of the iconography and the mystic power of the faith's ritual objects. A wealth of often hidden symbols are identified and examined close up, building into a catalogue of key visual symbols for readers to use to interpret all Catholic visual and material culture. The book is organized into three parts - Tenet, Locus and Spiritus - each containing three themed chapters. The first part introduces the centrepieces of the faith, explaining the symbolism in the artistic representation of the holy family, apostles and saints, and in stories from scripture. The second part examines places of worship, identifying the constituent parts of the cathedral and presenting evocative images of roadside shrines. The third part explores celebrations and traditions, including personal devotional tools and jewelry. For each of the nine themed chapters, illustrated introductory text is followed by a spread-by-spread presentation of the key figures, the key stories and the key iconography relevant to each theme. Paintings and artefacts are examined in detail, identifying and explaining the symbolism and the stories depicted in each. As the book progresses, readers will build up knowledge of the entire Catholic visual code - the symbols that define Catholic practice, the attributes of the saints, the parts of the cathedral - allowing them to interpret Catholic imagery and objects wherever they find them and to understand the tenets, sites and rituals of the faith. | <urn:uuid:6636cc75-5416-4cdb-8905-02e0a232a0bd> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.katolskbokhandel.com/978-0-500-25254-3.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030338001.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20221007080917-20221007110917-00513.warc.gz | en | 0.917033 | 306 | 2.859375 | 3 |
A new paper in the peer-reviewed journal Pediatrics documents the alarming numbers of young adolescents age 10-14 who are exposed to graphic violence in movies rated R for violence.
They found that these extremely violent movies were seen by an average of 12.5 percent of an estimated 22 million children age 10-14. One R-rated movie, Scary Movie, was seen by an estimated 10 million children, or about 48 percent of 10-14 year olds.
“Our data reveal a disturbingly high rate of exposure among 10-14 year olds nationally to extremely violent movies,” says Keilah Worth, the lead author on the study and a post-doctoral fellow at Dartmouth Medical School and at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center’s Norris Cotton Cancer Center.
“In Britain, no adolescent would be admitted to these movies unless they were 18. The R rating in this country is clearly not preventing our young people from seeing them.”
Many scientific studies have established the connection between exposure to media violence and aggression and violence in children. For example, playing video games can lead to changes in attitudes and behavior as well as desensitization to actual violence.
“We know so much about the harmful effects of exposure to violent media content, but how much exposure children actually get has been largely ignored. Now, we’re learning more about the large numbers of kids seeing this material and who they are,” says Worth.
For this assessment of exposure to violence in movies, the researchers used data from national telephone surveys of more than 6,500 adolescents age 10-14 in 2003.
Out of 532 recent releases, the researchers chose to look at exposure to 40 of the most violent movies. The study also revealed some independent risk factors for exposure: boys, minorities, those with lower socioeconomic status, and those with lower academic performance were all more likely to see extremely violent movies.
Black male adolescents were at particularly high risk of seeing these movies. For example, Blade, Training Day, and Scary Movie were seen by 37 percent, 27 percent, and 48 percent respectively of all the adolescents surveyed, compared to 82 percent, 81 percent, and 81 percent of black males.
“No expert in child development would advocate for subjecting children as young as 10 to this level of violence, yet the study shows that such exposure is commonplace in this country,” says James Sargent, the senior scientist on this study and a professor of pediatrics at Dartmouth Medical School.
“We should re-think the current movie rating system, which has been in place for 40 years, and was designed when kids could only see movies in theaters. Ratings need to be more prominent on all movies, whether they are seen in theaters or purchased in the store, and we need clearer messages to parents. Pediatricians and child advocates should instruct parents to strictly abide by the movie-age guidelines and to closely monitor movie viewing.”
Source: Dartmouth University | <urn:uuid:8fbd7c5c-38ec-4b20-a7ff-025ee6ddfeb5> | CC-MAIN-2019-13 | https://psychcentral.com/news/2008/08/04/too-much-movie-violence-for-children/2686.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-13/segments/1552912202889.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20190323161556-20190323183556-00364.warc.gz | en | 0.962112 | 611 | 3.171875 | 3 |
Fibroblast Growth Factor-basic (bFGF) is a single-chain polypeptide growth factor that plays a significant role in the process of wound healing and is a potent inducer of angiogenesis. Several different forms of the human protein exist ranging from 18-24 kDa in size due to the use of alternative start sites within the fgf-2 gene. It has a 55 percent amino acid residue identity to FGF-1 and has potent heparin-binding activity. The growth factor is an extremely potent inducer of DNA synthesis in a variety of cell types from mesoderm and neuroectoderm lineages. It was originally named basic fibroblast growth factor based upon its chemical properties and to distinguish it from acidic fibroblast growth factor.Other homologous FGF belonging to the same family are int-2 ( FGF-3 ), FGF-5 , FGF-6 , K-FGF and KGF ( keratinocyte growth factor = FGF-7 ). All factors are products of different genes, some of which are Oncogene products (FGF-3, FGF-4, FGF-5 ).
We recommend that this vial be briefly centrifuged prior to opening to bring the contents to the bottom. Reconstitute in sterile distilled water or aqueous buffer containing 0.1% BSA to a concentration of 0.1-1.0 mg/mL. Stock solutions should be apportioned into working aliquots and stored at < -20°C. Further dilutions should be made in appropriate buffered solutions.
Lyophilized from a 0.2 μm filtered concentrated solution in PBS, pH 7.4.
This lyophilized preparation is stable at 2-8°C, but should be kept at -20°C for long term storage, preferably desiccated. Upon reconstitution, the preparation is stable for up to one week at 2-8°C. For maximal stability, apportion the reconstituted preparation into working aliquots and store at -20°C to -70°C. Avoid repeated freeze/thaw cycles.
Approximately 16.5 kDa, a single non-glycosylated polypeptide chain containing 147 amino acids.
Less than 1 EU/μg of bFGF as determined by LAL method.
This material is offered by Cyagen Biosciences for research, laboratory or further evaluation purposes. FOR RESEARCH USE ONLY. NOT INTENDED FOR ANY ANIMAL OR HUMAN THERAP EUTIC OR DIAGNOSTIC USE.
The ED50 determined by a cell proliferation assay using murine balb/c 3T3 cells is less than 0.6 ng/mL, corresponding to a specific activity of > 1.7 × 106 IU/mg.
Sterile filtered white lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder.
MPALPEDGGS GAFPPGHFKD PKRLYCKNGG FFLRIHPDGR VDGVREKSDP HIKLQLQAEE RGVVSIKGVC ANRYLAMKED GRLLASKCVT DECFFFERLE SNNYNTYRSR KYTSWYVALK RTGQYKLGSK TGPGQKAILF LPMSAKS
> 96% by SDS-PAGE and HPLC analyses. | <urn:uuid:d89dfbf7-38a6-4410-908d-8320f30b9f05> | CC-MAIN-2019-09 | https://www.cyagen.com/cn/zh-cn/product/bFGFHuman.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-09/segments/1550247480905.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20190216170210-20190216192210-00520.warc.gz | en | 0.865617 | 721 | 2.65625 | 3 |
A stylized Chinese form of opera dating from the late 18th century, in which speech, singing, mime, and acrobatics are performed to an instrumental accompaniment.
More example sentences
- The same is true with the various types of Chinese opera, with Peking opera taking the lead.
- Others sing Peking opera under the trees along the river.
- Some practised singing Peking opera and played roles in private circles as amateurs.
Definition of Peking opera in:
- The US English dictionary | <urn:uuid:2081bdf1-1102-49ca-b2cd-432638c4abe9> | CC-MAIN-2014-42 | http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/Peking-opera | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-42/segments/1413507445886.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20141017005725-00374-ip-10-16-133-185.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913633 | 109 | 3.078125 | 3 |
Importance of mental strength in cricket
Many experts believe that 80% of cricket is a game of the mind. It's a game played in the head. So mental toughness is essential to win. Psychology is majorly at play in cricket. As Glenn McGrath, former Australian cricketer puts it, 'I think ability is a 10 to 20 per cent requirement, you need 80 to 90 per cent mental strength.'
As the playing conditions and umpiring decisions change in cricket, self-confidence is of prime importance for the player. A batsman's efficacy can change from situation to situation as they are faced with different bowlers, playing conditions and match situations.
A study by psychologist Bandura in 1997 says that self-efficacy or confidence levels can impact sport performance by determining levels of motivation that will be reflected in the challenges individuals undertake, the effort they expend, and their levels of perseverance.
Research has also outlined the positive contribution made by self-talk on efficacy expectations and so you will often find cricketers indulging in positive self talk to bring out the best in them.One can develop mental toughness by:
- Train your mind to function and perform effectively and most consistently.
- On must learn how to best deal with ones emotions and pressure more consistently and effectively.
- Boost your morale and confidence. You could do this by reflecting on successful sessions smart thinking.
- You need to maximise your mental energy and this can be done by developing concentration routines.
Also read: Boost Your Brain Power
Team India in a position of advantage
MS Dhoni has also always maintained that the team knows that apart from having the proper strategy, you have to make sure that you stay calm under pressure and keep yourself focused on the right things. The team believes that you have to be able to rebound quickly from your mistakes and not carry them into the next moment of the performance. | <urn:uuid:db48a713-dc71-4cd2-8a4a-fcaa4bd7d198> | CC-MAIN-2018-34 | https://www.ndtv.com/health/india-will-win-over-pakistan-why-better-mental-health-will-help-india-1713605 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-34/segments/1534221211185.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20180816211126-20180816231126-00494.warc.gz | en | 0.966388 | 387 | 2.71875 | 3 |
The sixth largest lake in the U.S., the historic waters of Lake Champlain stretch 120 miles north to south with almost 600 miles of pristine shoreline. Surpassed only by the Great Lakes in size, Lake Champlain features 435 square miles of surface area carving through the Adirondack Mountains of New York and the Green Mountains of Vermont.
In 1998, Lake Champlain actually became a Great Lake when a Vermont senator attached a few words to a bill pending in congress stating, “The term ‘Great Lakes’ includes Lake Champlain.” With President Clinton’s signature, Lake Champlain became a Great Lake – for one month. With pressure from the Great Lakes region over potential funding issues, the designation was reversed just 4 weeks later.
But for water lovers, Lake Champlain is truly a great lake, offering year round recreation.
Sail our open waters. Visit historic lighthouses. Dive century-old shipwrecks. Experience some of the East’s best inland windsurfing. Fish one of North America’s most renowned fisheries. Or just sit on one of our many beaches and take in the spectacular mountain views. | <urn:uuid:67e815a9-cd9b-49c3-83aa-4b62943bbfdd> | CC-MAIN-2016-07 | http://goadirondack.com/About-The-Adirondack-Coast/LakeChamplain | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-07/segments/1454701168065.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20160205193928-00314-ip-10-236-182-209.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92111 | 242 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Lacto. Derma. Ambi. Cypho. These are just a few of the terms explained in medical dictionaries and terminology textbooks. Ideal reference materials for medical students and those studying for MCATs or medical boards, medical dictionaries and terminology textbooks focus on an extensive list of field-relevant words, phrases, and subjects required for medicine, nursing, and other bio-science studies. Other medical terminology textbooks included here include must-have resources such as drug guides and nursing references. Most medical terminology textbooks are used as college textbooks in upper level courses and are also ideal for quick reference in the professional office. | <urn:uuid:8c4aa767-19cd-46b8-a55b-bb47eeca89c1> | CC-MAIN-2016-36 | http://www.textbooks.com/Catalog/PAZ/Medical-Dictionaries-and-Terminology.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-36/segments/1471982295103.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20160823195815-00295-ip-10-153-172-175.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940506 | 126 | 2.78125 | 3 |
California-based Aimmune Therapeutics revealed daily capsules of peanut powder helped children build tolerance in a major experimental study.
The study involved 500 children aged between four and 17 with allergies who were either given a daily dose of peanut, in the form of a capsule or sprinkled over food, in gradual increments over a six month period. Others were given a dummy capsule. This final amount then continued for another six months.
“Aimmune Therapeutics said 67 per cent of kids who had its experimental treatment were able to tolerate the equivalent of roughly two peanuts at the end of the study, compared to only 4 per cent of others given a dummy powder,” the ABC reports.
Despite the results, Dr Stacie Jones, a University of Arkansas allergy specialist, who helped lead the study warned parents to avoid trying this at home.
“It’s potentially dangerous,” said Dr Jones. Adding, “This is investigational” and had “to be done in a very safe setting” so the children could receive immediate treatment if needed. | <urn:uuid:4b9283fa-da51-4c24-a5d4-5d31eba97d07> | CC-MAIN-2019-39 | https://www.bhg.com.au/peanut-allergy-treatment | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-39/segments/1568514574084.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20190920221241-20190921003241-00073.warc.gz | en | 0.960494 | 221 | 2.625 | 3 |
Ancient Hebrew poetry is awash in descriptions of God’s anger. Classical prophecy, many of the Psalms, the book of Job fall apart conceptually if one removes this element from the whole.
Let's assume, as do legal systems and ethical codes without exception, that there is a principle of justice that transcends polities, family units, and individuals. For the sake of argument, let us identify the arbiter of said justice with the beginning and end of history, with a transcendent "one," conceived of in personal terms, as do monotheistic and, mutatis mutandis, polytheistic religions. Is it possible to speak truthfully about this "one," this God, without language that refers to anger? Over the long haul, I'm not sure it is.
The question in Judaism and Christianity of the Roman and later periods receives sustained attention. Philo of Alexandria, a first century Jewish philosopher and biblical exegete, reinterpreted the God-talk of the Bible in light of God-talk of (particular versions of) Greek philosophy in which God is understood to be an unmoved mover. Philo thought of references in the Pentateuch to God's anger and jealousy as a concession to the need to bring to wisdom those who cannot leave foolishness behind unless motivated by fear. At the same time, within Judaism and Christianity of the Roman and later periods, God-talk characteristic of philosophy has been relativized in light of God-talk in the Bible. For example, a fourth century Christian philosopher and court theologian, Lactantius, claimed that it is fitting and necessary to speak of the wrath of God.
A frequent end result of the interpenetration of theology and philosophy: a synthesis greater than the sum of its parts; also, a juxtaposition of elements in unresolved tension. The tension might be taken to be the best of all possible outcomes, on the assumption that some conceptual conflicts will not and cannot be resolved given the limits of human knowledge of the noumenal - a point developed by Kant in his critique of metaphysics; Kant nonetheless conceived of metaphysical assertions - within the bounds of reason as he understood reason - to be essential regulators of thought and life.
One of the great strengths of patristic theology is its “et/et-ness.” For example, the Fathers maintained belief in the immortality of the soul, a doctrine with a wide currency in the religious koiné of their environment, and which they saw no reason to abandon. They held no less to belief in Jesus’ bodily resurrection from the dead, and to the hope of the resurrection of the flesh among the “last things” that God will accomplish. These last teachings are central to Christianity quite apart from and in advance of the later patristic synthesis.
The Fathers sought a synthesis of apparently irreconcilable tenets. In the process, originally unrelated conceptual complexes came in for mutual redefinition.
The making of doctrine in all times and places, covertly or overtly, involves redefinition by means of assimilation and appropriation of concepts, motifs, and stimuli external to precedent tradition. The patristic period stands out nonetheless for the intense creativity of the assimilatory process at work within it. Something new came into the world as a result.
A recent attempt at capturing the truth contained in the teaching of the impassibility of God is found in the current Catholic catechism, paragraph 271:
God’s almighty power is in no way arbitrary: “In God, power, essence, will, intellect, wisdom, and justice are all identical. Nothing therefore can be in God’s power which could not be in his just will or his wise intellect.”
The quotation is from the Summa of Thomas. The original reads thus:
[I]n Deo est idem potentia et essentia et voluntas et intellectus et sapientia et iustitia. Unde nihil potest esse in potentia divina, quod non possit esse in voluntate iusta ipsius, et in intellectu sapiente eius. (STh I, 25, 5, ad 1)
I would translate as follows:
In God, power, being, will, intelligence, wisdom and justice are one and the same, such that nothing can exist by divine power that cannot exist in virtue of the just will of same, and in his sapient intelligence.
Thomas affirms that God can do nothing that is incompatible with his justice, will, and wisdom. With the further proviso that God’s will coincides with God’s love – that is, that God’s will, too, is in no way arbitrary - a definition of the impassibility of God adjusted to the biblical witness is in hand.
On this view, the unchanging initiative of God, while autonomous by definition and resolved upon by God in aseity from all else and all others, gives rise nevertheless to a history in which change serves precisely to maintain unchanged the original initiative.
If this is true, it is not necessarily helpful to speak of biblical God-talk of divine anger, repentance, and sadness as no more than "metaphorical" ways of speaking about a God who is never angry, never repents, and is never sad.
The same Catholic catechism speaks of hatred, aversion, fear, and anger in positive, not just negative terms, as if it were a heresy to think that it is possible not to do so. Part of a larger essay on passions and the moral life, paragraph 1765 notes the following:
The apprehension of evil causes hatred, aversion, and fear of the impending evil; this movement ends in sadness at some present evil, or in the anger that resists it.
Said passions, it might be added, are salutary to the extent that they originate in a right comprehension of justice, love, and wisdom. Regardless of whether one is Catholic or not, it can be affirmed that the catechism’s paragraphs 1767-1770 contain valuable insights.
Jewish and Christian discourse describes God, in whom it is thought we live and move and have our being, who is justice, love, and wisdom in perfect unity, as one who regrets evil and resists it with all due animosity. At the same time, it is often asserted that God is incorporeal and subject in no sense to goings-on in a temporal horizon. Tension-filled synthesis has always characterized the best Jewish and best Christian theology; both are ongoing enterprises in the 21st century. The fact is of interest to theologians, a-theologians, and anti-theologians alike.
The trigger for this short essay: Doug Chaplin's reflections on the first of the 39 articles of the Church of England (here). Doug responds to this post here, and to further online discussion on the topic of divine (im)passibility here (note comment thread). Lactantius, an early defender of divine passibility, is the subject of a recent dissertation by a University of Southern California classicist, Kristina Ann Meinking: Anger Matters: Politics and Theology in the Fourth Century CE (pdf here). A quote of interest: "With an appropriate object and when it is employed for the sake of justice, anger has a fitting place, unlike the mere desire for revenge on account of which the Stoics (argues Lactantius) view anger as a negative attribute" (103). | <urn:uuid:be67ba74-b481-4f9e-9c38-18e870e99a97> | CC-MAIN-2017-17 | http://ancienthebrewpoetry.typepad.com/ancient_hebrew_poetry/2007/07/on-the-impassib.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-17/segments/1492917122996.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20170423031202-00583-ip-10-145-167-34.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929925 | 1,557 | 2.8125 | 3 |
What Temperature Should a Hot Water Heater Be Set At?
Your water heater accounts for about 18 percent of your home’s energy bill. If your water heater is set too high, you will be paying the price in your energy bill each month. On the flip side, if your water heater is set too low your water may not get hot enough (short showers), or worse, be at risk of growing bacteria. Don’t set your water heater to anything below 120 degrees, as diseases can develop in the stagnant water inside the water heater, particularly Legionella, which is quite dangerous.
So, what is the best temperature range for your water heater? The EPA recommends 120 degrees because it’s hot enough to keep diseases at bay, it’s not hot enough to cause scalding, it will supply enough hot water for most small families and is relatively energy-efficient. However, the best setting for you could vary based on a few factors.
Factors That Affect Hot Water Temperature Setting
These factors are not affected by the kind of plumbing you have (PEX, PVC or copper), how the water is heated (gas or electric) or even if you a tankless hot water heater.
- Homeowners with a dishwasher that does not pre-heat the water may want to set their water heater to 140 degrees.
- Elderly homeowners or those with small children may want to keep the temperature at 120 degrees. According to BabyCenter.com, “It takes just two seconds for a child to receive third-degree burns from water that is 150 degrees and five seconds if it is 140 degrees, the temperatures at which hot water heaters often leave the factory.”
- Homes with occupants that have a suppressed immune system or respiratory disease should keep the hot water set to 140 degrees.
- In general, many who live alone aim for a lower temperature in the acceptable range since demand for hot water is less and it saves money. Many who live in large household aim for a higher temperature to accommodate increased demand for hot water.
- If you want to save money, every 10 degrees you turn down the water tank thermometer, you save 3 to 5 percent on your energy bill.
Still undecided? Set it at 120 degrees and increase the temperature in small increments until you find the perfect shower temperature.
What’s Your Current Temperature Setting?
You can find your current temperature setting by looking at the dial on the water heater (if equipped) or taking a temperature reading from the faucet. Turn on the hot water tap and allow it to run for a few minutes before taking the temperature.
Solutions to Common Hot Water Tank Problems
If you’re worried about pathogens in your hot water, and are worried about scalding water, consider a hot water tank booster. This keeps your water at 140 degrees in the tank but mixes it with cold water to lower the temp to 120 degrees before it reaches the tap.
If you live in a large home where it takes a long time for hot water to reach the tap, a hot water circulating system can solve this. This system slowly circulates hot water in the pipes to prevent it from cooling down before it reaches the tap. | <urn:uuid:968bcedd-286d-4108-8a23-0642e015ce14> | CC-MAIN-2021-04 | https://miamirooter.com/what-temperature-should-a-hot-water-heater-be-set-at/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-04/segments/1610704800238.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20210126135838-20210126165838-00161.warc.gz | en | 0.931626 | 662 | 3.28125 | 3 |
BAFFICO gustavo Daniel
capítulos de libros
Extreme Freshwater Ecosystems in Patagonia: The Copahue-Agrio System
TEMPORETTI, P.F.; BAFFICO, G.; DIAZ, M.; BEAMUD, G.; NICHELA, D.; CABRERA, J.; PEDROZO, F.
Freshwaters and Wetlands of Patagonia
Año: 2022; p. 137 - 162
The chapter compiles 20 years of research work carried out in the River Agrio-Lake Caviahue system by the Water Quality and Aquatic Resources Research Group. This system is characterized by its natural gradient of acidity, as well as concentration and transport of nutrients and metals, which is expressed in low diversity of species, both in lake plankton and river epilithic communities. The replacement of algal species (seasonal succession) does not occur in the lake under low pH conditions (Avg. 2.5). The low pH allows most of the elements present to remain in solution, conditioning environments with a high content of metals and phosphorus in the Upper River Agrio section and Lake Caviahue. In recent years, the lake has experienced a significant increase of at least one pH unit, (a situation that is controlled by magmatic activity), causing changes in chemical composition. If the increase continues, it is expected to affect the epilithic and phytoplanktonic compositions. This fact is unprecedented for aquatic environments in Argentina. The chapter covers a) basic aspects such as water chemistry, nutrient loadings, trophic status, algal communities (phytoplankton and epilithic algae), the geochemistry of sediments and their role in metal and nutrient dynamics, and b) applied aspects such as the use of acidophilic algae as indicators of remediation processes of soils contaminated by hydrocarbons, the behaviour of a naturally acidic lake as a Fenton reactor, and the use of such environments as a potential sentinel for nutrient deposition in Patagonia. | <urn:uuid:0f780b03-4d5c-4456-b938-8dbbea8ce73d> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.conicet.gov.ar/new_scp/detalle.php?keywords=gustavo%2Bbaffico&id=20698&capitulos=yes&detalles=yes&capit_id=10414677 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474663.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20240226194006-20240226224006-00622.warc.gz | en | 0.864508 | 434 | 2.734375 | 3 |
A Kalashnikov rifle is any one of a series of automatic rifles based on the original design of Mikhail Kalashnikov. They are officially known in Russian as "Avtomat Kalashnikova" ("Kalashnikov Automatic"; Russian: Автома́т Кала́шникова), but are widely known as Kalashnikovs, AKs, or in Russian slang, as a "Kalash". They were originally manufactured in the Soviet Union, primarily by Izhmash, but these rifles and their variants are now manufactured in many other countries.
The primary types of Kalashnikov rifles include:
|AK-47||7.62×39mm||1947||Izhmash and others|
|AKM||7.62×39mm||1959||Izhmash, Tula Arms Plant and others|
Early variants (7.62×39mm)
- Issue of 1948/49 – The very earliest models, with the Type 1 stamped sheet metal receiver, are now very rare.
- Issue of 1951 – Has a milled receiver. Barrel and chamber are chrome plated to resist corrosion.
- Issue of 1954 (1955) – Lightened milled receiver variant. Rifle weight is 3.47 kg (7.7 lb).
- AKS – Featured a downward-folding metal stock similar to that of the German MP40, for use in the restricted space in the BMP infantry combat vehicle, as well as by paratroops.
- AKN (AKSN) – Night scope rail.
- AKM – A simplified, lighter version of the AK-47; Type 4 receiver is made from stamped and riveted sheet metal. A slanted muzzle device was added to counter climb in automatic fire. Rifle weight is 2.93 kg (6.5 lb)[N 1] due to the lighter receiver. This is the most ubiquitous variant of the AK-47.
- RPK – Hand-held machine gun version with longer barrel and bipod. The variants – RPKS, RPKN (RPKSN), RPKL (RPKSL) – mirror AKM variants. The "S" variants have a side-folding wooden stock.
Low-impulse variants (5.45×39mm)
- AK-74 – Assault rifle.
- AKS-74 – Side-folding stock.
- AK-74N (AKS-74N) – Night scope rail.
- AKS-74U – Compact carbine.
- AKS-74UN – Night scope rail.
- RPK-74 – Light machine gun.
- RPKS-74 – Side-folding stock.
- RPK-74N (RPKS-74N) – Night scope rail.
The 100 Series
5.45×39mm / 5.56×45mm / 7.62×39mm
- AK-74M/AK-101/AK-103 – Modernized AK-74. Scope rail and side-folding stock.
- AK-107/AK-108 – Balanced recoil models.
- AK-105/AK-102/AK-104 – Carbine.
- RPK-74M / RPK-201 / RPKM and RPK-203 – Light machine gun.
- Saiga-12 – 12-gauge shotgun. Built on AK receiver.
- Saiga-12S – Pistol grip and side-folding stock.
- Saiga-12K – Shorter barrel.
- Saiga-20 (S/K) – 20-gauge.
- Saiga-12S – Pistol grip and side-folding stock.
- Saiga-410 (S/K) – .410 bore.
- Saiga semi-automatic rifle
- KSK shotgun – 12-gauge combat shotgun (based on Saiga-12).
- Vepr-12 Molot – 12-gauge combat shotgun. Built on RPK receiver.
- Bizon – Submachine gun with helical magazine. Borrows 60% of details from AKS-74U. 9×18mm PM, 9×19mm Luger, .380 ACP; 7.62×25mm TT (box magazine).
- Vityaz-SN – Submachine gun. 9×19mm Parabellum.
- OTs-14 Groza – Bullpup assault rifle. 9×39mm, 7.62×39mm.
- AK-12 – A family of weapons in a variety of calibers. Currently undergoing trials.
Production outside the USSR/Russia
These rifles have been manufactured in many countries, with and without licenses.
|Albania||Automatiku Shqiptar model 56 (ASH-78 Tip-1) Albanian Automatic Assault Rifle Model 56 Type-1 [Made in Poliçan Arsenal] (Straightforward copy of Type 56, which in turn is a clone of the Soviet AKM rifle)
Automatiku Shqiptar Tipi 1982 (ASH-82) Albanian Automatic Assault Rifle Type 1982 [Made in Poliçan Arsenal] (Straight forward copy of AKMS)
Automatiku Shqiptar model 56 (ASH-78 Tip-2) Albanian Light Machine Gun [Made in Poliçan Arsenal] (Straight forward copy of RPK)
Automatiku Shqiptar model 56 (ASH-78 Tip-3) Albanian Automatic Hybrid Rifle Model 56 Type-3 [Made in Poliçan Arsenal] (Hybrid rifle for multi-purpose roles mainly Marksman rifle with secondary assault rifle and grenade launcher capability)
Other unknown variants.
|Armenia||K-3 (bullpup, 5.45×39mm)|
|Bangladesh||Chinese Type 56|
|Bulgaria||AKK/AKKS (Type 3 AK-47/w. side-folding buttstock)
AKKMS (AKMS), AKKN-47 (fittings for NPSU night sights)
AK-47M1 (Type 3 with black polymer furniture)
AK-47MA1/AR-M1 (same as -M1, but in 5.56mm NATO)
AKS-47M1 (AKMS in 5.56×45mm NATO)
AKS-47S (AK-47M1, short version, with East German folding stock, laser aiming device)
AKS-47UF (short version of -M1, Russian folding stock), AR-SF (same as −47UF, but 5.56mm NATO)
AKS-93SM6 (similar to −47M1, cannot use grenade launcher)
RKKS (RPK), AKT-47 (.22 rimfire training rifle)
|Cambodia||Chinese Type 56, Soviet AK-47, and AKM|
|People's Republic of China||Type 56|
|East Germany||MPi-K/MPi-KS (AK-47/AKS)
MPi-KM (AKM; wooden and plastic stock), MPi-KMS-72 (side-folding stock), MPi-KMS-K (carbine)
MPi-AK-74N (AK-74), MPi-AKS-74N (side-folding stock), MPi-AKS-74NK (carbine)
KK-MPi Mod.69 (.22 LR select-fire trainer)
|Egypt||AK-47, Misr assault rifle (AKM), Maadi|
|Ethiopia||AK-47, AK-103 (manufactured locally at the State-run Gafat Armament Engineering Complex as the Et-97/1)|
|Hungary||AK-55 (domestic manufacture of the 2nd Model AK-47)
AKM-63 (also known as AMD-63 in the US; modernized AK-55), AMD-65M (modernized AKM-63, shorter barrel and side-folding stock), AMP-69 (rifle grenade launcher)
AK-63F/D (other name AMM/AMMSz), AK-63MF (modernized)
|Iran||KLS/KLF (AK-47/AKS), KLT (AKMS)|
|Iraq||Tabuk Sniper Rifle, Tabuk Assault Rifle (with fixed or underfolding stock, outright clones of Yugoslavian M70 rifles series), Tabuk Short Assault Rifle|
|Nigeria||Produced by the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria as OBJ-006|
|North Korea||Type 58A/B (Type 3 AK-47/w. stamped steel folding stock), Type 68A/B (AKM/AKMS), Type 88 (AKS-74)|
|Pakistan||Reverse engineered by hand and machine in Pakistan's highland areas (see Khyber Pass Copy) near the border of Afghanistan; more recently the Pakistan Ordnance Factories started the manufacture of an AK-47/AKM clone called PK-10|
|Poland||pmK (kbk AK) / pmKS (kbk AKS) (name has changed from pmK – "pistolet maszynowy Kałasznikowa", Kalashnikov SMG to the kbk AK – "karabinek AK", Kalashnikov Carbine in mid-1960s) (AK-47/AKS)
kbkg wz. 1960 (rifle grenade launcher), kbkg wz. 1960/72 (modernized)
kbk AKM / kbk AKMS (AKM/AKMS)
|Romania||PM md. 63/65 (AKM/AKMS), PM md. 80, PM md. 90, collectively exported under the umbrella name AIM or AIMS
PA md. 86 (AK-74), exported as the AIMS-74
PM md. 90 short barrel, PA md. 86 short barrel, exported as the AIMR
PSL (designated marksman rifle; other names PSL-54C, Romak III, FPK and SSG-97)
|Sudan||MAZ (based on the Type 56)|
|Ukraine||Vepr (bullpup, 5.45×39mm), Malyuk (bullpup)|
|Vietnam||AKM-1, AKM-VN (AKM) assault rifle, TUL-1 (RPK) light machine gun, Galil ACE 31/32 assault rifle|
|Venezuela||License granted, factory under construction|
|Yugoslavia/Serbia||M-64, M-70, M-72, M-76, M-77, M-80, M-82, M-85, M-90, M-91, M-92, M-99, M-21|
The following rifles were either based on the Kalashnikov design, or have a different design but are superficially similar in appearance:
- Bernardelli VB-STD/VB-SR (Italy)
- IMI Galil (Israel) and Galil ACE (Israel and Colombia)
- INSAS (India)
- Rk 62, Valmet M76 (other names Rk 62 76, M62/76), Valmet M78 (light machine gun), Rk 95 Tp (Finland)
- StG 44 (Germany). Developed before the AK-47
- Type 81 assault rifle (China), BD-08 (Bangladesh)
- Vektor R4, Truvelo Raptor (South Africa)
- vz. 58 (Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic)
In popular culture
Of all the weapons in the vast Soviet arsenal, nothing was more profitable than Avtomat Kalashnikova.... more commonly known as the AK-47, or Kalashnikov. It's the world's most popular assault rifle, a weapon all fighters love. An elegantly simple, 9 pound amalgamation of forged steel and plywood. It doesn't break, jam, or overheat. It'll shoot whether it's covered in mud or filled with sand. It's so easy, even a child can use it - and they do. The Soviets put the gun on a coin. Mozambique put it on their flag. Since the end of the Cold War, the Kalashnikov has become the Russian people's greatest export. After that comes vodka, caviar, and suicidal novelists. One thing is for sure, no one was lining up to buy their cars.—Yuri Orlov, Lord of War
- AKMS is ~200 g (0.44 lb) heavier.
- "RIP Kalashnikov: 20 facts you may not have known about AK-47 and its creator". RT. December 23, 2013.
- НСД. 7,62-мм автомат АК 1967, pp. 161–162.
- Monetchikov 2005, p. 76.
- НСД. 7,62-мм автомат АКМ (АКМС) 1983, pp. 149–150.
- "AKML (AKMSL)". AK-INFO.RU. Retrieved 8 Feb 2013.
- Азербайджан приступил к серийному производству автоматов АК-74М по российской лицензии [Azerbaijan began serial production of AK-74M assault rifles under Russian license]. ЦАМТО (in Russian). Moscow: Centre for Analysis of World Arms Trade. 8 July 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
- Dimov, Roman. "Kalashnikov Arms Versions". The AK Site. Archived from the original on 29 Sep 2007.
- "MPi-K / MPi-AK Assault Rifle Series". Энциклопедия оружия и боеприпасов (in Russian). Retrieved 19 Feb 2013.
- Advertisement flyer for manufacturing capabilities of the GAEC – Gafat Armament Engineering Complex. at the Wayback Machine (archived July 10, 2011) Retrieved on 8 October 2010.
- "Hungary. Assault Rifles". Энциклопедия оружия и боеприпасов (in Russian). Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- "Nigeria to mass-produce Nigerian version of AK-47 rifles." Retrieved on 5 October 2008.
- "DICON – Defence Industry Corp. of Nigeria" Retrieved on 23 June 2012.
- US Department of Defense, North Korea Country Handbook 1997, Appendix A: Equipment Recognition, PPSH 1943 SUBMACHINEGUN (TYPE-50 CHINA/MODEL-49 DPRK), p. A-79.
- US Department of Defense, North Korea Country Handbook 1997, Appendix A: Equipment Recognition, TYPE-68 (AKM) ASSAULT RIFLE, p. A-77.
- Russia confronts Pakistan, China over copied weapons. Retrieved on 16 October 2010.
- "Poland. Assault Rifles". Энциклопедия оружия и боеприпасов (in Russian). Retrieved 19 Feb 2013.
- "MAZ". Military Industry Corporation. Archived from the original on 27 December 2008. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
- Raigorodetsky, Aleksandr (6 Oct 2011). Автомат "Малюк" ("Малыш") (Украина) ["Malyuk" Assault Rifle (Ukraine)]. Оружейная экзотика (in Russian). Retrieved 1 Dec 2012.
- Martin Sieff (15 August 2007). "Defense Focus: Venezuela's Kalashnikovs". UPI.com. Archived from the original on 2008-06-04. Retrieved 19 October 2008. | <urn:uuid:39945983-c791-4191-a67f-696045ce087d> | CC-MAIN-2015-32 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalashnikov_rifle | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-32/segments/1438042991076.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20150728002311-00026-ip-10-236-191-2.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.794272 | 3,577 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Spelling words isn’t always easy, especially when they contain double letters. In this case, the correct spelling is occurred. How can you remember it when you need it?
The best way to remember how to spell occurred is to remember its double set of double consonants. In English, the final letter is doubled when a word of two or more syllables has stress on the final syllable. Occur fits the rule, so there are two Cs and two Rs in occurred. Would you like to see some examples? | <urn:uuid:21be4051-db75-41c9-bf95-b5c8409f0eda> | CC-MAIN-2021-17 | https://www.grammarly.com/blog/occurred-occured-ocurred/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-17/segments/1618038069133.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20210412175257-20210412205257-00635.warc.gz | en | 0.946777 | 109 | 3.46875 | 3 |
i.e: what is the difference between (silly man, absurd man and ridiculous man)
Silly is used to describe things or behaviour that are stupid in a childish way. This word is not as offensive as stupid and is often used when talking to children, or to someone who is acting like a child.
- Stop jumping into the puddles. That’s a silly thing to do.
- You can’t lift that bag alone. Don’t be silly and let me help you.
- I’m so silly. I forgot to buy the tickets.
Ridiculous means extremely silly, but it’s not used in a friendly way. When something is ridiculous, it often makes you laugh, because it’s so inappropriate or unreasonable.
- I look ridiculous with this haircut. I’ll never listen to my hairdresser again.
- You can’t pay her a hundred pounds for this job. Don’t be ridiculous.
- Why did you tell everyone I failed my driving test? You made me look ridiculous.
Absurd is used to describe something that cannot be taken seriously, because it is not logical or sensible. It’s something that is funny because it is so impossible.
- I won’t pay back your loan. That’s an absurd request.
- It’s absurd I’m not allowed to talk to my own children.
- Peter told me an absurd story of how his pet parrot ate his homework.
Recommended for you: Merry or Cheerful? | <urn:uuid:0a29a14b-d65d-4001-8d32-e44d8a888819> | CC-MAIN-2020-34 | https://www.myenglishteacher.eu/blog/difference-between-silly-absurd-ridiculous/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-34/segments/1596439736972.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20200806151047-20200806181047-00112.warc.gz | en | 0.944156 | 337 | 2.609375 | 3 |
student organization constitution template is a student organization constitution template sample that gives infomration on student organization constitution template doc. When designing student organization constitution template, it is important to consider different student organization constitution template format such as student organization constitution template word, student organization constitution template pdf. You may add related information such as example of constitution, student made constitution, sample of constitution of non-profit organization, constitution organizations.
home / student organizations / start a new student organization / creating a student organization constitution an effective club/organization constitution should reflect the purpose and goals of the organization. section 1. the name of this organization shall be… section 2. describe or list the purpose and goals of the organization. section 3. list any affiliation with any local, state, or national organizations if applicable. 1. who may be a voting member? etc. section 2. describe membership privileges. section 4. describe any ex-officio members, i.e. section 5. discrimination disclaimer i.e. section 2. define officer qualifications i.e.
section 3. define voting procedures of officers. section 2. if necessary, define method of voting, campaigning restrictions, etc. section 1. define meeting frequency, i.e. section 2. define provisions necessary for calling special/emergency meetings. section 3. define attendance policy for meetings and establish an accountability system. section 5. define voting rules: majority vote, 2/3 vote, etc. section 3. define ratification process for amendments, i.e. section 4. define use of by-laws typically used to clarify constitution or define detail in organization. section 2. statement of adherence to all local, state and federal laws.
this sample constitution is provided by the office of student activities to assist your student organization in creating a. example: any member of our organization can, at any time, voluntarily withdraw his/her membership from the organization keep in mind some of these points may need further clarification or additional sections may need to be added based on the particulars of the organization. article i: name, purpose and affiliation. article ii: membership. article iii: officers. article iv: election and impeachment. article v: meetings. article vi: , example of constitution, example of constitution, student made constitution, sample of constitution of non-profit organization, constitution organizations.
example – the purpose of this organization shall be to provide educational activities for its members. article iv. example: to bring together inquiry-based, hands-on science lessons to middle- school students. article ii – example format for writing a constitution: 1. name of the student organization. 2. statement of purpose. 3., constitution of youth association, student club constitution, student club constitution, how to write a constitution for a club, union constitution
A student organization constitution template Word can contain formatting, styles, boilerplate text, headers and footers, as well as autotext entries. It is important to define the document styles beforehand in the sample document as styles define the appearance of Word text elements throughout your document. You may design other styles and format such as student organization constitution template pdf, student organization constitution template powerpoint, student organization constitution template form. When designing student organization constitution template, you may add related content, constitution of youth association, student club constitution, how to write a constitution for a club, union constitution. how do you write a constitution for an organization? what is an organization’s constitution? | <urn:uuid:6b83cb0f-a603-4675-9da8-21bf987cc3bd> | CC-MAIN-2021-49 | http://www.procasestudy.com/student-organization-constitution-template/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-49/segments/1637964363327.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20211206224536-20211207014536-00611.warc.gz | en | 0.855671 | 698 | 2.578125 | 3 |
The close relationship between Buddhism and trade is largely due to the reliance of the Buddhist monastic community on donations from lay supporters. Ideally, Buddhist monks and nuns were required to reject all worldly possessions and thus to depend on the lay community to supply all of their necessities, including food, clothing, shelter, and medicine. In practice, donations to Buddhist monasteries extended to a wide range of materials that were necessary to maintain resident communities of monks and nuns. Significant economic surpluses were needed to sustain large-scale Buddhist institutions, where, in return for donations, monks and nuns were available to give religious instruction.
In return for their material donations to Buddhist monasteries, donors received religious merit (punya), which was often shared with relatives, teachers, political supporters, and "all beings" (sarvasattva). Donations establishing the presence of the Buddha at particular places in the form of stupas, relics, images, and texts generated special merit, since such sacred gifts provided opportunities for more devotees to worship the Buddha's body or teachings. Wealthy merchants and powerful rulers were particularly encouraged to be very generous in return for practical benefits, such as refuge and protection from real and perceived dangers while traveling, and status or legitimacy by acting as patrons of religious institutions. Epigraphic records of donations to Buddhist stupas and monasteries in India attest to the importance of commercial and political patronage of Buddhist institutions.
The earliest donors and some of the most important patrons of the Buddha and his followers were caravan merchants and wealthy bankers. Buddhist literature contains many epithets, stories, examples, and rules related to long-distance trade. In one of the most important episodes, two merchants named Trapusa and Bhallika approached the Buddha in the seventh week after his enlightenment at Bodh Gaya and offered rice cakes and honey. After offering these gifts, Trapusa and Bhallika became the first lay disciples and received relics of the Buddha's hair and nails, which the Buddha instructed them to enshrine in stupas in their home countries. This event establishes a pattern for the prominent role played by merchants in the patronage and transmission of Buddhism. Anathapindika, a wealthy businessman, became a lay disciple after meeting the Buddha during a business journey to Rajagriha, and subsequently invited the Buddha and his followers to spend the rainy season in a monastery, which he donated at great expense. As the foremost early donor to the Buddhist community, Anathapindika is idealized for giving away everything he had. Based on the model of extreme generosity of Anathapindika, commercial patrons were encouraged to donate liberally to the Buddhist community in order to sustain the further expansion of monastic networks.
"Great caravan leader" (mahasarthavaha) is a popular epithet of the Buddha in Pali and Sanskrit literature. This epithet refers to the Buddha's role as a teacher, protector and leader of his followers during the journey from the worldly realm of the cycle of continuous rebirth to the "other shore" of enlightenment and cessation of the cycle of death and rebirth. The Buddhist teacher Nagasena explains to King Menander of Bactria that the Buddha "is like a caravan owner to men in that he brings them beyond the sandy desert of rebirths."1 Xinru Liu observes that "Abundant experience with long-distance trade provided the inspiration for these images of the Buddha as a guide for travelers and merchants."2
In Ancient India and Ancient China, Xinru Liu also proposes that Buddhist demand for the "seven jewels" (saptaratna) stimulated long-distance trade between northwestern South Asia, Central Asia and China.3 The seven jewels consisted of luxury commodities that were high in value but low in volume, such as gold, silver, crystal, lapis lazuli, carnelian, coral, and pearls. While such materials are intrinsically valuable and suitable for long-distance trade, ritual values associated with the establishment of Buddhism may have augmented their economic worth. Since Buddhist devotees sought these items as suitable donations, the nexus between long-distance trade and Buddhist monastic networks was strengthened. As the commodities forming the seven jewels became standardized and their religious value increased, Liu argues that "Buddhist values created and sustained the demand for certain commodities traded between India and China during the first to the fifth centuries AD."4 The processes of expanding lucrative long-distance trade networks and the long-distance transmission of Buddhism were mutually reinforced.
-- Jason Neelis
(1) T.W. Rhys-Davids, Questions of King Milinda (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1890-4), p. 274.
(2) Xinru Liu, Ancient India and Ancient China: Trade and Religious Exchanges AD 1-600 (Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1997), pp. 114-5.
(4) Ibid, p. 175. | <urn:uuid:2213a6ec-b65d-4a0d-944e-78eb2586ae82> | CC-MAIN-2015-06 | http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/exhibit/religion/buddhism/buddhism_trade.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-06/segments/1422121914832.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20150124175154-00027-ip-10-180-212-252.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955563 | 1,005 | 3.84375 | 4 |
- What is meant by revelation and faith?
- What is the gift of revelation?
- What is the earliest source of revelation?
- What is special revelation in the Bible?
- What type of revelation is the Bible?
- What does the book of Revelation say about heaven?
- Who wrote Revelations Bible?
- Who can receive revelation?
- What is the most important revelation of God?
- What are the three sources of revelation?
- Why is revelation important in Christianity?
What is meant by revelation and faith?
Revelation and faith are the two most basic epistemological concepts for Christian theology and have to be understood together.
Revelation is always a call to God’s shalom, and faith is the active response to that call.
The knowledge that we claim is faith knowledge, a gift of the Holy Spirit..
What is the gift of revelation?
The reason we call them the revelation gifts, is because each one of these gifts, reveal something. The gifts that fall into this category are; the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, and the discerning of spirits. This book looks at how each of these gifts operate.
What is the earliest source of revelation?
The concept of revelation The earliest idea of revelation is the one found in the Hebrew Scriptures, in which the speech of God is addressed to Moses and the Prophets. They in turn are described as quoting the words of God rather than interpreting them.
What is special revelation in the Bible?
Special revelation is a Christian theological term that refers to the belief that knowledge of God and of spiritual matters can be discovered through supernatural means, such as miracles or the scriptures—a disclosure of God’s truth through means other than through reason.
What type of revelation is the Bible?
There are two types of revelation: General (or indirect) revelation – called ‘general’ or ‘indirect’ because it is available to everyone. This is often used to describe the way God is revealed through the natural world, conscience , people, awareness of morality , scripture or reason.
What does the book of Revelation say about heaven?
The book of Revelation ends, not with souls going up to heaven, but with the New Jerusalem coming down to earth, so that “the dwelling of God is with humans.” … God will then be “all in all.” It’s hard for us moderns to grasp this: so many hymns, prayers and sermons still speak of us “going to heaven.”
Who wrote Revelations Bible?
The Book of Revelation was written sometime around 96 CE in Asia Minor. The author was probably a Christian from Ephesus known as “John the Elder.” According to the Book, this John was on the island of Patmos, not far from the coast of Asia Minor, “because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus” (Rev.
Who can receive revelation?
Principle #1 All members of the Church are entitled to receive Revelation. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that the least Saint may know all things as fast as he is able to bear them.
What is the most important revelation of God?
Scripture. This is perhaps the most important type of revelation for Christians. Christians believe that the Bible is different from any other book because it is God’s word or contains God’s words.
What are the three sources of revelation?
Three Sources of Revelation–Only One Can be TrustedHuman rationalism–things that come from your own mind. … Satanic influence/the occult–ever popular, and on the rise again. … God/Jesus Christ/Holy Spirit–Who cannot lie and Who tells us through Scripture that He communicates with His people.
Why is revelation important in Christianity?
In the three great religions of the West—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—revelation is the basic category of religious knowledge. Human beings know God and his will because God has freely revealed himself—his qualities, purpose, or instructions. | <urn:uuid:772f7562-3b64-4695-9d28-b8f0c493b405> | CC-MAIN-2021-31 | https://kresevski-citrin.com/qa/question-what-are-the-different-types-of-revelation-according-to-christianity.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-31/segments/1627046151972.40/warc/CC-MAIN-20210726000859-20210726030859-00038.warc.gz | en | 0.95176 | 851 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Overview of the project3 billion people world -wide rely on open fires that expose them to dirty smoke. According to world health organization, cook stove smoke is a major contributor to indoor air pollution in developing countries causing an average of 4 million premature deaths annually and other range of illness such as pneumonia, lung cancer, pulmonary diseases and low birth weight . Kenya has a population estimate of 45 million. Less than 37% of households in Kenya use form of improved cook stoves (ICS) while the rest use cooking devices with low thermal energy efficiency ratios and high negative health impacts associated to indoor pollution . Approximately 35 million people still rely on traditional biomass cooking methods. Following the logging ban in Kenya, there has been a charcoal price surge. This really hit both poor and average homes who rely on either firewood or charcoal for cooking. Introduction of lean cook stoves which consume exclusively pellet for fuel will enhance access to clean, efficient and affordable alternative for cooking. Currently, there isn’t a cook stove that fits the needs of a real Kenyan in the market. Most Kenyan homes use bulky sufurias and the cooking is vigorous such that the available cook stoves cannot handle. Another factor is that the available cook stoves do not use pellets exclusively and therefore provide a window for continuous use of firewood and charcoal which leads to air pollution. This is the current gap in the market that Lean Energy Solutions has identified and seeks to bridge by designing and producing a clean cook stove that has the desired features. Lean Energy will ensure that the cook stoves are of standard and that they fit the need of the target market. We will also establish a good distribution channel for pellet to ensure that fuel is accessed easily. This is unlike most of the tire one competitors in this market who do not supply pellets and therefore the consumers find it hard to access fuel. The proposed project will target households in urban slums, urban average residential households and households in rural areas. The project targets an average of 100,000 households in total.
Provide alternative options for clean efficient cooking and promote the use of clean cook stoves which exclusively consume pellets for fuel in the proposed areas
small grants and loans
Medium Social Enterprise that aims to reduce carbon footprint through production of briquettes, pellets, solar pvs, and energy management through audits and other related consultancies. | <urn:uuid:0c955066-178f-487f-81c9-1bf0c32efb2c> | CC-MAIN-2022-27 | https://www.climate-chance.org/en/best-pratices/lean-pellets/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-27/segments/1656103989282.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20220702071223-20220702101223-00174.warc.gz | en | 0.935688 | 491 | 3.125 | 3 |
For thousands of years people have regarded ginger as a respected and effective medicinal ingredient, but do you know the ginger health benefits? The most medicinally valuable part of ginger is the part that people frequently call the root. It is actually a stem of the plant that happens to grow underground. This stem can be credited for many ginger health benefits.
Health Benefits of Ginger
- Ginger is perhaps best known for its benefits to the digestive process. It helps to break down fats and proteins to facilitate and accelerate digestion. It relieves gas and nausea as well, so for those suffering from morning sickness or motion sensitivity, ginger is a wonderful curing agent.
- Ginger also reduces inflammation. This means that it is an effective treatment for diseases like arthritis and colitis. As a warming herb, ginger is also a weapon to fight off fevers.
- It is an excellent stimulant for blood circulation, which makes it useful for muscle relaxation and the prevention of blood clot formation. Since it has warming properties, ginger can be used as a decongestant or antihistamine. It is a multi-purpose treatment for cold symptoms!
- Ongoing studies continue to investigate the healing potential of this fantastic herb. Research suggests that ginger may lower cholesterol levels by reducing absorption of LDL cholesterol. In various animal trials ginger has been shown to slow cancer growth.
- Ginger contains anywhere from 1 to 4 volatile oils, active components that account for both its pungent flavor as well as all ginger health benefits.
- All of these oils produce more digestive enzymes in the body. These in turn neutralize acid and aid in digestion so that the digestive process runs smoothly without side effects like cramps, nausea and diarrhea.
- Ginger also contains something called zingibain. This is a specific enzyme with a superior ability to break down proteins. Research shows that proteolytic enzymes like zingibain have anti-inflammatory capabilities. Zingibain is also antibacterial, so it fights off cold and flu bugs.
- Ginger also contains about a dozen antioxidants which work to neutralize substances in the body that cause inflammation and disease.
- Ginger is considered a safe and natural herb for human ingestion. If ginger is applied to the skin however, some people experience topical rashes.
- In powder form ginger is very strong so you should watch how much you take. It is important to measure and monitor your dosages. Too much powdered ginger can cause unwanted side effects like gas and bloating.
If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms that ginger targets, crush some raw ginger “root” and mix it into a cup of tea. Add honey to sweeten it if you like. If you prefer to incorporate ginger in cooking, it is a wonderful complementary flavor to add to various dishes. Ginger goes particularly well with garlic. | <urn:uuid:39fb0161-5e76-46b5-866f-1b63df0d80fb> | CC-MAIN-2014-41 | http://healthism.blogspot.com/2011/08/health-benefits-of-ginger.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-41/segments/1410657116650.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20140914011156-00018-ip-10-196-40-205.us-west-1.compute.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942622 | 575 | 2.734375 | 3 |
What makes some people happier than others? Is it money? A big family? Lots of friends? Attitude? Genetics? Research in the field of Positive Psychology has examined this issue. Happiness is a result of our genes, our circumstances and ourselves.
It turns out that genetics accounts for about 50% of peoples happiness. So genetics is your set point—it is what it is. You have no control over this part of your happiness. However, there is still another 50% of happiness unaccounted for!
It turns out that life circumstances (job, money, family, friends, education, health, etc.) accounts for an additional 10% of happiness. I think of this category as “the stuff that happens to us”. We have limited control over our life circumstances and (thankfully) it has limited control over our happiness.
So the final 40% of happiness falls into the category of “intentional activities”. This includes our actions and our internal state of mind. The good news is that the majority of our happiness is related to how we choose to react to “the stuff that happens to us” in life. I think of this category as “the stuff we make happen”.
One of the intentional activities that we can do to increase happiness (up to 25%) is to practice gratitude. There are many ways increase your gratitude and a quick online search will reveal many options. Here are a few of my favorites:
Keep a Gratitude Journal
Before going to bed each night, write a list of five things about that day for which you’re grateful. Sometimes it will be big, exciting things. Sometimes is may be small things, like the way the sun lit up the clouds as you were stuck in traffic on the way home.
Four Questions (you can write these or just think about them)
A great way to bring things that you’re grateful for to the forefront of your mind is by asking yourself questions. At the end of each day, ask yourself the following four questions:
- What touched me today?
- Who or what inspired me today?
- What made me smile today?
- What’s the best thing that happened today?
Use a Gratitude Trigger
Place an object somewhere in your house or workspace which will remind you to feel grateful each time that you look at it. It can be a little sign that says “Thank You” hanging in front of your desk, or a door mat with the word “Welcome” written on it to remind you to be grateful each time that you arrive at home.
My Gratitude Trigger is actually a Gratitude Tigger! I have a small, plastic, Tigger that is suction cupped to inside of my windshield. As he bounces along with me in my car, I am reminded to be grateful for the small things in life—my car started, I’m driving to the job I love, it’s a beautiful (sunny or rainy) day, etc.
Put Things in Perspective
Obviously, things won’t always go your way. However, gratitude isn’t an emotion that is reserved for those moments when you get what you want. When things go wrong you can use the power of gratitude to release some of the negative emotions that you may be feeling due to the failure or setback that you just experienced.
After a negative event, put things in perspective by remembering that every difficulty carries within it the seeds of an equal or greater benefit. When faced with adversity, ask yourself the following questions:
- What’s good about this?
- What can I learn from this?
- How can I benefit from this?
- Is there something about this situation that I can be grateful for?
If you would like help cultivating more happiness in your life, Claudine Miller, LPC and Chrysalis Counseling LLC is here to help. . . | <urn:uuid:95d33fd4-686a-4e48-961d-14da9943dac4> | CC-MAIN-2019-43 | https://www.chrysaliscounselingstl.com/transformation/the-power-of-gratitude/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-43/segments/1570986672431.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20191016235542-20191017023042-00241.warc.gz | en | 0.954556 | 818 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Koonsville, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Koonsville is a former town that is now a section of Union Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. It is approximately one mile outside of Shickshinny along Route 239 and McKendree Road. Its elevation is approximately 616 feet (188 m).
It used to known as Arch Bridge, named for the stone bridge crossing Shickshinny Creek. It served as a logging community until the Battle of Wyoming in 1778, when most of the white settlers fled their homes, fearing Iroquois raids. Several white farmers and loggers returned a few years later to rebuild, including Shadrick Austin, who bought 256 acres (1.04 km2) of land and, in 1801, established the Austin Family Inn.
Upon the establishment of the post office in 1850 the area was renamed and incorporated as Koonsville after William Koons, who was the first postmaster. The post office was decommissioned at the beginning of World War II, and Koonsville is now serviced by the Shickshinny post office.
In 1850 William Koons moved to the area and occupied the Austin family Inn. Koons was survived by B.D. Koons, who was not only a charter member of Shickshinny but also one of the first officers.
There are about five houses in Koonsville, a taxidermist, and a gas station, which is now closed down.
Koonsville, Pennsylvania Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia. | <urn:uuid:f7343818-2c22-4353-b889-d2939bf69830> | CC-MAIN-2019-51 | https://kids.kiddle.co/Koonsville,_Pennsylvania | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-51/segments/1575540490972.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20191206200121-20191206224121-00012.warc.gz | en | 0.979261 | 313 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Abstract: Reality and Romanticism: The Archaeology of a Small Town or ‘Do Archaeologists Really Need to Excavate’”
Plataiai, northwest of Athens, was the scene of one of the most pivotal battles in antiquity. Here, the Greek city-states defeated the remnant of the Persian King Xerxes= army in 479 B.C. Throughout the fifth and fourth centuries the town possessed high strategic value. Plataiai dominated trade routes and general lines of communication between Thebes, Athens, and the Peloponnesus. On at least three occasions the control of the town determined the outcome of major military campaigns that changed the course of Greek history. The ancient town is also associated with all the major events of the Classical Age - the Persian Wars, the Peloponnesian War, the Corinthian War, recurring conflict between Thebes and Athens, and finally wars waged by Philip II and Alexander the Great of Macedon. Once Plataiai became an Athenian dependency in 507 B.C., it was heavily fortified. Plataiai, along with well-defended mountain town of Eleutherae, controlled a vast region south of Mount Kithereron. This provided Athens with a “defense in depth” in order to protect the fertile western portion of the Athenian state near the great sanctuary of Demeter at Eleusis.
After an initial year of survey in 1998, excavations were undertaken between 1999 - 2001. The Plataiai Research Project, however, no longer emphasizes excavation, but rather geo-physical prospection utilizing advanced geo-electric resistivity techniques in order to identify subsurface features at the site. Thus far, a number of structures have been detected from large free standing buildings to areas of dense domestic habitation. Geo-physical survey has confirmed that the town was laid out in a Hippodamian plan of right angle streets and avenues which defined extensive blocks of houses as well as areas of public development. Although traditional methods of survey, especially ceramic survey, provided valuable information about density of human habitation and chronology, it adds little information about the underlying sub-surface features at the site. In this manner geo-physical survey methods have become powerful tools for archaeological site assessment. Unfortunately, geo-electric mapping of a site has been under-utilized in Classical archaeology in Greece. Only three sites, including the Plataiai Research Project, have employed geo-physical survey in Greece since 1996. The continued improvement in geo-electric and geo-magnetic equipment have made large area surveys feasible. The cost-effectiveness of geo-electric survey was proven at Plataiai in October, 2005; making this the ideal method of sampling a site of approximately 260 acres in order to produce a high density of cultural features not visible at ground level due to approximately one meter of overlay. The results of the work have been spectacular with the entire urban grid now defined via geo-physics. Unknown temples, and the third largest market-place known in antiquity have been identified along with houses, interior partition walls, water-lines, public baths and churches including a large cathedral. The site is now considered the best surveyed site of over forty sites surveyed through geo-physics in Greece and Bulgaria if not the entire Mediterranean world. | <urn:uuid:b50cdfcd-ad0f-42a1-9c47-668c78c53c90> | CC-MAIN-2015-40 | https://www.archaeological.org/lectures/abstracts/13185?page=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-40/segments/1443738099622.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20151001222139-00004-ip-10-137-6-227.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947082 | 676 | 3.140625 | 3 |
Writing Your Dissertation Introduction, Conclusion and Abstract
The dissertation is a unique document produced to obtain a degree, consisting of a detailed study into a specific area of interest to the researcher that adds to the existing knowledge in the field of study and value of the academia, in general. It is the final document submitted by the candidate before obtaining a Masters or Doctoral degree. In case of PhD, the researcher inquires on a research gap in their field of study and provides the details of the research, its result, inference, the methods used in the process in their dissertation.
A dissertation consists of many headings and sub-headings. The usual components are Abstract,
The abstract, introduction, and conclusion Introduction, Literature review, Methodology, the Results, Discussions, conclusion.
of a dissertation do not include information on the process involved in the research and its inference. Hence, it can be said that the remainder of the three forms the main body of the dissertation. As such, usually, the rest of the thesis is written before the three.
Introduction introduces the research to the readers. It provides a first impression along with the abstract. The introduction performs certain functions, introduces the topic of study to the readers, and provides a context to the background of the research, the aim and objective of the study, the value the research adds to the whole field. The introduction section also contains the research statement.
The inaugural section of the main body of the dissertation provides the background context of the study first; the topic of research and the research question follows. The rest of the introduction that includes the objectives, value, and significance are presented in any order depending on the study and the researcher. The research statement falls in the middle or the end of the dissertation.
The introduction generally occupies 5-7% of the entire dissertation and takes up to ten pages depending on the length and style.
Conclusion concludes the study and provides a chance to present a lasting impression of the research on the readers. It is an abridgement of the salient features of the investigation, reemphasising its significance and the thesis to a better effect with the readers having better knowledge on the subject after reading the rest of the paper. The conclusion also has a reference list on possible future areas of investigation in the field recommended by the researcher. The provision of this provides an opportunity to present in-depth knowledge on the subject by the researcher to readers.
In short, the conclusion contains the following: the essence of the researcher’s thought in the research, an emphasis on the research’s significance and uniqueness, new insights to research problem and approaches, the researcher’s last words concerning the subject. The final piece of the dissertation isn’t a summary but contains an abridgement of sorts to provide a context. A conclusion is usually 3-4% of the essay and presented concisely.
The abstract is present at the beginning of the dissertation, and along with the introduction section presents the first impression of the research on the readers. The abstract is the summary of the paper and contains the same subheadings of the document. It provides a precise overview of all the key points included in the dissertation.
The first section of the dissertation doesn’t exceed 300 words and falls within a page typically. Since the abstract is the summary of the essay, writing it in the end after the completion of the rest of the paper is the logical way to go. The abstract is in the past tense, in a clear, concise, unambiguous language corresponding to the whole document.
There is a systematic way to write an abstract. After completing the dissertation, write down all the key points from each section. Try and shorten it. Add transitional words and phrases to provide continuity. Write it all in the order present in the paper and make sure it is short but offers a summary of the entire dissertation.
While writing a dissertation, a reader will be better off if they start writing all the three after completing the rest of the document. All three sections require references to the original study and writing it at the beginning of the process will result in significant editing works later on. Some common aspects to writing the sections include: use unambiguous language, keeping it precise and concise, writing in the past tense. | <urn:uuid:1e7611ca-780d-42c9-b1b1-8d2425788652> | CC-MAIN-2019-47 | http://www.phdassistance.com/blog/writing-your-dissertation-introduction-conclusion-and-abstract/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-47/segments/1573496668896.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20191117064703-20191117092703-00206.warc.gz | en | 0.911751 | 869 | 3.078125 | 3 |
The observable universe is so massive that it contains billions upon billions of galaxies. In fact, scientists find it challenging to determine the exact number of galaxies in the Universe.
Even as the number of galaxies within the observable universe has remained uncountable, scientists are certain that each existing galaxy is made up of galactic centers. But what lies at galactic centers? This article will give you an insight into galactic centers and what lies within them.
What is Galactic Center?
The galactic Center is that point at which galaxies are rotating around. It is always located at the center of every galaxy. Without Galactic centers, no galaxies will have the capacity to hold billions of star systems and planets together. In fact, no galaxy will form in the first place without having a galactic center. Hence, galactic centers are essential for the formation and existence of any known galaxies. Like most galaxies in the universe, our Milky Way galaxy also has a galactic center, located at about 25,000 light-years from the solar system.
What lies at Galatic Center?
Galaxies that exist in the Universe come in different sizes and shapes. Some galaxies tend to be more massive than others. Despite their different sizes and shapes, galaxies often form following a similar process. This implies that every galaxy has one thing in common, which is a galactic center.
But since their sizes and shapes differ, their galactic centers will also adjust to these differences. Currently, astronomers have discovered four types of galaxies and they include spiral, barred spiral, elliptical and irregular galaxies. What lies at the center of these galaxies is quite different from the rest.
In the middle of spiral, elliptical, and barred spiral galaxies lies supermassive blackholes that hold the galaxies together. Unlike other types of galaxies, scientists discovered that irregular galaxies form due to a collision of two galaxies. Hence, irregular galaxies often have two black holes at their cores. More facts about galaxies types will be unveiled in future posts on this blog. So stay tuned.
What Lies at the Milky Way Galactic Center?
The Milky Way Galaxy is our home galaxy that holds the solar system and other billions of star systems together. What lies at the center of the Milky Way galaxy is the supermassive black hole named Sagittarius A*. Sagittarius A* is so massive that it covers about 4 million times the mass of the sun. The supermassive black hole holds our bared spiral galaxy together.
This implies that if the Sagittarius A* ceases to exist in the center of our galaxy, the Milky Way will also cease to exist. This monster black hole is buried deep in the constellation Sagittarius. It continued to pull dust, stars, gas, and other matters toward its inside.
Hence, Sagittarius A* eats everything that comes closer to its environment. So how close is the Solar System to this Galactic Center? The Galactic Center is 25,000 light-years away from the Solar System. So we are quite safe from this powerful supermassive blackhole.
How was Sagittarius A* Supermassive Blackhole discovered?
In April 1933, Karl Jansky used a radio telescope to study the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. During this observation, Karl noticed a powerful radio signal coming from a spot in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, from the center of the Milky Way. Karl Jansky announced his observation and made it known to the world.
He was referred to as the father of radio astronomy because of this discovery. Many scientists became fascinated with this discovery, and they made an effort to learn more about the radio signal coming from the center of the Milky Way.
Since the discovery made by Karl Jansky was limited, other astronomers decided to take the discovery even further. Astronomers Jack Piddington and Harry Minnett later used the CSIRO radio telescope located at Potts Hill Reservoir in Sydney Australia to discover a bright and discrete Sagittarius-Scorpius radio source. From this further observation, the astronomers discovered that the radio source was coming from our Galactic Center.
On February 13th and 15th, 1974, Astronomers Bruce Balick and Robert Brown used the baseline interferometer of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory to discover that Sagittarius A is made up of numerous overlapping subcomponents.
This discovery updated people on the event going on in the center of our galaxy. Not until 1982, before Astronomer Brown named the center of our galaxy Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*). On October 31st, 2018, a paper was published detailing the conclusive view of Sagittarius A*. In this publication, it was announced that Sagittarius A* is a black hole.
So how did astronomers come up with this publication?
Astronomers used the GRAVITY interferometer and four other telescopes of the Very Large Telescope (VLT) to generate a virtual telescope that is about 130 meters in diameter. These astronomers noticed a clump of gas traveling at about 30% of light speed from the virtual telescope. The emission of these clumps of gas comes from highly powerful electrons.
Astronomers realized that these powerful emissions move close to the supermassive black hole, which appeared as three prominent bright flares. They predicted that the size of this black hole is about four million solar masses. Hence, it was further concluded that Sagittarius A* is indeed a black hole gluing the Milky Way Galaxy together.
When Was the first image of Sagittarius A* taken?
For decades, Astronomers have been finding it challenging to capture the galactic center with their advanced telescopes. The dusty plasma in space made it nearly impossible for radio telescopes to capture the Sagittarius A* in a single shot.
Since a lot of bodies are standing between earth and our galactic center, we have to opt for other means to capture the supermassive black hole holding our galaxy together. In 2017, astronomers used the Event Horizon Telescope to capture direct radio images of the Sagittarius A*.
These astronomers combined images of the Sagittarius A* captured from different observatories around the world to get a high-resolution image of our galactic center. However, future telescopes will enable us to have higher resolution images of the Sagittarius A*.
Galactic centers are one of the most fascinating spots in the universe. Since our observable universe is made up of billions upon billions of galaxies, scientists have focused more on learning about these galaxies and their potential. We started studying these galactic centers using the center of the Milky Way Galaxy in the 1930s.
Even though we are yet to upgrade our knowledge about what happens at our galactic center, future technologies will give us more potential to explore the Sagittarius A* and learn more about the universe. Do you believe that we can become technologically advanced to explore the Sagittarius A* someday in the future? | <urn:uuid:47579036-e7f6-41cb-b18f-bd5091e28b37> | CC-MAIN-2022-49 | https://www.futurespaceworld.com/what-lies-at-galactic-centers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-49/segments/1669446710808.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20221201085558-20221201115558-00025.warc.gz | en | 0.93415 | 1,394 | 3.859375 | 4 |
Food security in an increasingly globalised world
The problem of food security is once again rearing its head as food prices increase very soon after the last spike in 2008. The latest Food Price Watch published by the World Bank confirmed that food prices rose by 29 percent in January 2011 from a year earlier. These sharp movements in food prices are indicative of unstable supplies from traditional sources.
In many parts of the world today mechanisms for food production, storage and distribution have not been developed in tandem with rapid population growth resulting in poverty and famine in the worst cases. These countries face problems of inadequate food production, insufficient food supplies and inefficient food delivery systems. They currently depend on substantial food imports which pose a major drain on the national economy.
The problem is more acute in the Muslim world in what is seen as a food security paradox. On one hand we have many Muslim countries with a huge labour force and vast land resources to grow food producing abundant food supplies. Most of it is bound for export as raw materials to be processed and bought back at a much higher price. This places an unnecessary strain on the economies of these countries resulting in the very producers of food becoming hungry.
On the other hand, we have some Muslim countries in the Middle East which is largely dessert and cannot grow their own food and have invested in countries known for its agricultural produce such as Australia. But as is evident from recent events such as the floods in Queensland, there is no guarantee that traditional sources of food will last forever. The world can no longer depend on traditional supplies of food and needs to diversify its supply source.
There needs to be a new way of thinking, a new way of trying to resolve food security issues other than the tried and tested method which is now coming apart.
We at the WIEF take food security seriously and the topic is featured prominently at our forums and roundtables simply because food security is important to sustain life and good health of all the world population at all times.
We believe that the solution to food security is in the development of new partnerships across borders. For example, we have countries like Kazakhstan with huge tracts of arable land, large enough to feed half a billion people. On the other hand, we have countries like Malaysia, a small country but with experience in food production especially among smallholders, the mainstay of the agricultural sector in most countries. So the WIEF Forum in Kazakhstan in June will try to link up businesses in the two countries.
Kazakhstan is one of those undiscovered gems that have the potential to be one of the game changers not only for the Islamic world but for the entire world. Kazakhstan is rich enough in resources to provide food security and is in a position to attract investments in these areas. Kazakhstan’s ability to provide food security not only to Central Asia but to other countries in the Asia Pacific region is beginning to emerge.
Kazakhstan, as the breadbasket of the former Soviet Union, is now extending its reach into the Asia Pacific region. In May 2010, after the ban on grain shipment through China was lifted, 20,000 metric tons of grain was shipped via rail from Kazakhstan through a Chinese port for export to an ASEAN country. Government officials from both countries have signed agreements where up to three million metric tons of grains are expected to be shipped in 2011 along this same route.
These are just some of the examples of the on‐going business cooperation to address food security issues. So we see this as a start to greater cooperation among businesses. We have Kazakshtan which was largely closed to the outside world until only recently and which is now an important member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). There are countries in other regions, like Malaysia, who are looking to extend their expertise out of their home territories. So we try and bring them together.
With this in mind, the WIEF seeks to become a platform providing businessmen the opportunity to meet and discuss and spot business opportunities. This is not only about Kazakhstan and Malaysia. At the last WIEF Forum in Kuala Lumpur, we had delegates from 67 countries – Muslim and non-Muslim – getting to know each other, looking for opportunities.
Whether or not Kazakhstan solves the problems of world food security is dependent on businesses and businessmen and businesswomen. While governments can facilitate the meeting of demand and supply, it is the private sector that will be the main driver.
Initially there may be hesitation as the parties may be unfamiliar with each other. But in an increasingly globalised world it is hard to tie ourselves down with a single business partner or a single country. So we hope that people will start looking at things from a fresh perspective. Let us come together and see if we can do things better. | <urn:uuid:3d80e773-f6e4-48cf-a8c0-6a9f7d0be2e6> | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | https://infocus.wief.org/food-security-increasingly-globalised-world/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=food-security-increasingly-globalised-world | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593655886121.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20200704104352-20200704134352-00503.warc.gz | en | 0.966062 | 967 | 2.734375 | 3 |
In Situ Burning
In situ burning, or ISB, is a technique sometimes used by people responding to an oil spill. In situ burning involves the controlled burning of oil that has spilled from a vessel or a facility, at the location of the spill.
When conducted properly, in situ burning significantly reduces the amount of oil on the water and minimizes the adverse effect of the oil on the environment.
More Information about In Situ Burning
SMART: SMART (Special Monitoring of Applied Response Technologies) is a monitoring protocol for both in situ burning operations and dispersant application. The ISB module of SMART provides guidelines for monitoring the smoke plume from ISB operations.
Residues from In Situ Burning of Oil on Water: Read a survey of current knowledge about the behavior and effects of ISB residues.
In Situ Burning Emissions Comparisons: The particulates released into the atmosphere by in situ burning are a concern to many people. Compare in situ burning emission rates and rates of emission from other kinds of sources.
Spill Response Reports and Documents
Guidance on Burning Spilled Oil In Situ [PDF, 12.7 KB]: A 1995 position paper from the National Response Team on the recommended limits for short-term human exposure to particulates measuring less than 10 microns (PM-10) while spilled oil is burned in situ.
Open-water Response Strategies: In Situ Burning [PDF, 36.4 KB]: Why conduct in situ burning? How is it done? What about the emissions that it produces? Where has in situ burning been conducted? What factors might prevent its use?
RRT VI Guidelines for Inshore/Nearshore In Situ Burn [PDF, 17.4 KB]: Advantages and disadvantages of in situ burning of oiled wetlands, safety and operational guidelines, and a checklist for in situ coastal wetland burns.
In Situ Burn Unified Command Decision Verification Checklist [PDF, 17.1 KB]: This checklist, created in 1997 with input from the Region II Regional Response Team, summarizes important information the Unified Command should consider when planning oil spill in situ burning in marine waters of Region II.
Health and Safety Aspects of In Situ Burning of Oil [PDF, 31.1 KB]: Presents health and safety considerations for response personnel, the general public, and the environment.
Sample Site Safety Plan for Marine In Situ Burn Operations [PDF, 65.3 KB]: A draft sample site safety plan that includes elements unique to ISB. The sample is not a standard but rather a suggested starting point. | <urn:uuid:abb84786-bf2c-44d2-8a18-52e4adc60b08> | CC-MAIN-2019-18 | https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/oil-and-chemical-spills/oil-spills/resources/in-situ-burning.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-18/segments/1555578530176.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20190421040427-20190421062427-00476.warc.gz | en | 0.869014 | 530 | 3.4375 | 3 |
Dementia is a general term for symptoms of memory and thinking problems caused by changes in the brain. Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior.
The good news is that there are many things you can do to help keep your brain healthy. One of the most important things you can do is to keep learning and challenging your mind.
It’s a question that has long haunted scientists: how do you train your brain to prevent dementia?
The short answer is, you can’t. But you can be proactive about protecting your brain from damage in the first place
Here are four tips for protecting your brain:
1. Exercise regularly. Studies show that regular physical activity can help prevent cognitive decline by improving blood flow to the brain and reducing stress levels. Exercise also increases brain cells’ ability to repair themselves after being damaged by Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.
2. Eat a healthy diet rich in antioxidants, such as blueberries, broccoli and other fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants such as vitamin C, E and beta carotene have been shown to reduce oxidative stress on the brain caused by free radicals — molecules generated when our bodies break down food or come into contact with environmental toxins like air pollution or cigarette smoke. These free radicals damage proteins in the body, including those found in brain cells that may contribute to dementia symptoms such as memory loss or confusion.
3. Stay mentally active throughout life by doing things like learning new skills — playing an instrument, learning a foreign language — or challenging yourself mentally through puzzles like Sudoku or crossword puzzles
4 Get plenty of sleep. Sleep is crucial for maintaining cognitive function. It helps clear out toxins and repair damaged tissues in the brain — both of which are important for preserving memory and thinking skills. | <urn:uuid:9528525b-e08e-497d-ae50-d58c9aff1b87> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://www.healththoroughfare.com/disease/train-your-brain-to-prevent-dementia-heres-how/51887 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233506480.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20230923094750-20230923124750-00067.warc.gz | en | 0.938444 | 374 | 3.5625 | 4 |
- How the game was played 1
- Knattleikr today 2
- Historical references 3
- See also 4
- References 5
- External links 6
How the game was played
Today no one knows the game's exact rules but there is some information.
We know that:
- Players were divided into teams.
- A hard ball was hit by a stick.
- The players could also use their hands.
- Body contact was allowed in the fight for the ball where the strongest had the best chance to win.
- It was a spectator game, with tournaments drawing huge crowds from all over Iceland.
- Intimidation was a vital ingredient, several wars of words have been recorded in the old sagas.
- The game demanded so much time that it was played from morning to night.
- There was a captain on each team.
- There were penalties and a penalty box.
It is conjectured by some that:
- The playing field was lined, usually played on a flat ice‐covered surface. (Though bumpy land‐based ice, svell, is mentioned too.)
- The Vikings may have used tar and sand under the soles of their boots for traction.
The game was probably similar to the Irish sport of hurling.
Today, knattleikr is often reenacted at medieval fairs and by Norse culture enthusiasts. It is also played on some college campuses. Brandeis University, Clark University, Providence College, and Yale University in particular are known for their teams. The first annual New England intercollegiate knattleikr competition (right) was played in April, 2007 at Clark University between Clark's team and Brandeis.
The most complete descriptions of the game are to be found in the following Icelandic sagas:
- Grettis saga chapter 15
- Gísla saga chapters 15 and 18
- Egils saga chapter 40
- Eyrbyggja saga chapter 43
- Vápnfirðinga saga chapter 4
- La Soule, played by the Norsemen of Normandy and Brittany.
- Broomball, a modern Canadian version.
- Harpastum a Roman ball game, a word probably derived from harpago, to snatch or take by violence.
- Cuju, a Chinese ball game originally used to prepare soldiers for battle.
Hurling or GAA
- Hurstwic: Knattleikr - The Viking Ball Game William R. Short, hurstwic.org, 2007
- History of Broomball and Knattleikr | <urn:uuid:2debbabb-04fc-4c17-b280-d40771fee6b4> | CC-MAIN-2019-22 | http://community.worldheritage.org/articles/eng/Knattleikr | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-22/segments/1558232257396.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20190523204120-20190523230120-00318.warc.gz | en | 0.955233 | 539 | 3.25 | 3 |
Kids and Cars
Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly.
For many parents, children’s automobile safety—from riding in car seats and boosters, to being passengers in other adults’ cars, to riding with friends and becoming drivers themselves—is a top concern. And with good reason: Research consistently shows that car travel is risky and that parents play the primary role in promoting safe riding and driving behaviors. Here are some ways to do that:
For more information kids and driving, see Driving Safety.
Tips for . . .
- parents with children of all ages
- At every age, make sure your kids know they can call you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week if they ever need help getting home.
- parents with children ages birth to 5
- Before strapping your baby into a car seat, check with a physician or child safety expert on how to properly install a rear-facing infant seat. If your baby is born at a hospital, a staff member will be able to help you.
- Even if your child is fussy, hungry, needs a diaper change, or is otherwise unhappy, remember that he or she is still far better off buckled securely into a car seat until you are able to stop the car and deal with the situation. Pull over in a safe location and address your child’s needs before continuing on your way.
- Children older than one year and weighing at least 20 pounds may ride in a forward-facing car safety seat with full harness until they weigh 40 pounds. See the American Academy of Pediatrics web site for safety guidelines and current consumer options at www.aap.org.
- parents with children ages 6 to 9
- All children who have outgrown car safety seats should be properly restrained in the back seat of the vehicle in a booster seat until they are at least eight years old or at least 4’ 9” tall.
- Your child is learning right now how to drive . . . by watching what you do. Keep your eyes and mind on the road (and not on your cell phone, food, make-up, or other distractions).
- parents with children ages 10 to 15
- Children ages 12 and under should always ride in the back seat of a moving vehicle. Insist that seatbelts be fastened securely—no exceptions.
- As your kids grow closer to driving age, they may have friends who drive. Be clear about your rules for riding with other drivers: For example, your kids may ride only with drivers who are not transporting multiple passengers and have not used alcohol or drugs, and must always wear seatbelts.
- Talk now about family rules for future driving privileges—who will pay for gas and insurance, what expectations (such as grades) will need to be met in order to earn driving privileges, mandatory seat belt use, and so on. Allow your teens to be part of the rule-making process.
- Be a major part of your teen’s driver’s education, both by modeling safe behavior and by letting her do a lot of the driving when you’re together. Offer clear feedback and calm instruction.
- Know that not all teens want to get their driver’s license when they turn 16. His reluctance to learn to drive may be a way of signaling that he’s not yet ready for the responsibility.
- parents with children ages 16 to 18
- Talk with your teen about the connection between driving and emotions. Point out that driving while angry, sad, or preoccupied can be as dangerous as drinking and driving. New drivers need to be in control of their own emotions and alert to the reactions of other drivers.
- Realize that driving distractions are a safety risk for teens. Set clear limits on the number of passengers your teen may transport (for example, no passengers for the first three months, with a gradual phase-in of passengers over the next three months, and so on), cell phone use (pull over before talking), no eating while driving, and no listening to loud music in the car. Communicating clear expectations can go a long way toward helping teen drivers make wise decisions.
- Establish a contract with your teen regarding driving rules. Include rules about transporting multiple passengers, night and bad-weather driving, distance from home and amount of continuous driving, and post them on your family’s bulletin board or refrigerator.
- Gradually phase in driving privileges based on your state’s provisional licensing requirements and curfew laws, as well as your teen’s experience, level of responsibility, and safety guidelines.
- Connect with other parents and try to enlist general agreement with them about rules for all the new drivers in your teen’s peer group.
Free Webinar: Join Us!
Enriching Families’ Community Connections: A Two-Way Street, presented by Dr. Eugene C. Roehlkepartain, Vice President, Research and Development at Search Institute and Dr. Hedy Walls, Vice President of Social Responsibility at YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities
Tuesday, July 8, 2014, 12PM - 1PM, CDT | <urn:uuid:46b3dd57-ffa3-4a3c-8070-9671f91393b4> | CC-MAIN-2014-35 | http://www.parentfurther.com/resources/enewsletter/archive/kids-and-cars | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-35/segments/1409535919886.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20140909055351-00487-ip-10-180-136-8.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947528 | 1,061 | 3.265625 | 3 |
All recent research in the field of neuroscience demonstrates the high involment between emotions on one hand and memory and decision on the other. Aristotle woestablished in his rhetoric as early as the 4th century BC that pathos (appealing to the audience’s emotions) must be used according to the circumstances of your speech. Modern biological research has only confirmed this ancient idea. The more the speaker stirs up emotions, the higher the impact of the speech and the more memorable it is.
The picture of the brain model on the left displays a red area: the limbic system. This part is also referred to as the emotional brain. Curiously, the limbic system doesn’t have access to language; however, it sends thousands of information signals. This is usually why people remember exactly where they were on September 11, 2001, for example (assuming they were old enough to remember): This event is connected to a high degree of emotion, which comes from this part of the brain.
Everybody is different, and our communication capacities differ from one person to the next. So, what is YOUR way of conveying emotions?
Some people are gifted at stirring up emotion by sharing values or a personal story. Others prefer embodying their emotions in front of others or stating their ethics or values. Or maybe you prefer to share a vision and dream with your audience. The most appropriate communication channel for accessing your audience depends on the circumstances and your natural abilities, which can be largely developed through training and practice. | <urn:uuid:84cba2ff-2968-4109-8d0f-e0a8ba484b85> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://standimpro.ch/stir-up-emotions/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337529.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20221004215917-20221005005917-00521.warc.gz | en | 0.967675 | 305 | 3.5625 | 4 |
Preparing for difficult conversations
Before going into and difficult conversation, ask yourself:
1. What is the purpose of the conversation? What do you hope to accomplish? What would be an ideal outcome?
You may think you have honorable goals: like educating an employee or increasing connection with your teenage kid, but your language is overly critical or condescending. You think you want to support, but you end up punishing. Some purposes are more useful than others. Be self-critical beforehand so that you enter the conversation with a genuinely supportive purpose.
2. What assumptions are you making about this person’s intentions?
You may feel intimidated, belittled, ignored, disrespected, or marginalized but the other party. But be cautious about assuming that that was their intention. Impact does not necessarily equal intent.
3. Are your “buttons” being pushed?
Are you more emotional than the situation warrants? Take a look at your “backstory,” as they say in the movies. What personal history of yours is being triggered? You may still have the conversation, but you’ll go into it knowing that some of the heightened emotional state has to do with you.
And always remember: if you have a strong adverse reaction to the way someone is behaving, that’s because it’s behavior that you really don’t like when you do it yourself.
4. How is your attitude toward the conversation influencing your perception of it?
If you think this is going to be horribly difficult before you start, it probably will be. If you truly believe that whatever happens, some good will come of it, that will more likely be the case.
Try to adjust your attitude for maximum effectiveness.
5. Who is the opponent?
What might they be thinking about this situation? Are they aware of the problem? If so, how do you think they perceive it? What are their needs and fears? What solution do you think they would suggest?
Begin to reframe the opponent as your partner.
6. What are your needs and fears?
Are there any common concerns? Could there be?
7. How have you contributed to the problem?
How have they? | <urn:uuid:43421216-94b2-4560-9ff6-db30626acb73> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://www.concordian.net/post/preparing-for-difficult-conversations | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370502513.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20200331150854-20200331180854-00056.warc.gz | en | 0.968686 | 459 | 2.5625 | 3 |
German shorthaired pointer
German shorthaired pointer, breed of large sporting dog developed in Germany in the mid-19th cent. It stands about 23 in. (58 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs about 60 lb (27 kg). Its dense coat of short hair is hard to the touch and is colored solid liver or liver spotted or ticked with white. Intended as a utility dog, the original stock was crossed with several breeds, such as the bloodhound and the English pointer, in order to insure this versatility. Thus, the German shorthaired pointer has been used to hunt both waterfowl and upland game birds, as a retriever on land and water, and to trail such small animals as rabbits and opossums. See dog.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:b5ad030f-61dc-4a17-afdf-128db93712b6> | CC-MAIN-2015-06 | http://www.factmonster.com/encyclopedia/science/german-shorthaired-pointer.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-06/segments/1422115862015.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20150124161102-00013-ip-10-180-212-252.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967571 | 176 | 3.125 | 3 |
AbstractThe main argument of this thesis is that the people of Terengganu, who have been described as being religious, did not choose the party with Islamic platform when they were introduced to a modern political system that involved them directly in the process of electing political officials. The Islamic influence amongst the people became apparent when PAS an Islamic political party was elected as the Terengganu state government in the 1959 election but their hegemony was short lived. PAS stayed in power until end of 1961 and then did not win the elections until 1999. Did this mean that the people of Terengganu have changed their ways of thinking vis-à-vis politics? This question is the major issue discussed in this study and Islam has been used as the framework as it was an important element in the state politics and education regardless of political maneuvers.
Primary sources such as files from various departments of the Terengganu state government, political parties’ collections, personal collections and newspapers were used to analyse the questions regarding the stance and support for political parties which contested for control of the state government from 1955 to 1969. These materials also were used to analyse the state government’s performance which influenced the voters’ decision as to whether to stay loyal or to change the government. This study shows that elections can be used as an index for the political, economic and educational development in Terengganu. The Malaysian general elections have a significant impact for both political parties and the people especially in Terengganu. The survival of political parties is heavily dependent on the people during each election. The people in Terengganu chose only the parties that would bring good governance which would bring fair and just development for all.
|Date of Award||2008|
|Supervisor||Christine Doran (Supervisor)| | <urn:uuid:4810f5ae-59c3-421f-b0d8-d79e97c07392> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://researchers.cdu.edu.au/en/studentTheses/history-of-terengganu-1942-1973 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320299894.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20220129002459-20220129032459-00101.warc.gz | en | 0.977573 | 379 | 2.671875 | 3 |
MICROCONTROLLER TUTORIALS – PIC
Introduction to PIC:
Welcome to the start of the PIC Tutorial. These pages will take you form the basic structure of the device, right throughto programming methods and techniques. Also, there will be suggestions on how to modify the code so that you canadapt the PIC to suit your applications within Cybot. We will not be including any internal architecture diagrams, as thismay only lead to confusion. If you want to look at the datasheet, then this can be downloaded from Microchips' website.
To start, let us take a look at the PIC.
Microchip PIC 16F84 Microcontroller
Microchip manufacture a series of microcontrollers called PIC. You can see the range of their microcontrollers(http://www.ic-prog.com/index1.htm). There are many different flavours available, some basic low memory types,going right up through to ones that have Analogue - To- Digital converters and even PWM built in. We are going toconcentrate on the 16F84 PIC. Once you have learnt how to program one type of PIC, learning the rest is easy.
There are several ways of programming the PIC - using BASIC, C, or Assembly Language. We are going to show you theAssembly Language. Don't be put off by this. There are only 35 instructions to learn, and it is the cheapest way toprogram the PICs, as you do not need any extra software other than the freebies.
The 16F84 Pins
Below is a diagram showing the pin-outs of the PIC 16F84. We will go through each pin, explaining what each is usedfor.
RA0 To RA4
RA is a bidirectional port. That is, it can be configured as an input or an output. The number following RA is the bitnumber (0 to 4). So, we have one 5-bit directional port where each bit can be configured as Input or Output.
RB0 To RB7
RB is a second bidirectional port. It behaves in exactly the same way as RA, except there are 8 - bits involved.
VSS And VDD
These are the power supply pins. VDD is the positive supply, and VSS is the negative supply, or 0V. The maximumsupply voltage that you can use is 6V, and the minimum is 2V
OSC1/CLK IN And OSC2/CLKOUT
These pins is where we connect an external clock, so that the microcontroller has some kind of timing.
This pin is used to erase the memory locations inside the PIC (i.e. when we want to re-program it). In normal use it isconnected to the positive supply rail.
This is an input pin which can be monitored. If the pin goes high, we can cause the program to restart, stop or any othersingle function we desire. We won't be using this one much.
This is another clock input, which operates an internal timer. It operates in isolation to the main clock. Again, we won'tbe using this one much either. | <urn:uuid:78ac512f-371d-4c91-b8ee-6dc8e32d8717> | CC-MAIN-2014-35 | http://www.scribd.com/doc/8539737/7/Interrupts-An-Introduction | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-35/segments/1408500823169.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20140820021343-00070-ip-10-180-136-8.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.90131 | 674 | 3.75 | 4 |
Ayurveda Healing represents a traditional Hindu medicine. Therefore, it is a type of alternative medicine. It is known as a discipline of the upaveda in the Vedic tradition, in India. A legend says that the knowledge of Ayurveda was given to Dhanvantari by Brahma. So, Ayurveda was developed about 5,000 years ago by Hindu monks. Ayurveda Healing contains practices such as the usage of herbal medicine, mineral and metal supplementation, opium, massage with oil, etc.
It is a holistic healing method. It contains a set of practices of maintaining the balance of the physical and emotional state of the patient. This balance can help to keep our health, improve it and even to speed up the recovery from a disease. Firstly, Ayurveda Healers know that we are all different. And they know very well that there is no diet or healing method that works the same for all of us. Preventing is very important in Ayurveda Healing. Therefore, the healers or doctors try to give you the guidance to maintain your physical and emotional health. In Ayurveda, the food we consume and lifestyle we choose is the best medicine.
The three doshas of Ayurveda Healing
Ayurveda is a healing method based on the principles of the three doshas. The doshas represent the energy that upholds us. Therefore, each one of us owns all of these three doshas. But they experience inblanace sometimes. As a result, a dosha becoms more powerful than the others.
First dosha – Vata Dosha – This energy controls motion, blood circulation, blinking, breathing and even our heartbeat. Therefore, when the vata dosha is in balance in our body, then we are full of vitality and creativity. But when it is out of balance, then we are going to feel fear and anxiety.
Second dosha – Pitta Dosha – This dosha controls our digestive system, absorption, nutrition and even the temperature of our body. Therefore, when this energy is in balance, we are intelligent and full of contentment. But when Pitta Dosha is our of balance, we can face anger and ulcer.
Third dosha – Kapha Dosha – This energy controls the growth and the water supplying in our body. It moisturizes our skin and maintains our immune system. Therefore, when Kapha Dosha is balanced we are going to feel love and forgiveness. But when it is our of balance we tend to feel insecure and envy.
Ayurveda Healing: conclusions
The Ayurveda Healing doctor will determine the dosha that is out of balance and treat you accordingly. Now, if you want, you can find many websites to determine your own dosha and determine the diet and lifestyle you need to maintain the balance. Every type of Dosha has its tips to keep your body as healthy as you can.
Ayurveda Healing offers a great healing and harmony restoring experience. If you have a disease or you just want to relax or re-bring your physical and emotional balance, try a session. It has only benefits for your body though. Enjoy! | <urn:uuid:bdecd92c-aa5b-4cb3-a7a3-5cfb6c340450> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://spiritualexperience.eu/ayurveda-healing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250589861.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20200117152059-20200117180059-00503.warc.gz | en | 0.939282 | 662 | 2.890625 | 3 |
THE IDEAL OF A UNIVERSAL RELIGION
HOW IT MUST EMBRACE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MINDS AND METHODS
Wheresoever our senses reach, or whatsoever our minds imagine, we find therein the action and reaction of two forces, the one counteracting the other and causing the constant play of the mixed phenomena that we see around us, and of those which we feel in our minds. In the external world, the action of these opposite forces is expressing itself as attraction and repulsion, or as centripetal and centrifugal forces; and in the internal, as love and hatred, good and evil. We repel some things, we attract others. We are attracted by one, we are repelled by another. Many times in our lives we find that without any reason whatsoever we are, as it were, attracted towards certain persons; at other times, similarly, we are repelled by others. This is patent to all, and the higher the field of action, the more potent, the more remarkable, are the influences of these opposite forces. Religion is the highest plane of human thought and life, and herein we find that the workings of these two forces have been most marked. The intensest love that humanity has ever known has come from religion, and the most diabolical hatred that humanity has known has also come from religion. The noblest words of peace that the world has ever heard have come from men on the religious plane, and the bitterest denunciation that the world has ever known has been uttered by religious men. The higher the object of any religion and the finer its organisation, the more remarkable are its activities. No other human motive has deluged the world with blood so much as religion; at the same time, nothing has brought into existence so many hospitals and asylums for the poor; no other human influence has taken such care, not only of humanity, but also of the lowest of animals, as religion has done. Nothing makes us so cruel as religion, and nothing makes us so tender as religion. This has been so in the past, and will also, in all probability, be so in the future. Yet out of the midst of this din and turmoil, this strife and struggle, this hatred and jealousy of religions and sects, there have arisen, from time to time, potent voices, drowning all this noise — making themselves heard from pole to pole, as it were — proclaiming peace and harmony. Will it ever come?
Is it possible that there should ever reign unbroken harmony in this plane of mighty religious struggle? The world is exercised in the latter part of this century by the question of harmony; in society, various plans are being proposed, and attempts are made to carry them into practice; but we know how difficult it is to do so. People find that it is almost impossible to mitigate the fury of the struggle of life, to tone down the tremendous nervous tension that is in man. Now, if it is so difficult to bring harmony and peace to the physical plane of life — the external, gross, and outward side of it — then a thousand times more difficult is it to bring peace and harmony to rule over the internal nature of man. I would ask you for the time being to come out of the network of words. We have all been hearing from childhood of such things as love, peace, charity, equality, and universal brotherhood; but they have become to us mere words without meaning, words which we repeat like parrots, and it has become quite natural for us to do so. We cannot help it. Great souls, who first felt these great ideas in their hearts, manufactured these words; and at that time many understood their meaning. Later on, ignorant people have taken up those words to play with them and made religion a mere play upon words, and not a thing to be carried into practice. It becomes “my father’s religion”, “our nation’s religion”, “our country’s religion”, and so forth. It becomes only a phase of patriotism to profess any religion, and patriotism is always partial. To bring harmony into religion must always be difficult. Yet we will consider this problem of the harmony of religions.
We see that in every religion there are three parts — I mean in every great and recognised religion. First, there is the philosophy which presents the whole scope of that religion, setting forth its basic principles, the goal and the means of reaching it. The second part is mythology, which is philosophy made concrete. It consists of legends relating to the lives of men, or of supernatural beings, and so forth. It is the abstractions of philosophy concretised in the more or less imaginary lives of men and supernatural beings. The third part is the ritual. This is still more concrete and is made up of forms and ceremonies, various physical attitudes, flowers and incense, and many other things, that appeal to the senses. In these consists the ritual. You will find that all recognised religions have these three elements. Some lay more stress on one, some on another. Let us now take into consideration the first part, philosophy. Is there one universal philosophy? Not yet. Each religion brings out its own doctrines and insists upon them as being the only true ones. And not only does it do that, but it thinks that he who does not believe in them must go to some horrible place. Some will even draw the sword to compel others to believe as they do. This is not through wickedness, but through a particular disease of the human brain called fanaticism. They are very sincere, these fanatics, the most sincere of human beings; but they are quite as irresponsible as other lunatics in the world. This disease of fanaticism is one of the most dangerous of all diseases. All the wickedness of human nature is roused by it. Anger is stirred up, nerves are strung high, and human beings become like tigers.
Is there any mythological similarity, is there any mythological harmony, any universal mythology accepted by all religions? Certainly not. All religions have their own mythology, only each of them says, “My stories are not mere myths.” Let us try to understand the question by illustration. I simply mean to illustrate, I do not mean criticism of any religion. The Christian believes that God took the shape of a dove and came down to earth; to him this is history, and not mythology. The Hindu believes that God is manifested in the cow. Christians say that to believe so is mere mythology, and not history, that it is superstition. The Jews think that if an image be made in the form of a box, or a chest, with an angel on either side, then it may be placed in the Holy of Holies; it is sacred to Jehovah; but if the image be made in the form of a beautiful man or woman, they say, “This is a horrible idol; break it down! ” This is our unity in mythology! If a man stands up and says, “My prophet did such and such a wonderful thing”, others will say, “That is only superstition”, but at the same time they say that their own prophet did still more wonderful things, which they hold to be historical. Nobody in the world, as far as I have seen, is able to make out the fine distinction between history and mythology, as it exists in the brains of these persons. All such stories, to whatever religion they may belong, are really mythological, mixed up occasionally, it may be with, a little history.
Next come the rituals. One sect has one particular form of ritual and thinks that that is holy, while the rituals of another sect are simply arrant superstition. If one sect worships a peculiar sort of symbol, another sect says, “Oh, it is horrible!” Take, for instance, a general form of symbol. The phallus symbol is certainly a sexual symbol, but gradually that aspect of it has been forgotten, and it stands now as a symbol of the Creator. Those nations which have this as their symbol never think of it as the phallus; it is just a symbol, and there it ends. But a man from another race or creed sees in it nothing but the phallus, and begins to condemn it; yet at the same time he may be doing something which to the so-called phallic worshippers appears most horrible. Let me take two points for illustration, the phallus symbol and the sacrament of the Christians. To the Christians the phallus is horrible, and to the Hindus the Christian sacrament is horrible. They say that the Christian sacrament, the killing of a man and the eating of his flesh and the drinking of his blood to get the good qualities of that man, is cannibalism. This is what some of the savage tribes do; if a man is brave, they kill him and eat his heart, because they think that it will give them the qualities of courage and bravery possessed by that man. Even such a devout Christian as Sir John Lubbock admits this and says that the origin of this Christian symbol is in this savage idea. The Christians, of course, do not admit this view of its origin; and what it may imply never comes to their mind. It stands for holy things, and that is all they want to know. So even in rituals there is no universal symbol, which can command general recognition and acceptance. Where then is any universality? How is it possible then to have a universal form of religion? That, however, already exists. And let us see what it is.
We all hear about universal brotherhood, and how societies stand up especially to preach this. I remember an old story. In India, taking wine is considered very bad. There were two brothers who wished, one night, to drink wine secretly; and their uncle, who was a very orthodox man was sleeping in a room quite close to theirs. So, before they began to drink, they said to each other, “We must be very silent, or uncle will wake up.” When they were drinking, they continued repeating to each other “Silence! Uncle will wake up”, each trying to shout the other down. And, as the shouting increased, the uncle woke up, came into the room, and discovered the whole thing. Now, we all shout like these drunken men,” Universal brotherhood! We are all equal, therefore let us make a sect.” As soon as you make a sect you protest against equality, and equality is no more. Mohammedans talk of universal brotherhood, but what comes out of that in reality? Why, anybody who is not a Mohammedan will not be admitted into the brotherhood; he will more likely have his throat cut. Christians talk of universal brotherhood; but anyone who is not a Christian must go to that place where he will be eternally barbecued.
And so we go on in this world in our search after universal brotherhood and equality. When you hear such talk in the world, I would ask you to be a little reticent, to take care of yourselves, for, behind all this talk is often the intensest selfishness. “In the winter sometimes a thunder-cloud comes up; it roars and roars, but it does not rain; but in the rainy season the clouds speak not, but deluge the world with water.” So those who are really workers, and really feel at heart the universal brotherhood of man, do not talk much, do not make little sects for universal brotherhood; but their acts, their movements, their whole life, show out clearly that they in truth possess the feeling of brotherhood for mankind, that they have love and sympathy for all. They do not speak, they do and they live. This world is too full of blustering talk. We want a little more earnest work, and less talk.
So far we see that it is hard to find any universal features in regard to religion, and yet we know that they exist. We are all human beings, but are we all equal? Certainly not. Who says we are equal? Only the lunatic. Are we all equal in our brains, in our powers, in our bodies? One man is stronger than another, one man has more brain power than another. If we are all equal, why is there this inequality? Who made it? We. Because we have more or less powers, more or less brain, more or less physical strength, it must make a difference between us. Yet we know that the doctrine of equality appeals to our heart. We are all human beings; but some are men, and some are women. Here is a black man, there is a white man; but all are men, all belong to one humanity. Various are our faces; I see no two alike, yet we are all human beings. Where is this one humanity? I find a man or a woman, either dark or fair; and among all these faces I know that there is an abstract humanity which is common to all. I may not find it when I try to grasp it, to sense it, and to actualise it, yet I know for certain that it is there. If I am sure of anything, it is of this humanity which is common to us all. It is through this generalised entity that I see you as a man or a woman. So it is with this universal religion, which runs through all the various religions of the world in the form of God; it must and does exist through eternity. “I am the thread that runs through all these pearls,” and each pearl is a religion or even a sect thereof. Such are the different pearls, and the Lord is the thread that runs through all of them; only the majority of mankind are entirely unconscious of it.
Unity in variety is the plan of the universe. We are all men, and yet we are all distinct from one another. As a part of humanity I am one with you, and as Mr. So-and-so I am different from you. As a man you are separate from the woman; as a human being you are one with the woman. As a man you are separate from the animal, but as living beings, man, woman, animal, and plant are all one; and as existence, you are one with the whole universe. That universal existence is God, the ultimate Unity in the universe. In Him we are all one. At the same time, in manifestation, these differences must always remain. In our work, in our energies, as they are being manifested outside, these differences must always remain. We find then that if by the idea of a universal religion it is meant that one set of doctrines should be believed in by all mankind it is wholly impossible. It can never be, there can never be a time when all faces will be the same. Again, if we expect that there will be one universal mythology, that is also impossible; it cannot be. Neither can there be one universal ritual. Such a state of things can never come into existence; if it ever did, the world would be destroyed, because variety is the first principle of life. What makes us formed beings? Differentiation. Perfect balance would be our destruction. Suppose the amount of heat in this room, the tendency of which is towards equal and perfect diffusion, gets that kind of diffusion, then for all practical purposes that heat will cease to be. What makes motion possible in this universe? Lost balance. The unity of sameness can come only when this universe is destroyed, otherwise such a thing is impossible. Not only so, it would be dangerous to have it. We must not wish that all of us should think alike. There would then be no thought to think. We should be all alike, as the Egyptian mummies in a museum, looking at each other without a thought to think. It is this difference, this differentiation, this losing of the balance between us, which is the very soul of our progress, the soul of all our thought. This must always be.
What then do I mean by the ideal of a universal religion? I do not mean any one universal philosophy, or any one universal mythology, or any one universal ritual held alike by all; for I know that this world must go on working, wheel within wheel, this intricate mass of machinery, most complex, most wonderful. What can we do then? We can make it run smoothly, we can lessen the friction, we can grease the wheels, as it were. How? By recognising the natural necessity of variation. Just as we have recognised unity by our very nature, so we must also recognise variation. We must learn that truth may be expressed in a hundred thousand ways, and that each of these ways is true as far as it goes. We must learn that the same thing can be viewed from a hundred different standpoints, and vet be the same thing. Take for instance the sun. Suppose a man standing on the earth looks at the sun when it rises in the morning; he sees a big ball. Suppose he starts on a journey towards the sun and takes a camera with him, taking photographs at every stage of his journey, until he reaches the sun. The photographs of each stage will be seen to be different from those of the other stages; in fact, when he gets back, he brings with him so many photographs of so many different suns, as it would appear; and yet we know that the same sun was photographed by the man at the different stages of his progress. Even so is it with the Lord. Through high philosophy or low, through the most exalted mythology or the grossest, through the most refined ritualism or arrant fetishism, every sect, every soul, every nation, every religion, consciously or unconsciously, is struggling upward, towards God; every vision of truth that man has, is a vision of Him and of none else. Suppose we all go with vessels in our hands to fetch water from a lake. One has a cup, another a jar, another a bucket, and so forth, and we all fill our vessels. The water in each case naturally takes the form of the vessel carried by each of us. He who brought the cup has the water in the form of a cup; he who brought the jar — his water is in the shape of a jar, and so forth; but, in every case, water, and nothing but water, is in the vessel. So it is in the case of religion; our minds are like these vessels, and each one of us is trying to arrive at the realisation of God. God is like that water filling these different vessels, and in each vessel the vision of God comes in the form of the vessel. Yet He is One. He is God in every case. This is the only recognition of universality that we can get.
So far it is all right theoretically. But is there any way of practically working out this harmony in religions? We find that this recognition that all the various views of religion are true has been very very old. Hundreds of attempts have been made in India, in Alexandria, in Europe, in China, in Japan, in Tibet, and lastly in America, to formulate a harmonious religious creed, to make all religions come together in love. They have all failed, because they did not adopt any practical plan. Many have admitted that all the religions of the world are right, but they show no practical way of bringing them together, so as to enable each of them to maintain its own individuality in the conflux. That plan alone is practical, which does not destroy the individuality of any man in religion and at the same time shows him a point of union with all others. But so far, all the plans of religious harmony that have been tried, while proposing to take in all the various views of religion, have, in practice, tried to bind them all down to a few doctrines, and so have produced more new sects, fighting, struggling, and pushing against each other.
I have also my little plan. I do not know whether it will work or not, and I want to present it to you for discussion. What is my plan? In the first place I would ask mankind to recognise this maxim, “Do not destroy”. Iconoclastic reformers do no good to the world. Break not, pull not anything down, but build. Help, if you can; if you cannot, fold your hands and stand by and see things go on. Do not injure, if you cannot render help. Say not a word against any man’s convictions so far as they are sincere. Secondly, take man where he stands, and from there give him a lift. If it be true that God is the centre of all religions, and that each of us is moving towards Him along one of these radii, then it is certain that all of us must reach that centre. And at the centre, where all the radii meet, all our differences will cease; but until we reach there, differences there must be. All these radii converge to the same centre. One, according to his nature, travels along one of these lines, and another, along another; and if we all push onward along our own lines, we shall surely come to the centre, because, “All roads lead to Rome”. Each of us is naturally growing and developing according to his own nature; each will in time come to know the highest truth for after all, men must teach themselves. What can you and I do? Do you think you can teach even a child? You cannot. The child teaches himself. Your duty is to afford opportunities and to remove obstacles. A plant grows. Do you make the plant grow? Your duty is to put a hedge round it and see that no animal eats up the plant, and there your duty ends. The plant grows of itself. So it is in regard to the spiritual growth of every man. None can teach you; none can make a spiritual man of you. You have to teach yourself; your growth must come from inside.
What can an external teacher do? He can remove the obstructions a little, and there his duty ends. Therefore help, if you can; but do not destroy. Give up all ideas that you can make men spiritual. It is impossible. There is no other teacher to you than your own soul. Recognise this. What comes of it? In society we see so many different natures. There are thousands and thousands of varieties of minds and inclinations. A thorough generalisation of them is impossible, but for our practical purpose it is sufficient to have them characterised into four classes. First, there is the active man, the worker; he wants to work, and there is tremendous energy in his muscles and his nerves. His aim is to work — to build hospitals, do charitable deeds, make streets, to plan and to organise. Then there is the emotional man who loves the sublime and the beautiful to an excessive degree. He loves to think of the beautiful, to enjoy the aesthetic side of nature, and adore Love and the God of Love. He loves with his whole heart the great souls of all times, the prophets of religions, and the Incarnations of God on earth; he does not care whether reason can or cannot prove that Christ or Buddha existed; he does not care for the exact date when the Sermon on the Mount was preached, or for the exact moment of Krishna’s birth; what he cares for is their personalities, their lovable figures. Such is his ideal. This is the nature of the lover, the emotional man. Then, there is the mystic whose mind wants to analyse its own self, to understand the workings of the human mind, what the forces are that are working inside, and how to know, manipulate, and obtain control over them. This is the mystical mind. Then, there is the philosopher who wants to weigh everything and use his intellect even beyond the possibilities of all human philosophy.
Now a religion, to satisfy the largest proportion of mankind, must be able to supply food for all these various types of minds; and where this capability is wanting, the existing sects all become one-sided. Suppose you go to a sect which preaches love and emotion. They sing and weep, and preach love. But as soon as you say, “My friend, that is all right, but I want something stronger than this — a little reason and philosophy; I want to understand things step by step and more rationally”, they say, “Get out”; and they not only ask you to get out but would send you to the other place, if they could. The result is that that sect can only help people of an emotional turn of mind. They not only do not help others, but try to destroy them; and the most wicked part of the whole thing is that they will not only not help others, but do not believe in their sincerity. Again, there are philosophers who talk of the wisdom of India and the East and use big psychological terms, fifty syllables long, but if an ordinary man like me goes to them and says, “Can you tell me anything to make me spiritual?”, the first thing they would do would be to smile and say, “Oh, you are too far below us in your reason. What can you understand about spirituality?” These are high-up philosophers. They simply show you the door. Then there are the mystical sects who speak all sorts of things about different planes of existence, different states of mind, and what the power of the mind can do, and so on; and if you are an ordinary man and say, “Show me anything good that I can do; I am not much given to speculation; can you give me anything that will suit me?”, they will smile and say, “Listen to that fool; he knows nothing, his existence is for nothing.” And this is going on everywhere in the world. I would like to get extreme exponents of all these different sects, and shut them up in a room, and photograph their beautiful derisive smiles!
This is the existing condition of religion, the existing condition of things. What I want to propagate is a religion that will be equally acceptable to all minds; it must be equally philosophic, equally emotional, equally mystic, and equally conducive to action. If professors from the colleges come, scientific men and physicists, they will court reason. Let them have it as much as they want. There will be a point beyond which they will think they cannot go, without breaking with reason. They will say, “These ideas of God and salvation are superstitious, guise them up! ” I say, “Mr. Philosopher, this body of yours is a bigger superstition. Give it up, don’t go home to dinner or to your philosophic chair. Give up the body, and if you cannot, cry quarter and sit down.” For religion must be able to show how to realise the philosophy that teaches us that this world is one, that there is but one Existence in the universe. Similarly, if the mystic comes, we must welcome him, be ready to give him the science of mental analysis, and practically demonstrate it before him. And if emotional people come, we must sit, laugh, and weep with them in the name of the Lord; we must “drink the cup of love and become mad”. If the energetic worker comes, we must work with him, with all the energy that we have. And this combination will be the ideal of the nearest approach to a universal religion. Would to God that all men were so constituted that in their minds all these elements of philosophy, mysticism, emotion, and of work were equally present in full! That is the ideal, my ideal of a perfect man. Everyone who has only one or two of these elements of character, I consider “one-sided”; and this world is almost full of such “one-sided” men, with knowledge of that one road only in which they move; and anything else is dangerous and horrible to them. To become harmoniously balanced in all these four directions is my ideal of religion. And this religion is attained by what we, in India, call Yoga — union. To the worker, it is union between men and the whole of humanity; to the mystic, between his lower and Higher Self; to the lover, union between himself and the God of Love; and to the philosopher; it is the union of all existence. This is what is meant by Yoga. This is a Sanskrit term, and these four divisions of Yoga have in Sanskrit different names. The man who seeks after this kind of union is called a Yogi. The worker is called the Karma-Yogi. He who seeks the union through love is called the Bhakti-Yogi. He who seeks it through mysticism is called the Râja-Yogi. And he who seeks it through philosophy is called the Jnâna-Yogi So this word Yogi comprises them all.
Now first of all let me take up Râja-Yoga. What is this Raja-Yoga, this controlling of the mind? In this country you are associating all sorts of hobgoblins with the word Yoga, I am afraid. Therefore, I must start by telling you that it has nothing to do with such things. No one of these Yogas gives up reason, no one of them asks you to be hoodwinked, or to deliver your reason into the hands of priests of any type whatsoever. No one of them asks that you should give your allegiance to any superhuman messenger. Each one of them tells you to cling to your reason to hold fast to it. We find in all beings three sorts of instruments of knowledge. The first is instinct, which you find most highly developed in animals; this is the lowest instrument of knowledge. What is the second instrument of knowledge? Reasoning. You find that most highly developed in man. Now in the first place, instinct is an inadequate instrument; to animals, the sphere of action is very limited, and within that limit instinct acts. When you come to man, you see it is largely developed into reason. The sphere of action also has here become enlarged. Yet even reason is still very insufficient. Reason can go only a little way and then it stops, it cannot go any further; and if you try to push it, the result is helpless confusion, reason itself becomes unreasonable. Logic becomes argument in a circle. Take, for instance, the very basis of our perception, matter and force. What is matter? That which is acted upon by force. And force? That which acts upon matter. You see the complication, what the logicians call see-saw, one idea depending on the other, and this again depending on that. You find a mighty barrier before reason, beyond which reasoning cannot go; yet it always feels impatient to get into the region of the Infinite beyond. This world, this universe which our senses feel, or our mind thinks, is but one atom, so to say, of the Infinite, projected on to the plane of consciousness; and within that narrow limit, defined by the network of consciousness, works our reason, and not beyond. Therefore, there must be some other instrument to take us beyond, and that instrument is called inspiration. So instinct, reason, and inspiration are the three instruments of knowledge. Instinct belongs to animals, reason to man, and inspiration to God-men. But in all human beings are to be found, in a more or less developed condition, the germs of all these three instruments of knowledge. To have these mental instruments evolved, the germs must be there. And this must also be remembered that one instrument is a development of the other, and therefore does not contradict it. It is reason that develops into inspiration, and therefore inspiration does not contradict reason, but fulfils it. Things which reason cannot get at are brought to light by inspiration; and they do not contradict reason. The old man does not contradict the child, but fulfils the child. Therefore you must always bear in mind that the great danger lies in mistaking the lower form of instrument to be the higher. Many times instinct is presented before the world as inspiration, and then come all the spurious claims for the gift of prophecy. A fool or a semi-lunatic thinks that the confusion going on in his brain is inspiration, and he wants men to follow him. The most contradictory irrational nonsense that has been preached in the world is simply the instinctive jargon of confused lunatic brains trying to pass for the language of inspiration.
The first test of true teaching must be, that the teaching should not contradict reason. And you may see that such is the basis of all these Yogas. We take the Raja-Yoga, the psychological Yoga, the psychological way to union. It is a vast subject, and I can only point out to you now the central idea of this Yoga. We have but one method of acquiring knowledge. From the lowest man to the highest Yogi, all have to use the same method; and that method is what is called concentration. The chemist who works in his laboratory concentrates all the powers of his mind, brings them into one focus, and throws them on the elements; and the elements stand analysed, and thus his knowledge comes. The astronomer has also concentrated the powers of his mind and brought them into one focus; and he throws them on to objects through his telescope; and stars and systems roll forward and give up their secrets to him. So it is in every case — with the professor in his chair, the student with his book — with every man who is working to know. You are hearing me, and if my words interest you, your mind will become concentrated on them; and then suppose a clock strikes, you will not hear it, on account of this concentration; and the more you are able to concentrate your mind, the better you will understand me; and the more I concentrate my love and powers, the better I shall be able to give expression to what I want to convey to you. The more this power of concentration, the more knowledge is acquired, because this is the one and only method of acquiring knowledge. Even the lowest shoeblack, if he gives more concentration, will black shoes better; the cook with concentration will cook a meal all the better. In making money, or in worshipping God, or in doing anything, the stronger the power of concentration, the better will that thing be done. This is the one call, the one knock, which opens the gates of nature, and lets out floods of light. This, the power of concentration, is the only key to the treasure-house of knowledge. The system of Raja-Yoga deals almost exclusively with this. In the present state of our body we are so much distracted, and the mind is frittering away its energies upon a hundred sorts of things. As soon as I try to calm my thoughts and concentrate my mind upon any one object of knowledge, thousands of undesired impulses rush into the brain, thousands of thoughts rush into the mind and disturb it. How to check it and bring the mind under control is the whole subject of study in Raja-Yoga.
Now take Karma-Yoga, the attainment of God through work. It is evident that in society there are many persons who seem to be born for some sort of activity or other, whose minds cannot be concentrated on the plane of thought alone, and who have but one idea, concretised in work, visible and tangible. There must be a science for this kind of life too. Each one of us is engaged in some work, but the majority of us fritter away the greater portion of our energies, because we do not know the secret of work. Karma-Yoga explains this secret and teaches where and how to work, how to employ to the greatest advantage the largest part of our energies in the work that is before us. But with this secret we must take into consideration the great objection against work, namely that it causes pain. All misery and pain come from attachment. I want to do work, I want to do good to a human being; and it is ninety to one that that human being whom I have helped will prove ungrateful and go against me; and the result to me is pain. Such things deter mankind from working; and it spoils a good portion of the work and energy of mankind, this fear of pain and misery. Karma-Yoga teaches us how to work for work’s sake, unattached, without caring who is helped, and what for. The Karma-Yogi works because it is his nature, because he feels that it is good for him to do so, and he has no object beyond that. His position in this world is that of a giver, and he never cares to receive anything. He knows that he is giving, and does not ask for anything in return and, therefore, he eludes the grasp of misery. The grasp of pain, whenever it comes, is the result of the reaction of “attachment”.
There is then the Bhakti-Yoga for the man of emotional nature, the lover. He wants to love God, he relies upon and uses all sorts of rituals, flowers, incense, beautiful buildings, forms and all such things. Do you mean to say they are wrong? One fact I must tell you. It is good for you to remember, in this country especially, that the world’s great spiritual giants have all been produced only by those religious sects which have been in possession of very rich mythology and ritual. All sects that have attempted to worship God without any form or ceremony have crushed without mercy everything that is beautiful and sublime in religion. Their religion is a fanaticism at best, a dry thing. The history of the world is a standing witness to this fact. Therefore do not decry these rituals and mythologies. Let people have them; let those who so desire have them. Do not exhibit that unworthy derisive smile, and say, “They are fools; let them have it.” Not so; the greatest men I have seen in my life, the most wonderfully developed in spirituality, have all come through the discipline of these rituals. I do not hold myself worthy to sit at their feet, and for me to criticise them! How do I know how these ideas act upon the human minds which of them I am to accept and which to reject? We are apt to criticise everything in the world: without sufficient warrant. Let people have all the mythology they want, with its beautiful inspirations; for you must always bear in mind that emotional natures do not care for abstract definitions of the truth. God to them is something tangible, the only thing that is real; they feel, hear, and see Him, and love Him. Let them have their God. Your rationalist seems to them to be like the fool who, when he saw a beautiful statue, wanted to break it to find out of what material it was made. Bhakti-Yoga: teaches them how to love, without any ulterior motives, loving God and loving the good because it is good to do so, not for going to heaven, nor to get children, wealth, or anything else. It teaches them that love itself is the highest recompense of love — that God Himself is love. It teaches them to pay all kinds of tribute to God as the Creator, the Omnipresent, Omniscient, Almighty Ruler, the Father and the Mother. The highest phrase that can express Him, the highest idea that the human mind can conceive of Him, is that He is the God of Love. Wherever there is love, it is He. “Wherever there is any love, it is He, the Lord is present there.” Where the husband kisses the wife, He is there in the kiss; where the mother kisses the child, He is there in the kiss; where friends clasp hands, He, the Lord, is present as the God of Love. When a great man loves and wishes to help mankind, He is there giving freely His bounty out of His love to mankind. Wherever the heart expands, He is there manifested. This is what the Bhakti-Yoga teaches.
We lastly come to the Jnana-Yogi, the philosopher, the thinker, he who wants to go beyond the visible. He is the man who is not satisfied with the little things of this world. His idea is to go beyond the daily routine of eating, drinking, and so on; not even the teaching of thousands of books will satisfy him. Not even all the sciences will satisfy him; at the best, they only bring this little world before him. What else will give him satisfaction? Not even myriads of systems of worlds will satisfy him; they are to him but a drop in the ocean of existence. His soul wants to go beyond all that into the very heart of being, by seeing Reality as It is; by realising It, by being It, by becoming one with that Universal Being. That is the philosopher. To say that God is the Father or the Mother, the Creator of this universe, its Protector and Guide, is to him quite inadequate to express Him. To him, God is the life of his life, the soul of his soul. God is his own Self. Nothing else remains which is other than God. All the mortal parts of him become pounded by the weighty strokes of philosophy and are brushed away. What at last truly remains is God Himself.
Upon the same tree there are two birds, one on the top, the other below. The one on the top is calm, silent, and majestic, immersed in his own glory; the one on the lower branches, eating sweet and bitter fruits by turns, hopping from branch to branch, is becoming happy and miserable by turns. After a time the lower bird eats an exceptionally bitter fruit and gets disgustful and looks up and sees the other bird, that wondrous one of golden plumage, who eats neither sweet nor bitter fruit, who is neither happy nor miserable, but calm, Self-centred, and sees nothing beyond his Self. The lower bird longs for this condition but soon forgets it, and again begins to eat the fruits. In a little while, he eats another exceptionally bitter fruit, which makes him feel miserable, and he again looks up, and tries to get nearer to the upper bird. Once more he forgets and after a time he looks up, and so on he goes again and again, until he comes very near to the beautiful bird and sees the reflection of light from his plumage playing around his own body, and he feels a change and seems to melt away; still nearer he comes, and everything about him melts away, and at last he understands this wonderful change. The lower bird was, as it were, only the substantial-looking shadow, the reflection of the higher; he himself was in essence the upper bird all the time. This eating of fruits, sweet and bitter, this lower, little bird, weeping and happy by turns, was a vain chimera, a dream: all along, the real bird was there above, calm and silent, glorious and majestic, beyond grief, beyond sorrow. The upper bird is God, the Lord of this universe; and the lower bird is the human soul, eating the sweet and bitter fruits of this world. Now and then comes a heavy blow to the soul. For a time, he stops the eating and goes towards the unknown God, and a flood of light comes. He thinks that this world is a vain show. Yet again the senses drag hint down, and he begins as before to eat the sweet and bitter fruits of the world. Again an exceptionally hard blow comes. His heart becomes open again to divine light; thus gradually he approaches God, and as he gets nearer and nearer, he finds his old self melting away. When he has come near enough, he sees that he is no other than God, and he exclaims, “He whom I have described to you as the Life of this universe, as present in the atom, and in suns and moons — He is the basis of our own life, the Soul of our soul. Nay, thou art That.” This is what this Jnana-Yoga teaches. It tells man that he is essentially divine. It shows to mankind the real unity of being, and that each one of us is the Lord God Himself, manifested on earth. All of us, from the lowest worm that crawls under our feet to the highest beings to whom we look up with wonder and awe — all are manifestations of the same Lord.
Lastly, it is imperative that all these various Yogas should be carried out in, practice; mere theories about them will not do any good. First we have to hear about them, then we have to think about them. We have to reason the thoughts out, impress them on our minds, and we have to meditate on them, realise them, until at last they become our whole life. No longer will religion remain a bundle of ideas or theories, nor an intellectual assent; it will enter into our very self. By means of intellectual assent we may today subscribe to many foolish things, and change our minds altogether tomorrow. But true religion never changes. Religion is realisation; not talk, nor doctrine, nor theories, however beautiful they may be. It is being and becoming, not hearing or acknowledging; it is the whole soul becoming changed into what it believes. That is religion. | <urn:uuid:34dc0446-7863-4e26-8577-26a25fbeb1be> | CC-MAIN-2018-17 | http://swamivivekananda.guru/teachings/universal-religion/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-17/segments/1524125947759.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20180425080837-20180425100837-00587.warc.gz | en | 0.972448 | 9,454 | 2.53125 | 3 |
By Robbie Gringras
Pluralism is all well and good, but the amount of different opinions on, approaches to, and definitions of Israel Education, is driving us all crazy.
All of us in Israel Education find ourselves talking at cross-purposes, inadvertently undermining one another, and further confusing an already-challenging discourse. Cacophony is only good when the orchestra is tuning up to play together.
Is there one simple, easily communicated idea that can unify everyone without requiring uniformity?
Is there one way to explain, promote, define, and explore the meaning of Israel to Jews that includes everyone, offends no one, and yet says something useful?
Probably not. It’s a big ask, after all. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep trying…
We at Makom call our current approach “4HQ – the Four Hatikvah Questions.”
Our feeling is that no matter what your answers are, or what the answers are that you intend your students to emerge with, the Four Hatikvah Questions are common to all. They emerge, of course, from the penultimate line in the Hatikvah Anthem: Lihiyot Am Hofshi B’Artzenu – To Be A People, Free In Our Land.
Taken on its own, “To Be A People, Free In Our Land” is a universal aspiration, by no means unique to the Jews.
The Kurds aspire to exist as a Kurdish People, Free in the land of Kurdistan. The Scottish People seriously considered becoming Free in Scotland. Catalonians, Tibetans, and Palestinians (we’ll come back to them in a later blog) – all aspire to be Peoples free in their lands. Zionism is the Jewish version of this universal (and therefore one might argue universally legitimate) aspiration: To be the People of Israel, Free in the Land of Israel.
All that is required for the educator, is to break this line down into its four Hebrew words, and add a question mark to each:
- To Be? – what does it take to survive? how can we thrive?
- People? – what does it mean to be connected to my People? my heritage? our ideals?
- Free? – are we democratic? are we responsible? are we creative?
- Our Land? – why land? which land? whose land?
Israel is an ongoing answer to these Four Hatikvah Questions.
Those mainly concerned with Advocacy might find they focus on “To Be?”, at the expense of other questions. Those on the left may emphasize “Freedom?” without digging into the existential threats hovering around the question of “To Be.” Some are more drawn to the universal ideas of “To be” and “Free”: Others tend more towards the particularism of “People” and “In Our Land.”
A full, rich curriculum would explore all four.
In future blogs I plan to tease out how 4HQ offers:
- A useful tool to differentiate between Israel’s enemies, and critical friends.
- A way to Ask Big Questions about Israel.
- A “rule of thumb” for taking educational advantage of complex current affairs headlines.
- A model for transforming Israel education in the Jewish world.
- A shared values proposition for the Diaspora and Israel.
Robbie Gringras is Creative Director at Makom. | <urn:uuid:a85dcfca-37ef-4c7f-9436-ee4f4b81df2d> | CC-MAIN-2019-22 | https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/500-words-on-israel-education-an-answer-with-four-questions/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-22/segments/1558232256163.40/warc/CC-MAIN-20190520222102-20190521004102-00052.warc.gz | en | 0.931422 | 735 | 2.78125 | 3 |
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns pregnant women and young children not to eat fish containing high levels of methylmercury. Yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends pregnant women and infants get influenza vaccines, many of which contain ethylmercury from the preservative thimerosal. Receiving them may result in mercury exposures exceeding the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommended maximum levels. World Mercury Project is deeply concerned that the risks of getting mercury-containing seasonal influenza vaccines may outweigh the benefits for pregnant women, infants and children. Mercury is known to be highly toxic to brain tissue and can impact critical stages of brain development. A 2017 CDC study links miscarriage to flu vaccines, particularly in the first trimester. Pregnant women vaccinated in the 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 flu seasons had two times greater odds of having a miscarriage within 28 days of receiving the vaccine. In women who had received the H1N1 vaccine in the previous flu season, the odds of having a miscarriage within 28 days were 7.7 times greater than in women who did not receive a flu shot during their pregnancy. A study published in 2016 that looked at the safety of flu vaccines found a moderately elevated risk for major birth defects in infants born to women who had received a flu vaccine during the first trimester of pregnancy. A study published in 2017 found an elevated risk of autism spectrum disorders in children whose mothers had a first trimester flu shot. | <urn:uuid:56d39be1-781c-4b2a-b8cd-ecbca9ce4fbc> | CC-MAIN-2018-47 | http://healthimpactnews.com/tag/mercury-in-vaccines/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-47/segments/1542039744513.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20181118155835-20181118181835-00398.warc.gz | en | 0.968649 | 295 | 3.546875 | 4 |
Ecosystem Recovery through Marine Recovery Zones and Artificial Reefs in La Bocana, Baja California Sur
KELP FOREST OF BAJA CALIFORNIA
OBJECTIVE: To expand abalone, lobster and finfish populations through artificial reef placement in the fishery zone granted through a concession to the cooperative.
In 2011, representatives of El Progreso Cooperative (located in La Bocana, Baja California Sur) attended a workshop held in Ensenada, where COBI gave a presentation about marine recovery zone projects in the peninsula of Baja California.
In 2014, the Cooperative proposed an idea to COBI: mixing artificial reefs with marine recovery zones to increase the populations of green and pink abalone, lobster and finfish. The fishing concession area of the Cooperative is small, and there are few rocky areas. Hence, the installation of artificial reefs could be an excellent alternative.
In 2016, COBI, Stanford University, the University of California, and a group of fishers from the Cooperative began designing artificial reefs based on existing prototypes from California and Australia. Eight divers from the cooperative were certified in diving techniques with SCUBA equipment to carry out dives with COBI in order to identify the areas where artificial reefs would be placed. The impact on repopulation of the innovative artificial reefs will be monitored on a yearly basis with the team of community divers.
Additionally, oceanographic sensors were installed to monitor temperature, dissolved oxygen and salinity with the support of researchers from Stanford. These sensors belong to a larger network of sensors placed throughout the Pacific coast of Baja California. Data provided by this network of sensors has permitted the detection of regional climate phenomena like hypoxia episodes (low oxygen events at sea) which greatly affect sessile organisms.
- 8 certified community divers
- 3 sites identified for artificial reefs
- 5 oceanographic sensors installed to monitor temperature, dissolved oxygen and salinity
- Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas
- Hopkins Marine Station
- Sociedad Cooperativa de Producción Pesquera Progreso
- University of Georgia
- Official Decree of Fishing Grant from El Progreso Cooperative.
- Press article about the abalone-fattening laboratory in El Progreso Cooperative.
- Scientific article about the genetics of the abalone
- Video about El Progreso Cooperative.
- Regional Federation of Cooperative Societies of the Fishing Industry in Baja California, F.C.L.
- El Progreso Cooperative Facebook Fanpage
- VVideo about angling from El Progreso Cooperative.
- Scientific article about the abalone.
- Article “Women and men ploughing the ocean and dessert”
Arturo Jesús Hernández Velasco
This project is constantly evolving, and your support is key to making an impact on marine conservation and sustainable fishery. The following list details our current project needs. You can also donate directly to COBI by contacting our donations team: [email protected]. Let’s all do our part!
- Media interested in reporting on the artificial reef project and marine reserves in La Bocana
- Donations and funding for submarine monitoring and maintenance of the oceanographic sensor network
- Volunteers with relevant knowledge, skills, or experience
Subscribe to Newsletter | <urn:uuid:16c40c06-7b60-45ef-9fa6-9a6d7f3e7df9> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://cobi.org.mx/en/project/ecosystem-recovery-through-marine-recovery-zones-and-artificial-reefs-in-la-bocana-baja-california-sur/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886105108.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20170818194744-20170818214744-00491.warc.gz | en | 0.866603 | 698 | 2.546875 | 3 |
At first, one expects the usual convention of a lottery--that someone will win a desirable prize.
Plot[ edit ] Details of contemporary small-town American life are embroidered upon a description of an annual ritual known as "the lottery". In a small village in New England of about residents, the locals are in an excited yet nervous mood on June Children gather stones as the adult townsfolk assemble for their annual event, which in the local tradition is practiced to ensure a good harvest Old Man Warner quotes an old proverb: The lottery preparations start the night before with Mr.
Graves making the paper slips and the list of all the families. Once the slips are finished, they are put into a black box, which is stored overnight in a safe place at the coal company.
The story briefly mentions how the ballot box has been stored over the years in various places in the town. Including a grocery store shelf, a barn and in the post office basement.
On the morning of the lottery, the townspeople gather close to 10 a. First, the heads of the extended families draw slips until every family has a slip.
Bill Hutchinson gets the one slip with a black spotmeaning that his family has been chosen. The final round is for the individual family members within the winning household to draw, no matter their age.
After the drawing is over and Tessie is picked, the slips are allowed to fly off into the wind. In keeping with tradition, each villager obtains a stone and begins to surround Tessie. The story ends as Tessie is stoned to death while she bemoans the unfairness of the situation.
Themes[ edit ] One of the major ideas of "The Lottery" is that of a scapegoat. The act of stoning someone to death yearly purges the town of the bad and allows for the good.
This is hinted in the references to agriculture. The story also speaks of mob psychology and the idea that people can abandon reason and act cruelly if they are part of a large group of people behaving in the same manner. The idyllic setting of the story also demonstrates that violence and evil can take place anywhere and in any context.
This also shows how people can turn on each other so easily. Alongside the mob mentalitythe story speaks about people who blindly follow traditions without thinking of the consequences of those traditions. These people living in a storybook town are simply acting out an ancient tradition, in a very matter of fact manner.
The perception of malice or evil lies completely with the reader, the "outsider". While going to extreme examples to solicit such thoughts and feelings, the author implores us to look at ourselves and our own society as well as different societies around the world.
The Lottery raises the question of what customs or traditions that are integral to varying societal or belief systems are judged harshly by others, and who or what is the arbiter. Readers[ edit ] The New Yorker received a "torrent of letters" inquiring about the story—"the most mail the magazine had ever received in response to a work of fiction".
Explaining just what I had hoped the story to say is very difficult. Jackson lived in North BenningtonVermontand her comment reveals that she had Bennington in mind when she wrote "The Lottery".
In a lecture printed in her collection, Come Along with MeJackson recalled the hate mail she received in One of the most terrifying aspects of publishing stories and books is the realization that they are going to be read, and read by strangers.
I had never fully realized this before, although I had of course in my imagination dwelt lovingly upon the thought of the millions and millions of people who were going to be uplifted and enriched and delighted by the stories I wrote.
It had simply never occurred to me that these millions and millions of people might be so far from being uplifted that they would sit down and write me letters I was downright scared to open; of the three-hundred-odd letters that I received that summer I can count only thirteen that spoke kindly to me, and they were mostly from friends.
Even my mother scolded me: That summer she regularly took home 10 to 12 forwarded letters each day. Curiously, there are three main themes which dominate the letters of that first summer—three themes which might be identified as bewilderment, speculation and plain old-fashioned abuse.
In the years since then, during which the story has been anthologized, dramatized, televised, and even—in one completely mystifying transformation—made into a ballet, the tenor of letters I receive has changed.
I am addressed more politely, as a rule, and the letters largely confine themselves to questions like what does this story mean?A summary of Themes in Shirley Jackson's The Lottery.
Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of The Lottery and what it means. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Oct 11, · Shirley Jackson’s classic dystopian short story “The Lottery” ― often assigned in English classes, invoked when current events take a dark turn, and omnipresent in paeans to great short.
The Lottery--Shirley Jackson "Dunbar." several people said. "Dunbar. Dunbar." Mr. Summers consulted his list. "Clyde Dunbar." he said.
He's broke his leg, hasn't he? Who's drawing for him?" "Me. I guess," a woman said. and Mr. Summers turned to look at her. "Wife draws for her husband." Mr. Summers said. The Monster Librarian Presents: Reviews of Supernatural and Occult Themed Books. Things that go bump in the night, flashing lights, furniture that moves by itself: here you will find books about ghosts, haunted houses, the occult, as well as happenings and creatures involving other dimensions.
Breaking the Tradition in The Lottery, a Short Story by Shirley Jackson PAGES 2. WORDS View Full Essay. More essays like this: Not sure what I'd do without @Kibin - Alfredo Alvarez, student @ Miami University.
Exactly what I needed. - Jenna Kraig, student @ UCLA.
Wow. Most helpful essay resource ever! Sports journalists and bloggers covering NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MMA, college football and basketball, NASCAR, fantasy sports and more. News, photos, mock drafts, game. | <urn:uuid:9806b2f7-8633-4529-8c92-15f2807718d6> | CC-MAIN-2019-51 | https://guloqer.ashio-midori.com/breaking-the-tradition-in-the-lottery-a-short-story-by-shirley-jackson-6164lm.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-51/segments/1575540481281.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20191205164243-20191205192243-00438.warc.gz | en | 0.968 | 1,343 | 3.109375 | 3 |
It’s not often we hear of current IT security practices getting it right but then that doesn’t make for splashy headlines. Nevertheless, a recently released security intelligence report conducted by Microsoft has found exactly that with respect to ‘zero-day’ threats.
The Microsoft Security Intelligence Report volume 11 found that less than one per cent of exploits in the first half of 2011 were against zero-day vulnerabilities — software vulnerabilities that are successfully exploited before the vendor has published a security update or “patch.”
In contrast, 99 per cent of all attacks during the same period distributed malware through familiar techniques, such as social engineering and unpatched vulnerabilities.
Think you’re being left out Canada? Guess again. Canadians are targeted for a significant number of social engineering attacks with almost three times more phishing sites than the global average and more than three times the percentage of sites hosting drive-by downloads.
“This means that the most common malware threat in Canada is Adware, which affected 45.8 per cent of all infected computers in 2Q11, down from 57.5 per cent in 1Q11 but significantly higher than the world wide average,” explained Bruce Cowper, senior security strategist for Trustworthy Computing at Microsoft. “Adware rose to become the most commonly detected category due in large part to a pair of new threat families that did not exist in 2010- Win32/OpenCandy and Win32/ShopperReports.”
User interaction, typically employing social engineering techniques, is attributed to nearly half (45 per cent) of all malware propagation in the first half of 2011 globally. More than a third of all malware is spread through cybercriminal abuse of Win32/Autorun, a feature that automatically starts programs when external media, such as a CD or USB, are inserted into a computer. Ninety per cent of infections that were attributed to vulnerability exploitation had a security update available from the software vendor for more than a year.
While there’s been an overall drop in the number of Canadian computers infected with malicious software (1.8 per cent), the most common types of successful exploits indicate that Canadians still have a way to go with keeping their systems up to date.
For example, worms and Trojans (downloaders and droppers) were significantly higher in Canada than the worldwide average, yet security updates have been in place to help stop these from propagating for some time, Cowper remarked.
“A key finding of the report is that a new method of analyzing malware distribution indicates that the zero-day vulnerability accounted for a very small percentage of actual infections in the first half of 2011,” he said. “None of the major threat families found by the Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) were propagating through the exploit of zero-day vulnerabilities.”
These statistics may come as a surprise to some in the industry, he conceded. However, the key takeaway is how malware was actually propagating – social engineering, Autorun feature abuse, file-infection, and exploits (with updates available).
“Many of these attack vectors can be mitigated against through actions such as the application of fundamental good security practices, almost a sort of ‘back to basics’ approach.”
Regarding mobile security, exploits affecting Google’s Android mobile operating system (OS) and the Open Handset Alliance have been detected in significant volume beginning in early 2011. The increase in Android-based threats has been driven largely by the exploit Unix/Lotoor, the second most commonly detected OS exploit in the first half of this year.
“Lotoor is used to attack vulnerable devices by the Trojan family AndroidOS/DroidDream which often masquerades as a legitimate Android application, and is capable of allowing a remote attacker to gain access to the device. Google published a security update in March 2011 addressing this vulnerability,” he said.
In the global report, Microsoft provides insight into reducing Win32/Autorun abuse with updates released earlier this year for Windows XP and Windows Vista (Windows 7 already included these updates) that prevent the Win/32Autorun feature from being enabled automatically for most media. Within four months of issuing the update, the number of infections from the most prolific Win32/Autorun-abusing malware families was reduced by almost 60 per cent on Windows XP and by 74 per cent on Windows Vista in comparison to 2010 infection rates, the company said.
Microsoft advocates a multifaceted approach to managing risk including:
- Companies should concentrate on educating employees on their responsibility to security and back that up by developing and enforcing companywide security policies in areas such as passwords.
- Upgrade to the latest products and services. Making the move to the most current products and services helps increases protection against the most prevalent online threats.
- Consider cloud services. In a cloud environment, the cloud vendor manages many of the security processes and procedures required to keep a system up to date, including the installation of security updates. Businesses and consumers constrained in managing the security of their computing environment can leverage cloud services to help offload portions of their security management.
Cowper will make a keynote speech at the SecTor 2011 conference at 12 p.m. ET on Oct. 18. His talk will focus on the importance of the relationship between customers and vendors and what businesses should be asking and expecting from a cloud service provider. | <urn:uuid:01f0ee92-0e81-4b56-a508-d0cfe23b9c9d> | CC-MAIN-2021-21 | https://channelbuzz.ca/2011/10/pc-infection-rates-rising-in-canada-microsoft-warns-2619/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-21/segments/1620243988753.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20210506083716-20210506113716-00396.warc.gz | en | 0.948615 | 1,119 | 2.609375 | 3 |
The same thing applies to quinoline as compared to naphthalene.
The antipyretic medicines which we have first to consider are derivatives of quinoline.
Absence of change shows phosphine, quinoline yellow, or a natural dye-stuff.
(d) The dye is thioflavine S., quinoline yellow, or one of their allies.
When cinchonine is distilled with solid potassium hydrate, it yields pyrrol and bases of both the pyridine and quinoline series.
This is not exactly the case with the higher groups of alkaloids—the derivatives of pyridine and quinoline.
Most of these are of a basic character, and belong to the pyridine and the quinoline series.
In this way "kairene" and "quinoline" were produced, at about half the price of quinine.
quinoline quin·o·line (kwĭn'ə-lēn', -lĭn)
An aromatic organic base synthesized or obtained from coal tar and used as a food preservative and in making antiseptics. | <urn:uuid:6477bee6-6e00-4cd9-9d6e-6c555d1a1920> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.dictionary.com/browse/quinoline?qsrc=2446 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988721355.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183841-00180-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922825 | 248 | 2.765625 | 3 |
BBC4′s documentary, The Art of Cornwall, explored how the small colony of artists in St Ives became as important as Paris or London during a golden creative period between the 1920s and 1960s. The central focus of the film was on Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson – the latter first visited St Ives in 1928 when he discovered the mariner and primitive painter, Alfred Wallis. The programme also examined how a younger generation of artists, such as Peter Lanyon and Patrick Heron, were also influenced by the Cornish landscape.
Nicholson and Hepworth were central figures in the thriving modernist art scene in 1930s London. Nicholson had begun his career painting landscapes and still lifes, but inspired by Mondrian, gradually turned to abstract art. With the outbreak of war in 1939, recently married to Hepworth and with three young children, Nicholson reluctantly decided to leave London for the safety of Cornwall. As the couple drove to the end of their road in Hampstead, they noticed Mondrian standing on the corner. They pulled over, rolled down the window and begged him to join them. He refused: he hated the countryside and anything green. Nicholson once recounted how Mondrian, noticing the leaves of a chestnut tree just visible through the skylight of Nicholson’s Hampstead studio, shook his head in disapproval and said: ‘Too much nature’.
Ben Nicholson/Barbara Hepworth
When he first arrived in Cornwall, Nicholson went on with the white reliefs that he had been making in London. They were made in the spirit of quietness and composure that Nicholson had admired in Mondrian’s studio. In St Ives, however:
Outside his Cornish studio the world must have seemed exceedingly disorderly: most days the sky going by at a ttremendous pace; the sluicing of waves and exploding of breakers, that endless pitiless tugging at the headlands by the sea; prevailing winds, quoits and stone hedges; the underworld of tin lodes; the hardship of it all, generastion after generation; harbours, like churchyards, bobbing with coffins. Only very slowly did this have an effect on what he was doing.
- Christopher Neve, Unquiet Landscape
But the landscape did have an effect, modulated through his abstraction. In addition, the film suggested, Nicholson turned to landscapes in order to earn a living during the war years. Paintings from the 1940s often show a landscape observed through a window with still-life elements in the foreground (below and top).
Landscape by itself is meaningless, but it works on our feelings in profound ways, arousing in us a sense of ourselves in relation to the outside world. What does it feel like to stare up at the night sky or to confront a mountain? A picture which mimics the appearance of natural phenomena will miss the point, not just of their essential nature, but of ours too. Instead, some equivalent has to be found: an equivalent of the way in which they act upon our sensibilities.
- Christopher Neve, Unquiet Landscape
In 1943-45 (St Ives, Cornwall) below, the still life of cups and vessels of the foreground interact with the far-reaching landscape stretching away towards the distant sea. This work was completed in 1945 with the addition of the union jack as a gesture to celebrate V.E. Day and the end of the war.
These landscapes, with their primitivist style, reflect the influence of Alfred Wallis, whose work Nicholson had first encountered in St Ives in 1928. With fellow-artist Christopher Wood, Nicholson had chanced upon Wallis, seeing him painting through the open door of his cottage. As Nicholson later described it, they:
passed an open door in Back Road West and through it saw some paintings of ships and houses on odd pieces of paper and cardboard nailed up all over the wall… We knocked at the door and inside found Wallis.
Alfred Wallis had spent most of his working life as a fisherman. He claimed to have gone to sea aged nine and was involved in deep-sea fishing, sometimes sailing as far as Newfoundland in Canada. In 1890 he moved to St Ives where he became a marine scrap merchant. He began painting at the age of 70 ‘for company’ after the death of his wife. Wood and Nicholson saw in his unconventional paintings an authentic, expressive vision, and a freshness and immediacy they aspired to in their own work.
Wallis regarded his paintings as memories, recollections or expressions of his experiences – he said he painted ‘what used to be’. His principal subjects were ships at sea, especially the working sail ships that had disappeared during his lifetime, and the St Ives townscape and the countryside immediately surrounding the town. He didn’t use traditional linear perspective, instead arranging his subjects in terms of relative importance – the main subject of a painting would be the largest object, regardless of where it stood in physical relationship to its surroundings.
Wallis painted seascapes from memory, in large part because the world of sail he knew was being replaced by steamships. As he put it, his subjects were ‘what use To Bee out of my memery what we may never see again…’ [Wikipedia]. Having little money, Wallis improvised with materials, mostly painting on cardboard ripped from packing boxes using a limited palette of paint bought from ships’ chandlers. Two Boats (above) is painted on the back of a Selfridges box lid, while The Hold House Port Mear Square Island Port Mear Beach (below) was painted on the back of a printed advertisement for an exhibition. It is a view of St. Ives in which the elements are rearranged so that they depart from strict topographical accuracy. It shows the promontary at St. Ives known as ‘The Island’, part of Porthmeor Beach (one end of which adjoins the Island), and Porthmeor Square.
After the war, though Nicholson returned to abstraction, he continued to paint the Cornish landscape. At the close of the programme the presenter, Dr James Fox descended into the bowels of the Tate where an assistant hauled out from storage the huge Patrick Heron painting, Cadmium with Violet, Scarlet, Emerald, Lemon and Venetian (below) – perhaps the most arresting moment in the documentary.
Patrick Heron was born in Leeds in 1920 into a family of uncompromising nonconformism. His father was an art lover, socialist and pacifist who had been a conscientious objector in the First World War, while his mother, too, was a pacifist and of fiercely independent spirit, with a passionate eye for the natural world. Heron was a lifelong socialist and pacifist, a founder member of CND, and an active conservationist. He hated with a passion the Tory governments of the 1980s and 1990s, and refused a knighthood when it was offered by Margaret Thatcher.
This is a landscape that has altered my life, the house in its setting is the source of all my painting.
Though his work now became non-figurative, it remained profoundly influenced by the landscape of West Penwith. Among his first works of the period were the garden paintings, meshes of colour streaked and dribbled vertically on to the canvases.
Azalea Garden [below] was one of the paintings made in the first months at Eagles Nest… I referred to the series as ‘garden paintings’, since they certainly related in my mind to the extraordinary effervescence of flowering azaleas and camellias which was erupting all over the garden, amongst the granite boulders, at Eagles Nest when we moved down to begin our lives here. …The well-known crisis which confronted many British painters of my generation – I mean the moving over from overt figuration, however abstract, to overt non-figuration – overtook me at about this time.
The wild landscape around Eagles’ Nest inspired the floating boulder shapes and promontories of the large, Matisse-like abstract canvases that followed in the 1960s and 1970s – acrylics and prints on paper, based on bright, interlocking abstract shapes
Patrick Heron designed the huge stained glass window that was installed in the entrance hall of the Tate St Ives gallery when it opened in 1993.Patrick Heron and his wife Delia are buried in the churchyard at Zennor. This photo was taken when we visited in 2006.
First published on That's How the Light Gets in (3/12/10) | <urn:uuid:9020e1e4-251c-4b68-a05d-5be61b00b534> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://footlesscrow.blogspot.com/2012/09/ben-nicholsons-cornwall.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549426133.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20170726102230-20170726122230-00025.warc.gz | en | 0.977775 | 1,789 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Subsets and Splits
No saved queries yet
Save your SQL queries to embed, download, and access them later. Queries will appear here once saved.