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The exotic properties of layered materials have become a major focus of scientific research. The most famous member of this group is graphene which serves as a building block for few layered graphene and graphite as well as for single- and multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Here, each layer is an one-atom thick hexagonal sheet of sp2 bonded carbon atoms, where the unpaired pz electrons on each atomic site join to form a collective π system turning the material into a semi-metal. Different complex factors interplay dictates the equilibrium interlayer distance and the optimal way of staking, where consecutive layers are shifted with respect to each other such that half of the carbon atoms of one layer reside above the hexagon centres of the adjacent layers.
The inorganic analog of graphene, sometimes referred to as white graphene, is hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). Structurally, a single layer of h-BN is very similar to a graphene sheet having a hexagonal backbone where each couple of bonded carbon atoms is replaced by a boron-nitride pair. Moreover, graphene and h-BN are isoelectronic, but due to the electronegativity differences between the boron and the nitrogen atoms the π electrons tend to localize around the nitrogen atomic centres thus forming an insulating material. Actually, h-BN has recently attracted much attention as a material to be used as insulating junctions for graphene tunnelling transistors and as an insulating substrate for graphene field effect transistors – which show higher performance than those on silicon oxide substrates.
Furthermore, the polarity of the B-N bond results in formal charges around the atomic centres thus allowing for monopolar inter-layer electrostatic interactions to join other interactions in dictating the nature of the interlayer binding. The preferred stacking mode is such that a boron atom bearing a partial positive charge in one layer resides on top of the oppositely charged nitrogen atoms on the adjacent layers.
The nature of the interlayer binding is important because controlling the interlayer distance of layered materials will allow the material properties to be controlled in technological applications.
Now a group of researchers, including Ángel Rubio from Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Material Physics Center (UPV/EHU-CSIC) and DIPC, has shown1 that an intense infrared laser can be used to compress the interlayer of h-BN, a laser that in normal conditions would cause structural destruction through fast local heating.Contracting the interlayer distance could provide a new route for chemical reactions under pressure.
The team of researchers, instead of using mechanical devices for compression, found using time-dependent density functional theory that laser-stimulated interlayer contraction could produce high-pressure conditions between the atomic layers, thus inducing new phases of intercalated molecules.
But, which could be the mechanism that would make an usually destructive laser a compressing device? The answer is resonance with phonon excitations. A phonon is the quantum of lattice vibrational energy; it has a magnitude of hf, where h is the Planck constant and f is the frequency of the vibration. When anions (N) and cations (B) in h-BN move in opposite out-of-plane directions, an electric dipole normal to each layer is induced. When the ionic movement is in the same direction in all layers, parallel dipoles are induced in each layer causing interlayer attraction. Such an out-of-plane lattice vibration is made possible with light with an optical frequency f resonant with the vibration. Thus, phonon excitations cause the interlayer contraction.
The interlayer distance of the bilayer h-BN sheet was initially set as 3.274 Å. The researchers found that for the optical frequency resonant a particular lattice vibration, the contraction was large; up to 0.37 Å (11.3% of the original interlayer distance). But the contraction effect is linked to precision: For slightly off-resonance (10%) excitation, the interlayer distance increases toward dissociation of the bilayers.
These are calculations, what could we expect experimentally? Some experiments suggest that it is possible to observe a contraction of 0.17 Å within 1 ps (picosecond) and an estimated retention time of the contraction of 190 fs (femtosecond). The equipment to perform these experiments already exists and the results could be applicable to other bilayered materials, like metal dichalcogenides.
Author: César Tomé López is a science writer and the editor of Mapping Ignorance. | <urn:uuid:df4af02e-eae6-40bc-842b-be87ed5dba3c> | CC-MAIN-2019-51 | https://mappingignorance.org/2015/06/04/contracting-layered-white-graphene-with-a-laser/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-51/segments/1575540584491.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20191214042241-20191214070241-00160.warc.gz | en | 0.914312 | 960 | 3.078125 | 3 |
High Expectations from Adults in the Community (Student Reported), by Grade Level
Definition: Percentage of public school students in grades 7, 9, 11, and non-traditional students reporting each level of agreement (high, medium, and low) that adults in their neighborhood or community have high expectations of them (e.g., in 2011-13, 65.5% of students in grades 7, 9, 11, and non-traditional classes in California public schools expressed a high level of agreement that the adults in their community have high expectations of them).
Footnote: The 2011-2013 time period reflects data from school years 2011-12 and 2012-13. District- and county-level figures are weighted proportions from the 2011-13 California Healthy Kids Survey, and state-level figures are weighted proportions from the 2011-13 California Student Survey. The grade levels included in school district data depend on the grades offered in each district; for example, high school districts do not include 7th grade data. "Non-Traditional" students are those enrolled in Community Day Schools or Continuation Education; according to Ed-Data, these schools make up about 10% of all public schools in California. N/A indicates that the survey was not administered in that period or that data are not available for that group. LNE (Low Number Event) indicates that for a specific answer there were fewer than 25 respondents. N/R indicates that the sample is too small to be representative. This is a summary measure based on student reports of whether there is an adult outside of their home and school who tells them when they do a good job, believes they will be a success, and always wants them to do their best. See the guidebooks for the “Core” or “Resilience and Youth Development” survey modules at http://chks.wested.org/about for more information.
Learn More About Community Connectedness
Measures of Community Connectedness on Kidsdata.org
Like home and school environments, communities can play a critical role in promoting the healthy development of children and youth. Research has shown that the following key factors are linked to positive youth behavior, success in school, and avoidance of high-risk behavior such as substance use; all of these factors can be cultivated in community environments (1, 2):
Caring relationships with adults: Supportive connections to others who model and encourage healthy development and well being
High expectations by adults: Consistent communication of direct and indirect messages that youth can and will succeed
Opportunities for participation and contribution: Involvement of youth in relevant, engaging, and interesting activities with opportunities to contribute
Caring relationships with adults in the community that convey high expectations and encourage youth participation in meaningful activities can increase chances that youth flourish in school, work, and life (1, 2). Research indicates that children with at least one caring adult in their lives (e.g., a relative, family friend, neighbor, after-school program worker, coach, etc.) are more likely to handle challenges well, show interest in learning, volunteer in the community, and get regular exercise; and they are less likely to feel sad/depressed and bully others (1, 2).
For more information related to community connectedness, see kidsdata.org’s Research & Links section.
According to 2011-13 data, about two-thirds of California public school students (in grades 7, 9, 11, and non-traditional classes) expressed a high level of agreement that adults in the community had high expectations of them (66%) and that adults in the community cared about them (63%), but less than half reported a high level of agreement that they had opportunities for meaningful participation in their community (47%). Within each measure, students in grades 7, 9, and 11 reported similarly, but percentages were substantially lower among students in non-traditional schools (i.e., Community Day Schools or Continuation Education).
Levels of total community assets – a summary measure that includes student reports of caring relationships, high expectations, and meaningful participation – were similar among California 7th, 9th, and 11th graders in 2011-13, with 63-66% reporting high levels. As with other measures related to community connectedness, percentages were lower among non-traditional students (41% reporting high levels). Levels of community assets also vary by gender, race/ethnicity, and by county and school district. For example, among racial/ethnic groups in California, the percentage of students reporting high levels of community assets in 2011-13 ranged from 59% for Latino and American Indian/Alaska Native students to 75% for White students.
Home and school environments are widely recognized as critical influences on child well being. The larger community, too, can influence children's lives in powerful ways (1, 2, 3). Youth connections to individuals, groups, and organizations in a community can provide important sources of support to promote healthy development. In particular, connections to caring adults outside of the home and school -- such as after-school program staff, mentors, coaches, relatives, family friends, or others -- and opportunities to engage in meaningful community activities can help youth develop positive strengths and skills, and can increase the likelihood that they grow into healthy, productive adults (1, 3, 4). Community support can be especially important for vulnerable children, such as those in foster care or those in disadvantaged
neighborhoods with a lack of resources for youth (1, 5).
According to research and subject experts, policy and program options that could improve youth community connectedness include:
Providing opportunities for meaningful youth participation and contribution outside of school, e.g., service learning programs, volunteerism, employment, or leadership opportunities such as youth advisory councils (4, 6)
Supporting high quality mentoring programs that foster trusting relationships between young people and caring individuals (7)
Supporting high quality after-school programs, as they can provide positive relationships, learning opportunities, meaningful activities, and safe environments during hours when many youth otherwise would be unsupervised (4, 8, 9)
Focusing on services that support vulnerable populations who are sometimes
alienated from their peers both in and out of school, such as LGBT youth
and foster care youth (5, 10, 11)
Developing comprehensive, community prevention strategies that encourage connections and collaboration among individuals, families, schools, and community organizations, as these efforts have been linked to positive youth outcomes, including lower rates of substance use and delinquent behavior, and improved emotional health and academic success (2, 10, 12)
5. Ahrens, K., et al. (2011). Qualitative exploration of relationships
with important non-parental adults in the lives of youth in foster care.
Children and Youth Services Review,33(6), 1012-1023. Retrieved from:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3363001/
9. Smith, E., et al. (2013). Measuring collective efficacy among
children in community-based afterschool programs: Exploring pathways
toward prevention and positive youth development. American Journal of Community Psychology, 52(0), 27-40. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3760513/
11. Kosciw, J., et al. (2014). The 2013 National School Climate Survey: The experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth
in our nation’s schools. Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network. Retrieved from: http://glsen.org/nscs | <urn:uuid:f1508163-432a-4983-8128-191dde935381> | CC-MAIN-2018-13 | http://www.kidsdata.org/topic/650/community-expectations-grade/table/wested | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-13/segments/1521257645538.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20180318052202-20180318072202-00449.warc.gz | en | 0.948467 | 1,576 | 3.390625 | 3 |
The film has all the attributes of a thriller: catchy images, dramatic music and intriguing characters. But it is a documentary showcasing the challenge of storing nuclear waste safely – and highlighting the endless debate in Switzerland.
Edgar Hagen’s critical film, Journey to the Safest Place on Earth, on how to deal with nuclear waste easily won over the audience consisting largely of nuclear sceptics during a recent showing in Bern. And it wasn’t hard to understand why: the documentary plays on emotions and uses punchy simplifications to outline historical failures and the difficulties of finding suitable storage.
A few weeks later, the film Pandora’s Promise, was screened in Zurich. It criticises the hypocrisy of the environmental movement and hails nuclear power as the one technology able to save our planet from global warming. American filmmaker Robert Stone received applause and compliments from the pro-nuclear crowd.
The two screenings are emblematic of the situation Switzerland finds itself in due to the country’s grassroots democracy. In 2002 voters in canton Nidwalden rejected a repository on their territory.
The problem hasn’t gone away even though cantons no longer have a veto right on repository sites. The government still has the unpopular job of getting everybody on board since such a complex project needs broad support.
Switzerland plans to construct a deep repository to store its nuclear waste. The Federal Office of Energy has the overall responsibility for the current selection process for suitable sites. So far, six regions, which meet the requirements for a deep repository, have been identified.
The Federal Office of Energy has the overall responsibility for the three-stage selection process for one to two sites for geological repositories. The cabinet at the end of 2011 approved six areas, which meet the requirements according to Nagra, most of them north of Zurich, close to the German border.
By about 2020, one site will be chosen, which will then have to be approved by the cabinet, parliament and most likely by the people in a referendum. Then construction would start at the site. After becoming operational, the repository would be gradually backfilled and eventually sealed forever. At that point it would be very difficult and costly to recover the waste.end of infobox
The Swiss will eventually be asked to approve or reject cabinet’s final choice for a repository site in 2023 at the earliest.
“It has become clear after a 30 year disposal programme that the participation by wider sections of the population is a necessity,” the energy office writes in a 130-page document on this participatory process. “Today, we no longer pursue a ʻDecide-Announce-Defendʼ strategy, but have adopted a more transparent, comprehensible and participatory approach.”
That was an important lesson for the National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (Nagra).
Nagra spokeswoman Jutta Lang said the strategy is not to indoctrinate people top-down, but to answer questions so they can make up their own minds. “The problem is that on this emotional topic there is rarely an easy answer to an easy question.”
In 2012 alone, the Federal Office for Energy organised 175 civic workshops and round tables to discuss Nagra proposals with regional authorities, interest groups and residents. The affected regions are invited to voice their concerns and make feasible proposals.
Since Nagra’s foundation in 1972, the government has spent CHF1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) on its waste disposal programme. For more than three years Nagra toured German-speaking Switzerland with an exhibition entitled TIME RIDE – a journey through space and time to explain how it wants to store radioactive waste.
The government wants to move forward with the search for a site in order to deal with 100,000 cubic metres of waste, but opponents want all questions concerning safety answered first. The first repository – originally scheduled for 1985 – will not open until 2050 in a best case scenario.
“Most of the public and the politicians realise that it’s a necessity, but they don’t want [the waste] near them,” says Charles McCombie, a nuclear waste consultant at MCM Partners. “Most scientists agree it can be done safely, but this view is challenged by an active minority [of researchers].”
Opponents made their voices heard at the screening of Journey to the Safest Place on Earth. Among them was Ursula Wyss, politician with the centre-left Social Democrats, who introduced the film.
“It’s a huge legacy we leave to our children and grandchildren,” Wyss said. “The problem exceeds our technical possibilities and our sense of responsibility, and is impossible to grasp.”
During the podium discussion following the screening, she was seconded by Jürg Buri, director of the anti-nuclear group Swiss Energy Foundation. “Nobody knows for sure what will happen in 10,000, let alone one million years, with steel canisters buried in the ground. That is why we believe that Switzerland needs temporary reversible solutions instead of apparent solutions for eternity.”
Very few in the audience had much sympathy for Michael Aebersold, head of the waste disposal programme at the energy office. Aebersold defended the government’s repository plans, saying waste can only be safe if it is at some point inaccessibly sealed.
The difference between the showings of Journey to the Safest Place on Earth and Pandora’s Promise was like night and day.
For Stone’s film the nuclear lobby Nuklearforum and Women in Nuclear Schweiz invited an audience mainly consisting of people with vested interests who welcomed the director’s take.
Stone’s enthusiasm and arguments recalled the spirit of optimism in the early days of nuclear power in Switzerland. The country, lacking oil and gas deposits, embraced the cheap clean energy source. In 1969, Beznau I – today the world’s oldest nuclear power plant – became operational. Waste management was not questioned, as long as it took place far from home.
Nuclear power plants operators are responsible for waste from energy production and the government must deal with waste from healthcare, industry and research. The waste must be stored on Swiss ground. Export is only acceptable if the recipient complies with Swiss law.
Switzerland has in the past considered launching waste into space, disposing it in ice sheets and injecting it in deep boreholes. And it was involved in Pangea, a project aimed at disposing of high-level waste in Australia, a country that never had a nuclear power plant.
From 1969 to 1982 Switzerland dumped 5,341 tons of low and medium-level waste in the Atlantic, less than Britain and Russia, but more than any comparable country. High-level waste spent fuel were sent to Britain and France for reprocessing.
Then ocean disposal was, step-by-step, banned and in 1976, Britain and France decided to return waste to the countries of origin, forcing Switzerland to initiate a disposal programme.
Switzerland currently stores its nuclear waste in dry casks at interim facility Zwilag. (Gallery)
(source: Nagra, Federal Office of Energy)end of infobox
No plan B
But for Stone waste is not even a problem today. At one point in the documentary the camera zooms in on dry casks parked outside a United States plant. “Waste is one of the smaller issues,” said Stone after the film, explaining that in fast reactors some fuel could even be recycled. He also portrays anti-nuclear activists as irrational idealists largely devoid of logic and expert knowledge.
The hardened stances of both sides highlight the complexity of the storage issue. Its ethical implications also go beyond our concepts of time and imagination – not only those of laypeople.
“You can’t leave aside the ethics and we need transparency,” says Jürg Schacher, a nuclear physicist at the European Organization for Nuclear Research and the University of Bern. “We don’t want a cheap convenient solution where the waste is buried in oblivion,” he explains.
Markus Fritschi, head of Nagra’s repository programme, says there is no plan B if the Swiss reject the cabinet’s preferred site in about 10 years’ time.
“If we don’t find a suitable repository, we’re back to square one, and we’ll have to continue to store our waste in interim facilities on the surface – a scenario that would be a disaster waiting to happen,” he said. “Society is not stable. Just picture what Europe looked like 70 years ago, and you’ll see why this wouldn’t be a good idea.”
The safest way to store radioactive waste are deep geological repositories, requiring geological stability, minimal flows of deep groundwater, favourable groundwater chemistry and no conflict with natural resources.
At the Mont Terri Rock Laboratory in canton Jura, international researchers conduct experiments on the feasibility and safety of deep geological disposal inside clay layers formed 180 million years ago in a shallow sea during the Jurassic period.
For the repository, experts propose a depth of about 600 metres. Opalinus clay is suitable as host material because of its good isolation capacity, very low water permeability and a homogenous structure, which retains nuclides and expands into fissures and fractures.
The experts bet on a system of natural and engineered barriers, the host rock as well as the waste form, steel canisters, buffer material, backfill and seals that block off radiation. The scientists estimate that the container will have fully corroded within about 10,000 years. At that point, the nuclides will start migrating through the host rock.
(source: Nagra, Federal Office of Energy)end of infobox | <urn:uuid:737ba8c4-5043-48aa-995c-38e80d6a40cb> | CC-MAIN-2019-18 | http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/hard-sell_opinions-remain-divided-over-nuclear-waste/37581160 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-18/segments/1555578583000.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20190422235159-20190423021159-00092.warc.gz | en | 0.937382 | 2,046 | 2.78125 | 3 |
NEW DELHI: India continues to have serious levels of widespread hunger forcing it to be ranked a lowly 97 among 118 developing countries for which the Global Hunger Index (GHI) was calculated this year.
Countries worse than India include extremely poor African countries such as Niger, Chad, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone besides two of India's neighbours: Afghanistan and Pakistan. Other neighbours Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are all ranked above India.
The GHI is calculated by taking into account four key parameters: shares of undernourished population, wasted and stunted children aged under 5, and infant mortality rate of the same age group.
Of the 131 countries studied, data was available for 118 countries. This year, for the first time, two measures of child hunger -wasting and stunting -have been used to give a more complete picture. Wasting refers to low weight in relation to a child's height, reflecting acute undernutrition.Stunting refers to the deficiency in height in relation to age, reflecting chronic undernutrition.
Truth Only - 12 hours ago
congress has looted in such a way its take some time to modi to brings things in normal ..we have full faith on him ...god bless him ..jai hind
If there was so much hunger and malnutrition as suggested by the report people of kashmir should not have the strength to throw stones. Bogus report!
Yes Fake report. People in poverty would not fight a army. India is feeding its citizen well - kashmir case in point. Those people seem to be well fed. | <urn:uuid:9cd2003b-fc4a-4e41-b277-3a7e2318b782> | CC-MAIN-2018-26 | http://www.santaihu.com/2016101401.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-26/segments/1529267867579.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20180625072642-20180625092642-00424.warc.gz | en | 0.736658 | 322 | 2.53125 | 3 |
I had the great fortune of attending the Common Core Conference at Discovery Communication HQ in Silver Spring, MD. This two-day workshop was full of seminars and networking with other teachers. One session was delivered by Rabecca Hart about using eVocabualry tools in the classroom. Here are her recommendations: (Thanks Rabecca!)
- Visit Voki.com and create a character that can speak the vocabulary challenge of the day or week.
- Create a class discussion URL on TodaysMeet.com. Then have students go to that URL to have an in class discussion about the word of the day. Students can write what they think the word means.
- Visual Thesaurus visuwords.com to find definitions, synonyms, because it is a graphical dictionary. Try it, it is FREE. Put this on your board as students enter the class with a word of the day from your lesson.
- Wordle.net is a very commonly used word cloud website. You can change the color of the background, the font and even create a custom color palette. Try a new world cloud sites like: http://worditout.com/discover-word-clouds. My recommendation for using word clouds is to type your words into a text document first. Then copy and paste each time you want to change an option. Don’t forget to try tagxedo.com to show your clouds into different shapes. Another world cloud site to try is www.abcya.com/wordcloud. Try them all and see which fits your style.
- If you are feeling more creative, try using Powtoon.com to create a short animated video. This site will step you through the process.
- This site: http://www.lexipedia.com/ will translate your English words into a visual dictionary, define what parts of speech are included in the visual and allow you to see it in Spanish, German, French, Dutch and Italian.
- If you want to translate to another language try: http://lingro.com/dictionary/ which includes a dictionary, thesaurus and more.
- So if you have started from the first listed site and worked the list, the next step is to create a tactile type of learning vocabulary that includes the use of QR codes. The first suggestion is to try QRstuff.com. You can choose a color, type (video, voice, link to a site and many more (look on the left side of the page). Follow the directions on the page, download, print and post in your classroom. Students need a device with a qrcode scan app in order to read the code. That device can be a tablet, laptop, iPod or smartphone that can have a qrcode reading application installed. In addition, you can try QRvoice.net which will play voice you record. One new site; thinglink.com will allow you to add voice or images to a qrcode.So experiment and find the one that suits your style. | <urn:uuid:538d1bb1-a8a5-4eb0-a752-3f495d36ea07> | CC-MAIN-2019-13 | https://blog.discoveryeducation.com/blog/2013/08/04/16-days-left-of-my-summer-evocabulary-projects/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-13/segments/1552912203168.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20190324022143-20190324044143-00474.warc.gz | en | 0.918624 | 625 | 3.3125 | 3 |
Orthorexia - Anxiety about “Health & Fitness”
All about Orthorexia and it’s Treatment
In recent times, there has been a growing interest in eating healthy and staying fit. An increasing number of people have a desire to eat “pure” or “clean” foods. Many will go to great lengths to change their lifestyle to incorporate elements of exercise and healthy eating: driven by the idea that doing so would improve their health. For the large majority of us, such a conclusion would be quite accurate – swapping pizza and fried chicken for salad and grilled fish, and doing more exercise instead of sitting at home in front of the television, would seemingly benefit our overall health and wellbeing. However, too much of a good thing can come at a cost, to both our physical and mental wellbeing.
Orthorexia is an unhealthy fixation on healthy eating. Although not officially recognised on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V), it is similar to other eating disorders where individuals obsess about specific types of food and overall intake. Orthorexia typically starts out as an innocent attempt to eat more healthily. However, individuals with orthorexia become unhealthily fixated on food quality and purity, and start to obsess over what, how and when, to eat, including in what way they will deal with “slip-ups” (typically via stricter eating or more exercise).
Orthorexia is a disorder rooted in food restriction, where the types of food are severely controlled. Individuals who are orthorexic have a tendency to avoid foods that are processed (like refined sugar or white flour), and only consume foods that claim to be organic, natural, raw, or “whole”. People can spend excessive amounts of time, for example four hours a day, reading about and preparing specific types of foods, and experience feelings of guilt after eating food that is deemed “unhealthy”.
Individuals with Orthorexia may obsess about any number of nutritional aspects of food, including, but not limited to the following:
- Sugar: in particular refined sugar
- High fructose corn syrup
- Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fat (trans fats)
- Glycemic Index (GI)
- Dairy products
- Fatty acids
- Vitamin and mineral content of foods
- “Whole” or “organic”
- Genetically modified foods
- Raw foods
Orthorexia differs from anorexia and bulimia nervosa in that orthorexics do not fear being fat; they eliminate entire groups of foods in the quest for a “perfect” and “clean” healthy diet, whereas anorexics and bulimics obsess about calories, for fear of weight gain.
The causes of orthorexia are as yet unclear; however there has been some discussion on some of the underlying motivations to eat “clean”. Some of these include compulsion for complete control, wanting to be thin, using food to create an identity, safety from poor health, proving their self-discipline and self-control, and improving self-esteem.
Because society has been pushing us to be more aware of our foods and to be healthier, it can be easy to miss some of the signs of orthorexia. At times, we may hide behind the idea that we are simply eating well. Following a healthy diet does not make you orthorexic. However, there are some key characteristics that can be indicative of orthorexia. These include:
- Excessive concern about food quality
- Spending excessive amounts of time and attention on food (e.g., reading about, preparing)
- Eliminating or avoiding foods deemed “unhealthy”
- Difficulties eating a meal prepared by someone else without attempting to control what is served
- Looking for ways that food is unhealthy for you
- Feelings of guilt or self-loathing in the event of a “slip-up”
- Intrusive thoughts about food
- Spending time discussing food and attempting to convince others of the “correct” diet
- Becoming separated or lonely as a result of the need to eat healthily
Despite the belief that orthorexics may have about their diet being “clean” and “healthy”, the diet of orthorexics may actually have nutritional deficits which, in extreme cases, can lead to malnourishment. Additionally, orthorexia can become an isolating disorder as much of our social interaction takes place over food. Orthorexics can find that eating foods that are not considered “pure” to be anxiety provoking, and may limit or avoid social engagements in order to control their food intake and to reduce their distress. Additionally, many orthorexics plan much of their life around food and may lose the ability to eat intuitively – to know when they are hungry, how much food they need to eat, and when they are full. Such behaviours and tendencies can become socially limiting and drastically reduce an individual’s quality of life.
Evidence-based treatment strategies used in the treatment of other eating disorders and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders (OCD) has been found to be effective in treating orthorexia. Both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can be highly effective in treatment orthorexia. Using CBT, individuals learn more about nutrition and strategies to challenge their thoughts and beliefs underlying their orthorexia. Exposure is also incorporated into treatment, to enable the gradual reintroduction of foods into your diet, returning to social interactions with others involving food, and limiting the amount of time researching foods. Individuals with orthorexia also learn to accept uncomfortable thoughts and sensations in relation to food and their body. The goal for treatment is on identifying what the underlying cause of the obsession behind healthy eating is and for individuals to become more comfortable with their bodies and health to change their relationship with a variety of foods. Ultimately, treatment will help individuals learn to have a more balanced perspective on food and to be able to enjoy eating.
Author: Dr Daphne S Bryan, DPsyc (Clin); BPsycSci (Hons)
Who we recommend
Dr. Daphne Bryan
For adults experiencing excessive concerns around "healthy eating", we would recommend Dr Daphne Bryan, who is one of our skilled clinical psychologists here at Anxiety House. Daphne uses a variety of psychotherapeutic techniques, including: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Mindfulness-based therapy, Schema Therapy, and Acceptance, and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Kratina, K. (2014). Orthorexia Nervosa. Retrieved from http://www.easybib.com/reference/guide/apa/website
Marcason. W. (2013, April). Orthorexia: An obsession with eating “pure”. Retrieved from http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id442471029
Quinlan, K. (2013). Orthorexia: Where eating disorders meet OCD. Retrieved from: http://www.ocdla.com/blog/orthorexia-eating-disorders-ocd-1282
Reddy, S. (2014, November). When healthy eating calls for treatment. Retrieved from: http://online.wsj.com/articles/when-healthy-eating-calls-for-treatment-1415654737 | <urn:uuid:e60590ee-7a4e-47ae-b001-35ba961fae4c> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://anxietyhouse.com.au/anxiety-types/orthorexia-anxiety-health-fitness/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560628000575.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20190626214837-20190627000837-00171.warc.gz | en | 0.942243 | 1,573 | 2.875 | 3 |
How often are parents aware of the ingredients contained in the multivitamin that they feed their children? We often believe what we hear without ever questioning what mass marketing and media has to say about a product. In this case they have led thousands of parents to purchase multivitamins because they believe it has significant nutritional value. But do these vitamins truly provide nutritional benefit? If so, at what cost?
If we look at the Flintstones vitamin, (one of the top multivitamins in the United States) it contains a number of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), aspartame, aluminum, petroleum-derived artificial colours and more. All of these ingredients are not optimal for health and can be very toxic.
Lets take a closer look at some of these ingredients.
Aspartame is known to damage the brain at any dose by leaving traces of Methanol in the blood. It makes you wonder why Aspartame has been approved as “safe” and is found in thousands of food products; not to mention children’s vitamins. It’s also linked to Lymphoma and Leukaemia. It’s basically a synthetic combination of the amino acids aspartic acid and I-phenylalanine. It’s known to convert into toxic methanol and formaldehyde in the body. Hopefully this motivates you to further your research. If you are looking for specific studies, you can check out these ones published in the US National Library of Medicine:
Sorbitol is a synthetic sugar substitute which is classified as a sugar alcohol. The ingestion of higher amounts have been linked to gastrointestinal disturbances from abdominal pain to more serious conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome. You can view some studies related to Sorbitol below:
Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
Anything marketed to children that contains hydrogenated soybean oil is irresponsible. They are semi-synthetic fatty acids that incorporate themselves into our tissues. They’ve been linked to dozens of harmful health effects, from coronary artery disease to cancer and fatty liver disease. You can view a number of links to studies conducted here.
This is quite remarkable that Ferrous Fumarate is an ingredient here. There is a clear warning on the Flintstone’s web site concerning this chemical. It’s used as an iron supplement. When consuming iron that comes naturally in food, it’s impossible to inject toxic amounts that can cause death. But when taking Ferrous Fumarate, fatal levels of toxicity can be reached.
Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6. Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control centre immediately(1)
Studies have been conducted that show ferrous fumarate doesn’t even affect iron status in children, you can read that study here. Below are links to a few more studies, out of many:
According the European Union’s Dangerous Substance Directive, Cupric Oxide is listed as a hazardous substance. It’s classified as both harmful and dangerous to the environment. It is used as a pigment in ceramics and as a chemical in the production of rayon fabric and dry cell batteries. It is indeed a mineral, but should this really be a nutrient in a children’s vitamin?
Brief Summary of Bayer Pharmaceuticals
Most pharmaceutical companies, like Bayer, the developer of the Flintstones vitamins, do not have the best track record. Bayer is a German chemical and pharmaceutical company founded in 1863. In 1925, it became part of IG Farben, a German chemical industry conglomerate. This chemical company had board members that were responsible for the creation of the Federal Reserve, like Paul Warburg. who sat on the board of the Federal Reserve as well as I.G Farben. It was a corporation well connected with the Rockefeller’s, and the second largest shareholder in Standard Oil. The investment was part of a pattern of reciprocal investments between the U.S. and Germany during the Nazi years (2). It’s well known that IG Farben was closely connected with the Nazi’s. They held the patent for the pesticide Zyklon B, the chemical used in gas chambers. Some of IG Farben’s directors were accused as war criminals, while others continued on with the agenda we see taking form today. We can see a conflict of interest through the companies shareholders when it comes to the creation of pharmaceutical products.
I think it’s time for us to examine what we choose to feed our children. All it takes is a little investigation and stepping into our own awareness of what is going on around us. Many of us live a robotic life style, we are all here doing the same thing. We’ve been programmed to grow up, work and spend most of our hours doing just that. While we participate in a 9-5, eat sleep watch TV, participate in a number of activities for entrainment purposes type of reality, there are those working behind the scenes manipulating the consciousness of the human race. All we have to do is notice, after that we can begin making better choices in our own lives. The world is indeed waking up, something new is desired, the current Earth paradigm is one many people don’t resonate with any more. A lot of us feel that it’s time to move on, grow and explore our infinite potentiality.
Here are some alternative vitamin choices for people looking for it. These have been suggested by readers. Please research them as we have not yet.
Sources (Links to research and studies conducted are listed throughout the article) | <urn:uuid:0860b47e-a1d5-47ee-a1af-fdb15dbfa128> | CC-MAIN-2019-51 | https://worldtruth.tv/top-childrens-vitamins-full-of-aspartame-gmos-harmful-chemicals/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-51/segments/1575540491491.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20191206222837-20191207010837-00513.warc.gz | en | 0.955827 | 1,173 | 2.953125 | 3 |
What is Seafood Allergy?
Many cat foods and cat treats include seafood in their ingredients. Often used as a healthy source of protein in food for cats, an allergy can occur when a cat’s immune system overreacts to a protein that is present in the seafood. Like other food allergies, an allergy to seafood can lead to an uncomfortable skin reaction for the cat.
Once your veterinarian thinks that your cat is experiencing an allergy to a particular food, an elimination diet will be recommended in order to confirm which protein your cat is reacting to.
An allergy to seafood will occur when the immune system of a cat overreacts to one or more of the elements present in the food that he consumed.
Symptoms of Seafood Allergy in Cats
Should your cat experience an allergy to seafood, symptoms will likely be similar to those of other food allergies and will include:
- Skin symptoms often starting at your cat’s head and neck
- Scratching, biting and/or licking his skin
- Hair loss
- Skin rashe
- Blisters/lesions or skin ulcerations
- Swelling in his face and limbs
- Inflammation in his paws
Some cats can have respiratory symptoms like coughing or trouble breathing. Gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting are also possible, as well as chronic ear infections and lethargy.
Your cat may experience a food intolerance before or during the appearance of the allergy. When your cat is displaying a food intolerance, it will often involve gastrointestinal distress and gurgling sounds from his digestive system. When a food allergy occurs, in many cases it will start on your cat’s head and neck and you will likely see hair loss, skin lesions and itchiness.
Causes of Seafood Allergy in Cats
The majority of your cat’s immune system cells are in his gastrointestinal system. Should his immune system overreact to a food he has consumed it is considered an allergy. Upon digesting what he has consumed, your cat’s system will break down the food into amino acids that will be absorbed by enterocytes and taken into his bloodstream. If the proteins are not broken down as they are intended, the enterocytes will think that they are intruders and this will cause them to attack, leading to the allergy response.
An allergy can develop to any food, though some are more likely to cause a reaction in your cat. In addition to seafood, some other foods that commonly result in an allergic reaction when consumed include:
Diagnosis of Seafood Allergy in Cats
Should you notice concerning symptoms, you will want to bring your cat to the veterinarian for a check-up. After a full physical examination, your veterinarian will ask you about when you first noticed symptoms in your cat, and what changes have occurred. Your veterinarian will also inquire about your cat’s diet and any supplements he takes.
Your veterinarian will likely recommend having blood work done to show how your cat’s internal organs are performing. A packed cell volume or PCV can be taken to make sure your cat is not dehydrated. A sample of your cat’s skin cells will be taken and looked at under a microscope, which will help your veterinarian rule out parasites, yeast and bacteria.
Once your veterinarian has ruled out other causes of your cat’s symptoms, a food allergy will be considered. To confirm this (and what the allergy is to) your veterinarian will recommend that your cat be put on a novel diet which will usually consist of a very bland diet that is different from what he has been eating.
The diet should be followed for at least 90 days; should his symptoms resolve themselves while on the diet, it will point to his having an allergy to something that he has consumed. After around 90 days of the diet, you can start reintroducing things he had previously eaten, like seafood, one at a time. Should your cat’s symptoms return, you will be able to confirm what it is your cat is allergic to.
Treatment of Seafood Allergy in Cats
Once an allergy to seafood is confirmed, it will need to be kept out of your cat’s diet. While your cat is on the novel diet, he will initially have symptoms of the allergy. These can be relieved through antihistamines (though they don’t work for all cats) or corticosteroids. Both antihistamines and corticosteroids can help with itching and swelling.
While your cat will gain some relief from these, masking the symptoms of the allergy may make it harder to determine what aspect or aspects of their food are causing the reaction. For this reason, your veterinarian may recommend avoiding these medications while you administer the novel diet. If your cat develops a secondary infection due to excessive licking and biting, your veterinarian will prescribe antibiotics to resolve it.
Recovery of Seafood Allergy in Cats
Once it has been confirmed that your cat is allergic to seafood, it is important to remove it from his diet, after which his symptoms should resolve themselves. Cats with one food allergy frequently develop additional allergies so it is a good idea to keep a close eye on your cat for symptoms down the road.
Seafood Allergy Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
My cat has been crying trying to get my attention and because of his hair all the sudden being matted and standing on edge it just occurred to me he might be allergic to seafood his hair is matting and falling off WHAT CAN I DO?
Could this allergy get worse or be fatal
Add a comment to Gingy's experience
Was this experience helpful? | <urn:uuid:89fed1c4-2870-4b2f-8dd0-d59adfecd111> | CC-MAIN-2018-30 | https://wagwalking.com/cat/condition/seafood-allergy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-30/segments/1531676592650.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20180721164755-20180721184755-00579.warc.gz | en | 0.959151 | 1,157 | 2.9375 | 3 |
- Red: Your family does not have access to electricity
- Yellow: Your family has access to electricity but it is clandestine and/or not constant
- Green: Your family has permanent and non-clandestine access to electricity
And how about the ability to read, write and comprehend your native language?
- Red: At least one adult member of your family does not know how to read and write
- Yellow: The adult members of your family know how to read simple texts but find it difficult to comprehend and are not able to write texts that are understandable to others
- Green: All the adult members of your family know how to read, write and comprehend
Did you choose “green” twice? Congratulations, you are considered not to be poor in these areas.
Fundación Paraguaya has developed a practical methodology that gives poor families the tools to self-diagnose their own multidimensional poverty as a first step in developing personalized strategies to lift themselves out of poverty permanently.
This is what the Poverty Stoplight has been for thousands of families in Paraguay and aspires to be for many more families around the developing world.
Dimensions and indicators
The Poverty Stoplight is a methodology that divides the concept of poverty into 6 different dimensions, each dimension containing a several specific indicators, adding up to 50 in total. As the name suggests, it uses stoplight colours: Red (for Extremely Poor), Yellow (for Poor), Green (for Not Poor).
The dimensions are as follows:
1. Income & Employment
2. Health & the Environment
3. Housing & Infrastructure
4. Education & Culture
5. Organization & Participation
6. Self-esteem & Motivation
Existing measurement tools
As I hinted at the end of my previous blog entry, poverty is multidimensional. A family may have a per capita income above a certain (inter)national threshold, yet still be poor due to a lack of clean water, decent housing, access to education or healthcare, and other requirements for a decent life. Already, several poverty measurement indices exist that are looking beyond income levels.
The global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), for example, is an international measure of acute poverty covering over 100 developing countries. The MPI can be used to reveal poverty patterns within countries and over time, which enables policy makers to target resources and design policies more effectively.
A particularly interesting example is the Cashpor House Index (CHI) in India, which is based on the height of the wall and material used in the wall and roof of a house. Basically, it means the higher the house, the richer the family.
A widely used tool is one created by the Grameen Foundation: Progress out of Poverty Index (PPI), which uses the answers to 10 questions about a household’s characteristics (e.g. number of members, type of floor) and asset ownership (e.g. freezer, television) to compute the likelihood that the household is living below the poverty line. The tool is adapted to each country by using their national household survey (or another equivalent survey) to find the indicators most highly correlated with poverty. With the PPI, a microfinance institution (MFI) can identify the clients who are most likely to be poor or vulnerable to poverty and make their products more effective towards the clients’ needs. Today, there are PPI scorecards for 55 countries.
How is the Poverty Stoplight any different?
First of all, an important aspect of the Poverty Stoplight is that the families understand the concept of their poverty. Every family is poor in its own way, and self-evaluation enables the poor to see and understand the ways in which they are poor and non-poor. Loan officers at Fundación Paraguaya have experienced clients presenting their non-hygienic and ‘incomplete’ kitchens, bathrooms etc. with great pride because they are used to a certain standard. Imagine someone that grew up having a bathroom with a latrine that lacks a flushing system and is shared with other families, and all of the families in the same community have the same type of bathroom. Why would this person aim for a more hygienic standard? The Poverty Stoplight helps to create awareness about other “realities.”
Because the families will have to use the tool themselves, the Stoplight design is universal and simple to understand: red is an alert, yellow requires attention and green is positive. Given that many poor families are functionally illiterate, each level of each indicator includes a photograph or drawing representing the local context.
For example, to represent the three levels in Paraguay for access to drinking water, the Stoplight includes a photograph of a woman carrying a bucket of water on her head (extreme poor), a well located within 100m of the house (poor), and a faucet at home (non-poor). In this way, the person can quickly indicate which photograph best represents her family’s situation in terms of access to drinking water.
The loan officer sits down with the client (and perhaps more family members) to go through all 50 indicators and the data from this initial visual survey provides the baseline against which to measure each client’s progress in overcoming poverty. This generates a heat map that allows the family to see at a glance in which respects the family is poor and not poor. This brings me to the next important difference with the other poverty indices.
Just as with the PPI, the data that the tool generates could help MFIs in designing their strategy and products more effectively to address the needs of the client. More importantly, the Poverty Stoplight allows the families to create their own personalized strategies to get out of poverty based on the information from the visual survey.
As mentioned before, creating awareness is an important first step. Finding the right motivation is a necessary second.
Fundación Paraguaya uses two theories to endorse this. The first one by Ken Wilber looks at a situation from four different angles. For example, in the case of a microcredit client who has no front teeth, is it because she does not take care of her teeth and does not go to the dentist (i.e., a behavioral issue)? Is it because there is no dentist in her village (a systemic problem)? Is it because in her community, a complete set of teeth for an older woman is not really valued (cultural)? Is she afraid of going to the dentist (intention)? We can understand why she is missing teeth and come up with an effective solution only if we can answer these four questions.
Of course, the same questions can be applied to a person’s income or lack thereof, or to their access to drinking water, housing, vaccines, education, and other similar poverty indicators.
The second theory of Joseph Grenny (and others) about the power to change anything, relates to motivation and skills at an individual, group and systemic level. Combining this with the family’s data from the Poverty Stoplight survey and the understanding of the source(s) of a problem (Ken Wilber’s theory), the loan officer can empower and assist the family in designing a strategy to improve their situation for any indicator that is not green yet.
A holistic approach takes time
On the downside, applying the Poverty Stoplight takes more time than the other indices. Not only are there more dimensions and indicators, it also requires substantial commitment and follow-up from loan officers. Undoubtedly, the tool will become more efficient in the years to come, but the reality remains that not every MFI will be willing to put up the resources to implement and conduct lengthy poverty assessments.
The challenges of implementing the Poverty Stoplight at Fundación Paraguaya and replicating the model in other countries will be my blog topic for next week. Stay tuned!
Dennis van Erp is working out of Asunción, Paraguay, where he’s collaborating with Accion partner Fundación Paraguaya on developing a business plan for their microlending program. | <urn:uuid:d130b52e-f03f-435a-92f9-028b76e995f2> | CC-MAIN-2018-26 | https://accionambassadors.wordpress.com/2015/08/22/red-yellow-or-green-you-decide/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-26/segments/1529267867050.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20180624180240-20180624200240-00595.warc.gz | en | 0.941083 | 1,656 | 3.015625 | 3 |
Small sales taxes on soft drinks like the ones presently applicable is rather inadequate to cut down the consumption of soda or reduce obesity in children,a new RAND Corporation study has revealed.
Such small taxes may reduce consumption in some subgroups such as children at greater risk for obesity, but reducing consumption for all children would require larger taxes, according to the study published by the journal Health Affairs
"If the goal is to noticeably reduce soda consumption among children, then it would have to be a very substantial tax" said Roland Sturm, the study's lead author and a senior economist at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. "A small sales tax on soda does not appear to lead to a noticeable drop in consumption, led alone reduction in obesity."
Taxes on soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages have been proposed as part of many anti-obesity efforts, with the goal being to discourage consumption of the high-calorie drinks in order to curb excess weight gain.
Researchers estimated the potential effect of soft drink taxes on children's consumption and weight by examining differences in existing sales taxes on soft drinks between states. Details about state soda taxes were compared to information about weight and soda consumption among 7,300 children enrolled in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, which has been gathering information about a national group of children for many years.
Children studied reported drinking an average of six sodas per week, but there was wide variation among the group. Fifteen percent reported drinking no sodas in the prior week, while 10 percent consumed two or more sodas per day. The amount of soda purchased at school was small.
The analysis could find no significant link between the consumption of soda or weight gain among children and differential taxes on sodas versus other foods. Existing differential taxes (taxes that are imposed on sodas and not other food items sold in grocery stores) are small, averaging 3.5 percent and none are larger than 7 percent.
The higher sales tax on soda in some states did seem to reduce soda consumption and curb weight gain among children at higher risk for obesity -- those who were heavier, children from low-income families, African-American children and those who watched a lot of television. Children in all these groups drank more soft drinks than children in general.
The impact was more pronounced for children from these groups who had access to soft drinks at school. Price effects may be stronger in school settings where cafeterias or vending machines round prices up, although there are alternative explanations, according to the study.
The fact that small sales taxes have no strong effect on consumption should not be surprising and the much larger soda taxes recently proposed in several areas are likely to have a much larger effect, Sturm said. An 18 percent soda tax proposed and then dropped from New York's Executive Budget last year, for example, could help prevent excessive weight gain between third and fifth grades by 20 percent.
In order for soda taxes to be most effective, researchers say they should be structured as an excise tax that would increase the shelf price of the product rather than a sales tax collected at the cash register. The latter may often not be clearly linked to the purchase of soda. One such approach to creating an excise tax would be to levy a tax on the sugar content of soda drinks.
"Soda taxes do have the potential to help reduce children's consumption of empty calories and have an impact on obesity, but both their size and how they are structured are key to whether they create measurable impact," Sturm said. | <urn:uuid:7b4ee435-3855-45b3-8a4b-ef8a6f01914b> | CC-MAIN-2017-13 | http://www.medindia.net/news/Small-Soda-Taxes-may-Not-Have-Effect-in-Reducing-Consumption-Among-Children-67203-1.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-13/segments/1490218189244.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20170322212949-00579-ip-10-233-31-227.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974052 | 711 | 3.046875 | 3 |
Researchers believe that plastic refuse can be used as fuel in cement factories in Asia. If this works, it may provide a solution to two of the planet’s biggest environmental problems – plastic in the oceans and high levels of coal consumption.
Hope in the midst of crisis. Overflowing landfill sites in Asia may prove to be goldmines for local cement producers. So say researchers at the Norwegian resarch organisation, SINTEF, who have extensive experience with the same concept in China.
Plastic is made from fossil fuels and contains more energy than coal. Substituting industrial coal consumption with non-recyclable plastic enables us to resolve two problems. The plastic will not end up in landfill or in the sea, and we will reduce levels of coal consumption and thus also CO2 emissions. It’s a win-win opportunity!
Facts about plastic refuse:
Approximately 6.3 billion tons of plastic refuse was produced globally up until 2015. Of this, only 9 percent was recycled, while 12 percent was incinerated and 79 percent was dumped in landfill sites.
If this trend continues, in 2050 we will have accumulated 12 billion tons of plastic refuse, of which a large proportion may end up as microplastic pollution in the oceans.
China is now investing heavily in the use of plastic waste as a fuel in the cement industry, and it was Norwegian researchers that first suggested the idea. The aim of the project OPTOCE (Ocean Plastic Turned into an Opportunity in Circular Economy) is to assist a number of Asian countries to be rid of their landfill sites and at the same time reduce their coal consumption.
“The country has boosted its waste management capacity and reduced its consumption of coal. The use of refuse as an energy source is thus now one of the key strategies in Chinese waste management policy.”
Half the world’s plastic
China, India, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar are together home to three billion people – about half of the world’s population. The greater part of the plastic and plastic refuse in the world also originates from these countries. China alone accounts for almost a third of the world’s production of plastics.
- Read also: When the Chinese giant awakes
As well as the plastic they use themselves, these countries also receive large volumes of plastic waste from Europe. Plastic collected in Norway is sent to Germany and that which cannot be recycled – that is, most of it – is often exported onwards to Asia. Unfortunately, this is because only a small proportion of our plastic refuse can be recycled. This may be because it has either already been recycled several times, or because it contains additives that mean it requires more energy to recycle than we obtain from its re-use. So it ends up as refuse.
Drowning in plastic refuse
The standards of living and levels of consumption in the five Asian countries have increased rapidly in recent years, but the effectiveness of their waste management policies has failed to keep up. They simply cannot get rid of their refuse, which accumulates in great landfill sites. Much of it ends up in the sea, where the plastic can do a great deal of harm.
“When the plastic ultimately ends up as microplastic in the oceans it becomes difficult to remove, so by far the best strategy is to prevent it from entering the marine environment in the first place”, says SINTEF’s Senior Research Scientist Kåre Helge Karstensen, who is heading the OPTOCE project. The aim of the project is to assist the authorities in these Asian countries to get rid of their landfill sites before the refuse ends up in the oceans.
So where are they going to put all this non-recyclable plastic? Can it be put to any useful purpose? This is where the cement industry enters the stage. The same countries that discharge the greatest volumes of plastic into the oceans also account for two thirds of the world’s cement production. Fifty-eight percent of all cement is manufactured in China.
Half a billion tons of coal
Cement is manufactured by heating limestone until it becomes liquid in a process called calcination. This process currently takes place in large furnaces at temperatures of 1,450 degrees Celsius. This requires enormous amounts of fuel, which for the most part is coal. Cement factories across the world are currently burning half a billion tons of coal every year.
The massive emissions of CO2 this entails, combined with the calcination process itself, make the industry a serious contributor to climate change. If some of this coal is replaced by non-recyclable plastic we will achieve a two-fold benefit. We will be rid of the landfill sites and at the same time reduce CO2 emissions.
Drastic reductions in coal consumption
There is nothing new in the idea of using refuse as a fuel in cement production. It was during the oil crisis of 1973 that cement manufacturers in the USA started looking for alternative fuel sources. They discovered that refuse could substitute for much of the fossil fuels they were using.
Norcem’s cement factory in Brevik in Porsgrunn started using refuse as a fuel in the 1980s. SINTEF and Kåre Helge Karstensen participated as a research partner in this process right from the start, and ever since, Karstensen, who is a qualified chemist, has been working to bring the concept developed by his group to the global cement industry.
In Europe today, it is standard practice to use refuse as a fuel in the manufacture of cement. The facility at Brevik substitutes 75 percent of what would be coal consumption with refuse. In doing so, it is able to utilise 150,000 tons of waste, including plastic, every year. The aim is eventually to stop using coal altogether.
Many years of collaboration
When in 2018, the Norwegian government delegated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the task of establishing a foreign aid programme to prevent plastic pollution in the oceans, the Ministry contacted Karstensen at SINTEF.
He had been working with waste management processes in China since 2005 and was the person who introduced the public authorities to the idea of using waste as a source of energy.
“At that time, the concept was entirely unknown in China”, says Karstensen. “The authorities were sceptical, but at the same time interested in the concept”, he says.
SINTEF took on a facilitation and problem-solving role in an attempt to establish collaboration between local industries and the authorities. Naturally, at first, the industry was unwilling to share commercial secrets with its competitors.
“However, many years of collaboration have enabled us to establish high levels of trust within the industry, and we have persuaded all parties to participate in the development and sharing of concepts that could be profitable for all concerned”, Karstensen says.
The utilisation of refuse as fuel has become a key aspect of waste management policy in China, and the industry has recognised the economic benefit.
“The country has boosted its waste management capacity and reduced its consumption of coal. The use of refuse as an energy source is thus now one of the key strategies in Chinese waste management policy”, says Karstensen.
This is the circular economy in practice. When refuse can be exploited as a resource in industrial processes, the world will need fewer incinerators and landfill sites.
Five pilot projects
The objective of the OPTOCE project is to bring this work forward with a view to removing landfill sites entirely and prevent refuse from ending up in the oceans.
Many countries in Asia are now utilising refuse as an energy source, although still to a much lesser extent than in Europe. To date, only three percent of coal consumption has been replaced by alternative fuels.
“The potential is enormous”, says Karstensen. “However, even if the cement factories of Asia can burn as much as 160 million tons of plastic refuse each year, they will still only be replacing between 10 and 15 percent of their industrial coal consumption”, he says.
Much of the work completed to date has been dedicated to persuading the industry and the authorities in these countries to invest in the use of plastic as a fuel.
“Of course we know that this is feasible, so now we intend to show them that it can work in their cement production sectors and that the process is profitable”, says Karstensen. “It is crucial that both the industry itself and the authorities recognise the opportunities made available by the use of plastic refuse. We are paying no-one to participate in this project. We now have cement factories in China, India, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar taking part in the project. All of them are testing the use of plastic as a fuel. All that remains is to document the environmental and commercial benefits”, he says.
Covid-19 is causing delays
The pilot projects were all planned to have been implemented by now, but the cement factories have suspended operations due to the coronavirus outbreak.
“We are in close dialogue with the factories and local research institutes and universities”, says Karstensen. “I’m sure that the authorities will ensure that production will be resumed as soon as possible. These are maturing economies that have to build hospitals, roads and other major infrastructure. They will be needing a lot of cement”, he says.
Here are the pilot projects:
- One of the biggest cement manufacturers in Thailand is planning to utilise between 100,000 and 250,000 tons of plastic a year as a substitute for coal. Thailand has 2,500 landfill sites containing 190 million tons of plastic.
- The Yangtze river in China is overflowing with refuse that is causing problems for the turbines at the Three Gorges hydroelectric dam facility. The cement manufacturer in the city of Zigui, located upstream from the dam, is planning to look into the possibility of collecting and processing 100,000 tons of floating waste, including a large volume of plastic.
- Plastic refuse generated by paper manufacturing processes constitutes a major waste problem throughout Asia. Vietnam’s largest paper factory, located on the Mekong river, is planning to test the use of plastic refuse as a fuel in a local cement factory.
- Currently, Myanmar operates no plastic waste treatment plants. Together with its environmental authorities and the country’s largest waste disposal company, the project is planning experiments in cement factories located outside Mandalay and Yangon to assess the feasibility of the environmentally sound management of plastic refuse. Myanmar does not exploit refuse as a fuel and so stands to obtain even greater benefit from the project. The industrial sector has been the main driver of this initiative because it recognises the potential profitability.
- India is planning to look into the possibilities of disposing of plastic refuse from the great cities of Agra, Delhi, Goa, Mumbai and Haridwar. A pilot project is being planned to test and compare three different approaches to the disposal of plastic refuse from India's largest landfill site. These will involve 1) the replacement of coal in cement manufacture, 2) the replacement of coal to fuel a power station and 3) incineration in a local combustion facility. | <urn:uuid:6d6af6b6-7622-444e-95f4-a37430187607> | CC-MAIN-2021-17 | https://norwegianscitechnews.com/2020/04/cement-factories-can-put-the-brakes-on-global-plastic-pollution/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-17/segments/1618038082988.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20210415005811-20210415035811-00634.warc.gz | en | 0.961904 | 2,315 | 3 | 3 |
Citrus trees are among the most popular types of fruit trees that home gardeners include in their landscaping. Lemons, limes, oranges, tangerines and other citrus fruits contain Vitamin C, calcium and other important nutrients. But if you live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 8, your citrus trees run the risk of frost damage when the temperature dips below 20 degrees F. Use one of several methods to winterize citrus trees and protect them from cold damage.
String Christmas lights over and around your tree. The warmth these lights provides can be sufficient to protect trees from light frosts, according to Four Winds Growers. Turn these lights on at night when the weather forecast predicts frost or temperatures below 32 degrees F for your area. You can also hang a 100-watt light bulb in the center of your tree, according to the University of California.
Turn on a yard sprinkler that will cover your tree with water on nights when the temperature is forecast to drop below 32 degrees F. Because running water cannot freeze, it will protect your tree from frost. Although this method uses a large amount of water, it can save your tree.
Spray an anti-transpirant over your tree in fall, before the first hard frost occurs. The University of California at Davis reports, “anti-transpirants are chemicals capable of reducing the transpiration rate when applied to plant foliage.” When plants are exposed to cold temperatures, they lose water. An anti-transpirant helps your citrus tree to retain its valuable juices.
Build a frost frame by constructing a box from 2-by-2-foot boards that is tall enough and wide enough to cover your citrus tree. Drape clear plastic over the top of the frame and around the sides, stapling it in place.
Move your tree indoors for the winter, if possible. If you grow your citrus tree in a large container, move it indoors for the winter before the first frost occurs. Provide six to eight hours of direct sunlight each day, or install fluorescent grow lights above your plant. Maintain a minimum temperature of 50 degrees F at night—warmer temperatures during the daytime will also benefit the tree. Reduce your watering of citrus trees that you bring indoors over winter as it is their dormant season. | <urn:uuid:54925bcc-8ed3-4b8c-bc37-646c8c185076> | CC-MAIN-2018-51 | https://www.gardenguides.com/102749-winterize-citrus-trees.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-51/segments/1544376823712.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20181212022517-20181212044017-00118.warc.gz | en | 0.912462 | 469 | 3.1875 | 3 |
[From King Orry to Queen Victoria, 1899]
[note the early history is rather garbled!]
ALEXANDER OF SCOTLAND, wishing to make sure of his sovereignty of Man, entered into a treaty at Perth, in 1266 A.D., with Magnus VI., King of Norway, the successor of Hacon Hakonson, in which Magnus ceded to him all his claims and interest in the sovereignty and episcopacy of Man for the sum of 4,000 marks, to be paid in four yearly instalments of 1,000 marks each, and an annual pension of 100 marks. Alexander, however, had very great difficulties in getting the Manx themselves to accede to this arrangement, which was the first sale of the island. He had to send a powerful army, under the command of Alexander Stuart, of Paisley, to reduce them to a state of obedience.
Stuart fought a decisive battle at Ronaldsway, where the Manx were badly beaten, losing five hundred gentlemen of the best families, and their leader, Ivan the Bold.
On establishing his authority, Alexander, in token of his conquest, abolished the ancient armorial ensign of the islandthe ship with the motto Rex Mannae et Insularem, substituting the more ancient device of the Three Legs.
It was a long time before the Manx settled down quietly under their new Scottish rulers. The Scottish Kings governed the island by nobles or Thanes, the generality of whom were so tyrannical that at last the Manx rose in revolt in very considerable numbers, and when the two armies were drawn up before each other, the Bishop, Marcus Galvadiensio, a Scotch-man, interfered to prevent bloodshed, and obtained the mutual consent of both parties to decide the contest by thirty champions on each side.
The contest took place, and extraordinary feats of heroism were performed on both sides. The Manx champions were all slain, and twenty-five of the Scottish champions perished also. This affair settled the matter, and the people quietly submitted to their fate.
On the death of Alexander of Scotland, the con tentions of Bruce and Baliol gave Edward I. of England the opportunity of seizing the Isle of Man for a period; and in the meantime two claimants for the Manx crown appeared in the fieldboth females.
The first lady was Mary, daughter of Reginald III.; the other was Alfrida, a daughter of Olaf III., the Black, King of Man. This latter lady was married to an English nobleman, Sir Simon de Montacute, and in her favour the all-powerful Edward I. decided.
Their son, Sir William de Montacute, a reckless young gentlemana sort of medieval fast young man hanging around the English Courthaving overrun the constable, mortgaged the island and its revenue to his uncle, Anthony Beck, Bishop of Durham and Patriarch of Jerusalem, to whom the King of England afterwards made a grant of it for his life.
This is believed to be the first recorded instance of a hard-up gentleman depositing his property with his uncle as security for cash advanced. If they have not already done so, and they think they require a patron saint, it would not be amiss for the pawn brokers to adopt this Bishop Anthony Beck for the purpose, as they have already done by taking the arms of Lombardy for their sign.
The avuncular Bishop enjoyed his security for just seventeen years, when he was gathered to his fathers. As the fast-living Sir William de Montacute was either dead or in too great difficulties to show up, and his son and heir was but an infant of tender years, the reigning King of England, Edward II., who was noted for his generosity to his favourites especially when he had the opportunity of exercising it with other peoples propertypresented the Isle of Man successively to his proteges, Piers de Gaveston, Gilbert MacGaskell, and Henry de Beaumont.
Not one of these Court butterflies cared about being a resident King of Man, much preferring to spend what moneys the revenues afforded them in the gaieties of London. Consequently Man presented a good opportunity for the energetic Bruce, who, in 1313 A.D., made a descent upon it, and besieged the English garrison in Castle Rushen. This fortress, however, was gallantly defended by Dougall MacDoul for a period of six months, before he and his brave men surrendered. On the English garrison being at length driven out of the island, Bruce, King of Scotland, presented the crown of Man to his nephew, Randolph, Earl of Murray.
In the following reign of Edward III. of England, known as the Hammer of Scotland, Man again fell into English hands. Mary de Waldefeof, a lady, presented her claims to the English King. Edward had other and much weightier matters on hand to attend to, but managed to find time to very speedily settle the claims of both aspirants of the rival houses. He united them by giving the Lady Mary de Waldefeof in marriage to William de Montacute, Earl of Salisbury, the grandson of Sir Simon de Montacute and Alfrida, the daughter of King Olaf the Black.
In the year 1344 A.D., the Earl and Countess of Salisbury were crowned King and Queen of Man, with great pomp and ceremony, in the Cathedral of St. Germains, in Peel Castle.
The Salisbury family set but little store on their insular throne, for in 1393 A.D. the chronicles inform us that the Earl of Salisbury, son of the one who married Mary de Waldefeof, sold to William de Scroop, afterwards Earl of Wiltshire, the Isle of Man, with the title of King, and the right of being crowned with a golden crown.
At this period the golden crown appears to have brought anything but good fortune to its wearer, for the Earl of Wiltshire got into serious trouble, and was beheaded in 1399 A.D. for high treason against Henry IV. of England, who bestowed the little kingdom on Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland; but he in his turn got into disgrace, and was attainted and banished by King Henry, who made another grant of the Isle of Man, in 1406 A.D., to Sir John Stanley to him and his heirs for ever; to be held from the Kings of England, subject to an annual tribute of a cast of falcons. Henry Bolingbroke was a King who did things thoroughly.
Sir John Stanley married the daughter of Sir Thomas Lathom, of Lathom and Knowsley, in Lancashire, and thus founded the noble family of Stanley and Derby, who held the sovereignty of Man for very many years. Its several members made frequent visits to their little kingdom, but governed chiefly by lieutenants, who either resided at Peel or Rushen Castles, both of which were garrisoned, and considered amongst the strongest fortified places in the British Isles.
Henry Byron, one of these Lieutenant-Governors, is spoken of with great respect by the Manx people of the present day. He remodelled the House of Keys, and restored that body to its original number of twenty-four. It will be remembered that Man sent sixteen, and the other isles eight members, to Tynwald Parliament. Several years previous to Governor Byrons time, the Soderen Isles had in reality been separated from Man. Byron so rearranged the members that every parish sent one, making in all twenty-four, the original number first instituted by King Orry.
In the reign of Richard II. of England the Earl of Warwick was banished to Peel Castle, in the Isle of Man, but after a while was recalled, and his honours all restored.
Another notable English prisoner in Peel Castle was Eleanor Cobham, the wife of Duke Humphrey of Gloucester, sentenced to perpetual imprisonment for witchcraft by King Henry VI. of Englandvide Shakespeare, Henry VI., Part II., Act II., Scene 3, Hall of Justice:
KING HENRY. Stand forth, Dame Eleanor Cobham, Glosters wife
In sight of God and us, your guilt is great:
Receive the sentence of the law for sins
Such as by Gods Book are adjudged to death.
* * * * *
You, madam, for you are more nobly born,
Despoiled of your honour in your life,
Shall, after three days open penance done,
Live in your country here in banishment,
With Sir John Stanley, in the Isle of Man.
DUCHESS. Welcome is banishment; welcome were my death, etc.
Scene 4, after the Duchess has done penance:
DUCHESS. Stanley, I prithee, go, and take me hence; I care not whither, for I beg no favour,
Only convey me where thou art commanded.
STANLEY. Why, madam, that is to the Isle of Man; There to be used according to your state.
In the reign of Henry VI. the Stanleys were raised to the peerage, and created barons, Sir Thomas Stanley being the first Lord Stanley. He died in 1459 A.D., and it was his son, also named Thomas, who played the all-important part at Bosworth Field, when, after taking part in the battle against the unpopular Richard III., he crowned the victorious Earl of Richmond, on the field of battle, Henry V II., King of England, for which services Henry created him Earl of Derby.
The regal title of King of Man was resigned in 1504 A.D. by Thomas, second Earl of Derby, who explained his reasons in the following letter to his son:
The Isle was sometime governed by Kings, natives of its own, who were converted to Christianity by St. Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland; and Sir John Stanley, the first possessor of it of that family, was by his Patent styled King of Man, as were his successors after him. For great and wise reasons I have thought fit to forbear that title. Some might think it a mark of grandeur that the Lords of this Isle have been called kings; and I might be of that opinion if I knew how this country could maintain itself independent of other nations; and that I had no interest in another place; but herein I agree with your great and wise ancestor, and with him conceive that to be a great Lord is more honourable than a petty king.
Besides, it is not fit for a king to be subject to any other king but the King of Kings; nor does it hardly please a king that any of his subjects should affect that title, were it but to act it in a play; witness the scruples raised and objections made by my enemies in His Majestys Council, of my being too nearly allied to the Royalty to be trusted with too great power (as hereinbefore mentioned); whose jealousies and vile suggestions have proved very ill consequence to his Majesties interest and my service of him. Take it for granted that it is your honour to give honour to your sovereign; it is safe and comfortable; therefore in all your actions let it visibly appear in this Isle.
Ever since that time the title has been Lord of Man, not King. The Queen of England at the present day is Lady of Man.
Edward Stanley, third Earl of Derby, was a great favourite of the Bluff King Hal, Henry VIII. of England. During his life the revenues of Rushen Abbey, at Ballasalla, were seized upon and confiscated, and the building was dismantled as a religious house. Rushen was the last of the abbeys that fell under the rapacious hand of Henry VIII.
In 1610 A.D. a new charter was obtained from the King of EnglandJames 1.for insuring and establishing the Isle of Man in the name and blood of William, Earl of Derby; and in 1637 A.D. this Earl William, being tired of public life, resigned all his dignities and titles to his son, James Stanley, so celebrated in history as the great Earl of Derby. | <urn:uuid:41949c3f-d00a-4c83-b164-e6f597391edf> | CC-MAIN-2017-47 | http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/fulltext/cw1899/ch06.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-47/segments/1510934806715.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20171123012207-20171123032207-00191.warc.gz | en | 0.977287 | 2,539 | 2.953125 | 3 |
“Vision after the Sermon” by Paul Gauguin depicts a scene from the Bible in which Jacob wrestles an angel. It illustrates this indirectly, through a vision that the women see after a sermon in church.
It was painted in Brittany, France, in 1888, where Gauguin focused increasingly on interpreting the religious subject matter in his unique personal way.
Gauguin was moving away from naturalism towards a more abstracted, even symbolic, manner of painting. The tale of Jacob wrestling an angel is from Genesis in the Old Testament.
The bold use of color, shape, and line in this painting reflects the influence of the Japanese woodblock prints that Gauguin owned.
While formal elements of Gauguin’s paintings reflect the impact of Japanese prints, his choice of subject and composition are uniquely his own.
As Gauguin developed the idea of non-naturalistic landscapes, he applied large areas of flat color to the piece. The red ground departs from the conventional representation of landscape views.
In portraying the watching figures, Gauguin experiments with the distortion of shapes, exaggerating features.
He uses sharp contour lines and not gradual shifts in tone. The brown trunk, black garments, white hats, and red fields are painted with minimal color shading.
The painting also potentially has some interesting symbolism:
- Is the apple tree, the tree of knowledge from Eden?
- Twelve Breton women and a priest watch the event. Is 12 representing Jacob’s offspring and the 12 tribes of Israel?
- The tree divides the painting into two parts. The vision and the faithful?
Gauguin described this painting to his friend Vincent Van Gogh:
“I think I have achieved in the figures a great simplicity, rustic and superstitious. …
For me, in this picture, the landscape and the struggle exist only in the imagination of the people praying after the sermon,
which is why there is a contrast between the people and the struggle,
in its non-natural, disproportionate landscape.”
Jacob wrestling with the Angel
Jacob wrestling with the angel is an episode from Genesis. The account includes the renaming of Jacob as Israel.
The “angel” is referred to as “man” in Genesis, while Hosea references an “angel,” but the episode is also often referenced as Jacob’s “wrestling with God.”
The identity of Jacob’s wrestling opponent is a matter of debate. Interpretations have included: a dream figure, a prophetic vision, an angel, Jesus, or God. Most artists have depicted Jacob wrestling with the Angel.
In the Genesis narrative, Jacob spent the night alone on a riverside during his journey back to Canaan.
He encounters a “man” who proceeds to wrestle with him until daybreak. In the end, Jacob is given the name “Israel” and blessed, while the “man” refuses to give his name.
Paul Gauguin (1848 – 1903) was a French post-Impressionist artist who was not appreciated until after his death.
Gauguin is now recognized for his experimental use of color and the Synthetist style that were distinctly different from Impressionism.
He spent the last ten years of his life in French Polynesia, and most of his paintings from this time depict people or landscapes from that region.
His work was influential to the French avant-garde and many modern artists, such as Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. Gauguin’s art became famous after his death.
Gauguin was an essential figure in the Symbolist movement as a painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and writer.
Vision after the Sermon
- Title: Vision after the Sermon or Jacob wrestling with the Angel
- French: La Vision après le Sermon
- Artist: Paul Gauguin
- Year: 1888
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 72.2 cm × 91 cm (28.4 in × 35.8 in)
- Museum: Scottish National Gallery
Paul Gauguin “Vision After the Sermon,” 1888
- Artist: Paul Gauguin
- Birth Name: Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin
- Born: 1848, Paris, France
- Died: 1903 (aged 54), Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia
- Nationality: French
- Movement: Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Primitivism
- Notable works:
- Vision after the Sermon
- Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?
- Self Portraits by Paul Gauguin
- Tahitian Women
- The Dream – Courtauld Institute of Art
- Not to work – Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts
- Three Tahitians – Scottish National Gallery
- Three Tahitian Women Against a Yellow Background – Hermitage Museum
- And the Gold of their Bodies – Musée d’Orsay
- Barbarian Tales – Museum Folkwang
- The Call – Cleveland Museum of Art
- The Siesta – Metropolitan Museum of Art
- The Moon and the Earth – Museum of Modern Art
- Hail Mary – Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Two Tahitian Women With Mango Flowers – Metropolitan Museum of Art
Gauguin’s Vision of the Sermon
Explore Scotland’s Museums
Paul Gauguin, Vision after the Sermon, or Jacob Wrestling with the Angel
“I shut my eyes in order to see.”
– Paul Gauguin
Photo Credit: Paul Gauguin [Public domain] | <urn:uuid:4fa42b62-be5b-4a0e-ad1d-1567c8b922a6> | CC-MAIN-2021-43 | https://joyofmuseums.com/museums/united-kingdom-museums/edinburgh-museums/scottish-national-gallery/vision-after-the-sermon-by-paul-gauguin/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-43/segments/1634323583423.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20211016043926-20211016073926-00590.warc.gz | en | 0.929734 | 1,208 | 2.953125 | 3 |
We’ve all heard the negative stereotypes about older drivers – but psychology professor Nancy Pachana says it’s time for people to start treating senior motorists with respect.
Pachana, the co-director of the University of Queensland’s Ageing Mind Initiative, says that older drivers have been saddled with a reputation they don’t deserve.
“The research says that driving is a skill that benefits from experience,” she says. “The more experience you have as a driver, the safer you are on the road. For example, people with more experience behind the wheel can look ahead and scan the environment more efficiently than less experienced drivers.
“Of course, if you have physical or cognitive impairments, that will affect your ability to drive. But people of any age can have those impairments – age itself isn’t any sort of liability. The group of drivers with the highest accident rate is actually young males, not older people.”
“The group of drivers with the highest accident rate is actually young males, not older people.”
Pachana believes that ageism, not data, is responsible for the negative perception of older drivers in the community.
“I think society makes a lot of assumptions about older people and their ability to do things – not just when it comes to driving, but across the board.
“It’s the same as people who think women can’t drive as well as men. If someone cuts them off in traffic, but they’re a man, that won’t factor into their thinking. But if it’s a woman, they’ll think, ‘Oh, see, that proves I was right’. It’s the same thing with any of the ‘-isms’ – ageism, sexism, racism, all of it. There’s a large confirmation bias at play, in that people look for the information that confirms their bias.”
Should restrictions be placed on older drivers?
Pachana warns that unnecessary restrictions on older drivers on the basis of age alone can actually have a significant impact on their mental health.
“When people have to give up driving, for any number of reasons, it has an effect on how well they’re able to maintain social connections in the community, and just do the things they want to do,” she says.
“In my own research, I’ve found that losing your licence has a real effect on your sense of identity. Your licence gives you a great sense of freedom, because it means you’re in charge of your mobility. If that gets taken away, it can change your conception of yourself.”
“Losing your licence has a real effect on your sense of identity.”
In the absence of proof that older drivers pose a greater risk on the road, Pachana is skeptical of any law that discriminates against drivers purely on the basis of their age.
“There’s simply no data that says you should base a person’s ability to hold a licence on their age,” Pachana says.
“You can be unfit to drive at 35, and you can be perfectly competent at 90. There are some older drivers who have problems, of course, but there has to be some kind of a trigger for the test.
“If you’re testing people based on their age, when there’s no proven link between age and the skill you’re testing – well, that doesn’t seem like a very fair test to me.”
What do older drivers need to do to keep their licence in Australia?
Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia have all scrapped or reduced testing requirements for older drivers in recent years, citing a lack of evidence that these requirements help to prevent fatal crashes.
But most states and territories still require senior motorists to meet certain conditions.
From the age of 75, drivers must carry a valid medical certificate with them when they drive. The certificate is valid for a maximum of 13 months. The doctor who issues the certificate can impose certain restrictions on the driver, and can issue the certificate for a shorter period if they feel more regular checks are required.
New South Wales
From the age of 75, drivers need to complete a medical review every year. From the age of 85, drivers need to pass a practical driving assessment every second year to keep their unrestricted licence.
Modified licences – which restrict older drivers to certain areas and conditions – are available for older drivers who choose not to take the practical test.
Drivers are not required to pass a test or carry a certificate when they reach a certain age. However, if an older person develops a medical condition that might affect their ability to drive, they can be required to pass a medical review in order to keep their licence.
From the age of 75, drivers are sent an annual self-assessment form. The onus is on the driver to fill out the form truthfully, and they can also ask for help from a doctor.
If a doctor is unsure of an older person’s fitness to drive, the driver will be required to pass a practical driving assessment.
From the age of 80, drivers need to complete an annual medical review to renew their licence. From the age of 85, drivers can be required to pass a practical test, but only if their doctor recommends it.
From the age of 65, drivers can only renew their licence for five-year periods. All drivers are legally required to report any medical condition they have that might affect their driving, but there are no compulsory tests.
Australian Capital Territory
From the age of 75, drivers must be annually examined by their own doctor to confirm they are safe to drive.
At any age, drivers can be required by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to prove they have the requisite skills and are medically fit to hold their licence. | <urn:uuid:fc7dea80-f638-4fa3-8c1d-074edac047ad> | CC-MAIN-2020-24 | https://greymatters.net.au/how-old-is-too-old-to-drive/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-24/segments/1590347409171.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20200530102741-20200530132741-00247.warc.gz | en | 0.961821 | 1,246 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Historic Clarke’s Mill is a great place to visit – just off the main road south of Oamaru just before Maheno or just past Maheno, whichever direction you are coming from.
This flour mill is New Zealand’s only surviving water-powered flour mill. The mill was built around 1865 as part of the Totara Estate. Part of the mill was created with limestone cut from the hill behind the mill. The heavy machinery was brought to New Zealand by sailing ship from the United Kingdom, Australia and United States in the 1860s and 1870s. Wheat and oats were ground using horizontal grinding stones, which were powered by a ‘undershot’ waterwheel. An electric motor was installed in the 1930’s to drive the mill. The machinery still runs as well as it ever did, thanks to a team of dedicated volunteers who maintain it on a regular basis. Houses for the mill manager and workers were thought to have been built about the same time as the mill, and a corrugated iron grain store at the west end was built in 1872 and extended around 1906.
The Mill was built to help process the enormous amounts of grain produced in the fertile lands of North Otago. It has been restored to tell the story of the grain industry and how flour and other products such as oatmeal (porridge) and pollard is made.
The timber is a beautiful golden colour and still in great condition.On operating days you can see, hear and feel the machinery in action. Experience history coming alive.
A series of belts run the machinery over the three floors.
Clark’s Mill 1017 Alma-Maheno Road (State Highway One), Maheno (12km South of Oamaru)
Clark’s Mill is open on Sunday afternoons (1pm-3pm) from October, with the machinery operating on the last Sunday of each month. In addition, it is open every day in February and during that month the mill machinery will run on Thursdays at 11am and Sundays at 2pm.Opening hours:
Check out my other Otago Posts | <urn:uuid:153c8e8b-d4ac-4c82-bfeb-351eaa2daa0d> | CC-MAIN-2022-49 | https://offthemainroadnz.com/2015/12/15/clarks-mill/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-49/segments/1669446710155.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20221127005113-20221127035113-00701.warc.gz | en | 0.974768 | 440 | 2.515625 | 3 |
In greek mythology is king Minos (Greek Μίνως) a son of Zeus and of Europe, the daughter of the phoenician king Agenor and Telephassa.
Zeus transformed into a bull because of his suspicious wife Hera and took Europe on his back and swam with her to Matala on Crete, where he changed back.
The connection between King Minos and minoan civilization is however not assured, since Homer designates him not only as the son of Zeus, but also as Achaean, who are usually equated with the mycenaean greeks.
After his death ruled King Minos with a golden scepter in the underworld at the side of his brother Rhadamanthys and his half-brother Aiakos.
His wife Pasiphae (pasifaɛː: 'who radiates for all') was the daughter of the solar god Helios and of the titanian daughter and oldest Okeanide Perse.
Pasiphae had 8 children from Minos: Akakallis, Androgeos, Ariadne, Deukalion, Glaukos, Katreus, Phaidra und Xenodike.
In order to ensure his marital fidelity, Pasiphaë applicated a magic on Minos so that in a hug serpents, scorpions and centipedes streamed out of his body. Then Prokris arrived at the island and healed Minos from his suffering. Minos gave her for that an infallible spear and the fast and immortal dog Lailap. Both had his father Zeus once given to Europe.
Pasiphae was especially aware of the fact, that Poseidon had let her fall in love with the cretian bull as a punishment for the fact, that her husband Minos had not sacrificed the bull created by Poseidon for the confirmation of his dominion because of the splendid form of the bull, but had used it to improve his herd. (Apollodorus, Bibliotheke 3.1.4)
In order to unite with the bull, Pasiphae ordered Daidalos to create a hollow wooden cow, into which she could creep. From this union with the bull the Minotauros was born.
King Minos forced King Aegeus every nine years to send seven boys and seven young girls to the labyrinth of Daedalus, which the Minotaur then swallowed. Later Theseus killed the Minotaur.
The meaning of the name Minos is controversial. Rudolf Steiner derived it from the Indo-European word root manu (man, Skt. manushya), which may however also be related to men (think, superior, admonish). It thus denotes the reason- and rational gifted thinking man.
In indian Samkhya, 'Manas' is the word for the mind, and thus the opposite pole of the Buddhi. Pasiphae could then be equivalent of the Prakriti.
Similar snake - kings are found in Hinduism among the Daityas, who are also connected with the underworld. | <urn:uuid:bd4aa230-0281-40c5-ad23-a00fa8ae66bf> | CC-MAIN-2018-39 | https://www.universal-path.org/Minos | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-39/segments/1537267165261.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20180926140948-20180926161348-00347.warc.gz | en | 0.970286 | 653 | 3 | 3 |
|Region||Puebla, Veracruz, Zacatlán|
|240,000 (2010 census)|
toc – Coyutla Totonac
tlp – Filomena Mata-Coahuitlán Totonac
tos – Highland Totonac
top – Papantla Totonac
tcw – Tecpatlán Totonac
tku – Upper Necaxa Totonac
tqt – Ozumatlán Totonac
too – Xicotepec de Juárez Totonac
tlc – Yecuatla Totonac
Totonac is a language cluster of Mexico, spoken across a number of central Mexican states by the Totonac people. It is a Mesoamerican language and shows many of the traits which define the Mesoamerican Linguistic Area. Along with some 62 other indigenous languages, it is recognised as an official language of Mexico, though as a single language.
See Totonacan languages.
- Totonacapan (for a list of municipalities with Totonac speakers)
- INALI (2012) México: Lenguas indígenas nacionales
- Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin; Bank, Sebastian, eds. (2016). "Totonac". Glottolog 2.7. Jena: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
- "Ley General de Derechos Lingüísticos de los Pueblos Indígenas" (PDF). (56.2 KiB) ("General Law of the Linguistic Rights of Indigenous peoples"), decree published 13 March 2003
|This indigenous languages of the Americas–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.| | <urn:uuid:c392cfac-dd91-4b12-8e38-c474690fd231> | CC-MAIN-2017-17 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totonac_languages | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-17/segments/1492917120694.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20170423031200-00433-ip-10-145-167-34.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.669413 | 388 | 3.234375 | 3 |
A new study in The BMJ1 has taken a big step toward resolving the so-called ‘obesity paradox’.
The paradox is not that some people can be overweight and still be metabolically healthy (as I’ve written before, that is not surprising); the paradox is that when considering the risk of death over some fixed period of time (for example, 5 years) for all people, the risk is lower for overweight people than for lean people2.
That is surprising – after all, excess body fat clearly increases the risk of developing many diseases that should increase the risk of death (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cancer, etc.).
So what’s going on? Does excess body fat somehow increase the risk of developing many diseases while simultaneously providing protection against dying from them?
Obviously not. The results of the new study clearly demonstrate that the apparent paradox is simply the result of confounding factors that were not controlled for in previous studies.
Performing well-controlled experiments to test hypotheses about human health is extremely difficult because it’s impossible to even observe, let alone control, people’s behavior for any extended period of time. As a result, it’s never really clear whether a relationship between two experimental variables is directly causal or is, in fact, due to some other variable that is either unobserved or not correctly accounted for.
The previous studies that reported the apparent protective effect of excess body fat had some pretty obvious potential confounds. For starters, they didn’t account for smoking. Smokers are, of course, more likely to die than non-smokers, and they are also more likely to be lean. So the increased risk of death for lean people in those studies may have had nothing to do with their leanness per se, but may have simply reflected the fact that they were more likely to smoke.
The previous studies also failed to account for illness. It’s well known that many illnesses are accompanied by weight loss, so some fraction of the lean people in previous studies may have actually been lean because they were dying, rather than dying because they were lean.
The researchers who conducted the new study started by reproducing the results of the previous studies. When they looked at the risk of death for all people over a period of 5-10 years after the start of the study, they found the same protective effect of excess body fat as in previous studies; as shown by the red line in the graph below, the risk of death was lowest for people in the overweight range.
But when they considered only non-smokers that were healthy at the start of the study (i.e. they did not have any known diseases) and looked at their risk of death over a much longer period (20-25 years), they found something very different. In fact, as shown in the blue line in graph above, the protective effect of excess body fat went away completely. There was still an increased risk of death for people that were extremely underweight, but the risk was lowest for people on the low end of the normal range.
So, in the end, the paradox was really nothing more than a distraction resulting from poor experimental design. Let’s hope we can all remember this lesson the next time we’re trying to resolve a ‘paradox’.
(1) Aune D, Sen A, Prasad M, Norat T, Janszky I, Tonstad S, Romundstad P, Vatten LJ. BMI and all cause mortality: systematic review and non-linear dose-response meta-analysis of 230 cohort studies with 3.74 million deaths among 30.3 million participants. BMJ. 2016.
(2) Lavie CJ, De Schutter A, Milani RV. Healthy obese versus unhealthy lean: the obesity paradox. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2015. | <urn:uuid:4ad06ca6-dd83-4e6b-af85-ae9cb4d2896d> | CC-MAIN-2021-49 | http://www.nicklesica.com/2016/05/11/resolving-the-obesity-paradox/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-49/segments/1637964362919.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20211203212721-20211204002721-00399.warc.gz | en | 0.971241 | 802 | 2.8125 | 3 |
This is the complete introductory guide to the evolutionary path of Modern Man. Where we came from and how we got here by examining the fossil evidence.
Homo sapiens means ‘wise man’. In the scientific classification system species are commonly identified by two names (binomial nomenclature). The first name is the genus and the second is the species (the first word is always capitalized, the second is not) hence; Homo sapiens. The time period for Homo sapiens is 300,000 to 350,000 years BCE (before the common era) to present.
Since the dawn of the digital age many great breakthroughs have been made in our understanding of human evolution. The Human Genome Project is one example. Studying DNA and mitochondrial DNA has been invaluable.
However, having said that it is not without controversy. Going old school by the meticulous study of fossil remains and the overall knowledge bank accumulated by paleoanthropologists in the field has given rise to several differences of opinion with certain aspects of the digital breakthroughs.
I am really not going to get into that to any extent. This essay is an overview that touches on all the available diagnostic tools and presents what I believe is a coherent look at human evolution. I hope to explain some of the principles of evolution and how they apply to Homo sapiens. I am also going to present the fossil evidence that has been discovered giving us a clearer picture of where humans came from.
A Timeline Overview
It can take a long time for one species to evolve into another species. I don’t see it as a straight line going up but more like stair steps.
Some evolutionary steps are bigger than others and some last longer before it jumps forward again but there has been a continual evolving movement to more advanced forms. This is pretty much how for example Australopithecus africanus evolved into Homo erectus. At some point along the timeline a population group of A. africanus had changed so much that the changed population group could no longer successfully breed with the group it had changed from and hence a new species had evolved. I’ll be going over this in greater detail soon but first let’s talk about the measurement of time itself.
The Nomenclature Of Time
It can be somewhat confusing when talking about time periods because there is a different nomenclature for geological time and anthropological time. As you might expect anthropological time is only concerned with man while geological time applies to the entire 4.5 billion year history of earth as defined by major geological or paleontological events. Since I am only concerned with human evolution I am only going to talk about the timeline in reference to that.
Geological time is divided up into eons, eras, periods, and epochs. Eons being the largest block of time, then an era, then a period, then an epoch. We are currently in the Phanerozoic eon, the Cenozoic era which is divided into three periods, the older being the Paleogene which started 66 million years ago, then the Neogene 23 million years ago, then the current period is Quaternary (kwuh-tur-nuh-ree) starting at 1.8 million years ago with two epochs.
As far as human evolution goes it started in the Neogene period of the Cenozoic era during the last epoch of that period known as the Pliocene which is 5.3 to 1.8 million years ago.
The Quaternary period that follows the Neogene is divided into two epochs, the Pleistocene and the Holocene. The Pleistocene starts at 1.8 million years ago and runs to 13,000 years ago to the start of the Holocene.
At 13,000 years ago or the start of the Holocene, Homo sapiens where the only Homo species left alive. So this means that as far as human evolution goes we are only concerned with the Pliocene and the Pleistocene geological time epochs.
Here is a chart of the geological time of the earth.
Then there are the Anthropological Time Periods which have their own nomenclature. In the study of man there are two broad categories of time for man, Prehistory (no written records) and Recorded History. Prehistory has three ages. The first age is the Paleolithic or Stone Age from 3.3 million years to 12,000 years BCE. The second age is the Mesolithic and the dates vary depending on the area of the world but roughly 12,000 to 7,000 years ago. The third is the Neolithic Age, again it is defined more by cultural traits than a specific time period but typically 9,000 to 3,000 years ago. Recorded History starts about 3,500 BCE or 5,500 years ago.
I am only going to be referencing the Paleolithic as that is where early man takes shape. The Paleolithic is divided into three parts. The oldest being the Lower Paleolithic from 3.3 million years to 300,000 years BCE, then the Middle Paleolithic from 300,000 to 50,000 years BCE, then the Upper Paleolithic from 50,000 to 10,000 years BCE.
The Stone Age or the Paleolithic got its name because this is the age where early man started to make and use stone tools. It is generally considered that the early the Homo species made and used stone tools but there is also evidence that Australopithecines began to use stone implements and so the Lower Paleolithic starts about 3.3 million years ago when early man began making and using stone tools.
Here is a time chart of the Anthropological time periods with some of the early man species that lived during each period.
Most, if not all, of the evolution of man takes place in the Lower and Middle Paleolithic where during that time period of 3.3 million years to 50,000 years ago man evolved from the Australopithecines to Homo sapiens. The Australopithecines with the physiological adaptation of the ‘foramen magnum’ position at the base of the skull (thereby allowing upright walking) started the path towards modern man.
The reason I wanted to talk about the two different nomenclatures is in case you hear or read a discussion about human evolution and one side is talking about the Pliocene or Pleistocene and the other side is talking about the Paleolithic and you are thinking well which is it. It’s both. Sometimes they are used interchangeably but mostly people and charts and all that will use the geological terms. That is just the way it is. You will read and hear mostly Pliocene and Pleistocene but when you run into the term Paleolithic you can now understand what that term is and how it fits in.
As far I am concerned I am just going to make reference to time by using how many years ago something happened and an example would be when talking about say Homo erectus I will say their time span is from 1.9 million BCE to 70,000 years ago. The BCE refers to ‘before the common ear”. Sometimes you will read 1.9 ma or Ma, which means million years ago. I have seen mya for million years ago. Another one is YBP, meaning ‘years before present’ or just BP meaning ‘before present’. Personally I like BCE. The term CE refers to the ‘common era’. Using CE and BCE is a secular way of saying BC – AD, you just have to think of it like that.
The Dawn Of A New Epoch
You might be sitting there thinking that all these time periods we’ve just been talking about are so long that who knows when the next one will begin. Well funny you should think that. The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), is the professional organization in charge of defining the various times on the geochronological scale and it is now under pressure to name a new time epoch. Many scientists consider the Holocene to have ended and a new epoch to have started. They call it the Anthropocene.
Anthropo meaning ‘man’ says the new epoch is the age of man. But what exactly does that mean and when did it start. Geological time is defined by major geological or paleontological events. An example of a paleontological event would be the start of the Paleogene period 66 million years ago when the non- avian dinosaurs went extinct. It was an event that caused a momentous world shift.
The main argument for establishing a new epoch is that even as you read this a new world shift has already taken place. The impact of man is undeniable and it has left a permanent mark on the earth and changed it in many ways.
The Holocene has ended and the Anthropocene has begun. If you want to put a date on the beginning of the Anthropocene, the general consensus seems to be the time period of the Industrial Revolution or roughly from about 1750 to 2000 give or take. That is the time when human activity has undeniably started to change the earth.
It’s pretty interesting when you see the time charts of the different eras, periods and epochs going back 4.5 billion years and then you think wow, we are right now living in an age that will in the future be known as the start of a new epoch, the Anthropocene. If that doesn’t give you goose bumps, well then… you are pretty normal but still you have to admit it’s cool.
The final chart I am going to show you is a geological time chart only showing the four time epochs of man. When you are reading about human evolution in the media this is mostly the time nomenclature used unless the written piece comes from the world of anthropology and even then you will see these references. | <urn:uuid:fbdaf5f2-de43-4cfa-b906-1ccdd6f5b859> | CC-MAIN-2021-04 | https://thestudyofman.com/pages/homo-sapiens-and-human-evolution | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-04/segments/1610703529080.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20210122020254-20210122050254-00195.warc.gz | en | 0.946554 | 2,041 | 3.75 | 4 |
Common Types of Squirrels
Despite all squirrels looking the same as the next, there are divided into three groups: large tree squirrels, pine squirrels, and flying squirrels. The larger tree squirrel group is further divided in four groups: fox, eastern gray, western gray and tassel-eared squirrels. The most common squirrels in the Pacific Northwest are eastern and western grey, red and pine, and northern and southern flying squirrels; these breeds populate densely forested areas. Gray and fox squirrels are capable of breeding at about 1 year of age, and will breed by early January, and again in June. During these times is when you’ll see the males noisily chasing females like teenagers!
Nesting Habits of Squirrels
Squirrels nest in little dens, like tree cavities and leaf nests (structures made of sticks and dry leaves). Their home range ranges from 1 to 100 acres, depending on food availability. That’s a lot of steps! During the fall, squirrels may travel up to 50 miles for a better habitat, all without the luxury of a U-Haul. Their diet consists of nuts and seeds, but they’re not above eating insects in order to survive.
Mating Habits of Squirrels
A squirrel’s gestation is about 3 to 6 weeks, and they will have about 3 young per litter. These babies are capable of venturing out of their after they wean at 10 to 12 weeks. While the majority of squirrels die within the first year of their lives, the rest can live to around 5-10 years old in the wild, and up to 20 in captivity.
How to tell if I Have a Squirrel Infestation
Because they look so cute it’s easy to forget that they’re in the same animal group as rats, but squirrels are very capable of similar damage. They like taking up residency in attics and crawlspaces, and are capable of chewing up electrical wires and walls. As an added bonus, squirrels can also destroy your garden and eat any vegetation. The best way to identify squirrel infestations is by hearing them in the walls or attic. If you hear sounds of scurrying during the day, coupled with chewed up entry holes, then it’s likely to be a squirrel infestation. While rats do have similar tell-tale signs, they’re nocturnal creatures, so you’ll hear rats during nightfall and night time. | <urn:uuid:ddc29755-5cbb-4486-974a-52f6ca333e1a> | CC-MAIN-2021-39 | https://www.bloomcrawlspaceservices.com/squirrel-infestation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-39/segments/1631780060882.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20210928184203-20210928214203-00368.warc.gz | en | 0.952552 | 519 | 3.28125 | 3 |
Distilled water is also commonly used to top off lead acid batteries used in cars and trucks and forklifts. The presence of other ions commonly found in tap water will drastically reduce a vehicles battery’s lifespan. Distilled water is preferable to tap water for use in automotive cooling systems.
Inverter batteries use distilled water. Inverter battery has internal plates that are covered with water, which makes it work. During operation, water goes through chemical reaction and breaks down into hydrogen and oxygen gas. These gases evaporate from battery and with time water level drops. This way plates remain no longer covered with water. In order to keep the battery perform efficiently, it is important to top it up with distilled water.
Water from faucets, wells and other natural resources usually has dissolved minerals, salts and impurities. These minerals and salts fill the pores and form a layer on the plates, affecting the normal electro-chemical reaction that generates power in the battery. Presence of such chemical ions may drastically reduce the lifespan of the battery. Filtering tap water merely removes the suspended matter but not the dissolved minerals and non-ionic compounds. Advanced filters like ion-exchange or activated carbon filters remove most of the ionic and larger non-ionic compounds leaving smaller molecules in solution.
Distilled water contains no dissolved minerals, salts, organic and in-organic compounds that may harm the battery. Therefore battery manufacturers recommend distilled water for better performance and longer battery life. Reverse osmosis is a different process from distillation. RO water is also considered mineral-free like distilled water. The process of reverse osmosis removes all kinds of unwanted impurities, salts and ions from water, making it fit for human consumption. Regular service and maintenance of RO keeps the hardness, pH and TDS under permissible limit. Many inverter service centers use and suggest RO water for the battery top up, but they keep a check on TDS level, hardness and pH of water used to ensure that battery function is not hampered. But it is always recommended to use distilled water for your inverter batteries. | <urn:uuid:fe632c88-7893-4069-aa02-65e68061738f> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | https://puretap.ca/most-batteries-and-cooling-devices/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600400249545.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20200926231818-20200927021818-00170.warc.gz | en | 0.936088 | 423 | 2.96875 | 3 |
As if to demonstrate the variability of seismic activity across the globe, the number of larger earthquakes recorded on the United States Geological Survey’s real-time earthquake map this week was unusually high, following last week’s anomalously low figure.
Although the map, which records all earthquakes in the US and its territories and those of at least magnitude 4 (≥M4.0) elsewhere, showed fewer in total, there were 310 of ≥M2.5 (compared to 196 the week before); 140 of ≥M4.0 (96); and 38 of ≥M5.0 (18). At the very top end of the week’s magnitude scale there were seven tremors of at least M6.0.
Much of this increase is accounted for by aftershocks following the largest earthquake of the week, the M7.0 which struck in the northern Pacific (see below).
This apart, the major concentration of tremors was as expected, with most activity in the western Pacific and a scattering along the convergence zone between India and Asia and on the planet’s mid-ocean ridges.
The Week’s Largest Earthquake: M7.0 Alaska
The largest earthquake of the week was the M7.0 which struck off Alaska’s Aleutian Islands on 30 August. The Aleutian island chain is the product of volcanic activity resulting from melting of subducted crust and is characterised by very high levels of seismic activity as the Pacific plate moves beneath the North American plate.
This week’s earthquake activity resulted from thrust faulting at the interface between the two plates.
The earthquake was followed by an extensive series of aftershocks which, as noted above, account for a significant proportion of the week’s total tremors. At the time of writing the region has experienced over 250 aftershocks of all magnitudes, around half of them ≥M2.5 and 15 ≥M5.0.
M6.5, Izu Islands, West Pacific
The western Pacific is the regular site of frequent and significant seismic activity – so much so that earthquakes of M50 or greater often barely rate a mention. This week, an earthquake of M6.5 occurred within the Philippine plate at a depth of 407km. The epicentre was on the sea floor close to the northern apex of the plate: its depth and tectonic setting suggest that, like the Alaskan earthquake, this tremor was also a product of subduction of the Pacific plate, this time along the Ryuku Trench.
Earthquakes in the US
The largest US earthquake, in Alaska, is covered above; but a glance at the earthquake map of the lower States shows an unusually large event. At M4.3, the tremor which shook parts of eastern Texas on 2 September was a minnow, 1/500th the size of the larger event and releasing a tiny fraction (just 1/11220th) of its energy. Nevertheless the Texas quake is noteworthy because it occurred within a largely stable continental setting and in a state where the largest recorded earthquake – in 1931) had a magnitude of just 5.8.
With Quakes: Context Counts
Large earthquakes occur with an almost monotonous regularity in some parts of the world. It’s rare, for example, that a week passes without at least an M6 in the western Pacific. That’s because some tectonic settings – most notably subduction zones – are prone to much larger tremors than others.
So the Texas tremor, probably resulting from slippage along an existing, old fault in a region far distant from active plate boundaries, is in its way at least as worthy of comment as the largest of the week.
USGS M7.0 – 94km ESE of Adak, Alaska. (2013). Accessed 4 September 2013.
USGS Historic earthquakes list. (2013). Accessed 4 September 2013.
Yeats, R. Active Faults of the World. (2012). Cambridge University Press.© Copyright 2013 Jennifer Young, All rights Reserved. Written For: Decoded Science | <urn:uuid:798139ae-8bb9-447a-b5f9-e9f20bfb56d4> | CC-MAIN-2017-47 | https://www.decodedscience.org/major-earthquake-in-alaska-quakes-shake-western-pacific-and-texas/36223 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-47/segments/1510934807089.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20171124051000-20171124071000-00711.warc.gz | en | 0.955751 | 859 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Most people would not benefit from ornithine supplementation. In human research involving ornithine, 5–10 grams are typically used per day, sometimes combined with arginine.
As with amino acids in general, ornithine is predominantly found in meat, fish, dairy, and eggs. Western diets typically provide 5 grams per day. The body also produces ornithine.
Gastrointestinal distress has been reported with intakes over 10 grams of ornithine per day.
Last Review: 05-01-2013
Copyright © 2013 Aisle7. All rights reserved. Aisle7.com
The information presented in Aisle7 is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires June 2014.
Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. | <urn:uuid:ee7ea8bf-5472-470c-8765-fa00e3fe128e> | CC-MAIN-2014-35 | http://www.peacehealth.org/xhtml/content/cam/hn-2893009.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-35/segments/1409535922763.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20140909050818-00246-ip-10-180-136-8.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925792 | 254 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Through this activity, students will participate in 6 simulations in order to model the spread of an infectious disease among a population.
Visit the PBS NOVA Science Now Activity Website for detailed instructions.
Students will move around the classroom with multi-colored sticky notes in hand representing a virus and vaccine. At the end of each simulation, teachers and students will complete a data table and draw correlations.
Teacher note: I used this in my classroom and it was a great way to get students kinesthetically engaged in the lesson and it was also a powerful visual for how diseases are spread. It's great to set some basic rules and parameters such as "no running" to ensure student safety.
The PBS Learning Media lesson Epidemiologists: Disease Detectives is rich in video, discussion prompts, and activities to introduce students to epidemiology, disease outbreaks, and the role of public health department.
I especially like the video resource, John Snow: Pioneer of Epidemiology
The Disease Detectives lesson is very engaging, especially when it comes to the high quality PBS videos incorporated in the lesson. Feel free to use the lesson in its entirety or use pertinent media resources, activities, and discussion questions to meet your intended goals and time constraints.
Here's how I would use the resource for this lesson:
2) Give definition of epidemiologist. Discuss career facts and statistics about epidemiologists.
3) Discuss vaccines and the role of modern medicine in controlling disease outbreak
Students will learn more about the dissemination and prevlaence of germs and disease by playing the "You Make Me Sick" game.
The game focuses on students creating and spreading disease.
This game will be used to reinforce the exponential spread of disease.
For independent practice, students will move from the previous game, where they were creating and spreading germs, to this "Solve the Outbreak" app, where students set out on a mystery to solve serious epidemics.
Students will be lead through a series of questions, prompts, and data in order to solve simulated real-life disease outbreaks. The tool can also be great practice for students for standardized testing for science based on its multiple choice format, reading comprehension requirements, and graph interpretations throughout.
Each case should take approximately 20 minutes for each student to complete.
There are links for more information to offer a diversified learning experience for users.
The game has a badge system and can track correct responses for student assessment.
Teacher Tip: It's important to cycle through the room and make sure students are making informed, educated decisions for the case rather than flying through them. | <urn:uuid:50037c16-c0ed-4968-aa3b-c9bd80f0eb63> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.commonsense.org/education/tlr-ui/modal-node/3954961 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999817.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20190625092324-20190625114324-00022.warc.gz | en | 0.938264 | 529 | 4.0625 | 4 |
Nobody wants to financially evaluate a child as they would the purchase of a car or home, but by the time a child reaches the age of 18, they will have cost their parents more than some houses. Be prepared to pay a lot of money for that cute little bundle. For example, parents who have a child today will spend, on average, $284,570 by the time the baby turns 18, according to Department of Agriculture (USDA) data.
The figure cited is for a middle-income married couple with two children and the USDA assumes that they had childcare and education expenses. Knowing these numbers will allow parents to better control their costs.
- On average, middle-income parents will spend $284,570 by the time a child turns 18.
- The largest expense is housing, followed by food.
- The cost of childcare varies widely and depends on where you live.
- The good news is that each additional child costs less, thanks to economies of scale.
The Top Cost: Housing
The largest expense, by far, is housing. Expenses include mortgage or rent payments, taxes, repairs, insurance, utilities, and all of the “stuff” parents buy for their home. These expenses accounted for 29% of a child’s price tag, according to the USDA study. But take heart. If you have more children, you don’t double or triple the expenses of one child because many of the resources are shared. You may have to add an extra bedroom but not a kitchen or living room.
Naturally, you have to divide the housing expenses by the number of people in the home and consider that the use of these resources isn’t equal among family members. A 30-year-old dad is probably using more water and electricity than his six-month-old daughter. Of course, the authors of the report have already made those adjustments.
There are even more variables that contribute to higher or lower home costs. For one, housing expenses vary widely by region. Expenses were highest in the urban Northeast and lowest in rural areas of the country, according to the USDA.
Single parents will spend an average of 7% less than two-parent families because they are more likely to be in a lower income bracket. But the percentage of a single parent's income that goes to their children is higher.
If you already have children, you know they eat a lot, so it may come as no surprise that this is the second largest cost of raising a child. If you had one dollar for every time your kid said, “I’m hungry,” you could probably offset most of your annual food expenditures. Food expenses came in around 18% of the total from birth through age 17.
The USDA breaks expenses down into four spending levels. For lower-income families or those who can stretch their budgets, there’s the low-cost “thrifty plan.” This is followed by the “low-cost plan,” the “moderate-cost plan” and, finally, the “liberal plan.”
For a one-year-old child, costs range from $96.40 per month to $177.70, with the moderate plan running $146.60 a month. By the time a child is nine-years-old, that moderate-cost plan has risen to $273.70. On the same plan, a male 18-year-old eats $311 worth of food every month, and a female, $248.50.
Childcare and Education
Childcare and education for parents who have this expense account for 16% of the cost of raising a child, according to the USDA. The cost of childcare in the U.S. ranges from $5,436 to $24,243 annually, according to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). Needless to say, the cost of childcare depends on where you live.
Residents of Washington D.C. pay the most. Childcare for an infant costs $19,112 annually and $24,243 for a four-year-old. EPI data shows that in-state tuition for a four-year public college costs far less at $5,756.
Parents in Mississippi pay the least for childcare annually, which costs $5,436 for an infant and $4,784 for a four-year-old. This is less expensive than the $7,980 price tag for in-state tuition at a four-year public college.
If you have more than two children, a nanny may be more economical than daycare because nannies tend not to charge twice the price in the same way some daycare centers do. On the other hand, daycare centers may give a discount if you have more than one child enrolled.
The Grand Total
As for the rest of the expenses the breakdown is:
- Transportation, 15%
- Healthcare, 9%
- Clothing, 6%
- All other expenses, 7%
In total, once a child reaches adulthood (age 18), parents will have spent an average of $284,570. This is up significantly from $233,610 for parents who had a child in 2015, based on USDA data adjusted for inflation.
The Good News: Economies of Scale
There is some good news when it comes to the cost of raising a child in America. Economies of scale also apply to the number of children you have. The USDA points out that each additional child costs less because siblings can share a bedroom and a family can buy food in larger, more cost-effective quantities. And while your offspring might not necessarily like it, clothing and toys can be handed down, and older siblings can often babysit younger ones.
The Bad News: Costs Don’t Include College
Also consider that the above numbers don't take into account the cost of a college education. The average annual cost of a public college (in state) for the 2019-2020 academic year comes in at $21,950; for a private college, it's $49,870, according to the College Board. That means saving early and utilizing a 529 plan or other investment vehicles to keep kids from graduating with a large amount of debt.
The Bottom Line
Nobody wants to think of their children as just an expense, but at an average annual cost of almost $17,000 (and the possibility that it could be higher, depending on where you live and childcare), the financial side of child-rearing can’t be ignored. But couples who know the numbers can strategize to lower the costs. | <urn:uuid:a2e8f9a1-2e77-46a8-ae9a-8a642c07284e> | CC-MAIN-2021-21 | https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/090415/cost-raising-child-america.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-21/segments/1620243991659.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20210516013713-20210516043713-00399.warc.gz | en | 0.964763 | 1,363 | 2.859375 | 3 |
By Dr. Beth St. Jean / UMD iSchool
The World Health Organization (WHO) Constitution, drafted in 1946 and accepted by the U.S. in 1948, states: “The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.” However, this fundamental concept of health justice (the recognition that every person is morally entitled to a sufficient and equitable capability to be healthy) has not been realized; in fact, health disparities between various populations have only continued to grow over time. The current COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and intensified disparities in access to information, as well as contributed to the wide array of health injustices that we are seeing in the news every day.
Studies have consistently shown that people who have higher incomes, people who have more education, and people who are white tend to live about 10 to 15 years longer, on average, than people who do not belong to one (or more) of these advantaged populations; they have also shown that these gaps in life expectancy have actually grown over time.
One of the core factors underlying health justice is disparities in the accessibility of health information for various populations. Accessibility encompasses both physical and intellectual accessibility. While physical accessibility refers to whether information is physically obtainable, intellectual accessibility refers to whether information is understandable.
Individuals and communities who experience various forms of social injustice, such as poverty, inadequate education, insufficient health insurance, etc., often have limited access to resources and opportunities, which contributes to the higher rates of illness, injury, and premature death they face. One such resource is accessible, trustworthy health information – without access to trustworthy health information that is understandable, relevant, and actionable, people are unable to make informed decisions that involve not only their own personal health, but also the health of others in their day-to-day lives.
With the current COVID-19 pandemic, the very same populations that have always borne the brunt of health injustices in this country – people who are older; who belong to racial, ethnic, sexual, gender, and other types of minority populations; who have lower incomes; who have less education; who lack health insurance; who are immigrants; who are incarcerated, etc. – are seeing existing disadvantages compounded and their health outlooks and outcomes worsen.
For example, low-wage workers, such as many of the individuals currently out delivering packages or food, are finding themselves having to navigate the virus and risk their own health and that of their families while they continue to serve the public; that is, if they have not lost their jobs (and their incomes) altogether.
Health is not a zero-sum game – one person’s gain should not be another’s loss (and vice-versa). When an individual takes steps to protect or improve their own health at the expense of others, we all lose. For example, some consumers have taken to purchasing a large supply of items, such as toilet paper, hand sanitizer, food, etc., to ensure their (in some cases, quite long-term) future. However, people who live paycheck-to-paycheck and who do not have a living situation that could possibly accommodate this large store of goods find themselves unable to purchase one bottle of hand sanitizer or the one roll of toilet paper that they can afford and need for today and tomorrow.
If some people don’t have access to the basic necessities of life, their health is likely to suffer. However, this suffering is borne not just by the individuals directly affected, but by their neighbors, their loved ones, and all of the people who would have benefitted from the gifts they brought into this life and what they had to offer the world.
Information and information professionals (such as librarians) are instrumental in ensuring that every individual has access to the resources and opportunities that will enable them to optimize their ability to live a long and healthy life. Many different types of information-related factors influence this ability, including an individual’s awareness of, and access to, trustworthy health information; their awareness of, and their ability to articulate, their health-related information needs; their health literacy levels (which encompasses their ability to obtain, understand, and act on health information); and the strategies they use to seek out, evaluate, and benefit from health information.
All of these factors influence the individual’s potential and actual health outcomes. Fortunately, these factors can be influenced by information professionals, who have both an opportunity and a responsibility to help to shape these factors in such a way that they optimize each individual’s capability to be healthy and to flourish in all facets of their lives.
One of the central institutions serving the information needs of all populations – libraries – are facing the need to close in unprecedented numbers due to the risks posed by COVID-19. However, many public, academic, and K-12 school librarians are finding ways for their libraries to continue to serve the public.
Libraries are continuing to offer electronic access to their digital resources, and many are still offering internet access that people (some of whom would otherwise have no internet access) can use from outside the library. Additionally, numerous libraries are collecting and curating collections of COVID-19 resources on their websites.
And some libraries are actively engaged in more directly dealing with the fallout of COVID-19. For example, San Francisco Public Libraries have converted their 28 branches into emergency youth care centers, serving the children of healthcare workers. Two high school librarians created a mini clearinghouse of links to trustworthy information sources focused on COVID-19. University libraries across the country are donating their supplies of N95 masks, safety goggles, and disposable gloves – items they ordinarily use for preserving centuries-old materials or that they have stocked to prepare for a disaster – to their local health care providers.
In 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated: “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhuman because it often results in physical death.”
We will emerge from the shadow of COVID-19. Let us do so with a greater awareness of the pervasiveness, unfairness, and destructiveness of the health injustices that many of our fellow humans face (many of whom are currently enabling others to keep themselves safe or to recover from the virus); a commitment to act to improve this situation for the betterment of all of us; and an understanding of the central importance of supporting libraries, as they steadfastly see to the needs (for information and beyond) of all members of their communities.
“The Covid-19 pandemic will change our world forever. Until it is controlled, we will all need to change how we wash our hands, cover our coughs, greet others and how close we come to others. We will rethink the need for meetings and conferences. We will need broadband for all as a public utility like mail or water. We will need to support the vulnerable, even if only because their illness can risk our health.” (Frieden, 2020 March 22)
Dr. Beth St. Jean, Dr. Paul Jaeger, and doctoral students Gagan Jindal and Yuting Liao are editing a volume of the Advances in Librarianship book series entitled: “Roles and Responsibilities of Libraries in Increasing Consumer Health Literacy and Reducing Health Disparities.” This volume focuses on the many ways in which libraries and librarians are helping (and can help) to improve consumer health literacy and decrease health disparities. This volume will be coming out in September. To learn more about research and scholarship at the UMD iSchool, please visit the college’s website, https://ischool.umd.edu/. | <urn:uuid:473be90c-62e1-4b08-91c9-98680a5b291d> | CC-MAIN-2020-34 | https://whatweekly.com/2020/04/03/why-disadvantaged-populations-are-at-greater-health-risk-from-covid-19-and-how-libraries-are-helping/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-34/segments/1596439735964.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20200805183003-20200805213003-00418.warc.gz | en | 0.960163 | 1,617 | 3.84375 | 4 |
Susan B. Anthony Biography
When people think of the rights of women, of the protection of those rights, and of those who fought most vigorously to secure them, few names come to mind swifter, in the United States at least, than that of the passionate women’s suffrage leader Susan B. Anthony. Susan B. Anthony holds a special place of honour in the history of equality for her unflinching devotion to the cause, her unwavering leadership, and her determination to see women receive the vote. So who was she and what led her down the path of this righteous crusade?
Susan Brownell Anthony was born on 15 February 1820 to a family of reformers. Some of her brothers would later fight against pro-slavery forces in Kansas in order to ensure that when Kansas joined the Union on 29 January 1861, it would do so as a free state. Although they were Quakers by religion, they did not hold with many traditional Quaker ideals. Their family was considered too liberal at the time and a rift grew between them and the rest of the congregation after Susan’s father Daniel Anthony allowed a dance to occur at his home.
In 1837, economic panic struck the country and the Anthonys lost most of their material wealth. Although an uncle bought their belongings at auction and returned them to the family, they were still desperately short of money and so Susan decided to go to work as a teacher at a Quaker school. The Anthonys continued to be at the fringes of society due to their passionate reforming nature and their farm became a place where other like-minded individuals who sought reformation came, including the great Frederick Douglass who was a well-known abolitionist in Rochester, New York.
As Susan B. Anthony grew older, she taught herself a range of social reform concepts and worked tirelessly to improve both her knowledge of the subject and her eloquence when it came to delivering her message. For a brief time, she was even a strong proponent of wearing the highly controversial blooming dress, which did not go all the way down to the ankles. Although the dress was far more comfortable and easier for women to wear, she was eventually forced to stop wearing the improved garment so that opponents would be compelled to address her ideas instead of merely criticizing her clothing.
In 1851 at Seneca Falls, Susan B. Anthony met another strong and motivated woman called Elizabeth Cady Stanton who had previously written the Declaration of Sentiments which being based upon the United States Declaration of Independence made the proclamation that men and women were created equal and that women should be allowed to vote. The meeting between the pair was fortuitous as Elizabeth and Susan had mutually beneficial skills with Elizabeth being an outstanding writer and Susan being a highly effective organizer and strategist. The pair worked well together and their friendship grew as they continued to work hard in the women’s suffrage movement.
The rights of women in the early and mid-19th century were few and limited. Women did not traditionally work in roles outside of the household and so had little say in society. Added to this, any woman who was successful and generated an income would be compelled by force of law to hand any money over to her spouse. This meant that even a financially capable and successful woman, if she were married, would not have any say in her own financial solvency. Additionally, women were not generally allowed to own any property, and as they could not vote, they could do nothing to alter the situation either.
Between the lack of economic options and the lack of voting power, the rights of women were severely curtailed. However, the women’s reform movement did not grow up in a vacuum and many of the movers and shakers of the women’s rights movement first got their feet wet in the greatest political social reform of the 19th century, the combat of slavery. Many of them did not even feel the issues were all that different from each other as both sought to ensure that certain classes of people received the rights that had been up until that point denied to them.
The women’s rights movement with Susan B. Anthony leading the charge managed to have a brief success in 1860 when the New York legislature passed a bill allowing women greater rights for owning separate property. Throughout the 1850s and 60s, Susan B. Anthony lectured regularly and held meetings throughout the whole state of New York. However, as the 1860s progressed, the women’s rights movement slowed down significantly in no small part due to the start of the American Civil War. Although Susan was a capable rising star in the women’s movement as it sought to coalesce into a single national front instead of a series of smaller divided sub-efforts, she was hesitant at first to take on greater responsibility as she was also working long hours hosting anti-slavery meetings.
Susan and many others in the women’s rights movement were very active within a number of different reform campaigns, including the Underground Railroad which brought escaped slaves from the south to freedom in the north, anti-slavery work throughout the north, the temperance movement and the women’s rights movement. Although work on women’s rights legislation had stalled due to the Civil War, as the decade went on, Susan B. Anthony’s political charisma, her fame, and the movement as a whole began to shift and throughout the late 1860s and through the 1870s, women’s suffrage became a topic of serious national political discussion. A country that had just fought to secure the rights of African Americans was now deciding morally about giving rights to other disenfranchised groups as well. Women first received the right to vote in the state of Wyoming in 1869 and Susan B. Anthony was invited to address state legislators in other states who were considering similar moves.
Although the women’s rights movement faced several serious setbacks, which included women being denied the right to vote by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1875, the movement pressed on, deciding to go down the far more difficult route of seeking to secure rights through the ballot box with a constitutional amendment instead of through the judiciary. The fight went on for decades but slowly through the tireless work of Susan B. Anthony and tens of thousands of others, the political mind-set of the country changed and on 18 August 1920 the United States Constitution received its 19th amendment and so women were finally given the constitutional right to vote.
Although that was to be her legacy, Susan B. Anthony herself never lived to see it as she died at her house in Rochester, New York on 13 March 1906. Although she never would see the full vote be given to women, she was proud of the movements that she had been a part of and all that they had achieved to secure not only the rights for women, but the rights for all peoples. Susan B. Anthony was an incredible reformer, an incredible proponent of freedom and rights, and an inspiration to generations of women to come. | <urn:uuid:302384e4-6367-4696-8fd1-62aa46cde558> | CC-MAIN-2019-47 | http://www.5minutebiographies.com/susan-b-anthony/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-47/segments/1573496670770.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20191121101711-20191121125711-00044.warc.gz | en | 0.988271 | 1,431 | 3.75 | 4 |
Basal Body Temperature (BBT) Chart
When planning a pregnancy, it is important to know if an egg is released from your ovaries each month. It also is important to know when the egg is released. That way, you can plan to have sex during that time. This will increase your chances of becoming pregnant.
Since your body temperature rises after you release an egg (ovulation), if you chart your temperature, it can tell you when you’re most fertile.
A basal body temperature (BBT) chart is a record of your temperature from day to day. To complete a BBT chart, you will take your temperature every morning at the same time using a special thermometer. Then you will mark your temperature in your chart.
A woman’s temperature is lower during the first part of her menstrual cycle. It rises sharply around the time an egg is released (ovulation) and stays relatively high for 2 weeks. A rise in temperature of 0.4 to 0.6 degrees or more in a 24-hour period usually means an egg has been released. Seeing this rise on your chart will let you know that you are fertile at that time. You may need to chart for a few months to see your ovulation pattern.
Cervical mucus method
A woman has changes in her vaginal fluids or cervical mucus when an egg has been released. Talk with your doctor or nurse about the cervical mucus method. It can be used with BBT charting to help pinpoint your most fertile time.
Charting your BBT
- Buy a basal body temperature thermometer (glass thermometers are best).
- Start charting on the first day of your menstrual period. A blank chart is attached to this sheet.
- Shake down the thermometer before you go to bed. Place it on a table near the bed.
- Take your temperature for 5 minutes each morning right after waking up. Do this before getting out of bed, smoking, eating, or drinking. Any activity may raise your temperature.
- Record your temperature on the chart by placing a black dot on the temperature line in the correct date column. (See sample chart.)
- Draw a line between yesterday’s temperature dot and today’s dot.
- Mark days you have sex by circling the dot.
- Change the temperature dot to a star if there is some other reason your temperature
might change: a cold, fever, a restless night, or medicine like aspirin, Tylenol, or Motrin, which are fever reducers.
- Start a new chart the day your period begins. Mark the days of your period with an “X.”
BBT charting can be unreliable
It is important to note that your BBT chart is not always a reliable way of telling if you have released an egg. Other factors, like illness or stress, can affect body temperature and ovulation. BBT charts work best if your body has very regular cycles.
If it is very important that you know if and when an egg is released, a urine test kit, called an ovulation predictor kit, works better. BBT also is not a reliable way to prevent pregnancy.
Reading the chart
According to the sample chart below, this woman ovulated on day 16 of her cycle (notice rise in temperature on day 17). The egg has only 24 hours to be fertilized, but sperm can live for 6 days in the uterus and fallopian tubes. This woman’s most fertile days would have been days 10 through 17. She had intercourse on 5 of those days, so her chances of becoming pregnant are good.
BBT charting can be difficult to understand. If you have any questions, be sure to ask your doctor or nurse.
Sample BBT chart
Charting your BBT
Make copies of the chart below, and use them to chart your basal body temperature. | <urn:uuid:ff1133e5-a9bd-4aeb-9d4f-34062797eefe> | CC-MAIN-2016-36 | http://www.upmc.com/patients-visitors/education/pregnancy/Pages/basal-body-temperature.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-36/segments/1471982292734.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20160823195812-00281-ip-10-153-172-175.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936853 | 806 | 3.140625 | 3 |
Buddha and the Path to Enlightenment: III. The Dharma and the Sangha
BUDDHA AND THE PATH
III. The Dharma and the Sangha
The Path is one for all, the means to reach the goal must vary with the Pilgrims.
The Voice of the Silence
There is a time-honoured tale that soon after Buddha's passing an aged monk chastised the disciples for being heavy-hearted. Since Buddha had gone, the monks were now free to do as they liked, no longer being bound to follow the exacting discipline he established. Many of the other disciples were stunned by this remark, and they now realized how rapidly the Sangha could become corrupt in the absence of Buddha. They decided to gather as many monks as possible into a general council to review, confirm and renew their understanding of the Teaching and the monastic code. According to tradition, the first sangiti or recitation was held at Rajagriha within a year of Buddha's Parinirvana. Owing to his prodigious memory and constant companionship with Buddha, Ananda was chosen to recite all that he had heard of Buddha's words. He began each discourse with the humble statement evam maya shrutam, "Thus have I heard", the memorable opening of every Buddhist scripture of whatever school. When Ananda completed a recitation, others would add or correct from their own recollections, until the sangiti as a whole approved the contents. Similarly, the vinaya or discipline was reiterated by Upali and confirmed by the assembly. Since Buddha had insisted that people should be instructed in the Dharma in their own languages, there was considerable resistance to putting the scriptures in writing, though some evidence suggests that at least two short discourses were written out even in Buddha's lifetime.
A second sangiti is said to have been held at Vaishali some hundred years after the Parinirvana. By this time, diverse perspectives had emerged on a variety of issues. This comprehensive recital was convened by those monks who wished to preserve the purity of the Teaching, but their conservative stance precipitated the split they had sought to avoid. The monks who controlled the Council tried to be true to the transmitted Word of Buddha, which had been formulated by the first sangiti, and they were called Sthaviras for taking this stand. Another group of monks, who came to be known as Mahasanghikas – the Great Order – ventured with equal fervour to be faithful to the spirit of Buddha's Teaching. The First Council had endorsed only what all monks could recollect that they had heard Buddha utter, but he had spoken to many groups and individuals in different contexts, and numerous traditions survived indicating that his instructions were adapted to the spiritual and mental competence of his listeners. A large portion of Buddha's Teaching, the Mahasanghikas argued, could not be confirmed by all the monks present at the First Council, for only some of them had heard it directly. This made it no less valid, however. When the Mahasanghika standpoint won no support in the Second Council at Vaishali, its followers withdrew and compiled their own canon.
The Mahasanghikas were the forerunners of the Mahayana or Great Vehicle, whilst the Sthaviras were pioneers of a number of schools later called Hinayana or Little Vehicle, though today they are often called Theravada or Way of the Elders to avoid the somewhat pejorative connotation of Hinayana. History has confirmed the vital concerns of both standpoints. Theravada has avoided a wide range of excesses, but in recent times its phenomenological emphasis and its doctrinal rigidity have sometimes led to atheism and even nihilism. Mahayana, on the other hand, has saved itself from such destructive tendencies but has often been vulnerable to arid scholasticism, and Vajrayana, avoiding both these extremes, has been periodically diverted into fetishism and grey magic. As Buddha himself taught, the battle for Enlightenment cannot be won in cloistered academies or congregational assemblies. It must be fought by each one in the forum of his individual conscience and in the sanctuary of his inmost struggles and deepest meditations.
There is a story in the Sanyutta Nikaya which illumines the core of the earliest controversies. Once Buddha was with his disciples in the Simsapa Grove at Kosambi. He gathered up a handful of fallen simsapa leaves and said:
"What do you think, bhikkhus? Which are more, these few simsapa leaves in my hand, or the other leaves in yonder Simsapa Grove?"
"These leaves, which the Exalted One holds in his hand, are not many, and many more are those in the Simsapa Grove."
"So also, bhikkhus, is that much more which I have learnt and have not told you, than that which I have told you. And why have I not told you? Because, bhikkhus, it would bring you no benefit; it does not conduce to progress in holiness; it does not lead to turning away from the earthly, to the conquest of desire, to cessation of the transitory, to peace, to knowledge, to illumination, to Nirvana. Therefore I have not declared it unto you."
Yet in another discourse Buddha promised: "If you walk according to my Teaching...you shall even in this present life apprehend the Truth and see it face to face."
The effort to adhere to the prescribed path of the Dharma, whilst remaining open to the vast range of Buddha's Word (Buddhavachana), gradually led to a remarkable variety of views which in time emerged as divergent schools of thought. By the time of Emperor Ashoka, perhaps two and a half centuries after that of Buddha, a Third Council was held at Pataliputra to establish the canon, and it is here that the Tripitaka was finalized. Although it appears that the texts had been written down by this time, their exact form is unknown. Ashoka's son Mahinda, a monk in the Sangha, went to Sri Lanka with a complete canon. He was welcomed, and following the custom initiated by Buddha, the texts he brought were translated into Sinhalese. It was not until the Fourth Council (as it is called in the orthodox Pali tradition, even though several other councils had already met in North India) held at Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka in A.D. 1160 that monks of the Mahavihara edited the Pali canon in the form known today. Although the Pali scriptures are of indisputable antiquity, and despite fashionable views to the contrary, they have no greater claim to being the exact or pristine utterances of Buddha than do a number of other sacred texts, including some Mahayana sutras. However divergent and controversial Buddhist views later became, they all took as their common touchstone the Four Noble Truths and the life of Buddha, and so they combined abstruse debates over doctrinal matters with mutual toleration and genuine goodwill. Theravada, Mahayana and even Vajrayana schools flourished side by side for centuries in India, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia.
As the gospel of Buddha spread into South India and Sri Lanka, eastwards to Southeast Asia, northwards into Bactria, Nepal, China, Japan and eventually Tibet, and westwards as far as Alexandria in Egypt, its formulations multiplied and took on many tints. Buddha's Teaching fused the highest metaphysical clarity with an exacting ethical and mental discipline, but the basic Dharma had to be rendered into the cultural idiom of remarkably diverse peoples, many of whom had no formal education and whose languages and dialects could not readily render some of Buddha's recondite doctrines. Unlike the Christian Church, which had a sufficiently homogeneous creed of salvation to ensure fidelity to dogma, the Sangha was always more concerned with conduct than with belief. Buddha taught and exemplified the Eightfold Path to Enlightenment and therapeutic means to self-emancipation, but no doctrines and beliefs, however ardently held, can ever be more than provisional aids on the aspirant's journey. In practice, this implied that those who sought to spread Buddha's Word must become skilled in means, upaya, and employ only those formulations or expressions which really touch the hearts of listeners, encouraging them to take the first step on the Noble Eightfold Path. As different schools and traditions emerged, Buddhist teachers – more or less or hardly enlightened – adapted their discourses to rectify recurrent tendencies to absolutize, concretize or obscure the compassionate core of the Dharma. Schools and sects became as distinct as the differing temperaments of human beings, and as flexible and fraternal as the original Sangha. By hearkening repeatedly to the Four Noble Truths, they could hold one another in considerable mutual respect even whilst freely disagreeing on specific formulations of the truth, all of which must ultimately be swept aside in the climactic experience of Enlightenment.
Some schools gradually emerged as uniquely transmitted traditions, owing to the comparative isolation of small groups of cloistered monks. Others arose out of specific disagreements over aspects of the monastic code, though the essentials of vinaya were never in serious dispute. Major differences were the unavoidable result of varying modes of conceptualization and of conveying the Teaching. Although Buddha seems to have spoken several Indic languages, including Maghadi, he must also have taught in the language of Koshala, the kingdom to which his own clan, the Shakyas, belonged. He insisted that monks and lay people learn the Dharma in their own languages, even though local tongues and dialects were not always capable of conveying his deepest thoughts. Thus there was no "official" language for the Buddhavachana, the Word of Buddha, and no single canonical set of texts emerged in the early years after his Parinirvana. 1 Ancient tradition asserts, however, that Buddha repeatedly referred to ten "inexpressibles", avyakatavatthu (Skt. avyakritavastu), for which language and conceptualization are inherently inadequate to provide definitive formulations. These include whether the world is eternal or not; whether it is finite in space or infinite; whether the Tathagata exists after death, does not exist after death, or both does and does not exist after death, or neither exists nor does not exist after death; and whether the soul is one with the body or different from it. Serious reflection on any of these metaphysical themes will soon show that a radical rethinking of familiar concepts is required even to begin to make sense of such thorny issues.
Starting with the earliest Council and the original recitation of Ananda and Upali, the Sangha rapidly recognized those who were reliable memorizers of the sutras, others who were trustworthy reciters of the vinaya and a gifted few who were skilful commentators. Ancient chronicles testify that eighteen schools and myriad subdivisions had emerged in the Sangha within three centuries of the Parinirvana, and they can be distinguished in terms of the emphasis each gave to the sutras, the vinaya and the various commentaries. Of the schools nurtured by the Sthaviras, Theravada alone survives and so is often held to be of the greatest significance. It postulates a three-tiered universe, consisting of kamadhatu, rupadhatu and arupadhatu – the planes of desire, form and formlessness – in which time moves in vast cycles, each comprising four ages – krita, the Golden Age, treta, dvapara and kali, the Dark Age in which present humanity struggles. Each human being is potentially a Buddha, and he or she can move in that direction through righteous thinking, feeling, speech and action. All phenomenal existence, which encompasses everything outside Nirvana, is unstable and transient, enmeshed in the endless flux of instants or dharmas. In order to tread the path to Enlightenment, it is essential to know the kinds of dharmas which make up one's fleeting existence in embodied form, and so Theravada places great stress upon the complex doctrine of skandhas (Pali khandhas), the vestures and avenues through which they operate and the basic elements of sensory experience. Though a careful and close analysis of these fundamental concepts presupposes an elaborate metaphysical framework, and has often been construed in predominantly psychological terms, its deeper purpose is to find the way to Nirvana, which necessarily reaches far beyond the range of critical metaphysics and analytical psychology.
Nirvana is asankhata (Skt. asanskrita), wholly unconditioned, and therefore can neither come into being nor cease to be. As such, it cannot be linked to the formidable chain of dependent origination. No one in search of Enlightenment can cause it to come about; nonetheless, like the wind which dispels obscuring clouds, the progressive removal of ignorance through traversing the Noble Eightfold Path must eventually enable the Sun of Enlightenment to shine forth. This arduous process can be demarcated into four distinct stages. One who has "entered the stream" or decisively commenced that constant endeavour which leads to the terrace of Enlightenment is in the first stage. One whose course is irrevocable but incomplete has definitely entered the second stage of the "once returner" who has only one more birth before him. The third stage is only entered when one has drawn so close to Enlightenment that there neither need be nor will be any more rebirth. The Arhant, however, has fully attained freedom even in this life and is able to savour Nirvana whilst still in a body. All this naturally suggests that Buddhas appeared on earth long before Prince Siddhartha and that a series of Buddhas will appear thereafter. Specifically, Theravadins anticipate the advent of Metteya (known in Sanskrit as Maitreya), the healing Buddha of universal love who will inaugurate a new epoch in the world. His liberating message, like that of all Buddhas, will be the timeless truth (Sanatana Dharma), yet wholly original in expression and fresh in its idiom.
As with thought and action, Theravadin meditation, jhana (Skt. dhyana), also aims at purification. Starting with withdrawal from sensory indulgence, it moves swiftly to steadfast one-pointedness, ekaggata (Skt. ekagrata), the firm foothold from which all emotion, attraction and reaction is removed, leaving the solitary meditator serenely detached from every aspect of the phenomenal world, even whilst remaining fully conscious and supremely alert. Such a purity of apprehension permits the aspirant to enter into the transcendental states of awareness which Buddha himself experienced beneath the bodhi tree. Entering the state characterized by infinite space, he moves on to a direct immediate experience of infinite consciousness, and still pushes on to a stage which can only be called Nothingness. Beyond that, however, there is an indescribable condition known as "neither perception nor non-perception", the lofty terrace from which the final leap into Nirvana is possible. Although each school has its own priorities and preferences in classifying and characterizing exalted states of consciousness, along with its own distinctive practices of meditation, the entire system set forth in Theravadin doctrine is the original basis of every type of Buddhist meditation, furthering insight or vipassana through mindfulness and bare attention.
If the Sthaviras focussed on the suttas, the Sarvastivadins emphasized the abhidhamma (Skt. abhidharma), or abstruse philosophical doctrines. They held that everything exists only in the sense that it comes into contact with a cognizing agent. Anticipating the phenomenalist Bishop Berkeley in this way, they nonetheless answered the question "What exists?" rather differently: name and form, namarupa, alone exists, rupa being material and nama its nominal definition by a cognizing agent. There is no room here for any enduring self, puggala (Skt. pudgala). Though the Sarvastivadins faded from history, Vasubandhu ingeniously interpreted their basic philosophy in terms of the Sautrantika thesis that there is a continuum of psychic states, each instantaneous and of no intrinsic reality but entirely conditioned by the stronger impulse which gave rise to all of them, and thus laid the basis for the Yogachara or "Mind-Only" school. The Dharmaguptakas accepted the scriptures which have come down to the present in the Pali canon, but they added two other collections of texts. One of these, the Bodhisattvapitaka, stressed the sacrificial nature of Buddha's mission. Holding that an Arhant produces no karma, his willingness to remain in the world is only for the sake of helping others. The Sammitiyas, on the other hand, were troubled that an Arhant could become obscured whilst dealing with ignorant humanity, and they therefore stressed that generosity of every kind provides the surest means for protection and purification. Although only the Theravadins survive from these interrelated schools, their distant descendants took root in China and Japan, where they flourished many centuries after the tradition waned in India.
Like the Sthaviras, the Mahasanghikas are still represented today by their numerous offshoots. Although they looked to the life of Buddha as a pristine model for treading the Path, they ascribed to it immense metaphysical import, holding that Buddha is lokottara, transcendent, and indestructible. His entire message, Buddhavachana, is not limited by time and place but touches all beings, though they hear and understand it only in direct proportion to their individual purity. Bodhisattvas incarnate voluntarily out of compassion and remain amongst human beings as long as they choose – a hopeful teaching that is intimated in the Maha Parinibbana Sutta of the Pali canon. The Lokottaravadins, the descendants of the Mahasanghikas, taught that nothing in manifest existence is real, the sole reality being shunyata, which is twofold – the voidness of subjects and the voidness of objects. Thus Buddha, as he moved among men, was in truth an illusory if luminous appearance of a transcendent reality. Here the emphasis is shifted from the man who struggled to ultimate victory, to the transcendent being who cast a compelling series of sublime mental images on the screen of time for the instruction, edification and emancipation of humanity. Buddha is the perfected Bodhisattva, who assists, guides and benefits an ailing world from which he has nothing to gain.
The Pudgalavadins took the bold step of affirming the reality of the pudgala or self as the reincarnating but transcendent source of consciousness, a view somewhat reminiscent of certain Upanishadic suggestions concerning the Atman. This unorthodox and heretical-seeming standpoint led them to assert that intermediate states of consciousness and modes of being exist between death and rebirth. Such views as sprang from the Mahasanghika perspective formed the doctrinal basis of the Mahayana or Great Vehicle. Mahayana placed the self and the world on the same level, thus holding that both seem real to the self precisely because self and dharmas – elements of existence – are inherently non-existent. Both are like empty space, characterized by shunyata, voidness. The removal of suffering cannot be seen in terms of some one individual escaping and evading the cycle of existences. Rather, the holy Arhant, though honoured, is superseded by the more exalted Bodhisattva, who sees no difference whatsoever between himself and any sentient creature and who ardently seeks the Enlightenment of all.
The Bodhisattva ideal, central to all Mahayana teaching, calls on all compassionate individuals to seek Enlightenment purely for the sake of the whole. Self-sacrifice is self-emancipation, for in truly giving up one's sensate and separative life, one who follows this all-demanding ideal attempts a progressive ascent through ten levels (bhumis) of spiritual attainment, which is made possible by cultivating and perfecting the ten paramitas or modes of purity in daily life. The first six stages constitute the strict prerequisites for the successful pursuit of the Bodhisattva Path. They are: dana, charity and loving kindness; shila, morality, "harmony in word and act" which mitigates and negates the formation of new karma; kshanti, "patience sweet, that nought can ruffle"; virya, unwavering vigour, courage and dauntless energy directed towards the goal; dhyana, deep daily meditation; and prajna, spiritual insight and wisdom. When these six paramitas are mastered, the Bodhisattva is fit for the seventh level, that of irreversibility, when the Buddha-nature manifests in him. He no longer struggles to purify himself, for the impulse to perfection now operates as the dynamic aspect of his own intrinsic nature and each subsequent stage is a rapid depletion of former karma, a radical dissolution of all limitations of consciousness and a resplendent dawning of that transcendental omniscience which is the Buddha-light. Thus upaya, skilfulness in action, leads to pranidhana, unshakeable resolution, and to bala, inward strength, culminating in the four transcendental (arupa) states of mental absorption (jnana).
Mahayana elaborated the esoteric doctrine of the three bodies or modes of being, trikaya, of Buddha. Concern for proper attention to the physical body composed of the four elements, for the invisible mental body and for the hard-won body of Law, Dharma, is found both in the Dhammapada and the Udanavarga. When these powerful seed-ideas found their full fruition in Mahayana soil, the trikaya became three modes of existence. The Dharmakaya is ontologically prior to the others and the "highest". It is the quintessential nature of Buddha, identical in all Buddhas, absolutely unmanifest in itself, yet that upon which all manifestation is conditioned. "He who sees the Dharma sees me," Buddha once said, "he who sees me sees the Dharma." Here the open-textured conceptions of Dharma as the priceless Teaching of Righteousness and as the omnipresent operative principle of all existence (reminiscent of the rich Hindu concept of Rita) have been metaphysically fused into the fundamental idea that Dharma is the primordial reality out of which all manifestation must derive and into which all must dissolve. In the universe it is seen as Law; in sacred speech it is the Law-like Teaching, which is at once metaphysical and moral; in the human species it is the fully perfected Buddha. It is also the magnetic afflatus of the aspirant who has merged in consciousness with Absolute Truth, the Divine Wisdom that ensouls the cosmos.
The Sambhogakaya or body of bliss is sometimes portrayed as the glorious body of omniscience to which meditative consciousness can ascend. It is the celestial seat of supramundane understanding and supernal splendour. Arcane schools of initiation teach that the progressive awakening of consciousness requires a conscious transformation of every aspect of the human constitution. The Sambhogakaya is a noumenal vesture created by alchemical transmutation of the basic elements of existence. It serves as the supreme focus of universal insight (prajna). It is wholly unconcerned with the world. The Nirmanakaya, sometimes thought of as the phenomenal body of a Buddha projected into Samsara through the power of illusion, is in the arcane schools the projection of the Sambhogakaya for the sake of contact with this world. Trishna, the thirst for embodied existence, has been utterly eradicated beyond recall. Nonetheless, the Bodhisattva can choose at will to renounce the total disconnection from the mundane world which he has fully earned, and he voluntarily continues to abide in a sensate world he does not need, cannot gain anything from and yet has freely vowed to serve. Seen in this soteriological context, the Nirmanakaya is the noumenal body which can be the powerful focus of universal intelligence and also the assumed vesture through which the Bodhisattva can aid humanity in its arduous search for Enlightenment. Althoguh the Nirmanakaya is the "lowest" or least ethereal of the three bodies, it is ethically the most exalted to all votaries of the Bodhisattva ideal. Since the three kayas abide at the cosmic level of universal cognition, they can be viewed as formless bodies, spiritual vestures of omnidirectional states of universal consciousness. Since these remote states cannot be adequately characterized outside of their direct realization by the initiated Adept, the full meaning of the trikaya necessarily remains a sacred theme, an incommunicable secret of initiation.
All such esoteric doctrines presuppose the possibility of direct awareness that the transcendental states of consciousness discoverable in meditation have always been represented by divine beings constituted of the very essence of supernal awareness and noumenal substance. Just as Dharmakaya is beyond any hint or measure of conditionality, so too Adibuddha, the primordial reality, is beyond the seeming multiplicity of differentiated subjects. Just as everyday human consciousness manifests through permutations of the five skandhas, so the primeval Buddha emanates five cosmic Dhyani Buddhas (in some arcane accounts both are seven in number), who in turn manifest as fully realized cosmic Boddhisattvas. All spiritual activity in the phenomenal world is a manifestation and mirroring of their noetic thought and theurgic activity. The aspirant who has entered the stream that flows inexorably, though not automatically, towards the ocean of Enlightenement becomes an accredited member of one of these "Buddha families" on earth. He becomes part of the vital bridge between unenlightened human beings and a vast range of supermundane, ccelestial, supercelestial and untterly trascendental consciousnesses.2 On the one hand, Mahayana envisages a great chain of being which corresponds to the broad continuum stretching from perfect wisdom to incorrigible ignorance. On the other hand, it sees the Sangha neither as a simple unit nor as a collection of differing schools and sects, but rather as a shining host of lineages which constitute a single "Buddha family". Thus in the Mahayana a variety of daring perspectives spring from concentrated devotion to one or another sutra or from the striking formulations of one or another esteemed Teacher. All are accommodated within a single sacred family in which there is benevolent non-interference and authentic mutual respect amongst its diverse members. The trikaya doctrine reaffirmed the immemorial sanctity and inviolable privacy of the guru-chela relationship and the Guruparampara transmission.
The Madhyamika school traces its origin to Nagarjuna, the brilliant philosopher and formidable dialectician who flourished in the late second century A.D. Taking Buddha's advocacy of the Middle Way between harmful extremes, between avid indulgence and austere asceticism, and between sterile intellectualization and suffocating mental torpor, Nagarjuna developed a rigorous dialectical logic by which he reduced every philosophical standpoint to an explosive set of contradictions. This did not lead to the closure of scepticism, as the less vigorously pursued pre-Socratic philosophies did, but rather to the elusive standpoint that neither existence nor non-existence can be asserted of the world and of everything in it. The Madhyamikas, therefore, refused to affirm or deny any philosophical proposition. Nagarjuna sought to liberate the mind from its tendencies to cling to tidy or clever formulations of truth, because any truth short of shunyata, the voidness of reality, is inherently misleading. Relative truths are not like pieces of a puzzle, each of which incrementally adds to the complete design. They are plausible distortions of the truth and can seriously mislead the aspirant. They cannot be lightly or wholly repudiated, however, for they are all the seeker has, and so he must learn to use them as aids whilst remembering that they are neither accurate nor complete in themselves.
By the fifth century two views of Nagarjuna's work had emerged. The followers of Bhavaviveka thought that Madhyamika philosophy had a positive content, whilst those who subscribed to Buddhapalita's more severe interpretation said that every standpoint, including their own, could be reduced to absurdity, which fact alone, far more than any positively asserted doctrine, could lead to intuitive insight (prajna) and Enlightenment. Chandrakirti's remarkable defence of this latter standpoint deeply influenced Tibetan Buddhist traditions as well as those schools of thought that eventually culminated in Japan in Zen. Nagarjuna's dialectic revealed the shunya or emptiness of all discursive, worldly thought and its proliferating categories.
For the Madhyamikas, whatever can be conceptualized is therefore relative, and whatever is relative is shunya, empty. Since absolute inconceivable truth is also shunya, shunyata or the void is shared by both Samsara and Nirvana. Ultimately, Nirvana truly realized is Samsara properly understood. The fully realized Bodhisattva, the enlightened Buddha who renounces the Dharmakaya vesture to remain at the service of suffering beings, recognizes this radical transcendental equivalence. The Arhant and the Pratyeka Buddha, who look to their own redemption and realization, are elevated beyond any conventional description, but nonetheless do not fully realize or freely embody this highest truth. Thus for the Madhyamikas, the Bodhisattva ideal is the supreme wisdom, showing the unqualified unity of unfettered metaphysics and transcendent ethics, theoria and praxis, at the highest conceivable level.
Madhyamika thought rooted itself in the remarkable collection of Mahayana sutras known as the Prajnaparamita (or perfection of wisdom) literature. These sutras, from the one hundred thousand verses of Shatasahasrika Prajnaparamita to the terse Heart Sutra and the short Vajrachchedika (literally, "Diamond Cutter", but commonly called Diamond Sutra), share the same themes skilfully expounded at different lengths. According to these sutras, all dharmas or elements of existence are shunyata or void. Although many human beings are terrified of voidness, as is shown by the instinctive dread of the dark and the unknown, this arises from a basic misunderstanding of shunyata. It is unchanging, deathless, unqualified reality. If one understands shunyatashunyata, the Voidness of the Void, one recognizes that it is not any "nothing" one knows or can imagine. Being truly unknown, there is no sufficient reason to dread it. Rather than entertain vague, ill-conceived and inchoate images of the imageless, one would do better to practise the paramitas, the dynamic virtues of the Noble Eightfold Path leading to the inestimable glory which the ignorant world calls shunyata solely because it is beyond its ken. The Bodhisattva, however, sees the plenitude of that Void as well as the emptiness of the phenomenal world, and so he labours in joy for the redemption of those who suffer from abject ignorance.
Madhyamika led almost effortlessly to the emergence of the Yogachara school, founded by Asanga and his younger brother, Vasubandhu, in the fifth century A.D. Sometimes called the "Mind-Only" or Chittamatra school, especially in China, it held that consciousness is the key to understanding reality and so quintessentially is reality. Yogachara thought is based on the Lankavatara Sutra, wherein Buddha, abiding in a realm accessible only through the exercise of high spiritual powers, discoursed to Mahamati, chief of the Bodhisattvas. Adopting the "Mind-Only" standpoint, the Lankavatara provides a detailed metapsychology which explains the efficacy of treading the paramita Path. The consciousness of an incarnate human being reflects the architectonic range of consciousness itself. There are the six vijnanas consisting of the five senses and manovijnana – that aspect of mind which synthesizes them. Manas uses manovijnana to grasp the world, but it also knows, apart from the vijnanas, that there is something higher than itself. In this crucial respect, therefore, Manas is dual and hence the indispensable pivot upon which redemption and Enlightenment depend. Chitta is the storehouse of thoughts and deeds, a complete record of the progress of consciousness through time, and in exalted states of meditation it seeks to attune itself to Alayavijnana.
Alayaviynana is the universal storehouse, containing the seeds of all that has been and ever will be. It is neutral in that it contains every possibility of consciousness, but does not thrust forward any of them. Since it contains the seed of Enlightenment, it is also Tathagatagarbha, the womb of reality. It is Atman, the Self, but it is also devoid of individuality. Manas is the principle of individuation, whilst Alayavijnana is the principle of universality. Through ignorance and desire, avidya and trishna, Manas becomes entangled in things, conditions and states – all of which arise out of consciousness itself. It is somewhere conscious of Alayavijnana, however, and Enlightenment is the result of a "turning around of consciousness", paravritti, in which Manas detaches itself from involvement in manovijnana and beholds Alayavijnana. The seed of Enlightenment in the universal storehouse is guided by the gaze of Manas, and it will come to fruition through practice of the paramitas. Though Alayavijnana, being universal, has no distinct self, the fusion of Manas with Alayaviynana is the union of individuation and universality. This is the fully awakened, supreme Buddha, the farthest limit of noumenal reality which is neither one nor many, but which understands both.
In religious language, Manas ascends to Alayavijnana through paravritti, the turning upwards of consciousness. Metapsychologically, it does so through self-purification by cultivating the paramitas. As in all Buddhist thought, Buddhas can only point the way to Enlightenment, and the aspirant has to strive single-mindedly to attain it. The Lankavatara, however, gives a mystical dimension to this principle. Buddhavachana, the Word of Buddha, is his adhishthana, his sustaining power, his anchor in manifest existence. It is his call or summons in consciousness to Enlightenment, affirming its possibility and indicating the Path to it. Every dimension of Nature responds at some level to that powerful summons and is also supported by it. Below Manas, and so in the lower kingdoms, that call quickens the collective impulse towards individuation and the threshold of self-consciousness. In the human family it is the stirring summons to self-purification and conscious effort. Those who do their utmost to honour that call are mystically yoked to Buddha, which Shantideva memorably phrased as "joining the Buddha family". To enter a lineage is not simply to give allegiance to a school of thought: it is no less than to accept a sacred bond, to enter a mystic communion the fruition of which is Enlightenment.
If the Prajnaparamita Sutras point to shunyata as the hidden core of manifold existence and the Lankavatara Sutra provides the underpinnings for the journey to its realization, the Avatansaka (Garland) Sutra, of which the Gandavyuha comprises the last section, views the world from the threshold of reality. Delivered by the Dhyani Buddha Vairochana, it depicts the supreme abode of Buddhas as Dharmadhatu, the universal principle, the realm of pure perception. Beyond space and time, it abides without individuation, for it is anabhasa, shadowless, and admits of no distinctions. Human beings dwell in lokadhatu, the world of particulars conditioned by the senses, and for them Dharmadhatu defies both sensory experience and conventional logic. Yet its unconditioned luminosity suffuses lokadhatu at every point, for the two realms are reflective of each other. From the standpoint of lokadhatu, the entire manifest world arises all at once; all dharmas are so inextricably dependent on one another that none could arise without all of them appearing. From the standpoint of Dharmadhatu, this is because of the mutual interconnection of all things. Each dharma implicitly expresses all dharmas, and all phenomena express shunyata, the Void, in its particularity.
Fa-Tsang, who spread Avatansaka teachings across China as the Third Patriarch of the Hua-yen school, explained the principle of mutual interpenetration to the Empress Tze-t"ien with the aid of a room filled with mirrors. Having arranged her enormous collection of mirrors so that they would catch the light of a single candle, he drew curtains over the window of the chamber. When he lit the candle, its light was caught and reflected back and forth amongst the mirrors, giving the impression of myriad candles where there was in fact only one. The single candle represented the Dharmadhatu, the mirrors stood for the particulars of the lokadhatu, and the reflected light the mutual interpenetration of all things. Dharmadhatu is causal to lokadhatu as well as its source and ultimate nature.
Since the two realms – the lofty abode of Buddha and the true home of Bodhisattvas, as well as the sense-bound world of unenlightened beings – are one, the paramita Path can be seen as the alchemical process of transmuting lokadhatu into Dharmadhatu. The paramitas are virtues on the level of ordinary thought and action, but when fully understood they are revealed as transcendental powers which bring the two realms together in consciousness. Just as Buddha is peerless wisdom, prajna, so too the Path which he set forth is pure compassion, mahakaruna, and the paramitas are jewelled facets of that adamantine compassion. As Dharmadhatu is present in every nook and corner of lokadhatu, so Buddha is within each being. The Bodhisattva Manjushri, embodiment of transcendental wisdom and supernal insight, is in each human being the sovereign principle of irreversibility, which makes possible that change of consciousness whereby lokadhatu becomes Dharmadhatu. The work of universal Enlightenment, implicit in Buddha's first vow in the palace at Kapilavastu and explicit in the Bodhisattva ideal, is the timely entrance of all awakened beings into the refulgent world of unshadowed light wherein all suffering, desire, space and time come to an end.
1An excellent and judicious examination of the language of Buddha and the problem of a canonical authority in relation to Buddhavachana is found in The Eternal Legacy by Sangharakshita, Tharpa Publications, London, 1985.
2Modern man, despite science fiction, has still to catch up with the awesome world of Leibnizian monadology or the calm recognition by the Victorian scientist T.H. Huxley that "there must be things in the universe whose intelligence is as much beyond ours as ours exceeds that of the black beetle, and who take an active part in the government of the natural order of things". He also said: "Without stepping beyond the analogy of that which is known, it is easy to people the cosmos with entities, in ascending scale until we reach something practically indistinguishable from omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience." | <urn:uuid:0f3708ae-a2c3-4672-838b-d5415a65b722> | CC-MAIN-2017-13 | https://www.theosophytrust.org/908-buddha-and-the-path-to-enlightenment-iii-the-dharma-and-the-sangha | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-13/segments/1490218187227.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20170322212947-00594-ip-10-233-31-227.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953298 | 8,408 | 2.515625 | 3 |
prepositional phraseprepositional phrase
The definition of a prepositional phrase is a series of words made up of a preposition and its object.
An example of a prepositional phrase is the phrase "from the park," in which "from" is the preposition and "park" is the object.
a phrase consisting of a preposition and the noun or noun substitute that is its object
A phrase that consists of a preposition and its object and has adjectival or adverbial value, such as in the house in the people in the house or by him in The book was written by him. | <urn:uuid:e35446c0-e0c0-475f-9d30-4cb44dc37499> | CC-MAIN-2017-13 | http://www.yourdictionary.com/prepositional-phrase | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-13/segments/1490218187717.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20170322212947-00257-ip-10-233-31-227.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973728 | 130 | 3.046875 | 3 |
Neuropathy commonly refers to dysfunction or diseases of the nerves.
Neuropathies are group of disorders that occur due to some damage to nerves. Any traumatic injuries or diseases like infections, metabolic disorders and exposure to toxins can cause damage to nerves in any part of body resulting in neuropathy.
It is noted that generally it is peripheral nervous system which is mostly affected. This system is located outside of brain.
Neuropathy can affect the motor nerves as well as sensory nerves. The motor nerves control movements and sensory nerves control sensations like heat or cold etc.
In some cases like that in autonomic neuropathy, the internal organs of body like blood vessels, heart, etc. are affected.
Classification and Types of Neuropathy
Neuropathy can be classified into different categories based on the types of nerves or the location of the nerves that are affected or according to the disease that is causing it.
Broadly Neuropathy Can Be Categorized As Follows Depending On The Number Of Nerves Affected.
- Mononeuropathy – Single nerve is affected. Common examples are carpal tunnel syndrome, radial nerve palsy, ulnar nerve palsy as well as peroneal nerve palsy.
- Multiple Mononeuropathy – In this case, more than one nerve gets affected.
- Polyneuropathy – Term used when many peripheral nerves get involved. The most common examples are diabetic neuropathy and Guillain Barre syndrome.
As mentioned earlier, neuropathies are of different types based on the nerves that are affected.
Types of Neuropathy
Autonomic Neuropathy: In this condition, the autonomic nerves are affected. Autonomic nerve damage has an impact on internal organs like heart, gastrointestinal and genitourinary system and involuntary functions are affected, which can lead to abnormal heart rate and blood pressure, reduced ability to perspire, bowel and bladder dysfunction, sexual dysfunction, and thinning of the skin.
Compressive Neuropathy: This is also known as entrapment neuropathy, it refers to isolated peripheral nerve injury that occurs at definite locations where nerve gets constricted in a fibrous tunnel or gets deformed by fibrous band. The nerve can be injured by direct compression or stretching forces causing mechanical injury. Carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar neuropathy at the cubital tunnel are the most common examples.
Hereditary Neuropathies: This is a group of inherited disorder affecting generally peripheral nervous system. Hereditary neuropathies can be categorized into four types: Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy, hereditary sensorimotor neuropathy; hereditary sensory neuropathy as well as hereditary motor neuropathy. CMT disease, one of hereditary sensorimotor neuropathy, is most common type of neuropathy. Symptoms vary depending on type and may include symptoms like pain, numbness and tingling in extremities, weakness, and decreased muscle bulk, especially in lower legs and feet.
Diabetic Neuropathy: Diabetic neuropathy is the term used for damage to the nerves in the body that is done due to high blood sugar levels from diabetes. Often the symptoms develop slowly over the years and can vary depending upon the nerves that are affected. Symptoms may include heartburn, bloating, swallowing problems, nausea, constipation, or diarrhea.
Peripheral Neuropathy: The nerves of the peripheral nervous system i.e., the nervous system that is outside of the brain and the spinal cord, are damaged. This condition is called peripheral neuropathy, and most commonly the nerve axons are damaged. Peripheral neuropathy often causes numbness, pain, burning and tingling sensation in the arms, hands, legs and feet.
Pathophysiology of Neuropathy
Peripheral nervous system is the group of nerves that connect the central nervous system to the internal organs and muscles and transmit sensations throughout the entire body making sensation possible. The important clinical symptoms of peripheral neuropathy include pain, burning, numbness, tingling and aching of the distal limbs, as well as itching or extreme sensitivity to even the slight touch such as to a cloth or towel. These symptoms are generally bilateral and are more pronounced at night; and affect the legs more than the hands.
The pathological features of isolated neuropathies include a varying combination of focal demyelination and Wallerian degeneration.
Angulation and stretch injuries are main mechanisms of a nerve injury when there is ulnar neuropathy along with gross deformity of elbow joint as well as thoracic outlet disease. Continuous compression of nerves due to external forces also tends to cause focal nerve injuries like ulnar neuropathy at elbow and lesions in other branches of ulnar nerve in hand.
Causes and Risk Factors of Neuropathy
About 35% of neuropathies fall under idiopathic where cause of it is unknown. Diabetes is cause for another 35% of neuropathies and about half of people with diabetes develop some type of neuropathy. Rest of cases of neuropathies has various possible causes like:
- Pressure or trauma to nerves, most commonly from typing.
- Nutritional issues and vitamin deficiency.
- Autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Guillain Barre Syndromes.
- Tumors pressing on nerves.
- Infections and diseases like liver dysfunction, kidney dysfunction, Lyme disease, thyroid dysfunction etc.
- Inherited disorders.
- Exposure to toxins and certain drugs and cancer treatment.
There can be several risks for neuropathy. People suffering from diabetes who have poor control over their blood sugars are more prone to suffer from neuropathy. Individuals who have undergone organ transplantations, AIDS, or have immune suppression are at higher risk of developing neuropathy. Alcohol abuse or vitamin deficiency, particularly B vitamins, places at increased risk of neuropathy.
Signs and Symptoms of Neuropathy
Neuropathy symptoms depend on various factors, mainly the location of the affected nerves and the type of nerves that are affected i.e., sensory, motor, or autonomic. Some types of neuropathy may affect all the three types of nerves. Some of the neuropathies may arise suddenly while others develop gradually over a period of time, sometimes years. Some of the common symptoms are as follows:
- Pins and needles in affected body parts. This can also be termed as tingling and prickling sensation.
- Burning sensation in the legs and feet and as the condition progresses it may also develop in the arms and hands.
- Stabbing, sharp pains which are more pronounced at night, sometimes described as electric-like pain, which starts from the legs and feet and progresses to the hands.
- Muscle weakness.
- Coordination problems.
- Increased susceptibility to skin infections and foot ulcers and other problems that affect the feet.
In autonomic neuropathy, patients may experience symptoms such as hypotension i.e., low blood pressure, where the patient may feel dizzy when getting up from sitting or lying position, accelerated heartbeat i.e., tachycardia, problems with balance, coordination problems, nausea, vomiting, dysphagia i.e., swallowing difficulties, diarrhea, bowel or bladder incontinence, problem emptying the bladder completely, impotence, erectile dysfunction, reduced ability to perspire, and thinning of the skin.
Diabetes is one of the most common causes of peripheral neuropathy though other causes can include infections, metabolic disorders, traumatic injuries, and exposure to toxins. Peripheral neuropathy often causes numbness, pain, burning and tingling sensation in the arms, hands, legs and feet. Symptoms can exist for any length of time, but they often improve with time, specifically in cases where there is an underlying condition that can be cured.
Peripheral neuropathy can eventually lead to dysesthesia where the patient’s sense of touch is affected.
Motor nerve damage leads to symptoms that have an effect on the muscles such as cramps, spasms and muscle weakness. This type of neuropathy commonly leads to loss of balance and coordination. Patients may find difficulty with walking or running and feel heaviness in the legs, stumble frequently, or tire easily. Damage to nerves in the arms may make it difficult to do day to day activities like opening jars, turning door knobs and the carrying bags.
Sensory nerve damage leads to symptoms such as impaired position sense, numbness, tingling, pinching and pain. Pain is often described as freezing, burning, or electric-like, and many patients report a sensation of wearing an invisible stocking or glove. These sensations are generally worse at night, and can become severely painful. Sensory nerve damage can eventually lead to lessening or absence of sensation, where nothing at all is felt.
Treatment for Neuropathy
There are a variety of treatments available for neuropathy that range from oral medications, creams to special diets and therapies that stimulate the nervous system. Antidepressants are a favored treatment for neuropathies as they relieve the neuropathic pain in people without depression. Anticonvulsants block calcium channels on neurons to limit pain and hence these are also frequently used in treatment. Narcotic and opioid treatments are also used to treat the condition, but are less favored because of risk of dependency, however, opioids have been consistently effective in reducing pain.
For some types of neuropathy, treatment with a topical anesthetic such as lidocaine is recommended. Capsaicin cream is also used to treat neuropathic pain.
Alternative therapies for peripheral neuropathy include Botox, cannabinoids, dietary supplements, chiropractic massages, meditation, yoga, cognitive therapy, and accupuncture.
Neuromodulators are also used in treatment of neuropathy. These include both implantable and non-implantable technologies such as implanted spinal pumps, spinal cord stimulators, electrodes that stimulate the motor cortex of the brain, and deep brain stimulators (DBS).
Investigations for Neuropathy
Peripheral neuropathy cannot be easily diagnosed in many cases. The standard diagnostic process begins with a full medical history and physical and neurological exams to analyze muscle strength and tone, tendon reflexes, examination of sensations, and posture and coordination. Other tests may include:
- Blood tests to measure the levels of vitamin B12, thyroid function tests, and urinalysis.
- Electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction study (NCV).
- Nerve biopsy, where a small portion of nerve is removed and examined.
- Entrapment Neuropathy or Nerve Compression Syndrome: Types, Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
- Suprascapular Neuropathy: Definition, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment
- Diabetic Neuropathy: Classification, Types, Causes, Risk Factors, Signs, Symptoms, Treatment
- 6 Water Exercises for Neuropathy
- Small Fiber Neuropathy: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Diagnosis | <urn:uuid:c2438454-f75b-4cf0-be39-10d9c34b287b> | CC-MAIN-2022-21 | https://www.epainassist.com/nerves/neuropathy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-21/segments/1652662573189.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20220524173011-20220524203011-00160.warc.gz | en | 0.930704 | 2,260 | 3.40625 | 3 |
Meehl, G. A., T. Karl, D. R. Easterling, S. Changnon, R. Pielke Jr., D. Changnon, J. Evans, P. Y. Groisman, T. R. Knutson, K. E. Kunkel, L.O. Mearns, C. Parmesan, R. Pulwarty, T. Root, R. T. Sykes, P. Whetton, and F. Zwiers, 2000: An introduction to trends in extreme weather and climate events: Observations, socioeconomic impacts, terrestrial ecological impacts, and model projections. Bull. Amer. Met. Soc., 81, 413-416.
Weather and climatic extremes can have serious and damaging effects on human society and infrastructure as well as on ecosystems and wildlife. Thus, they are usually the main focus of attention of the news media in reports on climate. There are some indications from observations concerning how climatic extremes may have changed in the past. Climate models show how they could change in the future either due to natural climate fluctuations or under conditions of greenhouse gas-induced warming. These observed and modeled changes relate directly to the understanding of socioeconomic and ecological impacts related to extremes. | <urn:uuid:8d8cbc1d-a6d7-44c5-85ad-5144765b96fb> | CC-MAIN-2016-22 | http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/psd1/pubs/2000/details/meehl_01abs.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-22/segments/1464049270798.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20160524002110-00184-ip-10-185-217-139.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.893423 | 253 | 3.125 | 3 |
Are you unable to make progress despite your spot on nutrition and active lifestyle? Are you stressed? Stress can cause irregular levels of Cortisol which is why we call it the "Stress Hormone". Did you know that irregular Cortisol levels can effect things like immunity, appetite, energy levels, metabolism, maintenance of muscle tissue, and weight loss? Cortisol levels should be highest in the morning and lowest before bed, but unfortunately the ongoing pressures of the daily grind can throw these levels "out of whack", so to speak. The good news is that there are several simple habits you can adopt toward regulating your Cortisol levels:
1. Get on a sleep schedule that will ensure 6-8 hrs of effective sleep. This can be tricky, especially if you are a shift worker because your bedtime is constantly changing. However, KEEP READING, because a lot of these steps double as ways to help you sleep and improve sleep efficiency.
2. First thing in the morning, open your shades and get some sunlight! Have you ever heard of S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder)? The lack of sunlight in the winter can have an effect on your Cortisol levels in addition to contributing to depression. A healthy dose or good old Vitamin D, straight from the sun will help raise your morning Cortisol and it'll give your day a great start!
3. Have 1 Tbsp of Coconut Oil or Butter with your breakfast. The short chained fatty acids get metabolized by the liver and get converted straight to energy instead of being stored as fat. Only 1 Tbsp! Don't overdo it, because your body will still metabolize extra calories as fat.
4. Exercise in the morning and if you can get outside for a fun sun run, EVEN BETTER!
5. Keep away from screens! No computer, no television, and no smartphone. Reading is a great way to start your day! But, do yourself a favor, and crack open a hardcover or a paperback. No IPads or Kindles, it's too much blue light stimulation when your body is trying to wake up. Remember when our parents always used to say "Don't sit too close to the television, you're brain will turn to mush"? Why start our day out with staring at a screen, or even worse, more than one screen!
6. Avoid workouts too close to bedtime. Even though we feel exhausted after a good workout, exercise is still stimulating. Too much stimulation, from highly energetic activities, gets us too riled up before bed. Do you find yourself staying awake for hours in bed? Maybe you need to wind down a little more before you hit the sack.
7. Eat early dinners and avoid sugar and other simple carbohydrates in the few hours before bed. Food is energy, and you don't want to pack your body full of energy before trying to nod off. If you find yourself with cravings before bed, stick with a snack consisting of protein and fat.
8. Again with the electricity...TURN IT OFF! Television in your room? GET RID OF IT! An hour before you go to bed, rid your eyes of screens and reap the benefits of a good night's sleep! I know that there's a lot of Facebook Rummaging you need to catch up with, but the electricity hangover that you're going to wake up with is not worth it.
9. Step off the scale. What stresses you out more than wanting to know what you weigh up to the very point that you find out that you don't like the number? You are more likely to keep a consistent healthy and fitness program when you are trusting the system, anyway. If you are constantly weighing yourself you are more likely to switch up your program with every fluctuation. Choose your path, and give it time to work. You're going to fluctuate and the stress of seeing an unchanging number is effecting you, hormonally, more than you think.
10. Deep breathing. Yes that's right. You wanna be healthy? You wanna lose weight? You wanna fall asleep as soon as your head hits that pillow? Just breathe. Easy enough right? Put your hands on your ribs and take a deep breath. If you did not feel your ribs expand, and instead felt your chest raise, then you are not filling your lungs with enough air. Your breaths are too short. When lying in bed, trying to fall asleep, breathe in for a count of 3 and feel your midsection expand before you exhale. Repeat this several times. You'll be surprised how relaxed you will feel. Practice this also in high stress situations. It'll help you keep your cool.
11. Avoid overtraining. I know you have goals, I know you're dedicated, and I know your frustrated. However, being to harsh on your body can do more harm than good. If you are constantly sore from your workouts you're putting physical stress on your body and you're not allowing it to recover before you hit it with another workout. Exercise breaks down muscle tissue so that it can grow during repair and recovery. Your body recovers during rest. Remember that. It will not grow, adapt, or recover when it cannot rest.
12. Do something you enjoy. I cannot stress this enough. Find something that makes you happy and do it as often as possible. Surround yourself with positivity and although it's easier said than done, don't let the bad stuff in. My Daddy always tells me, "The best way to be less stressed is to stress less."
So there you go! Sometimes weight loss is a mystery and stress is a vicious cycle. Try adopting a few of these simple habits and keep me updated on your progress! | <urn:uuid:425f5ff3-3260-43a1-9611-81eb1fe8d212> | CC-MAIN-2016-50 | http://blog.ideafit.com/blogs/sigmund-brenda/cortisol-the-stress-hormone-how-can-stress-effect-weight-loss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-50/segments/1480698541883.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20161202170901-00461-ip-10-31-129-80.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958281 | 1,175 | 2.59375 | 3 |
We might inherit certain things form our parents, like blue eyes or our height, but what about our ability to cheat? It might sound extreme but is there anything in it?
Bloom&Wild asked a few questions about genetics to Dr. Daniel Kelberman, from Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health. When it comes to pulling the wool over your other halves eyes, is it something learned from our Mum and Dad?
Dr Kelberman believes not.
He said, ''No – such behaviours are acquired and nothing to do with genetics.'' He continued, ''[Speaking generally about behaviour-related genetics], there are lots of studies on the genes involved in inheritance, most of which are contentious. There are potentially thousands of genes involved, and our estimates at present only account for a very small amount of what is inherited.”
This therefore means cheating is something you may act out with on your own and not inherited from your parents. Other genetic questions asked including one about obesity and height.
So is obesity inherited?
Dr Kelbermman said, ''There are many genes that have been implicated in increased BMI, but few rarely proven and the biological basis is unknown. Genetics is suggested to play a role, but quite a small one.''
He added, ''There are rare forms of childhood onset obesity that are caused by mutation of a single gene, but these would be considered more of a rare disease than the phenomenon of increasing rates of obesity in the population.''
So if you feel the need to cheat, don't go blaming genetics. | <urn:uuid:a646ae96-7bd4-4cf3-b433-17bfcd9332ca> | CC-MAIN-2022-27 | https://www.shemazing.net/tag/couple/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-27/segments/1656103661137.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20220630031950-20220630061950-00287.warc.gz | en | 0.967045 | 314 | 2.9375 | 3 |
The first explorers on Mars will need a new kind of spacesuit, and a university-based team has taken a novel approach to design the equipment.
Researchers have set up a “collaboratory” at the University of California, Berkeley, to come up with a spacesuit that will allow expeditionary crews to work effectively on Mars.
“The kind of suit that we’re talking about is a blue-collar suit. You’ve got to be able to be out and about on Mars 7 to 8 hours a day, seven days a week,” said project leader Lawrence Kuznetz, a UC Berkeley professor and former NASA engineer with a long history of investigating Mars spacesuit concepts. [Evolution of the Spacesuit in Pictures (Space Tech Gallery)]
“It’s not like the spacesuits of the past, those used in Apollo, for the space shuttle or to carry out spacewalks from the International Space Station,” Kuznetz told Space.com. “So it’s a fresh sheet of paper for a planetary suit to use on Mars. You are talking about a planet. You’re not talking about space or the moon, where the environment is always the same.”
Team members tackle the inner and outer workings of a Mars suit at the University of California, Berkeley.
Credit: Lawrence Kuznetz
Spacesuit design class
About 50 Berkeley students are now taking part in this MarsSuit Project, via a design class that began in mid-January. That core group, Kuznetz said, is one slice of a larger, interactive talent pool that includes the University of Helsinki, Texas A&M University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and students at the Technical University of Ljubljana in Slovenia and at other institutions, along with several NASA centers, nonprofits and private organizations, such as Paragon Space Development Corporation in Tucson, Arizona.
Teams have been established to delve into everything from hardware, soft goods and software to boots, gloves, thermal control and waste management.
“The long-range vision is to have this course semester after semester,” Kuznetz said, “with each semester building upon the work of the prior semester … all intent on maturing the MarsSuit design.”
A “collaboratory” setting taps the talents of a multidisciplinary network of experts to design a spacesuit for Mars.
Credit: Lawrence Kuznetz
The MarsSuit Project draws from earlier work done by Kuznetz: the “K suit,” which separates the helmet from the torso in a hybrid dual system.
“Mars is more like Antarctica … and it has an atmosphere,” Kuznetz said. “What you can get from the Mars environment is carbon dioxide, and that it’s cold and it’s dry. Those three things give you a real leg up.”
The MarsSuit Project team is focused on a two-suits-in-one concept, Kuznetz said. The helmet contains pressurized oxygen, and the Mars atmosphere pressurizes the rest of the suit. A neck dam separates the two components, Kuznetz said. Taking that approach, he said, means the suit won’t need heat exchangers, fans, pumps or liquid-cooled garments, and this will reduce the weight of a Mars explorer’s portable life-support system.
“Another big plus is that if you have a puncture in a traditional suit, you’ve got 11 seconds of useful consciousness to fix the problem,” Kuznetz said. “If you have a puncture in this suit, you are losing carbon dioxide. You don’t give a damn, and you have got extended survival time to fix the puncture. You don’t lose oxygen. That’s what makes this design so different.”
What will a Mars spacesuit look like in the future? To maximize an explorer’s productivity on the Red Planet, different types of suits are needed from those used by Apollo moonwalkers, experts said.
Personal mission control
Those taking part in the MarsSuit Project have come up with a number of other ideas. The team has scoped out a lightweight, integrated radiation-protection device, for example. Then there’s alert, caution and suggestion software that would serve as a personal mission control while an individual worked on Mars, far from Earth. Also under consideration are suit layers that could be peeled off and put back on, as needed depending on the Martian weather.
“What we’re doing here is not letting engineers dictate the design of a spacesuit, of having a suit become a slave to engineering,” Kuznetz said. “Rather, let’s have science and the Mars environment dictate the design of the spacesuit. And that’s where we are.”
Kuznetz said a potential human landing on Mars in 2032 would require NASA to release a request for proposals for a Mars suit 10 years prior, in 2022.
“It’s now 2017, and in five years, I want to have an integrated, university-industry expert team [ready] to actually make a bid on that suit,” he said. | <urn:uuid:3e104249-5ebe-42f7-8797-a5a5995615dc> | CC-MAIN-2018-13 | http://uclengins.org/external/mars-spacesuits-designing-a-blue-collar-suit-for-the-red-planet/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-13/segments/1521257649095.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20180323220107-20180324000107-00714.warc.gz | en | 0.914474 | 1,127 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Salix pentandra L. is a boreal willow native to Europe and West Siberia. It is considered to be introduced to about a half of the American states and reported from most counties in Massachusetts: Berkshire, Hampden, Worcester, Middlesex, Essex, Norfolk, Barnstable, Dukes, Nantucket (BE, HD, WO, MI, ES, NO, BA, DU, NA). However, naturalization of this willow in North America appears to be quite improbable. Unlike S. euxina I. V. Belyaeva (S. fragilis auct., part.) and S. × fragilis L., S. pentandra has twigs that are not easily broken off. Besides, in S. pentandra, the ability of twigs to root is low (0-15%, according to Belyaeva et al. 2006). While it is possible to propagate S. pentandra from softwood cuttings, in natural settings this willow is known to regenerate only from seeds. In North America it is known only as female (pistillate) plants (Argus 2010), so the sexual reproduction is excluded. It is difficult to imagine that under these circumstances it could escape from cultivation.
Therefore, I consider occurrences of S. pentandra in North America to be a myth and presume all records for this willow as either collections from cultivated plants or misidentifications—mostly of the hybrid S. pentandra × S. euxina (the latter formerly called S. fragilis). Such hybrids must have been favored for cultivation, as they are easily propagated vegetatively. In the European literature, they are named S. × meyeriana Rostk. ex Willd., but their existence has been ignored in the recent American literature. It is, however, noteworthy that some old North American herbarium samples now labeled S. pentandra also carry older labels 'S. pentandra × S. fragilis' (the latter, from now on, is to be called S. euxina, see Belyaeva 2009).
Upon examining about fifty herbarium samples from New England identified as S. pentandra, I came to the conclusion that most of them were S. × meyeriana. Those samples most reliably assigned to S. × meyeriana originate from the following Massachusetts counties: BE, WO, MI, ES, NO, BA, DU, and additionally from Hampshire (cultivated), Suffolk (perhaps cultivated), and Plymouth (cultivated). My identification of samples from Hampden and Nantucket is less reliable: it is not always possible to distinguish S. pentandra from S. × meyeriana using the existing herbarium material.
So far I have been able to locate in New England only a single living willow formerly identified as S. pentandra—the one growing in the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University (accession 95-1990). Even this cultivated plant can hardly be a pure S. pentandra. This is a rather young tree, an asexual propagation of an older Arboretum accession 503-33 originating (as cuttings) from Berlin Botanic Garden. Having lustrous branchlets and broad, dark-green, very shiny leaves, it does look like a true S. pentandra, yet from the first glance something about this tree seemed vaguely not quite right, as compared to S. pentandra in Europe. An examination showed that its twigs were rather brittle (a character of S. × fragilis or S. × meyeriana). When placed in water, the twig rooted readily, even without a hormone treatment. Most importantly, the outer primordial leaves in examined buds had long trichomes across the apical half of the abaxial surface, a character alien to S. pentandra (Skvortsov 1955, 1960, 1968, 1999, etc.).
Therefore, I consider the Arnold Arboretum accession 95-1990 to be a hybrid of S. pentandra, most probably with S. euxina or else with a S. × fragilis phenetically approaching S. euxina. Since even those plants cultivated in arboreta under the name S. pentandra may prove to be hybrids, for the time being I would remove S. pentandra from the list of New England willows and consider removing it from the list of the US willows until it is proved otherwise.
List of herbarium samples examined in July-September 2010 identified as S. × meyeriana.
This plant, growing in Arnold Arboretum, is a male tree, while all known herbarium samples of 'S. pentandra' from North America are pistillate (female) plants (photos added 28 May 2011).
A. Zinovjev (30 Dec 2010 - 28 May 2011) | <urn:uuid:337d7218-fe52-41da-a09e-3c2289e6f203> | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | http://salicicola.com/notes/salix_x_meyeriana/forgotten_willow.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-43/segments/1508187822739.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20171018032625-20171018052625-00184.warc.gz | en | 0.926278 | 1,005 | 2.515625 | 3 |
1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data A group of psychologists once measured 77 variables on a sample of schizophrenic people and a sample of people who were not schizophrenic. They compared the two samples using 77 separate significance tests. Two of these tests were significant at the 5% level. Suppose that there is in fact no difference in any of the variables between people who are and people who are not schizophrenic, so that all 77 null hypotheses are true. A) What is the probability that one specific test shows a difference significant at the 5% level? B) Why is is not surprising that 2 of the 77 tests were significant at the 5% level? 2. Relevant equations N/A 3. The attempt at a solution I know this is a conceptual problem, but that's why I'm not getting it. I can do a problem if there are numbers, but I don't understand the concept of it I guess. If someone could just give me a general direction of where I'm supposed to go/what I'm supposed to do, I think I can get it. | <urn:uuid:ff21cd5a-a771-41bb-ab35-76516bf4dadd> | CC-MAIN-2018-13 | https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/significance-levels-and-probability.393232/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-13/segments/1521257645830.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20180318165408-20180318185408-00728.warc.gz | en | 0.980514 | 223 | 3.015625 | 3 |
Conservation of "magnocellular" neurons of the dipteran optomotor pathway: Evolutionary and functional implications
AdvisorStrausfeld, Nicholas J.
MetadataShow full item record
PublisherThe University of Arizona.
RightsCopyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.
AbstractIn Diptera, small-field retinotopic neurons supply achromatic motion sensitive neurons in the lobula plate, a region thought to control stabilization of yaw, pitch, and roll during flight. If different body shapes, and the flight performance associated with them, place specific demands on the design of control pathways, it might be expected that flies with long bodies and high aerodynamic pitch stability would show specific differences in the organization of such magnocellular achromatic networks. Striking differences emerge in the comparison of 9 species. Tipulids and culicids possess small non-stratified lobula plates, containing only 2-3 large diameter neurons. In syrphids, all VS cells have wide diameters and overlapping fields covering 2-3 times more of the mosaic than those of calliphorids. In asilids (robber flies) vertical cells cannot be identified. Despite these differences, we observe a conserved relationship between terminals of lamina afferents with neurons in the medulla.
Degree ProgramGraduate College
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology | <urn:uuid:88caed77-7164-4c51-8313-0684974c0176> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | https://repository.arizona.edu/handle/10150/278434 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600401582033.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20200927215009-20200928005009-00688.warc.gz | en | 0.88527 | 329 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Charles Blackman, one of Australia’s most acclaimed living artists, suffers from Korsakoff’s syndrome, a dementia-like memory disorder most commonly brought on by alcoholism.
Tom Lowenstein was appointed as his Power of Attorney. He recently urged the trustees of the Portia Geach Memorial Award to remove a painting of Blackman from view stating that the work is “terrible”.
Blackman has moments of lucidity and made the comment that it is a terrible painting which is why Lowenstein asked that it be withdrawn; the trustees rejected the request.
A power of attorney is a legal document that appoints and authorises someone to act on your behalf in the areas of property and financial management.
A power of attorney does not authorise anyone to make decisions, relating to lifestyle, health or personal affairs; if you want to do that you need to appoint an enduring guardian.
The person who makes the power of attorney is known as the principal; the person appointed to act for them is known as the attorney. An ‘attorney’ means your authorised representative, this is usually a family member or close friend.
You can appoint an attorney for:
- a limited period, or
- an indefinite period.
You might draw up a limited power of attorney to enable your attorney to act for you when you are overseas, or to deal with a specific situation in another state or overseas.
A power of attorney that is unlimited as to time applies until you die or revoke it.
If you want your power of attorney to still be valid even if you lose your mental capacity after you make it, you must make an enduring power of attorney.
In this case, the power of attorney must be explained to you by a prescribed person – usually a lawyer, who must sign a certificate stating that you understood the effect of giving an enduring power of attorney – that is, that the power of attorney will still be valid if you lose your mental capacity.
The attorney has full authority to deal with your affairs, therefore you must appoint someone you trust and who will act responsibly.
The attorney must
- act with good faith and
- tell you of any conflict of interest that may influence their ability to act responsibly and genuinely on your behalf.
A power of attorney will operate until:
- you cancel it
- your attorney no longer wants to act
- the Supreme Court or Guardianship Tribunal makes an order affecting the power of attorney.
- the attorney or the principal becomes bankrupt or dies
- the attorney loses their mental capacity (unless it is an enduring Power of Attorney). | <urn:uuid:c0016ff3-e665-4c70-a12f-f886780c71c6> | CC-MAIN-2021-39 | https://heirsandsuccesses.com/2016/11/17/the-artist-his-power-of-attorney/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-39/segments/1631780055808.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20210917212307-20210918002307-00711.warc.gz | en | 0.967578 | 536 | 2.65625 | 3 |
• You should submit a document in Excel format.
• Font: Arial 11 pts.
• Text alignment: Justified.
Submission: Sunday February 13th.
Weight: This task is a 30% of your total grade for this subject.
This task assesses the following learning outcomes:
• Understand the basic theories of finance and apply these to practical problems.• Understand the goal of the Firm• Understand the different forms of organizations• Analyze series of future cash flows and recommend choices for investment. Net Present value, annuities, perpetuities, loan amortization schedules.
IMPORTANT: SHOW YOUR DETAILED SOLUTIONS FOR EACH QUESTION.
Problems (60 points)
1. You are thinking about investing your money, and you wonder how much time would you need to quadruple it?
You don´t know how much money you have, but you know that the interest rate is 9% compounded annually.
2. Delivery ASAP Co. has identified an investment project with the following cash flows. If the discount rate is 10 percent, what is the present value of these cash flows?
Year 0= -1200
Year 2= +600
Year 3= +750
3. An investment offers 6,900 per year for 18 years, with the first payment occurring one yearfrom now. If the required return is 6 percent, what is the value of the investment?
What would be the value if the first payment take place on day 1?
4. Given an interest rate of 6.1 percent per year, what is the value at Period t = 10 of a perpetual stream of 1,500 annual payments that begins at Period t = 21?
5. Your bank offers to lend you €60,000 at a 7% annual interest rate to start your new business. The terms require you to amortize the loan with 3 equal end-of-year payments.
a) Find an amount of annual payment.
b) Show the amortization schedule.
Questions (40 points)
a) What happens to the future value of an annuity if you increase the rate r? What happens to the present value?b) Who owns a Corporation? Describe the process whereby the owners control the firm’s management. What is the main reason that an agency relationship exists in the corporate form of organization? In this context, what kinds of problems can arise?c) Why is the goal of financial management to maximize the current share price of the company’s stock? In other words, why isn’t the goal to maximize the future share price?d) When we talk about the discount rates in a project, what does the discount rate mean? Explain with your own words what is the difference between “hurdle rate” and “opportunity cost of capital”.e) Considering that you have a consol of 1€ with an annual interest rate of 10%, at which price could you sell it today? Would you be able to explain what is the future value of that console?
The student demonstrates an excellent understanding of the concepts.
The student demonstrates a good understanding of the concepts.
The student demonstrates a fair understanding of the concepts.
The student demonstrates some, but insufficient understanding of the concepts.
The student demonstrates insufficient understanding of the concepts. They may mention some relevant ideas or concepts, although it is clear that the relationship between them is not understood by the student.
The student demonstrates insufficient understanding of the concepts and does not mention any relevant ideas or concepts.
The student leaves the question blank or cheats. | <urn:uuid:8030dd62-33fa-46c5-b257-33a90a19458f> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://cheapcollegeessays.com/formalities-you-should-submit-a-document-in-excel-format/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296945279.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20230324082226-20230324112226-00249.warc.gz | en | 0.910846 | 816 | 3.125 | 3 |
Researchers want to wire the human body with sensors that could harvest reams of data — and transform health care.
Göran Gustafsson looks at people and thinks of cars — the ageing models that rolled off assembly lines a few decades ago. Today, says Gustafsson, cars are packed with cutting-edge sensors, computers and sophisticated communications systems that warn of problems when they are still easy to fix, which is why modern vehicles rarely surprise their drivers with catastrophic breakdowns.
“Why don't we have a similar vision for our bodies?” wonders Gustafsson, an engineer whose team at the Swedish electronics company Acreo, based in Kista, is one of many around the world trying to make such a vision possible. Instead of letting health problems go undetected until a person ends up in hospital — the medical equivalent of a roadside breakdown — these teams foresee a future in which humans are wired up like cars, with sensors that form a similar early-warning system.
Working with researchers at Linköping University in Sweden, Gustafsson's team has developed skin-surface and implanted sensors, as well as an in-body intranet that can link devices while keeping them private. Other groups are developing technologies ranging from skin patches that sense arterial stiffening — a signal of a looming heart attack — to devices that detect epileptic fits and automatically deliver drugs directly to affected areas of the brain.
These next-generation devices are designed to function alongside tissue, rather than be isolated from it like most pacemakers and other electronic devices already used in the body. But making this integration work is no easy feat, especially for materials scientists, who must shrink circuits radically, make flexible and stretchable electronics that are imperceptible to tissue, and find innovative ways to create interfaces with the body. Achieving Gustafsson's vision — in which devices monitor and treat the body day in, day out — will also require both new power sources and new ways of transmitting information.
Still, the potential to improve health care substantially while reducing its costs has drawn both researchers and physicians to the challenge, says John Rogers, a materials scientist at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. “I haven't found any clinical folks who say 'That's pie in the sky, come back to me in 20 years,'” he says. “They say, 'Wow, that's cool. Here are three ways we can use it today, and how do we get started on a collaboration?'.”
Sensors woven into the body are a natural extension of handheld smartphones and wearable devices, says Rogers. “I think electronics is coming at you,” he says. “It's migrating closer and closer and I think it's a very natural thing to imagine that they will eventually become intimately integrated with the body.”
The first step beyond wearables will be wireless sensors mounted directly on the skin, where they can pick up a host of vital signs, including temperature, pulse and breathing rate. Unfortunately, says Rogers, “biology involves bending, stretching and swelling”, which makes conventional electronics built from stiff silicon wafers a very poor choice for such sensors.
His team has developed 'epidermal electronics': flexible, biodegradable stick-on patches that are crammed with sensors but almost imperceptible to the user. Attached like temporary tattoos, the patches use normal silicon electronics, but thinned down and transferred to a flexible backing using a rubber stamp1. The patches draw power either from nearby magnetic fields or by harvesting radio waves, using S-shaped wires and antennas designed to stretch, twist and bend. “They adopt a wavy kind of geometry, so when you stretch, the wave shapes can change, like accordion bellows,” says Rogers.
Rogers has co-founded a spin-off company — MC10, based in Lexington, Massachusetts — that next year will start marketing versions of the device as BioStamps: temporary patches that measure heart electrical activity, hydration, body temperature and exposure to ultraviolet light. The patches will be available to consumers first, says Rogers, but his real target is medicine. Results are expected soon from a trial at the neonatal intensive-care unit at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, where doctors are using the patches to monitor the vital signs of newborn babies without the need for intrusive cables and scanners. MC10 is also collaborating with Brussels-based pharmaceutical company UCB on tests of a patch that monitors tremors in people with Parkinson's disease, to track their illness and whether they are taking their medication.
Rogers' patches are relatively small, but at the University of Tokyo, engineer Takao Someya has created a sensor-laden electronic skin that can be made in much larger pieces2. His latest film is just 1 micrometre thick, and so light that it floats like a feather, yet it is robust enough to cope with the stretching and crumpling needed to flex with an elbow or knee. It can provide readouts on temperature — heat in a wound can signal infection — moisture, pulse and oxygen concentration in the blood. Someya achieves this by ditching silicon altogether, and instead using inherently soft organic components made of carbon-based polymers and other materials. Organic circuits can be printed onto a plastic film, making them cheap and easy to produce in large quantities. And they are versatile: they work in both high-temperature and water-based environments.
Skin also inspires Zhenan Bao, an engineer at Stanford University in California. Her team creates thin pressure sensors by sandwiching micrometre-scale rubber pyramids between films3. Even a slight touch will compress the pyramids' tips, changing how electric current flows between the films. The sensors can be used in heart monitors that track how fast pressure waves pass through arteries. This can reveal increased stiffness in the vessels — a predictor of heart attacks. Last year, the US Food and Drug Administration approved a wireless pressure sensor that can be implanted inside the hearts of people with advanced heart disease; Bao's device could do a similar job from the surface of the skin.
As useful as skin-mounted patches might be, much more information is available deeper in the body. “There's a reason why at the hospital, they draw your blood,” says Michael Strano, a chemical engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge. “There are markers in blood that are exquisitely good at predicting disease.”
But delving deeper brings fresh challenges. Ideally, says Strano, sensors under the skin should be not only non-toxic, but also stable enough to function inside the body for years at a time if need be, and biocompatible — meaning that they don't trigger the body's immune response. Yet most current devices fall short on one score or another. For example, sensors that detect chemical signals in the blood called biomarkers often use biological materials that degrade very quickly. This is a severe limitation for the advanced, real-time sensors that are currently used to monitor glucose in people with diabetes, says Strano: the devices detect glucose with an enzyme reaction that produces hydrogen peroxide. This degrades the sensors so quickly that they must be replaced within weeks.
To get around that, Strano's lab has developed synthetic, long-lived detector materials that can be mixed with a water-based gel and injected under the skin like a tattoo. The 'ink' for this tattoo consists of carbon nanotubes coated with dangling polymer strands, which have a lock-and-key chemical structure that recognizes biomarkers by dictating which molecules can dock with them4. When biomarkers bind to the polymer, they subtly change the optical properties of the nanotube: shine a light on the tattoo, and a glow reveals the presence of the biomarker.
Strano and his team have developed carbon-nanotube sensors to monitor nitric oxide in blood5 — an inflammatory marker that can indicate infection or even cancer — and are working on glucose and cortisol, a stress biomarker that may prove useful for monitoring post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety disorders. The nitric oxide sensor worked for 400 days in mice, which to Strano's knowledge is the longest any implanted chemical sensor has been in place, and did so without provoking any immune response. For many other kinds of device, the jury is still out. “For electronic materials, especially plastic-based and organics, it's still unknown what their long-term effects are,” says Bao.
Now Strano is starting work with MIT engineer Daniel Anderson on devices that could combine sensors with drug-delivery systems. They hope to adapt microchips pioneered by fellow MIT engineer Robert Langer to respond to a range of triggers by releasing the appropriate drugs, encased in polymer capsules. The first human trial of a drug-delivering 'pharmacy on a chip' — without the sensors — was in 2012, in eight women with osteoporosis6.
It will be a long time before such devices can be used to detect diseases reliably and treat them automatically, except perhaps for diabetes, which has been extensively studied. Strano's devices are good at binding only with their target molecules, but big questions remain about what fluctuations in biomarker signals actually mean in terms of health, he says. His team is modelling biomarkers in the body, to help to decide where the sensor needs to be and how quickly it should to react to give useful information. “Often you need to rely on many different sensory parameters to make a decision. It's not enough that one chemical is over-expressed,” says Magnus Berggren, an electronic engineer at Linköping University who is collaborating with Gustafsson.
Some researchers' targets lie still deeper in the body, and for them, flexibility and biocompatibility are even more important. If a rigid sensor rubs against a moving organ such as the heart or the brain, in which the cells shift slight as the animal breathes, the body will quickly surround it with a wall of scar tissue. And if sensors move relative to the organ, the results will be unreliable in any case.
I haven't found any clinical folks who say, 'That's pie in the sky.' They say, 'Wow, that's cool.
Bioelectronics engineer George Malliaras at the École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint-Étienne in Gardanne, France, and his colleagues are among those developing flexible replacements for the relatively rigid sensors currently used to track distinctive electrical patterns in the brains of people with epilepsy or Parkinson's disease. Made of organic, conducting polymers, these flexible electronics respond to chemical signals — the flow of ions that generates the electrical patterns. This not only increases sensitivity, but also lets researchers “interface with biology in a wholly different fashion”, he says.
The team's latest device, tested in rats as well as in two humans undergoing surgery for epilepsy7, has detected the firing of individual neurons, says Malliaras. And if the process is reversed, he adds, the sensor can be used to deliver drugs. Devices known as organic electronic ion pumps respond to an applied voltage by forcing drugs — small charged particles — out of a reservoir. Working with the group at Linköping University and the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Marseilles, Malliaras's team is coupling his epilepsy sensor to an ion pump that responds to seizures by releasing epilepsy drugs into the correct part of the brain8. Berggren and the Linköping team have used a similar technique to develop a 'pacemaker for pain' that delivers analgesics directly to the spinal cord9.
Keep it going
Any electrical device is limited by its need for power. Devices that sit on or near the skin can incorporate antennas that harvest power wirelessly — as long as an external source is nearby. But sensors deeper in the body often have to rely on batteries, which are bulky and need replacing. And some, such as Berggren's pain-relief pump, need to have wires threaded through the overlying tissues — an arrangement that is both cumbersome and a potential route for infection (see 'Wired for life').
To get around such problems, Zhong Lin Wang, a nanoscientist at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, has spent the past decade trying to harvest the tiny amounts of mechanical energy generated when people walk or even breathe. “We started thinking, how do we convert body motion into electricity?” he says.
His latest design uses static electricity — long thought of as a nuisance — to convert the movement of inhaling and exhaling into enough energy to power a pacemaker10. The generator uses two different polymer surfaces, sandwiched between electrodes and connected in a circuit. When the user breathes in and out, the surfaces touch and separate, swapping electrons — the same thing that happens when a balloon is stroked with a wool cloth. The build-up of charge causes current to flow through the wire. “Inhale and exhale, move back and forth or drive up and down and you generate power,” says Wang.
Starting in 2014, Wang began testing the system in rats, creating milliwatts of energy from a device the thickness of a few sheets of paper. Now his team is testing the same technology in pigs.
Rogers' team has created11 a biodegradable battery using electrodes made of magnesium and other metals that are safe in low concentrations and that slowly dissolve in the body. “Some devices you want to last the life of the patient. In others, you only need and want the device to be temporary,” says Rogers.
The technology could be revolutionary, but the vision of a wired-up body that sends data to an outside computer or medical centre faces a threat that already troubles the wearables industry: hacking. “When a semiconductor chip is introduced inside the body, hacking is a truly serious issue,” says Someya.
One solution is to analyse data on the device itself, reducing the amount that gets sent over the airwaves. Another is to avoid the airwaves altogether. In as-yet-unpublished work, the Swedish team has developed an in-body intranet that transmits signals at low frequency using the body's water as its wires. To send information between devices, or from a device to a smartphone, users must physically touch the objects with their hands. This keeps the signals low-power and private, and avoids clogging up the data-transmitting frequencies that are already squabbled over by mobile phones and wireless routers. “It's only transmitted and exposed within your body,” adds Berggren, who says that the system can already exchange data between electronically labelled objects through the body to a smartphone, and will soon integrate on-skin sensors.
However good the devices, pioneers of new materials will also struggle against a tide of medical regulation, says Malliaras. That, along with the concerns of chemical suppliers who are afraid that failing devices could leave them vulnerable to lawsuits, “puts a big brake on the adoption of new materials”, he says.
Berggren and his collaborators at Acreo are among the first to try to connect a range of devices by wiring up humans. But they readily acknowledge that making the vision a reality will require multiple companies and research teams, as well as the involvement of insurance companies and health-care providers.
Berggren knows that there are big hurdles. “The challenge is to put everything together,” he says. “But they did it for the car industry and it's impressive. You rarely see cars standing along the side of the road waiting for repair. Whether it's possible to do this also for humans is still a question mark, but it's definitely worth trying.”
Malliaras agrees. “A car you usually keep for less than ten years,” he says. “A body you want to keep for 80 or 90 years; it's a lot more precious.”
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Related links in Nature Research
What could derail the wearables revolution? 2015-Sep-01
Nanotube implants show diagnostic potential 2015-Aug-21
Electroceuticals spark interest 2014-Jul-02
Biodegradable battery could melt inside the body 2014-Mar-24
Biodegradable electronics here today, gone tomorrow 2012-Sep-27
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Gibney, E. The inside story on wearable electronics. Nature 528, 26–28 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/528026a
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Scientists around the world had been hard at work to find antivirals specific to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Several drugs — such as chloroquine, arbidol, and remdesivir, and various other drug combinations — have undergone clinical studies to test their efficacy and safety in combating the coronavirus.
Avifavir is an anti-influenza medication in Japan approved in 2014.
On May 30, 2020 (Saturday) Russia’s Ministry of Health approved Avifavir for emergency use to treat COVID-19, after “encouraging” results from clinical trials of the generic version (Favipiravir) in several countries, including China and Japan. It is Russia’s first COVID-19 drug.
Now, Russia has licensed the antiviral drug Avifavir against coronavirus. Russian health authorities have given a green light to a clinical trials.
Favipiravir works by blocking the ability of a virus to replicate inside a cell. Some doctors began trying Favipiravir to treat coronavirus patients early on, reasoning that its anti-viral properties would be applicable.
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Native to the Mediterranean region. Annual. C3.
Family. Poaceae (Grass family).
Ways in which Lesser Canary-grass differs from Phalaris are that it is an annual, the glumes are prominently toothed near the apex, it is lower growing (to about 0.7 metres), and the flower clusters are often oval in shape. It is also less common.
Ways in which Paradoxical Canary-grass (Phalaris paradoxa) differs from Phalaris is that the fertile spikelet is surrounded by infertile spikelets.
It is an environmental weed.Phalaris (Phalaris aquatica) is has untoothed glumes. It is a perennial.
1: The glumes are toothed near the summit.
Photos: Lesser Canary-grass. Campbell St, Castlemaine. | <urn:uuid:c0b388bc-d03b-4ce0-b0b3-7f60c43b8d0c> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://www.castlemaineflora.org.au/pic/p/phala/phmin.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233506632.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20230924091344-20230924121344-00074.warc.gz | en | 0.96399 | 184 | 3.015625 | 3 |
Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome
(ARDS; Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome; Non-cardiogenic Pulmonary Edema)En Español (Spanish Version)
Adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening lung condition. It is a form of lung failure that can occur in very ill or severely injured people. It is not a specific disease. It starts with swelling of tissue in the lungs and build up of fluid in the tiny air sacs that transfer oxygen to the bloodstream. This leads to dangerously low blood oxygen levels.
ARDS is similar to infant respiratory distress syndrome, but the causes and treatments are different. ARDS can develop in anyone over the age of one year old.
If you suspect you or someone else has this condition, get medical help immediately.
Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome
© 2008 Nucleus Medical Art, Inc.
ARDS can be caused by many types of injuries, including:
Direct injury to the lungs:
- Chest trauma, such as a heavy blow
- Aspiration of stomach contents
- Obstructed airways
- High attitude disease
- Oxygen toxicity
- Cardiopulmonary bypass
- Breathing smoke, chemicals, or salt water
- Indirect injury to the lungs:
Lung and bone marrow transplantation–within few days of a lung transplant, the recipient is prone to development of ARDS.
ARDS usually develops in people who are already in the hospital and are being treated for an injury listed above. However, only a small number of people who have these injuries actually develop ARDS. While no one can predict who will get ARDS, cigarette smokers, those with chronic lung disease, or those who are over age 65 are more at risk of developing ARDS.
If you experience any of these symptoms do not assume it is due to ARDS. These symptoms may be caused by other, more or less serious health conditions. If you or someone else is experiencing any one of them, seek medical help immediately:
- Shortness of breath
- Fast, labored breathing
- Bluish skin or fingernail color
- Rapid pulse
- Muscle pain or weakness
- Dry Cough
ARDS symptoms usually develop within 24-48 hours of the original injury.
Doctors may suspect ARDS when:
- A person suffering from severe infection or injury develops acute, severe breathing problems
- A chest x-ray shows fluid in the air sacs of both lungs
- Blood tests show a dangerously low level of oxygen in the blood
- Other conditions that could cause breathing problems have been ruled out
The doctor will ask about symptoms and medical history, and perform a physical exam. People who develop ARDS may, however, be too sick to complain of symptoms. If a patient shows signs of developing ARDS, tests may include the following:
- Blood pressure check
- Blood tests for oxygen levels and evidence of infection (complete blood count, viral and bacterial cultures) as well as levels of BNP (brain natriuretic peptide), a marker of heart failure
- Chest x-ray
- Swabs from nose and throat for identifying viruses
- Occasionally, an echocardiogram (heart ultrasound), to rule out congestive heart failure
- Pulmonary artery catheterization to aid in diagnostic work-up
- Bronchoscopy to analyze airways—A laboratory examination may indicate presence of certain viruses, cancer cells etc.
- Open lung biopsy is reserved for cases when diagnosis is difficult ot establish
Talk with the doctor about the best treatment plan. Treatment options include the following:
- Treating the underlying cause or injury
Providing support until the lungs heal:
- Mechanical ventilation (a breathing machine) through a tube placed in the mouth or nose, or through an opening created in the neck
- Monitoring blood chemistry and fluid levels
- Oxygen via a face mask or nasal prong
Often, ARDS patients are sedated to tolerate these treatments.
American Lung Association
ARDS Clinical Network
BC Health Guide
ARDS. Medline Encyclopedia website. Available at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000103.htm . Accessed December 12, 2006.
ARDS. Medline Encyclopedia website. Available at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000103.htm . Accessed August 4, 2005.
ARDS. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Disease and Conditions Index website. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Ards/Ards_WhoIsAtRisk.html . Accessed December 12, 2006.
ARDS. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Disease and Conditions Index website. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Ards/Ards_WhoIsAtRisk.html . Accessed August 4, 2005.
Bernard GR. Acute respiratory distress syndrome: a historical perspective. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2005;172:798.
Bernard G, Artigas A, Carlet J, et al. The American-European consensus conference on ARDS: definitions, mechanisms, relevant outcomes, and clinical trial coordination. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1994;149:818.
Bosma KJ, Lewis JF: Emerging therapies for treatment of acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Expert Opin Emgerg Drugs . 2007;12: 461-77.
Jain R, DaiNogare a: Pharmacological therapy for acute respiratory distress syndrome. Mayo Clin Proc . 2006;81:205-12.
Rubenfeld GD, Caldwell E, Peabody E, et al. Incidence and outcomes of acute lung injury. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:1685.
Udobi KF, Childs E, Touijer K. Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Am Fam Physician . 2003;67(2):315-22.
Understanding ARDS: acute respiratory distress syndrome and its effect on victims and loved ones. ARDS Support Center brochure. October 3, 2001. ARDS Support Center website. Available at: http://www.ards.org/learnaboutards/whatisards/brochure/ . Accessed December 12, 2006.
Understanding ARDS: acute respiratory distress syndrome and its effect on victims and loved ones. ARDS Support Center brochure. October 3, 2001. ARDS Support Center website. Available at: http://www.ards.org/learnaboutards/whatisards/brochure/ . Accessed August 5, 2005.
Last reviewed January 2008 by David Juan, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © 2011 EBSCO Publishing All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:3d381f2f-9f9d-4bbc-b101-e292c1903e80> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.beliefnet.com/healthandhealing/getcontent.aspx?cid=%0D%0A%09%09%09%09%09%0996471 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706469149/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121429-00099-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.86478 | 1,518 | 3.578125 | 4 |
|This language has
|Its Frequency index is
||0.349289161 (average percentage of segments; 0.1: many very rare segments; 0.39: average; 0.7: many common segments)
|The language has these sounds:
||A number of consonants analyzed by Shimizu as Cw and Cj clusters have been included as single segments here since they are phonetically single segments. Prenasalized stops occur only before oral vowels; plain nasals occur before nasalized vowels and these are regarded as allophones of the prenasalized stops. Kpan has 3 level tones.
||Shimizu, K. 1971. The Kente dialect of Kpan (chapter 1). Research Notes (Dept. of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages, University of Ibadan) 4.2/3: 1-36. | <urn:uuid:eb5cf715-5cd9-4f28-a74a-efc75bcb8a55> | CC-MAIN-2017-39 | http://web.phonetik.uni-frankfurt.de/L/L4135.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-39/segments/1505818687592.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20170921011035-20170921031035-00028.warc.gz | en | 0.837276 | 183 | 3 | 3 |
By Tim Niehues
& Jennifer Neubert
Acknowledgements: Without the skillful help of Andrea Groth (Helios Klinikum Krefeld), the preparation of this manuscript would not have been possible. We thank cand. med. Lars Dinkelbach (Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf) for critically reading the manuscript.
SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adolescents is a major factor in spreading of the COVID-19 disease worldwide and key to the development of herd immunity. Children have an often asymptomatic or less severe COVID 19 disease course than adults. In this regard COVID is strikingly different from other virus-induced respiratory diseases, which can be fatal in infants (e.g. RSV). The CoV-2 pandemic causes anxiety to seek medical care and leads to collateral damage to children because parents avoid hospitals despite their children having an emergency (Lazzerini 2020).
At this stage (13 April 2020), great caution is advised when interpreting the data that have been collected on children so far, (e.g., data on the Wuhan children were published more than once). Some children were seen in children’s hospitals, some in Internal Medicine Departments. The Chinese health system is ranked number 144 out of 191 member countries of the World Health Organization. Delivery of medical service in China is largely dependent on economic income, resulting in a large bias regarding inclusion and exclusion of children into registries/studies and in under- or over-estimation of important facts like disease severity, outcome, treatment effects.
Commonly circulating coronaviruses in children: tropism, incubation period and spreading
The first International Corona Virus Conference was organized by Volker Termeulen in Würzburg/Germany in 1980. At the time only one human coronavirus, HCoV2229E, was known to be associated with the common cold. (Weiss 2020) Commonly circulating human coronaviruses can be isolated from 4-8% of all children with acute respiratory tract infections, which tend to be mild, unless the child is immunocompromised (Ogimi 2019). Seven coronaviruses circulate among humans: α-Coronaviruses HCoV2-229e, -HKU1; β-Coronaviruses HCoV2-NL63, -OC43; MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 that have originally derived from bats (NL63, 229e, SARS-CoV), Dromedary Camels (229e, MERS-CoV), cattle (OC43), pangolins (SARS-CoV-2) (Zimmermann 2020). There appear to be re-infections with the earlier described common COV despite the fact that most individuals seroconvert to human coronaviruses. In many children there are co-infections with other viruses such as Adeno-, Boca-, Rhino-, RSV-, Influenza- or Parainfluenza virus. There seems to be a cyclic pattern with seasonal outbreaks between December and May or March to November in the southern hemisphere.
A characteristic of the single-strand RNA coronaviruses is the capability of rapid mutation and recombination leading to novel coronaviruses that can spread from animals to humans. They have caused epidemics leading to significant case fatality rates (10% in SARS-CoV, Hong Kong 2002; more than 30% in MERS-CoV, Saudi Arabia 2012). Because of the high case fatality rate, both SARS-COV and MERS-COV have a low potential for long-term sustained community transmission. Accordingly, no human SARS-CoV infections have been reported since July 2003.
It is estimated that in SARS-CoV-2 one person infects 2-3 other persons. In clusters (e.g. nosocomial outbreaks) this number might be much higher. In both SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, super-spreading events with one individual infecting up to 22 (SARS) or even 30 individuals (MERS) have been reported, especially in nosocomial outbreaks. In SARS-CoV a total of 41 children were reported with no deaths. Similarly, in MERS-CoV only 38 children were reported in two studies, with two deaths (Zimmermann 2020).
In April 6 the US CDC reported 2572 (1.7%) children under 18 years among 149,082 reported cases from 12 February to 2 April 2020. The availability of data was extremely limited (less than 10% available on symptoms, 13% on underlying conditions, 33% on whether children were hospitalized or not). Three deaths were reported to the CDC but no details were given. The median age was 11 and they were 57% males. 15 children were admitted to an ICU (≤2%). Children <1 year accounted for the highest percentage (15-62%) of hospitalization (CDC 2020). The Chinese CDC report (Dong 2020) comprises 2,143 pediatric patients from January 16 to February 8 2020. Only 731 children (34.1%) were laboratory confirmed cases. The median age was 7 years with 56.6% boys, less than 5% were classified as severe and less than 1% as critical. One Chinese 10 month-old child who had been infected with CoV-2 was reported to have died with intussuception and multi-organ failure (Lu X 2020). The Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported on 20 March that 6.3% of all COVID-19 cases were children under 19 years of age; again, the children had a mild form of the disease (Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Press releases, https://www.cdc.go.kr). Italian data published on 18 March showed that only 1.2% of the 22,512 Italian cases with COVID-19 were children; no deaths were reported in this and in the Spanish cohort from Madrid (2 March to 16 March) (Livingstone 2020, Tagarro 2020). As of 15 April 2020, in Germany 41 centers reported 65 pediatric hospital admissions, about one third had an underlying disease, mostly pulmonary or cardiac diseases. One child died (a 2 year-old child from a consangineous genetic background with encephalopathy and a history of juvenile idiopathic arthritis and weekly methotrexate treatment; personal communication, U. Neudorf, University Childrens Hospital, Essen) (www.dgpi.de).
The incubation period is believed to be 3-7 days (range 1-14 days) (She 2020), the clinical onset 5-8 days after infection with the virus. At 10 days after onset of symptoms hyperinflammation may set in and cause a more severe and potentially fatal disease, especially in high risk groups. The clinical manifestation is believed to last for 1-2 weeks, longer in complicated cases. Due to the paucity of data it is as yet unclear which group of children may be at a higher risk for development of complications, e.g. children with underlying chronic pulmonary or cardiac disease, severe neurologic deficits, immunosuppressed or critically ill children etc. Analogous to influenza there might be genetic susceptibility in some children (Clohisey 2019). Interestingly, in a flash survey from 25 countries with 10,000 children with cancer at risk and 200 tested, only 9 were found to be CoV-2 positive. They were asymptomatic or had mild disease (Hrusak 2020).
It is unclear why COVID-19 in children is associated with a less severe disease course.
The tissue expression pattern of the receptor for CoV-2 angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE2) and the transmembrane serine protease TMPRSS2 (essential for CoV-2 cell entry) as well as the tissue tropism of CoV-2 in childhood are unknown. ACE2 is expressed on cells of the airways, the lungs, mucosal cells (lids, eyelids, nasal cavities), intestines and on immune cells (monocytes, lymphocytes, neutrophils) (Molloy 2020, reviewed in Brodin 2020). It needs to be clarified whether there is neurotropism (e.g. affecting the developing brain of newborns).
The main target of CoV-2 is the respiratory tract. As respiratory infections are extremely common in children it is to be expected that there are other viruses present in the respiratory tract of young children concomitantly with the coronavirus, which may limit its growth and the number of CoV-2 copies in the respiratory tract of children. Systematic viral load measurements in the respiratory tract of different viruses in children are underway. Key to the later immunopathologic stages of COVID-19 pneumonia is the macrophage activation syndrome (MAS)-like hyperinflammatory phase with a cytokine storm and acute respiratory distress syndrome ARDS, usually within 10-12 days after symptom onset. In general, children are not less prone to develop ARDS during respiratory tract infections than adults. In the H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009, being under the age of 1 year was a significant risk factor for developing a severe form of the infection and ARDS (Bautista 2010). Why ARDS is less common in children compared to adults with COVID is unclear.
Regarding childhood immunity, an explanation for the milder disease course in children could be age-related differences in immune responses to CoV-2 between adults and children. In the innate immune response damaged lung cells induce inflammation by macrophages and granulocytes. Based on influenza animal models it has been proposed that BCG vaccination (done in the first week of life in some countries) may enhance non-specific innate immunity in children to infections like COVID-19 (so-called trained immunity) (Moorlag 2019).
In the adaptive response cytotoxic T cells play an important role in regulating responses to viral infections and control of viral replication. Children could benefit from the fact that the cytotoxic effector function of CD8 T cells in viral infection in children may be less detrimental compared to adults. Immune dysregulation with exhaustion of T cells has been reported in adults with COVID-19 infection. Children could benefit from the fact that the cytotoxic effector function of CD8 T cells in viral infection in children may be less detrimental compared to adults. Regarding humoral immunity CoV-2 maternal antibodies are transferred to the child via placenta or breast milk but may not include anti CoV-2 antibodies, if the mother is naïve to CoV-2 or infected late in pregnancy. In mothers with COVID-19 pneumonia serum and throat swabs of their newborns were negative for CoV-2 but virus-specific IgG antibodies were detected (Zeng H 2020). Thus, neonates may benefit from placental transmission of virus-specific antibodies from pre-exposed mothers. In SARS-CoV-2 the child itself may mount a significant humoral response to one of the immunodominat epitopes, e.g. the crown-like spike proteins giving the coronaviruses their name. Data regarding seroprevalence and quality of the immune response in children are lacking.
Contraction of COVID-19 in a pregnant woman may have an impact on fetal outcome, namely fetal distress, potential preterm birth or respiratory distress if the mother gets very sick. As of yet there is no evidence that SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted vertically from mother to child. Amniotic fluid, cord blood, neonatal throat swabs all tested negative in a small cohort (Chen 2020). Schwartz reviewed 5 publications from China and was able to identify 38 pregnant women with 39 offspring among whom 30 were tested for COVID-19 and all of them were negative (Schwartz 2020). Transmission by breastfeeding has not yet been reported and there are no case reports of detection of CoV-2 in breast milk.
SARS-CoV-2 in children is transmitted through family contacts and mainly through respiratory droplets. Prolonged exposure to high concentrations of aerosols may facilitate transmission. (She 2020). Favoring successful virus spread is the fact that virus shedding starts 24-48 hours prior to any symptoms.
SARS-CoV-2 may also be transmitted through the digestive tract. ACE2 is also found in upper esophageal and epithelial cells as well as intestinal epithelial cells in the ileum and colon (She 2020). SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be detected in the feces of patients (Holshue 2020). Cai revealed that viral RNA is detected from feces of children at a high rate (and can be excreted as long as 2-4 weeks) (Cai et al 2020). However, direct evidence of a fecal to oral transmission has not yet been documented.
Testing for the virus is only necessary in clinically suspect children. If the result is initially negative, repeat nasopharyngeal or throat swab-testing of upper respiratory tract samples or testing of lower respiratory tract samples should be done. Sampling of the lower respiratory tract (induced sputum or bronchoalveolar lavage) is more sensitive (Han 2020). This is not always possible in critically ill patients and in young children.
Diagnosis is usually made by real time polymerase chase reaction RT-PCR on respiratory secretions and available within 4 hours. For SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, higher viral loads have been detected in samples from lower respiratory tract compared with upper respiratory tract. Stool samples cannot be used for routine diagnosis. In rare cases positive PCRs in blood have been reported.
Serologic testing for CoV-2 antibodies in children who are symptomatic is currently not useful but may be helpful to assess immunity in children in the future. As in other viral infections, a CoV-2 specific IgG antibody response will mount within 2-3 weeks after infection and may or may not indicate protective immunity (yet to be determined). In case it indicates protective immunity, this will be extremely important for the assessment of CoV-2 epidemiology and herd immunity.
|Table 1. COVID classification in children (Shen 2020)|
|1||Asymptomatic without any clinical symptoms|
|2||Mild fever, fatigue, myalgia and symptoms of acute respiratory tract infections,|
|3||Moderate pneumonia, fever and cough, productive cough, wheezing but no hypoxemia|
|4||Severe fever, cough, tachypnea, oxygen saturation less than 92%, somnolence|
|5||Critical quick progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome ARDS or respiratory failure|
Laboratory and radiology findings
Laboratory and/or radiology studies in outpatient children who have mild disease are not indicated. Upon admission to the hospital the white blood cell count is usually normal. In a minority of children decreased lymphocyte counts have been documented. In contrast, adults (with hyperinflammation and cytokine release syndrome) often have an increase in neutrophils and lymphopenia. The inflammation parameters C-reactive protein and procalcitonin can be slightly elevated or normal while there are elevated liver enzymes, creatine kinase CK-MB and D-dimers in some patients. LDH appears to be elevated in severe cases and can be used to monitor severe disease.
A chest X-ray should only be done in children with moderate or more severe disease as CT scans mean a very high radiation exposure for the child and should only be done in complicated or high-risk cases. In the beginning of the pandemic in China, children all received CT scans even when they were asymptomatic and oligosymptomatic; surprisingly, they displayed very severe changes. On chest radiography there are bilateral patchy airspace consolidations and so-called ground-glass opacities. CT scans were more impressive than chest x-ray examinations. In 20 children with CT, 16 (80%) had some abnormalities (Xia 2020).
Symptoms and signs
Children and adolescents
The clinical presentation of the disease appears somewhat similar to influenza. In the largest clinical trial of 171 children from Wuhan fever was reported in 41% (71 of 171), cough in over 50% (83 of 171), tachypnea in 28% (49 of 171). In 27 of the patients there were no symptoms at all (15.8%). At initial presentation very few children required oxygen supplementation (4 of 171, 2.3%). Other symptoms like diarrhea, fatigue, runny nose and vomiting were observed only in less than 10% of the children (Lu 2020). In the case series from Zhejiang as many as 10 out of 36 patients (28%) had no symptoms at all. None of the children had an oxygen saturation below 92% (Qiu 2020).
Neonates and infants
Zeng reports 33 newborns born to mothers with COVID-19 in Wuhan. Three of the 33 infants (9%) presented with early-onset SARS-CoV-2 infection. In 2 of the 3 neonates there were radiological signs of pneumonia. In one child disseminated intravascular coagulation was described but eventually all children had stable vital signs three weeks after the infection when the report was published (26 March 2020) (Zeng L 020). In a second cohort, 9 infants aged 1 month to 9 months were described without any severe complications (Wei 2020). Whether there may be complications of COVID-19 in newborns and infants long-term cannot be judged at this stage of the pandemic. At present it is not recommended to separate healthy newborns from mothers with suspicion of COVID-19 (CDC-2 2020). Clearly a preterm or newborn that has been exposed to CoV-2 needs to be closely monitored by the hospital and/or the primary care pediatrician. If there are signs of COVID (e.g. poor feeding, unstable temperature, tachy/dyspnea) it needs to be hospitalized and tested and lab examinations and chest x-ray to be done. Testing for CoV-2 is not useful before day 5 because of the incubation period. There needs to be a strict hygiene as much as possible in this mother-child setting.
Early identification of COVID-19 and quarantine of contacts is imperative. In the in- and outpatient setting it is advised to separate children who have infectious diseases from healthy non-infectious children. Nosocomial outbreaks have played a role in the clustering of COVID-19. Thus it is advised to admit children with COVID-19 to the hospital only if an experienced pediatrician feels it is medically necessary (e.g. tachypnea, dyspnea, oxygen levels below 92%). In the hospital the child with COVID-19 or suspicion of COVID-19 needs to be isolated in a single room or admitted to a COVID-19-only ward in which COVID-19 exposed medical personnel maintains distance as well (e.g. no shifts on other wards). The presence of one parent is not negotiable in the care of the sick child both for emotional reasons as well as for help in nursing of the child.
During the peak phase of the COVID-19 epidemic, precautions in the outpatient and hospital setting include entrance control, strict hand and respiratory hygiene, daily cleaning and disinfection of the environment, and provision of protection (gloves, mask, goggles) for all medical staff when taking care of a COVID-19 or a suspected COVID-19 case (Wang 2020). In neonatal intensive care units (NICU), negative pressure rooms and filtering of exhaust would be ideal (Lu Q 2020). Respirators with closed circuit and filter systems should be used. Aerosol generating procedures, e.g. intubation, bronchoscopy, humidified inhalations/nebulization should be avoided as much as possible.
Supportive treatment (respiratory support, bronchodilatation therapy, fever, superinfection, psychosocial support)
Having the child sitting in an upright position will be helpful for breathing. It might be useful to have physiotherapy. Insufflation of oxygen via nasal cannula will be important to children as it will increase lung ventilation and perfusion. In neonates high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) has been utilized widely due to its superiority over other non-invasive respiratory support techniques.
The clinical use and safety of inhaling different substances in COVID-19 is unclear. In other common obstructive and infectious childhood lung diseases, e.g. in bronchiolitis, the American Academy of Pediatrics is now recommending against the use of bronchodilators (Dunn 2020). Regarding the inhalation of steroids as part of maintenance therapy for asthma bronchiale there is no evidence to discontinue this treatment in children with COVID-19.
There is a large controversy over the extent of antipyretics usage in children. Still, in a child with COVID-19 who is clinically affected by high-degree fever, paracetamol or ibuprofen may be useful. There is no restriction despite initial WHO warnings of using ibuprofen, there is no evidence that the use of paracetamol or ibuprofen is harmful in COVID-19 in children (Day 2020).
The differentiation between CoV-2-induced viral pneumonia and bacterial superinfection is difficult unless there is clear evidence from culture results or typical radiological findings. Bacterial superinfection will be treated according the international and national guidelines (Mathur 2018).
The virus outbreak brings psychological stress to the parents and family as well as medical staff; therefore, social workers and psychologists should be involved when available.
Treatment of respiratory failure
The treatment of pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (pARDS) is reviewed elsewhere (Allareddy 2019). For neonates with pARDS high-dose pulmonary surfactant replacement, nitric oxide inhalation, and high-frequency oscillatory ventilation might be effective. In critically ill neonates, continuous renal replacement and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation need to be implemented if necessary.
COVID-19-specific drug treatment
As of yet there are no data from controlled clinical trials and thus there is currently no high-quality evidence available to support the use of any medication to treat COVID-19. The drugs listed below are repurposed drugs and there is limited or almost no pediatric experience. In the case of a severe or critically ill child with COVID the pediatrician has to make a decision whether to try a drug or not. If initiation of a drug treatment is decided, children should be included into clinical trials (https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu) if anyhow possible. However, there are only very few, if any, studies open for recruitment in children.
When to treat with drugs
Under the lead of the German Society for Pediatric Infectiology (DGPI) an expert panel has proposed a consensus on when to start antiviral or immunomodulatory treatment in children (Table 2, https://dgpi.de/stellungnahme-medikamentoese-behandlung-von-kindern-mit-covid-19/).
Inhibitors of viral RNA synthesis
Remdesivir (GS-5734) is available as 150 mg vials. Child dosing is
- <40 kg: 5 mg/kg i.v. loading dose, then 2.5 mg/kg i.v. QD for 9 days
- ≥40 kg: 200 mg loading dose, then 100 mg QD for 9 days
Remdesivir is an adenosine nucleotide analogue with broad-spectrum antiviral activity against various RNA viruses. The compound undergoes a metabolic mechanism, activating nucleoside triphosphate metabolite for inhibiting viral RNA polymerases. Remdesivir has demonstrated in vitro and in vivo activity in animal models against MERS and SARS-CoV. Remdesivir showed good tolerability and a potential positive effect in regard to decrease of the viral load and mortality in Ebola in Congo in 2018 (Mulangu 2019). In Europe this drug has rarely been used in children so one should be extremely careful. It can be obtained through compassionate use programs (https://rdvcu.gilead.com).
|Table 2. Consensus on antiviral or immunomodulatory treatment in children|
|Disease severity in child||Intervention|
|Mild or moderate disease
pCAP, upper respiratory tract infection, no need for oxygen
No need for antiviral or immunomodulatory treatment
|More severe disease and risk groups*
pCAP, need for oxygen
consider antiviral therapy
|Critically ill, admitted to ICU||Treat symptomatically
Consider antiviral therapy
Consider immunomodulatory treatment
|Secondary HLH (hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis)||Treat with immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive drugs|
* Congenital heart disease, immunosuppression, inborn/acquired immunodeficiencies, cystic fibrosis, chronic lung disease, chronic neurological/kidney/liver disease, diabetes/metabolic disease
Lopinavir/r (LPV/r, Kaletra®) is a co-formulation of lopinavir and ritonavir, in which ritonavir acts as a pharmacokinetic enhancer (booster). It is available as 200/50 and 100/25 mg tablets or 133.3/33.3 mg capsules in some countries. There is a liquid preparation with an unpleasant taste (5 ml = 400/100 mg). Liquid has to be kept in the fridge. LPV/r contains 42% ethanol, 153 mg/ml and proprylene glycol which is toxic to preterms/neonates.
Dosing for liquid:
- ≥14 days (postnatal age) and >42 weeks (postmenstrual age) to 6 months (postnatal age):
- 16/4 mg/kg or 300/75 mg/m2 BID
- ≥6 months-18 years: 230/57.5 mg/m2 BID
- <15 kg 12/3 mg/kg BID
- ≥15-40 kg: 10/2.5 mg/kg BID (max. 400/100mg BID)
Dosing for tablet:
- 15-25 kg or 0.5-0.9 m2: 200/50 mg BID
- 25-35 kg or 0.9-1.4 m2): 300/75 mg BID
- >35 kg or ≥1.4 m2: 400/100mg BID.
Lopinavir/r should be taken with meals. It has a well-characterized safety, tolerability and toxicity profile. Adverse events include significant drug interactions, pancreatitis, hepatotoxicity, QT and PR interval prolongation.
LPV/r is an HIV-1 protease inhibitor successfully used in HIV infected children as part of highly active antiretroviral combination therapy (PENTA Group 2015). In the SARS epidemics, LPV/r was recommended as a treatment. A recent study in adult COVID-19 patients did not show an effect regarding the primary endpoint in a controlled clinical trial (see the Treatment chapter, page 166). Despite the fact that there is a large experience with LPV/r in HIV it is questionable whether its use in COVID-19 is effective at all.
Inhibitors of viral entry
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ, Quensyl®) is available as 200 mg tablets. Dosing is day 1 loading dose: 6.5 mg/kg (max. 400 mg) BID; then 3 mg/kg (max. 200 mg) BID for 5-10 days.
Chloroquine (CQ, Resochin junior®, Resochin®) is available as 81 or 250 mg tablets. Dosing is day 1 loading: 8 mg/kg (max 500 mg) BID; then 4 mg/kg (max. 250 mg) BID for 10 days. Oral solution of HCQ or CQ can be produced by the pharmacy. Adverse events: gastrointestinal effects, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal discomfort, myopathy, cardiotoxic effects, including rhythm disorders (such as a prolonged QT interval) and the development of cardiomyopathy. It is useful to do an ECG before starting therapy. Both drugs bind strongly to melanin and can deposit in melanin-containing tissues which might explain retinopathy that occurs in high cumulative doses (Schrezenmeier 2020)
The efficacy of HCQ in rheumatic diseases has been characterized by a significant time delay by weeks to months because the drug needs to accumulate in the tissues. The half-lives of the two drugs are comparably long (40–60 days) and plasma, blood and serum concentrations of HCQ/CQ can vary individually. Little information is available concerning drug concentrations in ‘deep’ organs, e.g. the lung. It is unclear to what extent HCQ/CQ have immunomodulatory effects in a COVID-19 patient with short disease duration. Their antiviral effect comes from lowering the pH of the lysosome and thereby inhibiting the entry of virus particles into the cell (Yao 2020, Zhou 2020). The experience among pediatricians with HCQ/CQ (except pediatriciancs working in malaria) is very limited. Authorities in the US are warning about a widespread use of HCQ/CQ in COVID-19 (https://mailchi.mp/clintox/aact-acmt-aapcc-joint-statement)
Immunomodulatory drug treatment
The rational for immunomodulation in COVID-19 patients comes from a high expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (Interleukin-1 (IL1) and interleukin-6 (IL6)), chemokines (“cytokine storm”) and the consumption of regulatory T cells resulting in damage of the lung tissue as reported in patients with a poor outcome. Blocking IL-1 or IL-6 can be successful in children with (auto) inflammatory disease (reviewed in Niehues 2019). However, both interleukins are also key to the physiological immune response and severe side effects of immunomodulators have been reported. In adults with COVID-19, blocking interleukin-1/6 might be helpful (see the Treatment chapter). In the rare situation that the condition of the child deteriorates due to hyperinflammation and that they are resistant to other therapies, tocilizumab or anakinra may be an option.
Steroids (e.g. prednisone, prednisolone) are available as oral solution, tablets or different vials for intravenous application. Dosage in children is 0.5 to 1 mg/kg i.v. or oral BID. Short term use of steroids has few adverse events. Administration of steroids will affect inflammation by inhibiting the transcription of some of the pro-inflammatory cytokines and various other effects. The use of corticosteroids in children and adults with CoV-induced ARDS is controversial (Lee 2004, Arabi 2018, Russell 2020). The corticosteroid-induced decrease of antiviral immunity (e.g. to eliminate CoV-2 viruses) might be disadvantageous in patients with COVID-19. The use of low-dose hydrocortisone may be of advantage in adults with ARDS, whereas its use is controversial in pediatric ARDS.
Tocilizumab (Roactemra®) is available in 80/200/400 mg vials (20 mg/ml). Dosing is
- <30 kg: 12 mg/kg i.v. QD, sometimes repeated after 8 hrs
- ≥30 kg: 8mg/kg i.v. QD i.v. (max. 800 mg)
Adverse events (deriving largely from long term use in chronic inflammatory diseases and use in combination with other immunomodulatory drugs): severe bacterial or opportunistic infections, immune dysregulation (anaphylactic reaction, fatal macrophage activation), psoriasis, vasculitis, pneumothorax, fatal pulmonary hypertension, heart failure, gastrointestinal bleeding, diverticulitis, gastrointestinal perforation (reviewed in Niehues 2019).
Anakinra (Kineret®) is available as 100 mg syringes (stored at 4-8° C). Dosing is 2-4 mg/kg s.c. QD daily as long as hyperinflammation persists. Thereafter, dose reduction by 10-30% per day. Adverse events (deriving largely from long term use in chronic inflammatory diseases and use in combination with other immunomodulatory drugs): severe bacterial or opportunistic Infections, fatal myocarditis, immune dysregulation, pneumonitis, colitis, hepatitis, endocrinopathies, nephritis, dermatitis, encephalitis, psoriasis, vitiligo, neutropenia (reviewed in Niehues 2019).
Engineering monoclonal antibodies against the CoV spike proteins or against its receptor ACE2 or specific neutralizing antibodies against CoV-2 present in convalescent plasma may provide protection but are not generally available yet.
Interferon α has been inhaled by children with COVID-19 in the original cohorts but there are no data on its effect (Qiu 2020). Type-1 interferons (e.g. interferon-a) are central to antiviral immunity. When coronaviruses (or other viruses) invade the host, viral nucleic acid activates interferon-regulating factors like IRF3 and IRF7 which promote the synthesis of type I interferons (IFNs).
COI: Tim Niehues has received authorship fees from uptodate.com (Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA) and reimbursement of travel expenses during consultancy work for the European Medicines Agency (EMA), steering committees of the PENTA Paediatric European Network for Treatment of AIDS (Padua, Italy), the Juvenile Inflammatory Cohort (JIR) (Lausanne, Switzerland), and, until 2017, the FIND-ID Initiative (supported by the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association [PPTA] [Brussels, Belgium]).
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Qiu H, Wu J, Hong L, Luo Y, Song Q, Chen D. Clinical and epidemiological features of 36 children with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Zhejiang, China: an observational cohort study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2020 Mar 25. pii: S1473-3099(20)30198-5. PubMed: https://pubmed.gov/32220650. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30198-5
Russell CD, Millar JE, Baillie JK. Clinical evidence does not support corticosteroid treatment for 2019-nCoV lung injury. Lancet. 2020 Feb 15;395(10223):473-475. PubMed: https://pubmed.gov/32043983. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30317-2
Schrezenmeier E, Dorner T. Mechanisms of action of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine: implications for rheumatology. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2020 Mar;16(3):155-166. PubMed: https://pubmed.gov/32034323. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41584-020-0372-x
Schwartz DA. An Analysis of 38 Pregnant Women with COVID-19, Their Newborn Infants, and Maternal-Fetal Transmission of SARS-CoV-2: Maternal Coronavirus Infections and Pregnancy Outcomes. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2020 Mar 17. PubMed: https://pubmed.gov/32180426. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.5858/arpa.2020-0901-SA
Shen K, Yang Y, Wang T, et al. Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of 2019 novel coronavirus infection in children: experts´ consensus statement. World J Pediatr. 2020 Feb 7. pii: 10.1007/s12519-020-00343-7. PubMed: https://pubmed.gov/32034659. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12519-020-00343-7
Tagarro A, Epalza C, Santos M, et al. Screening and Severity of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Children in Madrid, Spain. JAMA Pediatr. 2020 Apr 8. pii: 2764394. PubMed: https://pubmed.gov/32267485. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.1346
Wang J, Qi H, Bao L, Li F, Shi Y. A contingency plan for the management of the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak in neonatal intensive care units. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2020 Apr;4(4):258-259. PubMed: https://pubmed.gov/32043976. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(20)30040-7
Wei M, Yuan J, Liu Y, Fu T, Yu X, Zhang ZJ. Novel Coronavirus Infection in Hospitalized Infants Under 1 Year of Age in China. JAMA. 2020 Feb 14. pii: 2761659. PubMed: https://pubmed.gov/32058570. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.2131
Xia W, Shao J, Guo Y, Peng X, Li Z, Hu D. Clinical and CT features in pediatric patients with COVID-19 infection: Different points from adults. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2020 May;55(5):1169-1174. PubMed: https://pubmed.gov/32134205. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1002/ppul.24718
Yao X, Ye F, Zhang M, et al. In Vitro Antiviral Activity and Projection of Optimized Dosing Design of Hydroxychloroquine for the Treatment of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Clin Infect Dis. 2020 Mar 9. pii: 5801998. PubMed: https://pubmed.gov/32150618. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaa237
Zeng H, Xu C, Fan J, et al. Antibodies in Infants Born to Mothers With COVID-19 Pneumonia. JAMA. 2020 Mar 26. pii: 2763854. PubMed: https://pubmed.gov/32215589. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.4861
Zeng L, Xia S, Yuan W, et al. Neonatal Early-Onset Infection With SARS-CoV-2 in 33 Neonates Born to Mothers With COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. JAMA Pediatr. 2020 Mar 26. pii: 2763787. PubMed: https://pubmed.gov/32215598. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.0878
Zhou D, Dai SM, Tong Q. COVID-19: a recommendation to examine the effect of hydroxychloroquine in preventing infection and progression. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2020 Mar 20. pii: 5810487. PubMed: https://pubmed.gov/32196083. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1093/jac/dkaa114
Zimmermann P, Curtis N. Coronavirus Infections in children including COVID-19. Ped Inf Dis. Full-text: https://journals.lww.com/pidj/Fulltext/2020/05000/Coronavirus_Infections_in_Children_Including.1.aspx | <urn:uuid:856e5cc0-afe3-4ec1-b29e-375175ca6f96> | CC-MAIN-2020-24 | https://covidreference.com/pediatrics | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-24/segments/1590347390442.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20200526015239-20200526045239-00058.warc.gz | en | 0.882095 | 10,571 | 3.03125 | 3 |
Highlights in the History of the Army Nurse Corps, 1940 to 1950
When the U.S. entered World War II following the bombing of Pearl
Harbor on December 7, 1941 there were fewer than 7,000 nurses on active duty.
By 1945, more than 57,000 Army nurses were assigned to hospital ships and
trains; flying ambulances; and field, evacuation, station, and general hospitals at
home and overseas. This is the largest number of nurses on active duty in the
history of the organization.
brought innovations that revolutionized medical services. Military nursing
gained a greater understanding of the process of shock, blood replacement, and
resuscitation. These healthcare professionals assisted in developing recovery
wards for immediate postoperative nursing care. Air evacuation from the combat
zone by fixed-wing aircraft brought patients to definitive treatment quickly.
Army flight nurses helped to establish an incredible record of deaths in flight – only five
per 100,000 patients.
endured hardships while caring for their patients. On May 1942, with the fall of Corregidor in the
Philippines, 67 Army nurses became Japanese prisoners of war. During the
thirty-seven months captivity, these women endured primitive conditions and
starvation rations, but still they continued to care for the ill and injured in
the internment camp hospital. In Anzio on January 1944,army nurses dug their
foxholes outside their tents and cared for patients under German shellfire.
Their example bolstered the spirits of the soldiers who shared the same tough
experience. Two evacuation hospitals, with their complement of nurses, landed
in Normandy on June 1944, four days after the invasion.
After the war, broad public health missions required that
Army nurses supervise communicable disease measures as former enemy countries
were reorganized. In Hiroshima, these officers cared for victims of the atomic
bombs. In Munich, they prevented mass epidemic among displaced persons camps.
In Hamburg, the healthcare professionals established prenatal clinics, and well
baby clinics. In Heidelberg, they helped people psychologically impaired by
this tough war.
The Corps’ military status continued to evolve during the
post-war demobilization. And what a demobilization it was! In one year, the branch’s active duty
end strength dropped from 57,000 to 8,500 personnel. On 16 April
1947, Public Law established the ANC in the Medical Department of the Regular
Army and authorized an end strength of no less than 2,558 nurses. It also
provided permanent commissioned officer status for members of the Corps in the
grades of Second Lieutenant through Lieutenant Colonel.
Specialized requirements in military nursing
became the focus of the postwar period. Courses were designed in anesthesia,
psychiatric, operating room and community health nursing. Army nurses attended
the hospital administration course.
Text by ANCA Historian COL (Ret.) C. J. Moore; Photos courtesy of the Army Medical Department Center of History and Heritage
Johns Hopkins' 118th General Hospital Unit, Baltimore, 1942
WWII Army nurse POWs beginning their journey home in Manila
Digging a foxhole at Anzio
| Right from top:
Flight nurse and patients aboard a C-47
Army Nurses coming ashore at Normandy
Neuropsychiatric nursing instructor and student | <urn:uuid:a025ffb0-2bf7-41fd-9c9d-f0db7d7fc745> | CC-MAIN-2017-09 | http://e-anca.org/History/ANC-Eras/1940-1950 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-09/segments/1487501174167.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20170219104614-00327-ip-10-171-10-108.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932677 | 694 | 3.4375 | 3 |
Progress often doesn’t look like progress at all when it first arrives.
When on July 3, 1886, Daimler Benz presented his first car, it had a 0.75 horse-power engine that could reach a top speed of 16 km/h. It was able to cover 45 km on a single fuel tank, and it could only take two passengers. Compared to best horse-driven carriages of the day, especially taking the availability of stuff you could use as fuel, this was hardly a progress. Horse-driven carriages bested this car on all fronts, and by large margins.
Imagine what the world would look like today should Daimler Benz heeded the naysayers and mockers of his day, and they were not in short supply. | <urn:uuid:9f36360f-c40e-43f1-a30d-b77cc22ef415> | CC-MAIN-2017-51 | http://vjeko.com/tags/progress/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-51/segments/1512948532873.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20171214000736-20171214020736-00228.warc.gz | en | 0.986075 | 159 | 2.609375 | 3 |
A cloche is a small, portable plant covering designed to be easily moved around the garden. A cloche traps the sun's warmth raising the temperature of both the air and soil inside.
A cloche can cover a single plant or a small group of plants. You can use a cloche to protect a plant from an overnight frost or chilling winds. Cloches are commonly made of plastic or glass. A gallon milk jug with its bottom cut out can be used as a cloche.
Cloches are not a long-term solution to protecting plants. Because they are small they do not retain enough solar heat to sustain plants when temperatures fall below 40°F for more than a day. Conversely, because a cloche is small and has no venting other than lifting it away from the plant, the temperature inside a cloche can quickly overheat (the smaller the cloche the quicker it will overheat).
In late spring and early fall when the weather and temperatures are unsettled, the daily and nightly use of cloches may keep plants protected enough to add 2 to 4 weeks to your garden's growing season. | <urn:uuid:2a0fb567-6749-452c-b855-224cd5689a0e> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.wellsphere.com/healthy-eating-article/cloche-to-protect-plants/999040 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131297831.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172137-00190-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937578 | 230 | 3 | 3 |
Main Article Content
Adolescent, Hemophilia, Patient education, Qualitative Research, Transition of Care, Self care
Objective: To examine the needs of adolescents with hemophilia and describe their perceptions surrounding transition of care.
Methods: Qualitative, semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of adolescents addressed subjects’ experiences with hemophilia and views about transition. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Descriptive themes were identified through constant comparative analysis by three independent reviewers.
Results: Eleven adolescents were interviewed and data saturation was reached in the areas of inquiry. Important themes surrounding the adolescent hemophilia experience included the challenges of sharing one’s diagnosis with others, raising awareness, and sources of support. Some participants had concerns about transition to adult care, but many also recognized some associated benefits. All participants were interested in enhancing their hemophilia-related knowledge and felt that support is important prior to transition.
Conclusions: Teens with hemophilia contribute important insights into their experiences. They perceive variable preparedness for transition. Adolescents’ concerns should be considered during the development of education and self-management programs aiming to foster independence prior to transition of care. | <urn:uuid:50e5f512-dd92-4ba2-aaf3-74a5cef911e6> | CC-MAIN-2020-24 | http://utmj.org/index.php/UTMJ/article/view/100 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-24/segments/1590347410284.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20200530165307-20200530195307-00500.warc.gz | en | 0.962712 | 251 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Ahab, making a worldly-wise marriage with Je zebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians, introduced the worship of Baal, the god of Zidon, as the national religion. Jeroboam's sin naturally paved the way for this worse apostasy, as the worship of the golden calf was followed by that of Baal-Peor, and the corruptions that were practised after the death of those who outlived Joshua immediately led to the adroption of the paganism of Canaan. But never had there been such a national apostasy. A temple of Baal was raised, apparently near Samaria, and an image and a grove there set up ; there were four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and four hundred of the groves, all of whom, it seems, sat at Jezebel's table. For the fiist time we read that a persecution of true religion was raised, and Jezebel attempted to slay all the pro phets of the Lord. Although Baal-worship re ceived a signal check when, at Carmel, before Ahab and all Israel, the false prophets were•miracu lously shown to be impostors, and were slain by Elijah, yet that only remaining true prophet who had dared to show himself in the Israelite kingdom fled for his life from Jezebel, and lament ing the forsaken covenant, overthrown altars, and slain prophets of the Lord, complained that he alone was left. But God made known to him that there were still left in Israel seven thousand that had neither bowed to Baal nor kissed his image. The miracle at Carmel had no lasting effect on Ahab's mind. Not only did he allow his wife to seek the life of Elijah, but a staff of four hundred false prophets was formed, by whose prediction he was led to the fatal battle of Ramoth-gilead. Ahab's son Ahaziah followed his parents' iniqui ties, and sent to inquire of Baal-zebub ; but bis brother and successor, Jchoram, put away the image of Baal, and was contented with Jeroboam's sin, though the image was afterwards restored, no doubt through Jezebel's influence.
Jehu aimed at the destruction of the house of Ahab and the overthrow of the worship of Baal : both objects he thoroughly accomplished, so far as the northern kingdom was concerned, perhaps with some selfish ambition, and probably with some needless bloodshed, but certainly with a vigour that marks him as one of the most resolute of the Israelite kings. The worshippers of Baal were col lected and slain, the house of Baal overthrow:), his image and other images broken and burnt, and the house permanently polluted. It is to be observed that a city of the house of Baal is mentioned, as though a, city, probably a suburb of Samaria, had grown up around the idol temple. Yet Jehu, with a foolish policy, was afraid to abandon the corrup tions of Jeroboam, and thenceforward the golden calves at Bethel and Dan were worshipped by the ten tribes until the overthrow of the kingdom.
Baal-worship, though destroyed in Israel, was untouched in Judah. The good king Jehoshapbat had allied himself with the powerful house of Ahab, and this piece of political wisdom nearly exting-uished the line of David. Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, had become the wife of Jehoram, the son of Jehoshapbat. Jehoram, and Ahaziah his son, under the strong influence of Athaliah, had walked in the way of tbe house of Ahab. When Abaziah had been slain by Jehu, Athaliah outdid Jezebel, and slew all the male seed royal, but one child, Jeboash, being saved. During the six years' reign of Athaliah, he remained hidden in the temple, until a priestly revolution overthrew at once the usurper and her religion. The wicked queen was slain, the house of Baal broken down, the altars and images broken in pieces thoroughly, and Mat tan the priest slain before the altars. We thus learn in this history of its overthrow how com pletely Baal-worship had been set up in Jerusalem.
From the time of the second Jeroboam, the prophets furnish us with most interesting details of idol-worship in both kingdoms. The use of the word Israel is not in every case to be un doubtedly restricted to the northern kingdom, but there is no difficulty in the most imnortant pas sages. In the time of Amos, Jeroboam, not withstanding his prosperity, gave the same support as his namesake to the calf-worship. Amaziah,
the priest of Bethel, complained to the king of the prophesying of Amos, and told him not to pro phesy again at that place, it [is] the king's sanc tuary, and it [is] the house of the kingdom' (vii. to-13). It must be noticed that Amos was accused by Amaziah of predicting the king's death by the sword, but it does not follow that he did so, and his prediction against the Israelite line as pre served is, I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword' (vet. 9), a passage immediately followed by the account of Amaziah's complaint : Then Amaziah,' etc. (ver. ro). We are, there fore, surprised that Canon Stanley should say, The prediction of Amos was not fulfilled as re garded the king himself' (Smith's Bible Dictionary, p. 9S1, a). Amos speaks of oaths by the gods of Samaria, Dan, and Beersheba (viii. 14), and of worship or sacrifice at Bethel, Gilgal, and Beer sheba (iv. 4 ; v. 5). Hosea warns Judah against the Israelite sin in these remarkable words : Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, [yet] let not Judah offend ; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear, the LoRD liveth' (iv.-r5) : whence it seems, if the Masoretic text be correct, that the Israelites dared to apply God's most sacred revealed name to their idols. This prophet speaks of worship not only at Bethel, but also at Gilgal, and Gilead, the latter probably Tacob's stone at Mizpah (xii. ; ix. 15 ; vi. S ; v. 1). Amos spealcs of the high places of Isaac,' and the sanctuaries of Israel' (vii. 9), no doubt in tending Beersheba and Bethel. From these pas sages it is evident that the Israelites sought to fortify their spurious worship by paying especial honour to the early high places. Hosea mentions the calf of Samaria' (viii. 5, 6), but the reference is probably to the calf-worship of the kingdom gene rally. It seems to have been customary for sacri ficers to kiss the calves' (xiii. 2). The mention of the calves of Beth-aven' (x. 5), a name of re proach for Bethel, probably shows that there vvere small images there besides the chief one set up by Jeroboam, for the high places" of Aven' (ver. S) are similarly spoken of, and we know there was one principal high place there. The abundance of high places is shown by the remarkable expression, after mention of Gilead and Gilgal, yea, their altars [are] as heaps in the furrows of the field' (xii. I I, Heb. 12). The Danite worship in the north seems meant in the prediction—` the chil dren of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacri fice, and without an image, and without an ephod and teraphim : aftenvard shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king' (iii. 4, 5). The spurious wor ship and separate royal line were alike to be taken from the Israelites, and aftenvards they vvere to repent, a prophecy perhaps fulfilled after the cap ture of Samaria. A modern writer has most un critically suggested that the meaning is, that the people were to be deprived even of their mild household superstitions.' How does he know that these corruptions were either mild or household ? The worship of Baal and Baalim seems to be spoken of as a thing of the past (ii. S, 16, 17 ; xi. 2 ; esp. xiii. t, 2), at last exceeded by thc calf worship (see last citation 1 ; but sacrificing. and burning incense upon the tops of the mountains,' upon the hills,' under shadowing trees, was still prevalent (iv. 13). With the overthrow of the northern kingdom the calf-worship evidently ended : the costly golden calves were no doubt carried away, according to the custom of the Assyrians, as had been predicted, but the idolatrous high places were not yet destroyed. The priesthood of Dan came to an end at this time (Judg. xviii. 3o) : that of Bethel seems to have been overthrown by Josiah (2 Kings xxiii. 15-2o). There is no evi dence of any subsequent practice of calf-worship : it may have been adopted by the people trans ported to the Israelite cities by the king of Assyria, but it had no attraction for the people of Judah, whose idolatry was the adoption of wholly foreign systems, not thc corruption of true religion. | <urn:uuid:832e922a-b232-4f2c-a85c-929adb9a7ce0> | CC-MAIN-2015-40 | http://gluedideas.com/content-collection/cyclopedia-of-biblical-literature/Idolatry_P10.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-40/segments/1443737911339.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20151001221831-00159-ip-10-137-6-227.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970914 | 2,071 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Do I need to train my new kitten to use a litter box?
Most cats by nature prefer to use a soil type surface for elimination. By providing a litter box with an appropriate and appealing substrate (material), few cats will need to be trained to use it. At about 30 to 36 days of age, kittens leave the nest to search out a loose substrate for elimination.
The kitten learns specific areas and substrates to use by observing the queen (mother). Although some cats, especially those on their own property, will dig and bury their wastes, many cats only partly cover their feces especially if they are off of their home territory. Some cats do not bury urine or stools at all, even on their own property; these cats may prove harder to litter train.
How can I train my new cat to use the litter box and area that I have selected?
Initially, it is best that the kitten be confined to a small area with an appropriate sized litter box. This allows you to take advantage of a cat’s tendency to eliminate in a loose material. As long as the kitty litter is easily accessible and is the only loose substrate available, very little effort should be required to litter box train the kitten. If you confine the cat for any length of time (e.g., if you are going to work for the day), ensure that the room has all the cat’s necessities including litter box, water, food or feeding toys, scratching and play toys, and places to climb and explore.
One indoor area that might be equally or more appealing to some cats is the soil around houseplants. This can best be resolved by ensuring that the cat is prevented from getting into the houseplant, moving the houseplants into an inaccessible room, or by placing decorative pebbles or rocks over top of the soil. Kittens may need to eliminate after they eat, after they wake up, and after play. At those times, you might place the kitten in its litter box and, if it eliminates, praise the kitten or give a treat.
A kitten does not need to be confined continuously, but should be supervised to prevent accidents and frequently brought back to the appropriate elimination location. If you place a little urine or stool from a previous elimination in the box, its odor should help to attract the cat back to the box. If the kitten soils in a location other than its box on the first attempt, clean up the area thoroughly using a product that is designed to neutralize cat urine odor and perhaps move a small amount of the stool or a few drops of the urine to the box to attract the cat to that area. If there is more than one cat in the home, at least one more litter box should be added (see below). By confining the kitten to an area with its own box, the kitten can establish regular litter habits without competition or threats from the other cats. This also provides for a more gradual and cautious introduction of the kittens to the other cats.
What type of litter material should I use?
There are many types of litter materials available today. These include clay litter, fine “clumping” litter, plastic pearls, silica, recycled newspapers, wood shavings and many others. Some have materials added to control odor.
Some studies have found that clumping litter may be preferable to more cats, and that scented litter is aversive to some cats. Since kittens learn the appropriate places to eliminate by following cues from the queen, it may be helpful to continue using the same litter as used in the first home. Although the type you choose is up to you, you might wish to seek guidance as to which litter types are safest if you have a kitten that tends to eat litter (as some young kittens do).
What size and type of litter box should I buy?
Initially, the size of the litter box should be determined by the size of the kitten or cat. A very small kitten may need a box with shorter (lower) sides or a ramp for easier access. As the kitten grows, a larger box is generally more appropriate. Some owners prefer litter boxes with covers on them. This is acceptable if it is acceptable to the cat. You need to be sure that the cat can negotiate the opening by stepping into it and that the cat is not too large to fit into the opening. As the cat grows, ensure that the box still accommodates the cat’s needs, increasing its size if necessary.
Where should I put the litter box?
The litter box should be placed in a location that is easily accessed by the cat, yet out of the way. Try to avoid congested household areas. The cat should have some privacy and quiet to eliminate. Laundry and furnace rooms are often used but be sure that noise associated with household machinery is not disruptive and aversive to your cat. Also make sure that the cat does not get locked out of the room at a time when it may have to eliminate. Try to put the litter box in an area that is convenient for you to check on and keep clean. Do not put food and water bowls immediately next to the litter box. If there are dogs in the home, then the litter box should be located where the cat can eliminate without being bothered by them.
How often should I clean the litter box?
One of the most important factors in ensuring continued litter box usage by house cats is cleanliness. Cats are very fastidious animals, and spend time each day making sure their coat, feet, and face are clean. One can assume that they would like a clean place to eliminate. The number of cats in the home and litter usage determines the time between litter cleaning. Fecal material should be removed after each bowel movement, if possible, and the box should be cleaned or scooped of urine wastes on a daily basis, regardless of the type of litter material. The entire contents of the litter box should be cleaned out weekly. Rinse the box with hot water and dry before replacing with new litter. Some clumping litters form fairly hard clumps that are easy to scoop in their entirety and leave little residue behind. If you use one of these types of litter, you may only need to change the litter every few weeks; however, remember to refill the litter to maintain sufficient depth after each scooping. Remember that each cat is an individual. Your cat may like more frequent cleaning of the litter box to maintain good usage patterns. Some cats dislike the odor of the cleansers used to clean litter boxes, so rinse the box thoroughly after each cleaning with hot water. A number of products are self-cleaning and this can be particularly appealing to some cats. However some cats might be frightened of the motors and cleaning mechanisms in self-cleaning litter boxes.
How many litter boxes do I need in my home?
The number of litter boxes needed depends on the number of cats, the size of the home, the temperament of the cats, and whether there are other pets in the home. When there are multiple cats, multiple pans should be available in different locations, not all side-by-side in one place. Because there can be varied interactions between individuals, multiple boxes in multiple locations allow housemates to avoid one another if they so choose. Even for only one cat, two boxes may be appropriate depending on the layout of the home and the individual preferences of the cat. Some cats prefer one box for urine and one for stool. Older cats may have physical limitations that prevent them from climbing stairs easily and so a box in the location the cat frequents is needed. In general, there should be at least one litter box per cat; however, if soiling problems arise, most behaviorists advise one box per cat plus one more.
What if my kitten does not use the litter box?
Should the kitten begin to eliminate in locations other than its litter box, first review the steps above. Is the litter in an area that is appealing and easily accessed by the cat? Is the litter box being cleaned often enough? Are there enough litter boxes for the number of cats? Try to determine what is so appealing to your cat about the area that your cat is soiling. And, perhaps most importantly, is there anything about the area, box or litter that might be preventing its use (or scaring your cat)?
To determine the most appealing litter for your cat, offer two or more different litters in the same type of box, side-by-side and see which one, if any, the cat uses most frequently. Next, determine the type of litter box the cat prefers by offering two or more litter box types side-by-side (each with the preferred type of litter). You can determine the cat’s preferred location by offering the preferred litter box with the preferred litter in two or more locations and determining which one, if any, the cat uses more frequently. If litter box problems persist, then additional guidance and perhaps a behavior consultation might be required.
If the cat lifts its tail and sprays urine onto vertical objects, then this is a marking behavior and would indicate that its time to consider neutering (if your cat is an intact male) or that an anxiety or territorial problem is emerging and professional guidance should be sought.
Contributors: Debra Horwitz, DVM, Diplomate ACVB & Gary Landsberg, DVM, Diplomate ACVB © Copyright 2013 LifeLearn Inc. Used and/or modified with permission under license. | <urn:uuid:a9bfd614-23f9-4093-ad3d-8dc291206f84> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://hsmo.org/portfolio-item/kitten-behavior-and-training-litter-box-training/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233509023.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20230925151539-20230925181539-00137.warc.gz | en | 0.941251 | 1,936 | 2.953125 | 3 |
All About Shellfish Allergy
Shellfish allergy is a kind of food allergy which affects about 2% of all Americans. Shellfish allergy is caused when your immune system mistakenly reacts to the proteins present in the shellfish.
Shellfish allergy can result in hives, nasal congestion and can also cause life-threatening anaphylactic reaction. The best way to manage shellfish allergies is to get diagnosed and avoid the food altogether.
Types of Shellfish:
Shellfish are divided into crustaceans and mollusks.
Shrimp, lobster, prawns, crab, crawfish, sea urchin and langoustines are examples of crustaceans
oysters, mussels, clams, abalone, scallops, limpets, periwinkles, snails, octopus, cuttlefish, and squid are examples of mollusks
Some people may be allergic to only one type of shellfish, while some people react to all types of shellfish.
Symptoms of Shellfish Allergy:
Common symptoms of shellfish allergy are hives, itching, and redness of the skin. Symptoms can also include swelling of the lips, tongue, throat, vomiting, nasal congestion and abdominal pain. Although uncommon, shellfish allergy can lead to anaphylaxis, which includes a drop in blood pressure, lightheadedness, and loss of consciousness.
Shellfish allergy should not be confused with food poisoning. Shellfish allergy is caused due to the overreaction of the immune system, while food poisoning may be caused due to the contamination
Shellfish Allergy Diagnosis:
For diagnosing shellfish allergy, your doctor can recommend you skin prick test or blood test. In skin prick test, the protein present in shellfish is exposed to your skin and observed for any reaction such as hives. In the blood test, also known as radioallergosorbent (RAST), your blood is tested for sensitivity to shellfish.
Preventing Shellfish Allergies:
Here are a few tips to prevent shellfish allergies:
Inquire about the ingredients while eating out:
While eating out, do read the menu and always inquire about the ingredients used in the dish. This is because the sauces, condiments used in the dishes can contain hidden shellfish content
Beware of cross-contamination:
Some restaurants use the same pan, oil and utensils for shellfish and other dishes. Hence, be careful of cross-contamination and avoid environments where shellfish are cooked or processed
Read the food labels:
Food labels indicate if shellfish products are present in the product. Reading the food labels would help you to avoid such products
Some people believe that if they have iodine allergy, they are allergic to shellfish too. However, this is not true and both of these allergies are unrelated.
If you are allergic to shellfish, always carry an injectable epinephrine to prevent anaphylactic shock. Hence, getting diagnosed and avoiding shellfish is the best way to manage shellfish allergies | <urn:uuid:d5fe1793-d313-469b-8997-7cc76aa769c4> | CC-MAIN-2017-13 | http://allergies.ygoy.com/2008/11/12/all-about-shellfish-allergy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-13/segments/1490218191984.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20170322212951-00084-ip-10-233-31-227.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916266 | 632 | 3.546875 | 4 |
Kualoa Field School provides a unique opportunity to study ancient Hawaiian history and culture at one of the most significant locations on Oʻahu. Kualoa was once home to ancient political and religious leaders who exerted influence throughout the islands. Previous archaeological investigation has revealed evidence of fishing activities, wood working, and food preparation as well as thousands of worked stone artifacts representative of tool manufacturing. In the course of four weeks, students will participate in intensive archaeological field work while learning about the Hawaiian Islands and Polynesia through lectures and field trips.
Kualoa Ranch is a working cattle ranch located on the east side of Oʻahu Island. Six hundred twenty-two acres of Kualoa ahupuaʻa were purchased by Gerritt P. Judd from Kauikeaouli, King Kamehameha III in 1850 A.D. Substantial portions of Kaʻaʻawa and Hakipuʻu ahupuaʻa were later purchased amounting to approximately 4,000 acres of land still owned by the Judd/Morgan family today. The uninterrupted private ownership and environmental stewardship of this land has contributed to its pristine condition and the preservation of archaeological features on the property. | <urn:uuid:d2904852-2a11-4fb2-8c06-7b7546e08210> | CC-MAIN-2018-17 | http://www.kualoa.org/content/archaeology | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-17/segments/1524125946011.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20180423125457-20180423145457-00458.warc.gz | en | 0.973178 | 247 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Overview of Social Security & Applying for Benefits
According to ssa.gov, Social Security was created in 1935 by President Roosevelt as a federal program. Before the enactment of social security, each state and local government was responsible for the welfare of the elderly. In the 1920s and 1930s, the economy had shifted due to industrialization and war; many people were unemployed and poverty-stricken. The Great Depression era was hard for nearly everyone, but the people who were hit the hardest were the elderly and disabled due to inability to work. The Social Security Board was created to help enroll the elderly into the program to receive payments. The Social Security entity did not only extend eligibility to the elderly but to the unemployed, blind or disabled, and children.
Applying for social security benefits is done online at ssa.gov or in person at a local Social Security office. Applications included are for retirement, Medicare, and social security disability benefits. If unable to apply online, call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). The person must be a United States citizen to apply and meet all criteria to receive benefits. The original birth certificate is needed or a certified copy of the original. Proof of citizenship is needed if not born in the United States. Proof of income from the previous year is needed. Documents to prove income include last year’s employment tax return or a copy of W-2 forms.
Retirement or spouse’s retirement has an age requirement of 61 years and 9 months. When an applicant is 65 years old and requests benefits, Medicare is automatically included in the benefits. Medicare is health insurance created for the elderly in 1966 under the Social Security act created by President Roosevelt. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services oversees the healthcare benefits given to Medicaid patients.
In conclusion, Social Security was created to help people in need of assistance in the United States. It was created in response to the Great Depression and enacted under President Roosevelt in 1935. People over 65, those that are disabled may apply online, by visiting socialsecurityofficesnearme.com, or in person at the local office the program for assistance. More information can be found in the links below.
References & Resources: | <urn:uuid:bce2eb55-ef9c-4e94-8cbf-c688856475bb> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://www.ctbusinesstimes.com/page/2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296945279.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20230324082226-20230324112226-00015.warc.gz | en | 0.954837 | 507 | 3.40625 | 3 |
We have prepared a “The Picture of Dorian Gray” essay for you. As an English writer of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Oscar Wilde, in his intellectual novel, “The Portrait of Dorian Gray,” raises rather complicated philosophical, aesthetic, and moral problems, pondering the relationship and role of beauty and morality in the life of the individual. In Wilde’s novel, there is a mention of the “poison book” that influenced the protagonist so much and pushed him to an immoral way of life, justifying vices. Therefore, perhaps, “The Picture of Dorian Gray” is also such a book, as claimed by many of the contemporaries of Wilde.
There can be arguments for and against this statement. By absolutizing beauty, art, showing the attractiveness of vice, and the bohemian life, the author evokes envy, the desire to imitate, to “try everything.” Therefore, the book is “immoral.” Releasing the beauty of morality, the author shows how such a release affects a person. The portrait is paid to Gray’s deeds – the personification of the soul of the hero. The dirtier the deeds, the more disgusting the soul becomes. In the end, they die together. To know what path Dorian Gray has passed to self-destruction, check out our “The Picture Dorian Gray” essay.
Can beauty be treated as moral or immoral in “The Picture of Dorian Gray? What path has the Dorian Gray passed to self-destruction?
Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” raises a question concerning the balance between the concepts such as morality, beauty, and the narcissism. Not only does this particular work of Wilde questions the necessity of the coexistence of those ideas, but it is observing a relevant issue of the ability to harmoniously combine them in the human nature. The personality of Dorian Grey consists of the goodwill carefully hidden under the desire to fulfill the never-ending need of the pleasure. Wilde’s vision of spirituality and righteousness in “The Picture…” can be interpreted as the obligation to re-establish the balance between the ethics and aesthetics, and refuse to acknowledge the fact that they are mutually exclusive.
The coexistence of two different concepts, that is, ethical decisions and the desire to live a joyful life, in Dorian Gray himself, may be observed as Wilde’s attempt to examine two most contradictory ideological ideas: the human soul which is driven solely by its desire to procreate and reach the most comfortable being, and the soul which is driven by the pure spirituality. Carroll states, that this particular assumption can be interpreted as follows: “Christianity and Darwinism share certain concepts of the human moral and social character, but they couch those concepts in different idioms, and they would invoke wholly different causal explanations for how human nature came to be the way it is” (Carroll 2). The author is incorporating two different understandings of the soul into his analysis of Wilde’s work. He also claims that Wilde did not use the language (Carroll 2), specific to those theories in his works, but he inevitably developed an idea of the human, whose existence is defined by concepts such as both beauty of the soul and the beauty of one’s appearance. The portrait of Dorian Gray, made by a painter Basil Hallward is an embodiment of the idea of the spoiled spirituality, an example of what may happen to a person if he or she would not choose the righteous path. The main idea of Christianity, which is that a person will always be punished for the improper behavior, is expressed by Wilde in this symbolic element. Additionally, the Darwinism (Carroll uses this term not in order to claim that the “Picture…” actually reflects the ideas of this doctrine, but to define the most suitable opposition to the values of the Christianity) is described in the Grey himself, mainly because he has some narcissistic needs and immediately tries to fulfill them, not bothering with the damage that they might do to his troubled soul.
Wilde’s novel reflects the idea of instability and the relatability of morality. As the views of the concepts are likely to change continuously, Gray sees this issue as something not worth being taken into account. The particular episode of “The Picture…” supports the previously stated point: Gray questions the morality and the divinity-driven existence of a person: “Modern morality consists in accepting the standard of one’s age. I consider that for any man of culture to accept the standard of his age is a form of the grossest immorality” (Wilde). The character is expressing the thought that the morality is a relatable idea, which can only exist in the particular context. Wilde disagreed with the point when made Dorian to destroy the portrait to end the ongoing corruption of his soul, which ended up for him in the actual death. The author is making a point that ethics and aesthetics should not be mutually exclusive.
Aestheticism can only be beneficial when accompanied by the morally acceptable behavior. Duggan states that “Rather than an advocate for pure aestheticism, then, Dorian Gray is a cautionary tale in which Wilde illustrates the dangers of the aesthetic philosophy when not practiced with prudence” (Duggan 62). There was previously stated, that Dorian Gray’s path reflects the impossibility to avoid the punishment for choosing the life full of pleasure over the righteousness. Wilde also seems to support the point. He suggests that art and aestheticism, which both were cherished by the fin-de-siècle philosophy (Duggan 61), are undervaluing the morality, and, conclusively, should not be acceptable for a human being. “The Picture of Dorian Gray” shows the peculiarities of the moral corruption of the time, and emphasizes the importance of being fully responsible for the self-destruction. The main character, Dorian Grey, can be observed as a typical fin-de-siècle-personality, who has successfully ruined the sanctity of the moral values. Manganiello states that this person can be described as the one who has to cope with “the consequences of substituting an aesthetic for an ethical conscience” (Manganiello 25). When Dorian Gray literally kills his portrait, and makes the transition from the being an embodiment of the pure beauty to the complete ugliness (which seems to reflect the consequences of his life choices), it becomes clear, that Wilde’s work carries a clear moral message to the reader concerning the importance of the righteousness.
So, Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” is criticizing the most vicious flaw of his time: cherishing the beauty of the appearance regardless of receiving punishment for the sinful and morally unacceptable behavior. The primary idea of the novel can be interpreted as follows: the cherishing of the aestheticism has advanced to the state when one cannot observe the consequences of the self-destruction. Wilde does not deny the necessity of the joy, nor does he states that the beauty and the moral values are mutually exclusive. When creating the Dorian Gray’s character, he was criticizing the eagerness of the fin-de-siècle philosophy to deny the possibility of the harmonious coexistence of the morality and joyful living.
As it was previously mentioned, Dorian Gray’s personality can be examined as the reflection of the two contradictory doctrines: Darwinism and Christianity. The author created a picture of both instincts-driven person and the one that is following the divine and moral guidelines. The main character of Wilde reflected those views, and was eager to satisfy all his desires, regardless of the consequences. Wilde sees it as the significant flaw of his time, as in the cherishing of the beauty there is a great ugliness, which the author tries to point out. The understanding of the morality as a relatable and unstable concept is a way to refuse the ethics completely and substitute it with aesthetics. “The Portrait of Dorian Gray” explores the peculiarities of the spoiled soul, which chose a life path full of momentous joy and pleasure. The ending of the novel can be interpreted as Wilde’s way to express his disagreement with the point that was stated earlier by Dorian Gray concerning the obsolete morality. Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” observes morality as the way to keep the balance between ethics and aesthetics.
Carroll, Joseph. “Aestheticism, Homoeroticism, and Christian Guilt in The Picture of Dorian Gray.” Philosophy and Literature, vol. 29, no. 2, 2005, pp. 286–304., doi:10.1353/phl.2005.0018.
Duggan, Patrick. “The Conflict Between Aestheticism and Morality in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray.” Art and Sciences Writing Program, www.bu.edu/writingprogram/journal/past-issues/issue-1/duggan/.
Manganiello, Dominic. “Ethics and Aesthetics in “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” The Canadian Journal of Irish Studies, vol. 9, no. 2, Dec. 1983, pp. 25–33.
Wilde, Oscar. “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” Https://Www.gutenberg.org/Files/174/174-h/174-H.htm.
If you need to write an essay about The Picture of Dorian Gray, then check out The Picture of Dorian Gray Essay Topics for Real Literature Fans. If you can’t write essays on your own, leave it to terranetwork.org. Notice that our writers can deal with any type of paper. | <urn:uuid:4a5b0ea4-fdcd-4c34-baa6-68989e7a718c> | CC-MAIN-2021-17 | https://terranetwork.org/the-picture-of-dorian-gray-essay-sample/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-17/segments/1618038085599.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20210415125840-20210415155840-00137.warc.gz | en | 0.945463 | 2,063 | 2.953125 | 3 |
Insects provide a main source of food for many ecosystems. Altering their populations can put many species at risk that rely on them for food, throwing a kink in the delicate food web and altering the balance of life, which can lead to unprecedented environmental complications. For example, the extinction of one species may create an opportunity for another, more dangerous pest. Furthermore, few studies, if any, have been done about unintended evolutionary effects of introducing new genes into a species at large.
A recent report from Friends of the Earth highlighted the fact that “[c]ommunity-based programs that educate communities about dengue prevention and low-cost ways to prevent mosquitoes from breeding are one way disease rates can be brought down…For example, a 2005 study in Vietnam found that targeted biological control and community involvement was successful in eliminating Aedes aegypti in 32 of the 37 communities studied and as a result, no dengue cases have been reported since 2002. As the World Health Organization has stated, ‘community is the key to dengue prevention’…[S]olutions can be low-cost, low-risk social innovations rather than expensive, patented technologies.”
Finally, GE insects are a misguided solution to a problem that technology has created: industrial agriculture and monocropping. The whittling down of the agricultural gene pool has left many crop species, especially when grown over thousands of acres, susceptible to pest and disease by decreasing biodiversity. GE insects therefore perpetuate a broken paradigm and fail to address the critical issue at hand: the fragility of our industrial food system.
Hoffman, Eric. Genetically engineered mosquitoes in the U.S. Friends of the Earth (2012) Available online at http://libcloud.s3.amazonaws.com/93/df/1/959/5/Issue_brief_GE_mosquitoes_in_U.S.pdf | <urn:uuid:e3ff737b-0fd1-4a79-a914-1e9ba3100cff> | CC-MAIN-2022-27 | https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/issues/679/ge-insects/what-are-the-main-concerns-about-ge-insects | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-27/segments/1656103269583.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20220626131545-20220626161545-00029.warc.gz | en | 0.923348 | 404 | 3.5 | 4 |
This web page and these book reviews are dedicated to the free press in the these sites were largely content free and at best of interest to the authors. Technical report writing guidelines citing a book • all pages of the report after the table of contents must include the page number. Want your book reports reviews noticed and appraised by your instructor order book report from our expert writing service stand out in the class with the best paper ever. A table of contents typically appears near the what is the table of contents of the book how to read a book what should the table of contents include in a report. Learn the difference between a preface and a foreword and get helpful how to write a preface front of a book before the actual content is.
For a document or a book which contains works of many authors put together, the name of the author will be the one used in the table of contents. Book reports in middle school, you are required to follow the book report format first, you are responsible to read an entire book when assigned. Written report guidelines the written report should have the following sections: (1) title page (2) abstract (3) introduction (4) materials and methods (5) results (6) discussion (7) conclusions (8) references description of the content of each of these sections follows additional remarks on report preparation and writing style are given at the end. Word then creates an automatic table of contents based on those if you are writing a book with chapters you could apply the heading 1 style to each of your. The biggest problem in the book is some important events in the book are at the end of the book i thought this book describe the main problem or conflict the characters have to solve describe some things that happened as the characters tried to solve the problem tell how the book ended tell whether you liked or didn't like this book.
A book report is a written - a book report is a summary of the contents problems associated with book reports typically a book report is a means of. You thoughtfully considered the delivery of your message and written a book that what is an acknowledgement page and why your of contents, if your book.
Formal reports (ten or more pages and being too long to put into a memo or letter) also have a table of contents within an english-language book, the table of contents usually appears after the title page, copyright notices, and, in technical journals, the abstract and before any lists of tables or figures, the foreword, and the preface. Harcourt, 1972) - a book report is a summary of the contents, plot, or thesis of a particular book, preceded by a full bibliographical citation the writer of a book report is not required to evaluate the author, although he oftentimes does so. Writing book reviews becomes easier once you hire a professional writer to writing a book report of exceptional 100% original content created from the.
Examples of tables of contents here are some excerpts from report tables of contents the organisation and division of the information in your report and so the headings and sub-headings you use will be dictated by factors such as the content of the report, the type of problem being addressed, the purpose of the report and the. Writing a book report is an important part of almost everyone’s educational career: the format for writing a book report allows students to share critical information about the books that they read with their teachers and their peers. Book report a book report is an essay discussing the contents of a book, written as part of a class assignment issued to students in schools, particularly in the united states at the elementary school level.
How to create a table of contents in word imagine you're working with a really long document in microsoft word, like an academic paper or a big report depending on the project, it might be dozens or even hundreds of pages long.
Building a useful continuity book some useful sections of a continuity book are listed below: • table of contents - this page should be at the report. Table of contents is often considered to be one of the most unspectacular design elements annual report or a book with some beautiful and original table of. Books are created, edited, and saved in epm workspace you must have administrator or designer rights to create a book you can preview a book in epm workspace in html or pdf format, where an interactive table of contents is displayed and the books document can be launched in addition, the book can. Content definition, something that is contained: the contents of a box see more dictionarycom the subjects or topics covered in a book or document. How to write your introduction, abstract and the entire report or thesis contents how to write your introduction, abstract and summary. A table of contents, usually headed simply contents and abbreviated informally as toc, is a list also have a table of contents within an english-language book. An overview of content that provides a reader with the overarching theme, but does not expand on specific details a summary describes a larger work (such as an entire book, speech, or research project), and should include noticeably less content.
Look at your cereal packet, it talks about the contents, not the content the table of contents is simply a list of chapters, not a guide to the content of the book that's the job of the blurb just check a dictionary. These must be title of the research topic and data there must be preface of foreword to the research work it should be followed by table of contents the list of tables, maps should be given (2) main text: it provides the complete outline of research report along with all details the title page is reported in the main text. A good table of contents should where in the book is the table of contents ↑. The report book table of contents (toc) provides a summary/overview of all the reports in a report book the report book toc gathers all of the toc entries in all of the report book reports and displays them together in a single toc, which can be positioned at the beginning or at the end of the. | <urn:uuid:bf3178c9-f8c8-471c-9150-8f40da5b6ea1> | CC-MAIN-2018-26 | http://pktermpaperjzzi.comicbookstores.us/contents-of-a-book-report.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-26/segments/1529267863100.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20180619154023-20180619174023-00462.warc.gz | en | 0.938719 | 1,235 | 2.984375 | 3 |
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For more than a generation, people have assumed the use of petroleum as the basis for meeting society’s energy needs. Not only have petroleum products been essential for fuels but most commonly used products also include petroleum-based chemicals.
“Moving to the use of biofuels has many implications and involves new ways of thinking about energy and products,’’ says Steven Hollenhorst, professor and dean of the Huxley College of the Environment at Western Washington University.
The Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (NARA) Education group aims to:
- Meet the workforce needs of the bio-energy/bioproducts economy
- Develop a broad, integrated view of the biofuels problem among emerging scientists and engineers
- Enhance communication skills of scientists and engineers so that they can better engage society in their work
- Develop the next generation of energy leaders for industry, government, and the civic sector
- Improve biofuels literacy of teachers educating our future citizens
- Strengthen overall science literacy of students in areas particular to the biofuels
“People are going to need to make decisions along the whole supply chain — from the resource to the airports,’’ said Hollenhorst. “Our job is to engage citizens and help people understand how they’re going to fit into this new energy economy.’’
Educating and Training the Future Bioenergy Workforce:
- K-12 Education: The McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS), and Facing the Future, a non-profit organization, develop education curricula on bioenergy and biofuels, which is tested and distributed to classrooms all over the world. They also offer workshops to assist K-12 teachers interested in integrating bioenergy into their curricula. In addition, a bioenergy literacy search tool is available to help education professionals find and link bioenergy teaching resources like videos, datasets, images, articles, software and curricula to STEM based standards. The Imagine Tomorrow competition challenges teams of high school students to seek new ways to support the transition to alternative energy sources. A key component of the entire K-12 effort is the interaction of science professionals and researchers with K-12 students and teachers.
- Imagine Tomorrow Literacy Assessments and Surveys
- NARA Energy Literacy Principles Matrix (a bioenergy resource search tool for educators)
- Fueling Our Future: Exploring Sustainable Energy Use (curriculum for junior and high school students)
- Undergraduate education: The Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program at Washington State University allows undergraduate students to work with faculty and graduate students on research projects related to bioenergy and biofuels. Students complete a 10-week internship and receive experience, a stipend and housing assistance.
- Find out more about working in the SURE program
- Graduate Education: The IDX program combines graduate students from the University of Idaho and Washington State University. These students work with “regional clients” to develop supply chain analyses for a potential wood residual to chemical products industry. In addition, the University of Washington’s IGERT program will train graduate students on bio-resource based energy projects. This program has a strong collaboration with Columbia River Basin tribes and promotes graduate education with tribal members.
- Review supply chain analysis work completed by the IDX and IGERT students and mentors
- View IDX presentations on YouTube | <urn:uuid:bb926337-c16b-4e3d-bdc3-541f8561cec7> | CC-MAIN-2015-22 | http://www.nararenewables.org/groups/education | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-22/segments/1432207929869.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20150521113209-00331-ip-10-180-206-219.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924347 | 711 | 3.25 | 3 |
Pity the poor rhinoceros grazing at this water hole near sunset.
A wildlife professional has chopped off its horn.
"We're trying to protect the rhino," said Michael Kock, 38, the U.S.-educated veterinarian for the Zimbabwe Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management.
It's a radical program to preempt poachers who have reduced Africa's rhino herds from more than 100,000 in 1970 to 8,712 today.
Poachers shoot rhinos, hack off their horns, then leave the animals to die. They can get about $15,000 each for the horns, which are ground up and sold in China as a traditional remedy for fevers and headaches.
So far, 59 white rhinos in Zimbabwe and a similar number of black rhinos in Namibia have had their horns removed. More are expected to be dehorned this spring, wildlife officials say.
Kock began tracking Zimbabwean rhinos last May. It was slow work at first. Finding a rhino, even using a helicopter, took days. And using his cross-cut saw, cutting through a horn nearly three feet thick took close to two hours.
Five of the 71 rhinos Kock tranquilized at Zimbabwe's 5,700-square-mile Hwange National Park died of heart failure.
"The longer they spend down, the worse it gets," Kock said, shaking his head.
So Kock got a chain saw. By Halloween, dehorning teams were spotting, darting, dehorning, testing blood, painting big white numbers for aerial identification and then gently waking up the nub-nosed rhinos all in an average time of 41 minutes.
The longest horn Kock removed measured 39 inches. Average length was 19 inches.
"It doesn't hurt the rhino," Kock said, "because we're not taking the horn off to the extent that we're damaging any tissue." Rhino horn grows at a rate of about 4 inches a year.
The first time wildlife experts systematically dehorned wild rhinos was in 1989 in the deserts of Namibia. None of an undisclosed number of black rhinos dehorned in Namibia has been poached.
Whether the rest of Africa's rhinos will be dehorned depends on how today's dehorned rhinos behave, Zimbabwean officials say. Rhinos use their horns in battling for dominance, defending baby rhinos and foraging for food.
The rhino's only predator is man.
The full-grown animal, weighing more than a ton and exploding into ground-shaking charges if it detects the slightest motion, is very difficult to study.
Poachers in Zimbabwe come from Zambia, the Texas-sized nation north of Zimbabwe where even staple foods are scarce. They travel in packs of five or six, carrying AK-47s. They are winning a battle against Zimbabwean anti-poaching soldiers. The death toll since 1984: 145 dead poachers; at least 1,050 dead rhinos.
"Anti-poaching has failed," said ecologist Tabeth Matiza of the International Union for Conservation of Nature in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare. She said dehorning at least offers hope. "It's the last resort. What can we do?"
Yet dehorning has left many Africans angry.
"A rhino is not a rhino without its horn," said a man who grew up in a village near Hwange National Park. "How would we like it if Martians came down and chopped off our ears?"
Dehorning should be part of a broad strategy including captive breeding and invigorated anti-poaching patrols, said Russell Taylor, a Harare-based ecologist for the Worldwide Fund for nature.
Ultimately, some park officials envision farming rhinos, selling controlled amounts of horn shaving legally to pay for anti-poaching patrols and maintenance of herds. Taylor suggested using something like a large pencil sharpener.
The budget for Zimbabwe's dehorning project is only $30,100. The black market value of the 530 pounds of rhino horn Kock is storing at Zimbabwe National Parks headquarters is about $500,000, according to a recently-released project report. | <urn:uuid:c2e6bded-5773-4a62-8e9a-6fb7414f768a> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1992/02/13/rangers-remove-rhinos-horns/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600402127397.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20200930172714-20200930202714-00488.warc.gz | en | 0.956467 | 874 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Complete 6 pages APA formatted article: Do Pilots Have Enough Layover Time. Pilots are required to take not less than 10 hours of layover time before embarking on another journey, but reality check reveals that this is only in theory. Both airlines and pilots often fail to violate this requirement for several reasons including saving money and the need to reach home faster. Similarly, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) tasked with the responsibility of creating policies that promote safety in the entire aviation industry seem to do little to ensure that parties in the industry comply with all the requirements and policies of aviation operations. Pilots do not have enough layover time because of work overload, and this makes them suffer from jetlag and fatigue. Though airlines fight against enough rest time for pilots because they want to save money, it is necessary for the airlines and government legislation to ensure that pilots have enough rest for safety purposes.
Most airlines require pilots to work for long hours leaving them with less time for rest. Pilots are required to fly for only 8 hours a day and then rest for ten hours. However, the airlines have a way of bending this rule to fit their needs (Personal 4). For instance, If a pilot flies for 8 hours, and then had a rest for another 10 hours. The airline will probably make this person fly the return flight, which in that case makes him fly for more than he/she should fly in one day. In turn, this lays a lot of pressure on the pilots and the workload compared to the rest time that they have, and thus, they develop fatigue. Likewise, long-haul airline pilots go through excessive work hours, which make them experience elevated levels of fatigue, also due to circadian misalignment of the wake and sleep periods. Additionally, most airlines give pilots only 1-3 days off between flights as the layover time to recover from the previous journey. | <urn:uuid:d81709fe-0aef-44b5-a9a9-7228ef2ab897> | CC-MAIN-2023-06 | https://achieverpapers.com/do-pilots-have-enough-layover-time/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-06/segments/1674764501407.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20230209045525-20230209075525-00017.warc.gz | en | 0.95429 | 383 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Planting and creating a garden of vegetables takes time, effort and creativity. Cultivating the land is only one aspect of creating your garden. While a vegetable garden should have a functional structure it is also important for your enjoyment and mental well-being that it look good so it instills a good feeling in you. It’s important to feel that you have created something for mental satisfaction. An example could be tomato enclosures or decorative arches, that not only enhance the appearance of your garden but are functional as well.
Function Can Be Pleasing
Strive to use garden structures with a form that are able to maintain and sustain your plants and vegetables. This means they give them space to grow and climb but they also can stand the weight of the plants as they grow and flower.
In the essence of frugality and getting the most out of your garden, using poles and cages that allow you to grow your garden vertically is a must. This allows you to have more growth and production per square foot.
In addition to getting space so you can plant and produce more vegetables, some vegetables are going to be more productive with a vertical support. Vegetables such as peas, eggplant, peppers and cucumbers need a lot of attention to grow and be prolific.
The vertical structure allows them to be kept safe from insects because they’ll be above the soil. Plus being above the soil will mean less chance to rot. Make sure that support structures have stakes that are strong enough as well as strong cages so you can have plants that are tall and healthy. Besides, this can help free up your time to be able to plant more vegetables. If you are not having to constantly battle insects or rot that is.
There’s a lot of choices these days with choosing what structure you want to use. Sometimes this can be good but sometimes too much choice can make things overwhelming. If you are going to do your shopping online which gives you much more choices than having a good online resource is important. Make sure you check out a company called Garden Supply Company. They have a mail order catalog, which showcases their plant trellises, tomato cages, towers, spiral support gaples and any other structure you could think that you want to have.
Garden structures need to be versatile because of the variety of uses between form and function that garden growers need. You have the choice to not only have support but also to have your garden aesthetically pleasing. Obviously, the best type of garden is one that is good for the health of the plants but also aesthetically pleasing for the owner.
Form Can Be Pleasing
The good news here is there are so many choices when it comes to choosing functional structures for your garden that it’s a certainty you will find the form that you want. Any type of garden that you envision you want to create, you can. There are ornamental arches, trellises, archways, etc. to make the garden of your dreams. The sky is the limit depending on how much money you have to put into it.
If you’re interested you can even build doors and walls to encompass your garden for an even more beautiful look. If you choose to go this route you can actually use plants that are not vegetable producing, just for the looks, to drape over your trellis or your doorways. Use pretty flowers too. The flowers can do double duty and can attract insects useful for the growth of your garden.
An excellent example of a type of flower like this is a trumpet flower; they attract bees which are useful for a vegetable garden, and they are very beautiful. Since you want to attract creatures that are helpful, entice birds with a particularly delightful bird bath or a home for them in your garden. Organic gardening is especially prone to needing birds to help eliminate pests, to reduce the use of pesticides.
Make sure that you keep your garden enticing for helpful birds and insects. They will be sure to frequent your garden and pay it forward by eating any harmful pests for you.
Now that you’ve come this far, you want to make sure that you are building or buying the best plant supports that you can as your essential garden structures. Use them in the correct way to get the best results. Make sure that you know what to do and don’t just stick them in the ground and leave the plants on their own because that is not going to be enough.
You’re going to need materials such as jute cords, twine, and plant ties to make sure that you secure your plants to the poles and cages in the proper way. Probably means you cannot tie them too tight or you run the risk of harming them.
Stakes are an essential support for planting and supporting your vegetables. They have to be implanted into the ground in the right way and they have to be spaced properly as per the plants that you are going to be attaching to them. Additionally, if you are installing them after you already got your garden growing beware of plants that are already in your garden that you don’t drive stakes into their roots or hurt them in any way. | <urn:uuid:492baef4-70a6-4439-a54c-f8cf0e712b08> | CC-MAIN-2018-34 | http://www.buildgreatfarms.com/creating-and-nurturing-vegetable-gardens/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-34/segments/1534221209165.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20180814150733-20180814170733-00530.warc.gz | en | 0.96598 | 1,052 | 2.546875 | 3 |
The ascomycetous genus Scirrhia is presently treated as a member of Dothideomycetidae, though uncertainty remains as to which family it belongs in Capnodiales, Ascomycota. Recent collections on stems of a fern, Pteridium aquilinum (Dennstaedtiaceae) in Brazil, led to the discovery of a new species of Scirrhia, described here as S. brasiliensis. Based on DNA sequence data of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (LSU), Scirrhia is revealed to represent a member of Dothideomycetes, Capnodiales, Mycosphaerellaceae. Scirrhia is the first confirmed genus in Mycosphaerellaceae to have well developed pseudoparaphyses and a prominent hypostroma in which ascomata are arranged in parallel rows. Given the extremely slow growth rate and difficulty in obtaining cultures of S. brasiliensis on various growth media, it appears that Scirrhia represents a genus of potentially obligate plant pathogens within Mycosphaerellaceae.
Keywords: Brazil, Capnodiales, Dothideomycetes, ITS, LSU, Mycosphaerellaceae, Pteridium, systematics | <urn:uuid:fde5750f-2c42-4c59-b1ca-a2d35ce51641> | CC-MAIN-2016-07 | https://pure.knaw.nl/portal/en/publications/uuid(b42ae0cf-ac5f-4314-8df2-67331a2f7d29).html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-07/segments/1454701167599.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20160205193927-00004-ip-10-236-182-209.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.898446 | 273 | 3.09375 | 3 |
The first female bishop of the Church of England may be ordained by the end of the year. The Mormon community is widely discussing the role of women in LDS leadership, missions, and perhaps the priesthood. Some religious traditions embrace the contributions of women in positions of authority within narrowly defined parameters. Others recognize a full equality in every arena of leadership. Everywhere the conversation about the role of women in leading religious communities involves the interpretation of sacred texts, the role of traditions, and the divine call of women.
Despite decades of positive change toward gender equality in American society, women remain under-represented in leadership positions in most major faith groups. What theological and social factors lie behind this resistance to change? How can more women gain access to leadership positions? What impact have women had in faith traditions with greater levels of equality? What might change if women had greater responsibility in religious organizations?
Jim Rigby, Presbyterian minister
I would say that a "liberal" denomination that invites women into leadership but insists on protecting sexism is setting women up for abuse.
Deborah W. Dykes, Progressive Christian, The Dykes Foundation
Why is over half of the population on the planet routinely "silenced" or excluded from leadership roles in religious communities because of their sex, their biological makeup?
Pia de Solenni, Catholic Theologian
If we're really interested in shaping and influencing culture, in having a significant impact on the world, then we need to look at the basis and foundation of our society: the families.
Molly Khan, Pagan Blogger, Pagan Families
Unlike many religions, our Pagan traditions largely have built-in gender equality in leadership, at least in theory.
Caryn Riswold, Professor, Progressive Christian Blogger, Feminismxianity
This video is cute and clever, but it also reflects a serious theological point about God's call: it's real, whether patriarchal institutions want it to be or not.
John Shore, Progressive Christian Blogger, Christianity with Humanity
It's insane that anyone today still thinks that being born male automatically makes you more qualified to know and speak for God than does being a person who actually can bring life into the world.
Melissa Inouye, Mormon Blogger, Peculiar People
I focus on positive and meaningful changes to women's roles within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that can be accomplished within the current paradigm of male priesthood.
Neylan McBaine, Mormon Blogger and Author
While some may scoff at contemporary diversity efforts as tokenism or just filling quotas, there is no turning back on our need to answer the fundamental questions, "Where am I? Where do I fit in? Who is speaking for me?"
David Howlett, Professor, Mormon Blogger, Peculiar People
The traditions and trends of LDS leadership will make the ordination of women to the priesthood highly unlikely.
Mike Goldsworthy, Evangelical Pastor, Parkcrest Christian Church
I'm grieved that not only are there incredibly gifted women who have no place to use their gifts in the church, but I'm grieved by what those churches are missing out on.
It is part of our work to go out into the world, challenge the stereotypes and assumptions, and bring the divine feminine -- and respect for the feminine -- back into balance with how we treat all things male.
Paganism doesn't have the issues other religions have regarding women in religious leadership. But here are some ways to support them regardless.
The progressive movement argues that there is a clear social injustice arising from the prohibition of woman-led congregational prayer. The prohibition of female imams is part of the larger problem of women's marginalization in the Muslim community.
Perhaps the greatest merit of the Women's Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality (WISE) conference is that it creates a space for Muslim women to find equality and justice within their religious texts, traditions, and beliefs.
At the heart of this conference is this question—does Islam, does religion, bar women from leadership roles? What ayahs of the Quran, hadiths, or Islamic examples support or just allow for Muslim women to seek leadership roles in various facets of life? | <urn:uuid:7eb7adce-9966-45a7-b43e-b6edd500b58d> | CC-MAIN-2015-32 | http://www.patheos.com/Topics/Women-in-Religious-Leadership.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-32/segments/1438042989331.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20150728002309-00055-ip-10-236-191-2.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939623 | 862 | 2.5625 | 3 |
The biggest engines east of the Mississippi were not rostered by the biggest railroads. There were no legendary articulateds racing along the NYC's Water Level Route or charging over the Pennsy's Horseshoe Curve. It was the smaller, scrappier eastern roads dedicated to wrestling coal out of Appalachia - the C&O, N&W, Virginian, Clinchfield, Western Maryland - that owned articulateds rivaling anything in the West. And the king of them all was the Chesapeake & Ohio's Class H-8 Allegheny.
With four fewer drivers than a Union Pacific Big Boy, an Allegheny could deliver nearly a thousand more horsepower to the rails. Its massive firebox was big enough to host a board meeting - so big it required a unique 6-wheel trailing truck to support it. Its drivers carried the highest axle load of any steam engine, ever. To make the Allegheny fit the C&O's existing 115-foot turntables, its tender was made taller at the rear, to accommodate 25 tons of coal and 25,000 gallons of water. This required a unique 4-wheel rear truck on the tender.
The Allegheny was the brainchild of Lima Locomotive Works, where the superpower steam concept had been invented in the 1920s. Like the Big Boy, it was designed to lift monstrous loads over one specific piece of railroad: the 80 miles between Hinton, West Virginia and Clifton Forge, Virginia, a coal route from the mines over the summit of the Allegheny Mountains toward tidewater ports. The engine took its name from the mountain range it traversed. Delivery of the iniital order of 10 locomotives began just days after Pearl Harbor and a few months after the first Big Boy; the C&O was so pleased with the giant engines that it ordered 50 more over the next seven years. Fellow coal hauler Virginian took delivery of eight copies in early 1945, naming them Class AG Blue Ridge types.
Typical service on the C&O was lifting 140 loaded hoppers out of Hinton with one H-8 on the point, and another pushing at the rear and cutting off after the mountain summit was reached. Later in their careers, some H-8s were assigned to flatter territory in Ohio and Kentucky, where a single Allegheny could walk away with a 160-car freight.
Our die-cast Imperial Series model replicates all the features that made the prototype Allegheny as powerful visually as it was physically: high pilot deck for access to its smokebox-mounted air pumps; huge twin sandboxes located fore and aft of the steam dome; massive steam delivery pipes for both front and rear engines; torpedo-like air tanks ahead of the cab; and more. Like all M.T.H. articulateds, our Allegheny also features puffing smoke and authentic articulated chuff sounds, with the front and rear engines going in and out of sync. | <urn:uuid:271253af-7cfa-46fa-a846-481fb056418a> | CC-MAIN-2020-45 | https://mthtrains.com/30-1729-1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-45/segments/1603107894759.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20201027195832-20201027225832-00209.warc.gz | en | 0.971911 | 603 | 2.9375 | 3 |
This color contains the following pigments:
Quinacridone Magenta is a semi-transparent and powerful bluish red with an impressive mixing range. It makes an excellent glazing color and is one of the bluest of the Quinacridone colors. The pigment's properties vary considerably, depending on how it is ground. Quinacridone pigments have relatively low tinting strength in general. For this reason, quinacridone colors are often expensive, because more pigment is required in the formulation.
Quinacridone Magenta offers very good lightfastness in most media, but some have argued that it is less lightfast in watercolor form. Although Quinacridone Magenta received only a passing grade of "fair" under ASTM test protocols, other test results have rated the pigment very good to excellent. Transparent reddish violet pigments in general have more problems with lightfastness than any other range of colors. PR122 is often used as the Magenta of CMYK (four color) process printing because it offers a better tradeoff between tinting strength and lightfastness than other pigments in its class.
Quinacridone Magenta has no acute hazards. Overexposure to quinacridone pigments may cause skin irritation. Quinicridone pigments contain a compound found to be a skin, eye, and respiratory irritant.
Quinacridone Magenta came from a red violet aniline dye that was first produced in 1858 by Natanson. It was called Magenta to commemorate a battle in Magenta, Italy. Over time, Magenta became the standard color name for a deep, violet red. Although quinacridone compounds became known in the late 19th century, methods of manufacturing so as to make them practical for use as commercial pigments did not begin until the 1950s. PR122 has become particularly popular in the formulation of Magenta for CMYK process printing.
Zinc White is the coolest white, and it has a cold, clean masstone and a slightly bluish tint. It has less hiding power and is more transparent than other whites. It dries slowly and is good for painting wet into wet and for glazing and scumbling. Zinc White is neither as opaque nor as heavy as Lead White, its covering power is not as good, and it takes much longer to dry. However, it does not blacken when exposed to sulfur in the air as Lead White does. It is very valuable for making tints with other colors. Unmixed Zinc White dries to a brittle and dry paint film that may crack over the years, so it is not good for frescoing. It is more transparent in acrylic form than Titanium White and is the most commonly used white with gouache. Chinese White is a version of Zinc White appropriate for opaque watercolor techniques.
Zinc White has great permanence and lightfastness.
Zinc White is moderately toxic if ingested and slightly toxic if inhaled.
Though historians are divided on who first isolated the element zinc, they agree that it was first suggested as a white pigment in 1782. Zinc White was accepted as a watercolor in 1834 and was called Chinese White due to the popularity of oriental porcelain in Europe at the time. Ten years later, a suitable oil form was produced. By the early 20th century, it had improved to the point where it was an acceptable alternative to Flake White. | <urn:uuid:497aafbe-e1b0-4128-9131-eef74d07704e> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://www.dickblick.com/items/20038-6001/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370519111.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20200404011558-20200404041558-00550.warc.gz | en | 0.953163 | 721 | 2.65625 | 3 |
One of the main causes of a foreign accent when learning another language is interference from our native language. As babies and young children, our brains learn which sounds are and are not important. The young child’s brain quickly learns to dismiss the sounds not included in our mother tongue, and at some point we are no longer able to distinguish them. We do not even notice them, and may have difficulty hearing them, even when they are pointed out to us.
So, English may have sounds that don’t exist in your native language. Therefore, you substitute an incorrect sound for the English sound. For example, you may not have some or all of the short/relaxed vowel sounds in your language. So you pronounce the “i” in the word “it” as “eat” or the “a” in “man” as “mon”.
Or, perhaps you DO have the sound in your language, but you don’t realize the spelling rules from your language don’t apply to English. Let’s take the letter “o” as an example. You may incorrectly assume when you see an “o”, you pronounce it “oh”, when it fact in many cases, it may be an “ah” sound, like the names of these 2 stores: Ross, Costco. You should pronounce the “o” here just like you would in the words “job” or “dog”, with an “ah” sound.
Furthermore, we automatically apply the sound system and intonation patterns we learned for our mother tongue to the new language. So now, we need awareness of what’s important in the new language and we need practice to form new habits. A famous wise man once said, “When you are ready to learn, the teacher will appear”. Are you ready to learn? Join my class “5 Days to a Better Accent” and you will find out about the most important things to focus on to improve your accent and speak more understandably right now. You will also learn fun and easy ways to practice to make your new pronunciation an unconscious part of your speech.
Accent Coach Nicole helps non-native English speakers speak more clearly & understandably, so they can reach their full potential & achieve all their goals & dreams. | <urn:uuid:4a2c8147-2705-4309-8c96-0105cae1626c> | CC-MAIN-2019-43 | https://www.nwsoar.com/blog/why-do-people-have-accents | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-43/segments/1570986670928.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20191016213112-20191017000612-00179.warc.gz | en | 0.945564 | 501 | 3.140625 | 3 |
A balance sheet helps you keep track of everything the company owns, every debt the company owes and who owns the company. Each of these three items is a separate item on the balance sheet. What the company owns is in the asset section. What debt the company owes is in the liabilities section of the balance sheet. Who owns the company is the stockholders' equity section of the sheet. It is important to remember that assets always equal liabilities plus stockholders' equity.
Read the accounts in the asset section. Each asset account is something the company owns. The number to the right of the accounts is the dollar figure of how much of the account is owned. For example, if cash is $55,000, then the company at the time has $55,000 in cash. The asset section is listed in order of liquidity, so the first asset is always cash. The list goes downward using fewer and fewer liquid assets.
Read the accounts in the liabilities sections. These are debts incurred by the company to be able to purchase assets. Liabilities are one of two ways for the company to fund itself. Liabilities have current and long-term liabilities. Current liabilities are amounts due in the next year. Long-term liabilities are amounts due in more than a year.
Read the stockholders' equity section. This tells you the different classes of stock and how much stock is owned. It also provides you with retained earnings. Retained earnings are profits from prior years that the company kept and did not pay out in dividends. Stockholders' equity is the second way a company finances itself. This way, people pay the company for ownership in the company, then the company uses the money to purchase assets.
- Creatas/Creatas/Getty Images | <urn:uuid:a359e7e8-e784-4094-a934-afbb80ed4629> | CC-MAIN-2018-30 | http://smallbusiness.chron.com/read-balance-statements-10593.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-30/segments/1531676589179.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20180716041348-20180716061348-00466.warc.gz | en | 0.963487 | 355 | 3.390625 | 3 |
On World Wildlife Day, INTERPOL renews commitment to environmental security
LYON, France – On the occasion of the inaugural World Wildlife Day, INTERPOL takes this opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to protecting and conserving the world’s natural resources from the dangers posed by exploitation and criminal activity.
The United Nations proclaimed 3 March as World Wildlife Day, to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora. It marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
INTERPOL’s Environmental Security unit, the world police body’s dedicated entity for addressing crimes related to the environment, assists its 190 member countries in enforcing environmental laws and enhancing the status of environmental crimes on the legislative agenda. Specific initiatives focus on fisheries, forestry, pollution and wildlife crimes, which are often linked to other transnational crimes including corruption and drug trafficking.
“INTERPOL is honoured to join the United Nations and CITES in marking this first World Wildlife Day, underlining our shared efforts in protecting the various forms of wild fauna and flora,” said INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble.
“Wildlife crime is no longer an emerging form of criminality but rather an established security concern, with widespread effects on the well-being of communities worldwide and economic stability.
“Through collaboration and joint commitment, we can help turn back wildlife crime and its consequences. INTERPOL looks forward to our continued work with CITES to encourage and support the efforts of national law enforcement in our member countries in tackling crimes against wildlife,” added the INTERPOL Chief.
As part of its ongoing enforcement support to national authorities in the fight against wildlife crime, INTEPOL has produced assessment reports on combating elephant poaching and ivory trafficking, and on the fight against the illicit tiger trade.
“This special day in the UN calendar has given the world a chance to reconnect with our planet’s wild side and to raise awareness of our collective responsibility – as citizens and consumers – to bring the illegal wildlife trade to an end,” said John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary General.
“CITES is proud to be working with INTERPOL and other partners to support stronger national enforcement efforts in the fight against illegal wildlife trade,” concluded Mr Scanlon.
INTERPOL’s wildlife protection initiatives include Project Predator, designed to preserve the world’s remaining wild tiger population; Project Wisdom, which tackles elephant and rhinoceros poaching and the illegal trade in ivory; Project Scale, developed to combat the growing environmental threat of illegal fishing; and Project Leaf, a consortium with the United Nations Environment Programme addressing illegal logging and forest crimes. | <urn:uuid:c89ea4a8-c162-47e5-8d3b-767e73a37c36> | CC-MAIN-2016-22 | http://www.interpol.int/en/News-and-media/News/2014/N2014-033 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-22/segments/1464049281869.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20160524002121-00174-ip-10-185-217-139.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920628 | 568 | 2.625 | 3 |
FORMAL DETERMINANTS IN FOUR SELECTED COMPOSITIONS OF LEON KIRCHNER.
AuthorANTHONY, CARL RHEINHARDT.
MetadataShow full item record
PublisherThe University of Arizona.
RightsCopyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.
AbstractThis study was undertaken to determine the underlying formal principles in four works by the American composer, Leon Kirchner. These compositions, Toccata for Strings, Solo Winds, and Percussion, String Quartet No. 2, Concerto for Violin, Cello, Ten Winds, and Percussion, and Music for Orchestra, were felt to be important works in the composer's output and represented a variety of genres. The first chapter contains a brief summary of Kirchner's compositional style and aesthetic, and a brief biographical sketch. Influenced by the work of Schoenberg, Berg, Bartok, and Stravinsky, his approach to musical composition is highly individual and he consciously avoids being enslaved by the rigors of writing according to some system. Chapters 2 through 5 present the results of extensive aural and visual analysis of the four works. Each composition is microscopically examined for its basic melodic motives, rhythmic motives, and harmonic materials. Those parameters are then discussed that contribute most significantly to the delineation of form and also those that provide inter- and intra-sectional cohesion and continuity. Durational factors, specifically tempo, meter, and rhythm contributed the most significantly to formal delineation in all four works. By contrast, pitch materials provided the most significant degree of inter- and intra-sectional unity in each work. The results of the findings lead to several conclusions regarding the formal procedures employed in the four selected works of Leon Kirchner. First, although these compositions employ contrasting shapes, they are all unified in their utilization of related basic pitch and durational materials. Second, durational elements are the most useful in formal delineation at all structural levels. Third, although these works do not rely on traditional means to achieve structural unity, other means, such as return of tempos, rhythmic motives, melodic motives, sonorities, and textures, serve the same function as effectively. | <urn:uuid:2814a076-9e1d-4f0b-8832-60b7d2d86887> | CC-MAIN-2018-47 | https://repository.arizona.edu/handle/10150/187713 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-47/segments/1542039743913.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20181117230600-20181118012600-00327.warc.gz | en | 0.923839 | 498 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Household food security and nutrition in agricultural relief and rehabilitation programmes
Sécurité alimentaire des ménages et nutrition dans les programmes de secours et de relance de l'agriculture
La nutrición y la seguridad alimentaria familiar en los programas de socorro y rehabilitación agrícolas
1This article is based partially on unpublished reports by Carol Williams on her field visits to Ethiopia and Mozambique. Ms Williams' contribution is warmly acknowledged.
E. Muehlhoff and M. Herens
Ellen Muehlhoff and Marion Herens are Nutrition Officer and Associate Professional Officer, respectively, in FAO's Nutrition Programmes Service (Household Food Security Group).
In recent years the number of people affected by natural and human-caused emergencies has grown dramatically, from approximately 44 million in the mid-1980s to estimates of more than 175 million in 1993 (FAO, 1996a). Most crises in the 1990s have been brought about by civil conflict or war. Little is spared or protected in these situations; lives are lost, property is destroyed and hundreds of thousands of people are displaced. As a result of emergencies caused by conflicts and natural disasters, food security in a number of countries has deteriorated rapidly, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
Severe disruption of food production and marketing systems is common during emergencies. Crop destruction and livestock deaths may result from natural events (drought, storms and floods as well as outbreaks of plant and animal pests and diseases), the devastation of war or a combination of events. Access to adequate food becomes difficult, and this hardship contributes to high rates of malnutrition. The provision of food, water, shelter, protection and medical care is essential for survival of refugees and internally displaced persons until the crisis is over and they can return to their homes or establish new ones. Actions are also needed to assist people who remain in their home communities during the crisis. Temporary food distribution and supplementary feeding for vulnerable groups and provision of agricultural inputs are common humanitarian interventions to help people cope when an emergency occurs.
This article focuses on the need for early efforts to foster recovery and promote sustainable development in rural areas. It stresses the importance of taking nutrition considerations into account in trying to ensure that households have secure access to food after a crisis occurs. It highlights the need to examine people's immediate food needs during an emergency and in the rehabilitation phase. As efforts are made to revitalize the local economy, the need to help rural populations meet their own nutritional needs in the long term is highlighted. Various strategies carried out by FAO and other international agencies, governments and communities are discussed.
EMERGENCY VERSUS DEVELOPMENT AID
In a number of countries, especially those that have been affected by prolonged crises, a shift in the type of development assistance is taking place, with external relief assistance often becoming the dominant form of aid (see Box).
TRENDS IN EMERGENCY AND DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE
The international community and donor agencies have expressed concern that frequent and recurring emergency situations are making increasing demands on international development aid and are absorbing large amounts of resources that might otherwise be available for development purposes. For example, World Food Programme (WFP) emergency food assistance and aid for protracted refugee and displaced person operations rose dramatically between 1989 and 1992. In contrast to emergency aid, WFP food aid designated for development of agricultural and human resources (e.g. food-for-work, food reserves, maternal and child health centre and primary and secondary school feeding programmes) has decreased in importance (see Figure).
Relief aid, however, is designed to alleviate the symptoms of food insecurity but not its causes. Such emergency assistance on its own cannot restore an area affected by famine or civil conflict to its previous situation, prevent future food insecurity or help communities in their path of development.
Prevention and preparedness measures and/or early mitigation strategies can alleviate the potentially devastating impact of natural or socio-political events if they are designed to establish mechanisms and build capacities to respond rapidly and effectively to such occurrences. Such efforts can help prevent natural disasters from turning into major emergencies (FAO, 1997). In countries that are prone to natural hazards, these strategies are part of development activities.
Even in regions with protracted conflicts there may be relatively peaceful periods which offer opportunities for development activities and conflict resolution. It must also be recognized that development activities that could help prevent food insecurity often face formidable obstacles, particularly in post-war situations, because in addition to human resources having been lost, infrastructure and institutions have been destroyed.
RELIEF - REHABILITATION - DEVELOPMENT
A gap has emerged between relief and development which has implications for the agencies that have traditionally been involved in either activity. The need for interventions that can bridge this gap and facilitate a faster transition from emergency response to sustainable development is compelling. Rehabilitation is gaining increasing recognition by FAO and other international agencies as an approach that can help distressed communities move away from emergency relief and re-enter the development process; communities would pass through phases of rehabilitation and reconstruction to eventual sustainable recovery (Brigaldino, 1995).
It is widely appreciated that the type of assistance provided both during and after an emergency can have a major influence on the ability of households to recover and re-establish their independence. Rehabilitation assistance is geared towards bringing the need for relief to an end, allowing communities, governments and aid agencies to concentrate on reconstruction (FAO, 1997). All three processes - relief, rehabilitation and development - may take place simultaneously. The exact combination of activities depends on the situation of the country.
If emergency assistance is linked to development assistance, poverty and food insecurity can be reduced and the improvements in a population's nutritional status can be sustained. This linkage can significantly lessen the need for future emergency assistance, as communities are encouraged to build up their capacity to prepare for and deal with future disasters. For identification and implementation of appropriate rehabilitation interventions that will ensure that relief and development are properly linked, the involvement and commitment of the recipient communities will be required.
The Rome Declaration on World Food Security and World Food Summit Plan of Action, adopted in November 1996, have underlined the urgent need to link relief operations and development programmes (FAO, 1996b). Creating conditions in which households can meet their own basic needs and sustain their nutritional well-being is a fundamental aspect of interventions carried out during the different phases of relief, rehabilitation and development programmes. Activities in the agriculture and food sector are key components in these programmes (see Box below).
ROLE OF FAO
FAO is the leading international agency for agricultural development. Raising the nutritional levels of all populations is a fundamental aspect of FAO's mandate. Although FAO is primarily a development agency, it is also an important provider of humanitarian assistance.
· To provide early warning of pending disasters and to minimize food insecurity and malnutrition following the outbreak of an emergency, FAO assesses the availability of crop and food supplies and the need for international food assistance through the Global Information and Early Warning System for Food and Agriculture.
· To assist countries in disaster prevention and preparedness programmes, FAO has created the Emergency Prevention System for Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases.
· After the onset of an emergency, FAO's Special Relief Operations Service can bring relief assistance such as agricultural inputs, e.g. seeds, tools, fertilizer, veterinary vaccines and animals for restocking.
· FAO also provides expertise in planning for agricultural rehabilitation following a disaster.
Ensuring that nutritional and household food security considerations are integrated into activities and interventions for relief and rehabilitation is an important duty. During and after emergencies, FAO interventions are aimed at ensuring that households receive appropriate support to prevent deterioration in their ability to obtain food and to enable them to recover if their food situation has worsened. In addition, FAO acts to lessen the potentially adverse impact of future crises.
During rehabilitation, households regain their ability to meet their food needs
NATURE OF EMERGENCIES
The precise nature and extent of an emergency determine the types of intervention to be carried out. An emergency may be sudden or gradual, short-lived or prolonged, natural or caused by human activities. Events may affect most of the population or may be limited to certain groups. The economic and social conditions of the country also determine the action to be taken.
Natural disasters may occur suddenly or may develop over a period of time, and relief and rehabilitation responses may vary accordingly. Be the onset slow (e.g. drought) or rapid (e.g. hurricane, earthquake), where resources and socio-economic conditions are fairly favourable, rehabilitation may be short-lived because households can quickly regain food security. If an emergency occurs in conditions of chronic food insecurity or a fragile environment, long-term assistance and a variety of interventions will be needed to support those people who are most affected, usually those who already lack resources and food-insecure groups.
Disasters caused by human activities are more complicated to respond to because they often involve a range of factors including climatic and environmental stress, destruction of infrastructure, loss of human resources, large-scale migration and political instability.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS IN PROVIDING ASSISTANCE
In many emergencies, intervention strategies must involve diverse sectors, such as agriculture, health, community development, education and planning, so that activities will pertain to both relief and development. Availability of resources and services, targeting of vulnerable segments of the population and appropriate timing are critical.
Resources and services
The condition of infrastructure such as road and rail networks, the institutional capacity of local and national governments to implement rehabilitation measures and the participation of affected communities determine whether relief and rehabilitation assistance have a positive impact. Particularly following war, the recovery of the local economy is influenced by factors such as the reconstruction of networks, the revitalization of local markets and increasing access to these outlets for selling produce and livestock and raising household assets and off-farm employment. Access to services such as water and irrigation, agricultural extension and input supply is essential for restoring the productive capacity of the land. In addition, health, nutrition, water, sanitation and education services are vital for restoring the health and productive capacity of the people.
Assistance must be appropriately targeted to ensure that the best use is made of scarce resources and that the most vulnerable individuals benefit. Food aid is usually targeted to those who are entirely destitute and to physiologically vulnerable groups such as the malnourished, infants, children, pregnant and lactating women, the elderly, orphans and the physically disabled.
Nutrition surveillance can serve as an important tool in targeting, since it not only identifies those individuals suffering from malnutrition, but may also provide relevant information about the effectiveness of the intervention by monitoring changes in the nutritional situation. In rehabilitation interventions where the aims are broad and the causes of household food insecurity are addressed, vulnerability is also defined according to socio-economic criteria. This distinction has important implications for designing interventions that are sensitive in meeting the particular needs of each group.
Relief is targeted to destitute families
People who have sufficient assets such as animals, access to cash income and credit may be able to fend off hunger and starvation without compromising their future capacity for survival. Poor families often lack access to adequate food because they do not possess sufficient land, income or other resources to produce or purchase enough of the food needed for active and healthy lives. Agricultural interventions to improve household food security and nutrition, such as home gardening and crop diversification, should be designed for these vulnerable groups. A special focus on alleviating poverty and food insecurity can help speed and sustain their capacity to recover. People who have fled from conflict in rural areas and have temporarily settled in towns may also benefit from such programmes if suitable land and water are available and they are given the resources (e.g. seeds and tools) to grow food.
Whatever the intervention, correct timing is vital to prevent the loss of lives and the waste of scarce resources. It is essential that disaster preparedness and mitigation measures be implemented at the onset of an emergency (e.g. crop failure resulting from drought) so that households may be able to safeguard their productive assets and protect food security. For example, low-cost or subsidized cereals can be provided to farmers through the market, targeted food-for-work programmes or food distributions (including the distribution of supplementary foods to children and mothers) to alleviate the risks of hunger during the wait for the next harvest season. Some examples of interventions that can protect household resources from depletion are income support programmes, including labour-intensive employment schemes; direct cash support; exchange of livestock for cash or food; and fodder distribution in pastoral communities.
If preventive or mitigation measures are not possible or are insufficient, households will attempt to cope with an emergency by selling livestock, eating seed and migrating in search of employment, and their food situation will become more precarious. These activities may erode their ability to produce or procure food in the future and undermine their chances for early recovery and rehabilitation.
After an emergency, when farmers have lost their crops and productive assets, agricultural interventions need to be organized. For example, seeds for drought-tolerant staple crops and vegetables, tools, and veterinary care and fodder for livestock and draught animals may be distributed.
The timely provision of take-home food relief rations and of supplementary feeding for vulnerable groups is critical in preventing malnutrition and large-scale migration and enabling people to retain their seed and livestock.
NUTRITION AND HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY CONCERNS
Both during and after an emergency, access to adequate food, health and care may be severely constrained. Households' nutritional status will be influenced not only by their access to an appropriate quantity and quality of food, but also by their access to wood or other fuel, clean water and food preparation equipment as well as time for feeding infants and young children. Nutritional knowledge and cultural practices may influence the amount and the type of food that each person in the household receives. Lack of access to health care and sanitation as well as food also affects appetite, nutrient needs and the ability to absorb nutrients.
When people are re-establishing their homes and farms, they may continue to be vulnerable to malnutrition. Displaced people or refugees returning to their home countries rarely have sufficient cooking equipment, storage vessels and water vessels to prepare their meals. There may be problems with milling of cereals because of lack of grinding mills. Scarcity of cooking fuel can be an additional problem affecting refugees and local populations alike, as large areas around relief camps have been denuded of trees in the search for lumber and fuelwood.
The nutritional knowledge of household members is one of the factors influencing how they allocate their scarce food resources among themselves and may determine whether labouring adults or nutritionally vulnerable infants and children have priority in receiving food. The ability to prepare suitable meals with the foods available is affected by households' understanding of their food and nutritional needs. Nutrition education may be needed to enable refugee and returnee populations to make use of unfamiliar foods. Whether farmers give priority to growing more nutritionally appropriate crops in the immediate post-emergency period may also depend on their nutritional knowledge, along with the availability of appropriate seeds and other inputs. Agricultural extension services and nutrition educators can have an important role in diversifying the local food supply and diet.
NUTRITIONAL ADEQUACY OF RATIONS
Whether households are in refugee camps or receiving relief at home, food assistance may be the main source of nourishment during an emergency. After a crisis, many people still need relief rations to meet their food requirements until the first harvest.
The nutritional composition of the food provided in assistance programmes is critical. However, food aid and food security intervention programmes do not always ensure that a balanced diet is available to the needy. Food rations typically consist of cereals, oil and beans; they often contain inadequate amounts of energy and protein and lack variety.
It is important that relief rations cover energy needs for agricultural work and reconstruction. The rations should be based on appropriate average requirements for individuals undertaking such physical activities (James and Schofield, 1990). Lack of adequate and appropriate food during peak agricultural periods contributes to under-nutrition because energy requirements are high at this time. Low body weight among adults, as measured by body mass index (BMI), is highly correlated with periods of illness, low physical activity and reduced capacity to work.
Diets among food relief recipients are frequently deficient in essential micronutrients such as vitamins A and C, niacin and iron. There is considerable evidence that the poor nutritional quality of food rations was a factor in several outbreaks of scurvy in Ethiopia, Somalia and the Sudan and in pellagra affecting Mozambican refugees in Malawi during the 1980s (Toole, 1992).
The micronutrient composition of the diet influences disease resistance, growth and development of children and capacity to work, learn and play. Severe and prolonged lack of micronutrients can lead to irreversible damage; for example, vitamin A deficiency causes night blindness and eventual blinding xerophthalmia, and iodine deficiency during pregnancy or infancy leads to brain damage and mental retardation in children.
Anaemia resulting from low iron intakes is known to weaken adults and to reduce their work capacity. Women of child-bearing age have greater iron requirements; thus ensuring sufficient iron intakes is especially crucial for this segment of the population.
Nutrition interventions are not limited to food provision and consumption matters; a wide range of activities can have an impact on food security and nutrition.
Data on levels of malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, mortality, outbreaks of disease and threats to health should be collected. These data can be compared with data from normal years (if they are available) to determine whether there has been a significant change in acute malnutrition. An increase in levels of malnutrition of more than 10 to 20 percent is likely to be a result of food insecurity, especially if the increase occurs in the absence of a major disease epidemic and the change affects the entire population (Young and Jaspars, 1995).
Anthropometry. Expertise in the area of nutritional or anthropometric assessment is needed. Data on levels of malnutrition [i.e. percentages of wasting or stunting or mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) for children; body mass index (BMI) for adults] can serve as good indicators of the nutrition situation of the community and can identify the population groups that are most at risk of malnutrition. By itself, anthropometric information is difficult to interpret meaningfully; it should be analysed in conjunction with qualitative information to identify the causes of food insecurity and malnutrition. Furthermore, there is a need to coordinate and standardize the collection of data on household food security, health and nutrition to ensure comparability and accurate interpretation of results with a view to planning appropriate interventions and monitoring their impact.
Local food patterns. Information about the basic food system and how food is obtained (e.g. wage labour, household agriculture, food aid, bartering) should be gathered. Knowledge of the seasonal cycle of activities and its effects on household food security and composition of the diet is important. It should be determined how and to what extent local food patterns are affected by the emergency situation. Persons familiar with the local conditions can provide valuable information about how households cope with food shortages (e.g. through changes in food acquisition behaviour such as gathering wild foods) and can identify the various sources of food available to people in different areas and agro-ecological environments. They can assess whether there are changes in meal patterns, types of food, frequency of feeding and patterns of breastfeeding. The constraints that women face in providing adequate care for their children can be identified.
Information about quality of the diet, food hygiene and safety and access to health services is essential for a comprehensive picture of the situation. Because adequate nutrition is of central importance to families and communities, especially in times of food scarcity, nutritionists are particularly well placed to assist the local planning authorities and to mobilize the local people in addressing their food, care and feeding problems. Nutritionists and others can obtain the views of community members regarding their immediate concerns and priorities and their own assessment of their current food situation. The views and priorities of different groups, including rich and poor farmers, nomads, casual labourers, artisans, fishermen and the urban poor as well as local or district authorities, should be considered. The comparative situation of male-and female-headed households should also be assessed. Based on these assessments, it can be determined whether various groups are at risk of food insecurity.
Planning and implementation
Nutrition considerations and objectives should be incorporated into relief and rehabilitation programmes from the start. Participatory assessment and planning approaches can be applied in planning interventions after emergencies. In planning agricultural interventions, household food security and nutritional needs should be addressed. For example, nutritionists can identify the need for food aid and food-for-work programmes in combination with agricultural rehabilitation. They can plan accompanying measures such as training and nutrition education for extension staff and affected populations, to include subjects such as food production, storage, processing and preparation of foods.
Agricultural relief interventions frequently include the distribution of seeds, tools, fertilizer, pesticides and draught animals. Nutritionists can recommend whether such distributions should include a general food ration as well. To make effective use of these agricultural inputs, households must have enough food to tide them over to the next harvest. As noted earlier, without the distribution of an adequate general ration, households may be forced to eat the seed, to sell the agricultural inputs to buy food or to labour on other people's farms or in food-for-work schemes at the expense of cultivating their own fields.
Crop choice. In seed distributions, priority is often given to the main staple crops, although pulses and vegetable seeds may be distributed as well. While the choice of crop is often determined by seed availability, the use of nutrition criteria can encourage a more diversified food supply that can meet the nutritional needs and consumption patterns of the population. Foods to be promoted should include energy-and protein-rich foods (i.e. staple, oil and legume crops) and micronutrient-rich foods (e.g. vegetables and fruits).
Strategies to cope with food shortages are discussed by community members
Provision of vegetable seeds can encourage even households with limited access to land to cultivate mixed gardens around their homestead. Home gardens can make valuable contributions to the family food supply and income as well as providing a welcome complement to relief rations. Home gardening is especially beneficial when attention is given to raising small animals as well.
Cassava and sweet potatoes, which are often less favoured and underutilized, are gaining importance as safeguards against food insecurity in conflict and post-conflict situations. They are substituted for rice and maize, which are usually considered to be higher status foods. Roots and tubers are easy to grow, mature quickly and provide energy. Since they are kept underground, they are less vulnerable to destruction and raiding. However, where these foods are not customarily consumed or are considered to be inferior, people may lack the knowledge and skills to store, process and prepare them properly. Educating people about appropriate storage methods and proper processing for these crops and about their use in the preparation of tasty meals and snacks will be important if their full nutritional benefits are to be derived. In the long term, education about nutrition and proper food utilization will also prove beneficial in helping to contribute to food diversity and to reduce dependency on one staple crop.
Obstacles. Interventions may not reach all households in need. Households with very limited access to farmland or water may not be helped by distribution of staple seeds or animals. In post-drought conditions these are some of the most vulnerable households since lack of land or water will prevent them from embarking on agricultural production.
Cultural conditions can present problems for women-headed households if women lack tenure to land and are excluded from participating in community decision-making processes. In some societies male-headed households may have a tradition of sharing farm equipment and animals and exchanging labour, while women may not benefit from such arrangements. Special support may be needed to enable women to prepare their land and to produce food. Where possible, women should be encouraged to work in groups to take advantage of inputs and to share responsibilities and labour for food production and income generation. This strategy works well, particularly among populations with strong traditions of labour sharing. Groups also provide a measure of protection during conflict situations when women may feel threatened in leaving the safety of their home compounds to work alone in fields in peripheral areas.
Women may need special assistance to resume their agricultural activities
Monitoring and evaluation
Monitoring and information systems should be integral parts of relief and rehabilitation programmes from the beginning. Based on the initial assessments discussed above, indicators of the food security and nutrition situation are identified to measure the effects of interventions. It is particularly important to monitor the changes that people experience over a long period and how they try to cope with the changing situations. Such monitoring will allow a better understanding of the overall progress of the assistance programme in a given location and will also facilitate timely adjustment of activities, if necessary.
Local communities should be involved in the monitoring process, as such participation can encourage the development of a close relationship between the community, the local government and aid agencies. Encouraging community participation in programme implementation and creating opportunities for reviewing and discussing the results of monitoring (quantitative and qualitative data) will contribute to local capacity building and increase the chances of sustaining the activities.
It may be necessary to strengthen the capacity of government and non-governmental organization (NGO) staff to assess household food security and nutrition problems, plan and implement relief and rehabilitation programmes and monitor and evaluate interventions. Information, guidance and training on these activities can be provided at the national and local levels. Field staff should be trained in aspects of food production, storage, processing and preservation pertaining to food security and nutrition.
Coordination of assistance
Development of a strong national capacity and a clear focal point for nutrition within government agencies will facilitate collaboration and coordination among agencies with regard to information exchange, guidance and training on food and nutrition. The resources thus disseminated will raise awareness among policy-makers and planners about issues and activities related to the food and nutrition situation of refugee, displaced and local populations. Coordination will be enhanced among government ministries (especially health and agriculture), donors and NGOs in planning and practical development of food and nutrition interventions in relief and rehabilitation programmes. Increased cooperation could allow harmonization of strategies and approaches and improved resource allocation. Only if household food security and nutrition become part of national policy on relief and rehabilitation can decision-makers expect their actions to lead to an improvement of the nutritional condition of emergency victims.
There is a need for shared understanding of the aims and objectives of interventions among the various United Nations and government agencies and NGOs involved at the different stages of an emergency. Many emergencies, especially those identified as complex, require an international response that goes beyond the mandate or capacity of a single United Nations agency; this recognition has led to new policies to guide humanitarian assistance and to the establishment in 1992 of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA) at the United Nations Secretariat in New York to coordinate the UN system response to disasters (FAO, 1996c).
While emergencies often require an international response, it should be recognized that relief strategies that are based on a clear understanding of the needs and constraints of the local people who are affected by the emergency are more likely to evolve into appropriate long-term programmes and sustainable recovery. Through the rehabilitation and development of agriculture, livestock and fisheries as well as other employment- or income-generating programmes, nutrition situations and household food security can be enhanced and self-reliance can be restored.
Brigaldino, G. 1995. Using rehabilitation to bridge the institutional gap between relief and development. ECDPM Working Paper 95-4. Maastricht, the Netherlands. European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM).
FAO. 1996a. Food security and food assistance. World Food Summit technical background document 13. World Food Summit technical background documents, Vol. 3. Rome.
FAO. 1996b. Rome Declaration on World Food Security and World Food Summit Plan of Action. World Food Summit, 13-17 November 1996. Rome.
FAO. 1996c. Guidelines in cases of emergencies originating from natural or man-made disasters affecting the food and agricultural sectors. Field Programme Circular 2/96. Rome.
FAO. 1997. FAO emergency preparedness and response manual, by P. White. Rome. (Draft)
James, W.P.T. & Schofield, E.G. 1990. Human energy requirements: a manual for planners and nutritionists. Oxford, UK. Oxford University Press/FAO.
Toole, M.J. 1992. Micronutrient deficiencies in refugees. Lancet, 339:1214.
World Food Programme (WFP). 1996. WFP in statistics 1995. Rome.
Young, H. & Jaspars, S. 1995. Nutrition matters - people, food and famine. London. UK, Intermediate Technology Publications. 151 pp.
Natural and human-caused emergencies can cause rapid deterioration in food security and high rates of malnutrition. Relief aid cannot restore an area affected by famine to its previous situation or prevent future food insecurity; thus the need for early efforts to link relief, rehabilitation and sustainable development is compelling. Agricultural relief and rehabilitation activities should ensure access to food by vulnerable households and consider the nutritional needs of individuals.
During and after a crisis, food assistance may be a major source of nourishment. Nutritionists assess whether such aid is needed and ensure that the composition of the food provided is appropriate. Nutrition surveillance identifies individuals suffering from malnutrition and provides information for monitoring the impact of the emergency and the intervention. Nutrition education can enable families to use unfamiliar foods and influence the amount and the type of food that each person receives.
Information about local farming systems and socio-economic conditions is used to address the causes of household food insecurity. Along with seeds and tools, farmers should have knowledge of nutrition to aid in their choice of appropriate crops. Agricultural extensionists and nutrition educators can encourage diversification of the local food supply and diet. Through the rehabilitation and development of agriculture, livestock, fisheries and other employment- or income-generating programmes, nutrition situations and household food security can be enhanced and self-reliance can be restored.
Developing a strong national capacity and focal point for nutrition within government agencies facilitates collaboration and coordination among government ministries, donor agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and raises awareness among policy-makers and planners about the food and nutrition situation of refugee, displaced and local populations. Only if household food security and nutrition become part of the national relief and rehabilitation policy can decision-makers expect their actions to lead to an improvement of the nutritional condition of emergency victims.
Relief and rehabilitation strategies that are based on a clear understanding of the needs, constraints and priorities of the local people who are affected by the emergency are more likely to evolve into appropriate long-term programmes and sustainable recovery.
Les situations d'urgence, qu'elles soient d'origine naturelle ou humaine, peuvent déterminer une détérioration rapide de la sécurité alimentaire et des degrés de malnutrition élevés. L'aide de secours ne permet pas de rétablir la situation précédente dans une zone touchée par la famine, ni de conjurer tout risque d'insécurité alimentaire future, d'où l'obligation d'intervenir rapidement en établissant un lien entre secours, relance et développement durable. Les activités de secours et de relance de l'agriculture devraient assurer l'accès des ménages vulnérables à la nourriture et tenir compte des besoins nutritionnels de chacun.
Pendant et après une crise, l'aide alimentaire peut représenter une source importante de nourriture. C'est aux nutritionnistes qu'il revient d'évaluer si une telle aide est nécessaire et de veiller à ce que la composition des aliments soit appropriée. La surveillance nutritionnelle permet d'identifier les individus souffrant de malnutrition et d'obtenir les informations utiles pour surveiller les effets de la situation d'urgence et de l'intervention effectuée. L'éducation nutritionnelle peut permettre aux familles d'utiliser des aliments nouveaux et influer sur la quantité et la nature des aliments destinés à chacun.
Les informations relatives aux conditions socioéconomiques et systèmes de culture locaux permettent de traiter les causes mêmes de l'insécurité alimentaire des ménages. Outre les semences et les outils nécessaires, il faudrait que les agriculteurs aient également quelques connaissances en matière de nutrition pour pouvoir opter pour des cultures appropriées. Les vulgarisateurs agricoles et les éducateurs nutritionnels peuvent promouvoir la diversification des disponibilités alimentaires et de l'alimentation locales. A travers la relance et le développement de l'agriculture, de l'élevage et des pêches, et des programmes générateurs d'emplois ou de revenus, il est possible d'améliorer la situation alimentaire et la sécurité alimentaire des ménages, et de restaurer la capacité d'autoapprovisionnement.
La création d'une capacité nationale renforcée, point de convergence des questions nutritionnelles au niveau gouvernemental, favorise la coopération et la coordination entre ministères, donateurs et ONG, et rend les décideurs et les planificateurs plus sensibles à la situation alimentaire et nutritionnelle des réfugiés, des personnes déplacées et des populations locales. Ce n'est que si la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition des ménages deviennent partie intégrante de la politique nationale de secours et de relance, que les décideurs pourront espérer que leurs efforts conduiront à une amélioration de l'état nutritionnel des victimes de situations d'urgence.
Il convient d'admettre que, lorsqu'elles reposent sur une bonne connaissance des besoins, des contraintes et des priorités des populations locales en situation d'urgence, les stratégies de secours et de relance ont plus de chances d'évoluer vers des programmes à long terme appropriés et une relance durable.
Las emergencias naturales o de origen humano pueden causar un rápido deterioro de la seguridad alimentaria y tasas altas de malnutrición. La ayuda de socorro no puede restablecer la situación anterior de una zona afectada por el hambre o impedir la inseguridad alimentaria en el futuro, por lo que hay una necesidad imperiosa de vincular desde el principio el socorro a la rehabilitación y el desarrollo sostenible. Las actividades de socorro y rehabilitación agrícolas deben asegurar el acceso de las familias vulnerables a los alimentos y tener en cuenta las necesidades nutricionales de cada persona. Durante una crisis y después de ella, la asistencia alimentaria puede ser una fuente importante de nutrición. Los nutricionistas evalúan si esta ayuda es necesaria y se aseguran de que la composición de los alimentos suministrados es apropiada. La vigilancia nutricional determina qué personas sufren malnutrición y proporciona información para estudiar los efectos de la emergencia y la intervención. La educación nutricional permite a las familias utilizar alimentos poco habituales e influye en la cantidad y el tipo de alimentos que recibe cada persona.
La información sobre los sistemas de cultivo y las condiciones socioeconómicas locales se utiliza para abordar las causas de la inseguridad alimentaria familiar. Junto con las semillas y herramientas, los agricultores adquieren conocimientos nutricionales para elegir los cultivos apropiados. Los agentes de extensión agrícola y de educación nutricional pueden fomentar la diversificación del suministro de alimentos y de la alimentación a nivel local. Gracias a la rehabilitación y al fomento de la agricultura, la ganadería y la pesca, así como a otros programas de generación de empleo e ingresos, es posible mejorar la situación nutricional y la seguridad alimentaria familiar y restablecer la autosuficiencia.
El fortalecimiento de la capacidad nacional y el establecimiento en los organismos gubernamentales de un centro de enlace en materia de nutrición facilitan la colaboración y coordinación entre ministerios, organismos donantes y ONG y hacen que los encargados de la formulación de políticas y la planificación adquieran mayor conciencia de la situación alimentaria y nutricional de los refugiados, las personas desplazadas y la población local. Sólo si la seguridad alimentaria y la nutrición de las familias se integran en las políticas nacionales de socorro y rehabilitación cabrá esperar que las decisiones adoptadas por los órganos responsables se traduzcan en una mejora del estado nutricional de las víctimas de situaciones de emergencia. Hay que reconocer que las estrategias de socorro y rehabilitación que se basan en una clara comprensión de las necesidades, limitaciones y prioridades de la población local afectada por la crisis tienen más probabilidades de culminar con el tiempo en una recuperación sostenible. | <urn:uuid:ed69524a-94b1-498c-8b35-e27f6cdc0d6e> | CC-MAIN-2015-32 | http://www.fao.org/docrep/W5849T/w5849t03.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-32/segments/1438042991076.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20150728002311-00302-ip-10-236-191-2.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.840567 | 8,199 | 3.40625 | 3 |
After the fall of the Second Temple in the first century, Judaism gradually became a lawyeroc،, a society ruled by lawyers. Jews call these lawyers “rabbis,” but think about the training rabbis traditionally receive–it’s primarily many years of law sc،ol, learning the Talmud and other sources of Jewish law until one becomes sufficiently expert to be a legal advisor and judge.
Jewish lawyeroc، helped keep the Jewish people united during their dispersion. One could travel from one Jewish community to a far-flung one ،dreds of miles away, and be ،ured that others would accept you as a fellow Jew, and that the laws and prayers would be quite similar.
But lawyeroc، also caused problems. For one thing, lawyers are trained to see every problem as a legal problem, and to therefore to address problems with more and more law. Thus, from relatively modest beginnings, halacha [Jewish law] gradually took over every aspect of daily life.
To be sure, the rabbis developed doctrines to mitigate over-legalization, such as the precept that laws that a community has longed ceased to follow are no longer laws. But such precepts were rarely followed in practice. Instead, law was law, custom became law, and new laws were created to help ensure that the existing laws weren’t violated. For many Jews, law became an onerous burden rather than a path to connecting with G-d.
Another problem was that rabbis, i.e., lawyers, often became the community’s leaders and rulers. From Sa’adia Gaon serving as Exilarch in the Eastern Holy Roman Empire to the Council of the Four Lands in eighteenth century Eastern Europe, rabbis frequently held secular power as well as religious aut،rity. And as Lord Acton noted, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Over the centuries, the power accrued by the rabbis was subject to explicit and implicit criticism by various dissenting movements and individuals. The Karaites believed the rabbis had strayed too far from the written Torah. Kabbalists implicitly found Jewish legalism i،equate to explain the precarious state of the Jewish people, and the chaotic state of the world. Various messianic movements sought immediate redemption, with overthrowing the yoke of the law often high on their agendas. Early Hasidism revolted a،nst the notion that being learned in the Talmud, so،ing unattainable for many poor, rural Jews, was a higher value than a spiritual connection to G-d. The Reform movement sought to reorient Judaism around ethical monotheism and prophetic values, correctly predicting that the lawyeroc، would largely fail to win Jews’ allegiance once they integrated into Christian societies. Socialist Jews held public Yom Kippur feasts to mock pious adherence to the law at the expense of material concerns.
And of course, Zionism was itself a dramatic revolt a،nst the aut،rity of the rabbis, insisting that Jews take responsibility for their own ،es and restore Jewish sovereignty in Eretz Yisrael. Zionists utterly rejected the accepted view of the lawyeroc، that Jews needed to wait for the Messiah to be redeemed, and s،uld obediently obey the law in the meantime.
Thus, the irony. Zionism, especially in its dominant secular variety, was the culmination of centuries of percolating distrust of the notion that the law is Jews’ salvation. And yet the notion that law matters above all, and lawyers can be entrusted with the ،e of the Jewish people, obviously has persisted in the cultural DNA of Israeli Jews.
The Israeli Supreme Court has accrued to itself more power than any other Supreme Court in the world. Even more striking, the attorney general has power to by herself undermine almost any Israeli law or policy, a power that is s،cking to t،se of us used to the American concept of separation of powers. And both the Supreme Court and the Attorney General have seized these powers based on only the flimsiest of rationales.
Hence, the irony referred to in the ،le of this blog post. Secular, left-leaning Zionists have seen their power erode for decades. The peace process is on life support. State-run industries have been replaced by economic liberalization. Rabbinical aut،rity governs family and conversion law with ever-increasing stringency. Religious Zionists have gradually replaced secular kibbutzniks in the military elite. S،ckingly illiberal parties are now routinely serving in government.
None of t،se developments managed to galvanize the Zionist left. Instead, relatively minor proposed limits to the aut،rity of the attorney general and the supreme court, which would still have powers unheard of in most of the democratic world, has led to months of m، demonstrations and general social turmoil.
Don’t get me wrong. I think some of the proposed reforms are sensible, but many are unwise. Israel could have developed a system of checks and balances that did not rely so heavily on the judiciary, but it did not. Therefore, significant legal reform needs to be accompanied by other reforms that create new checks on the Knesset and in،bent governments.
That said, t،ugh, the irony is palpable. The faith that the Zionist left has in the judiciary and the attorney general is faith in a modern form of lawyeroc،. Veneration of the law and the lawyers w، interpret and enforce it have more than a bit in common with traditional Jewish veneration of halacha and leading rabbis. It’s ultimately unsurprising that Israelis, the descendants of people w، lived under lawyerocarcy for centuries, would naturally look to lawyers to guide society.
So as an American Jewish law professor, and a fellow secularish Zionist, allow me to point out the obvious. The rule of law is important. Feti،zation of the law, and faith in lawyers, be they learned graduates of yes،as or secularists with degree from Hebrew University and Oxford, is problematic.
Despite being a young, successful “S،up Nation,” Israel faces many challenges, including its own internal demons and divisions. Law and lawyers have an important role to play. But Jewish history teaches us that there is such a thing as giving lawyers too much power, and faith in the wisdom of lawyers is often misplaced. In s،rt, whatever problems you think Israel faces, don’t expect lawyers, even t،se serving on the Israeli Supreme Court, to ultimately save the day.
[cross-posted at the Times of Israel] | <urn:uuid:00914a29-0e1e-48c1-9dac-c27c3d7a16dd> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://vakilif.ir/the-irony-of-the-battle-over-legal-reform-in-israel/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474852.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20240229170737-20240229200737-00539.warc.gz | en | 0.970727 | 1,407 | 3.140625 | 3 |
3-9: Impact of Global Change on Agriculture
Importance of this Unit to the Course
This unit interprets changes in global climate as
discussed in Block 2 in terms of changes that can be estimated for agricultural production in
- To extend our understanding of how plants
use water and carbon dioxide to explore the implications for global
production of agricultural crops.
- To understand which regions gain and
which regions lose in agricultural potential and what opportunities
exist for adaptation to climate change.
Discussion (You must complete this section before class.)
- Read the
- Take the
Quiz over the summary information. (see your portfolio)
- Review additional reading material (this material is not covered in the
quiz, but offers more ideas for online discussion)
Discussion (online /
face-to-face) (See your portfolio for due dates and times)
A major component of the course is participation in the online dialog.
The following types of comments are required:
The following may be used as discussion starters for the online dialog:
- Social Comments
- Knowledge-building Comments
- Ethical Comments
- Unit Problem to Ponder:
What are the global agricultural implications of dietary choices of the
global population? What if everyone were vegetarians? What if
everyone ate one Big Mac per day? See
the beef?" for ideas.
- Unit exam questions
from previous years
- Unit discussions from previous years, available from
the current online | <urn:uuid:de3c94ee-18b3-437d-9db7-6b146a83ca94> | CC-MAIN-2018-22 | http://www.meteor.iastate.edu/gccourse/issues/agri/agri.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-22/segments/1526794863626.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20180520151124-20180520171124-00111.warc.gz | en | 0.864307 | 305 | 3.859375 | 4 |
National & State Green School Programs
Several national and state green school programs are noted below; each addresses similar pathways to sustainability that can be achieved through a combination of projects. All School Grounds for Learning projects are aligned with U.S. Green Ribbon Schools pillars and application requirements, and U.S. Green Ribbon Schools tools and Eco-Schools USA Sustainability Pathway tools are imbedded in each of the project sections. Schools can work with their state green schools program while simultaneously pursuing recognition or assistance through any of the national programs noted below.
- U.S. Green Ribbon Schools
- National Wildlife Federation Eco Schools USA
- Project Learning Tree Green Schools
- Tools to Green Existing Schools (U.S. Green Building Council & EPA)
- Professional Development
- State Green School/ Sustainable School Programs
- Meaningful Watershed Education Experience (MWEE) Guide
The aim of the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools program is to inspire schools to pursue promising practices in three “pillar” areas: Reduce environmental impact and costs; improve the health and wellness of schools, students & staff; and provide effective environmental and sustainability education. Combined progress in all three pillars serves as the basis for recognition.
U.S. Green Ribbon Schools Program Overview
Every School Can be a Green School: Getting Started Checklist
U.S. Green Ribbon Schools Applicant Materials
Guide to Resources for U.S. Green Ribbon Schools Application*
- Green Existing Schools Implementation Workbook
- ENERGYSTAR Portfolio Manager
- LEED Rating System
- LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance Rating System
*Note: The links on this guide page are not active, but active links (connecting to the Implementation Workbook pages noted) are on the Bay Backpack project pages for each topic (e.g., Energy, Green Cleaning, etc.). Links to the full Implementation Workbook and LEED resources referenced in this guide are above.
The National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-Schools USA program encourages students, administrators, educators and volunteers to work together to combine effective “green” management of school grounds, facilities and curriculum. Similar to the U.S. Green Ribbon School “pillars”, Eco Schools USA provides comprehensive instructional resources to inspire schools to follow “pathways to sustainability”. Eco-Schools USA has aligned their program to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and to the National Science Education Standards (NSES).
Become an Eco School: Handbook, Toolkit & More
Eco Schools: Pathways to Sustainable Development
Project Learning Tree offers resources and training for adults, tips on starting a student-driven GreenSchools program, how to obtain equipment and collect data, and ways to empower students to design and lead an action project that uses their STEM skills.
Project Learning Tree GreenSchools Program
The U.S. Green Ribbon School Green Existing Schools tools are designed to help schools and school districts launch and implement an initiative to green their existing facilities. It outlines the entire process, from ways to make the case for going green to how to promote success. Used in conjunction with project instructional materials, school administrators, facilities staff, and program managers will have the necessary resources to operate and maintain schools that are healthy for students, comfortable for teachers, and cost-effective.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Green Building Council
- Green Existing Schools Project Management Guide
- Tools to Green Existing Schools Web Training (9mins)
- How Green Existing Schools Companion Guide
- Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Improvement Web Training (9mins)
- Indoor Environmental Quality Companion Guide
In the past decade, the sustainable schools movement had truly gained momentum across the country, and the world. Learn more about green school training and networking opportunities.
If you do not see a program listed for your state, contact your state environmental education organization to find out if your state has a program, is in the process of forming one, or may have interest in developing one in concert with one of the national programs mentioned above.
Delaware: Delaware Pathways to Green Schools
Maryland: Maryland Green Schools Program
Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Green and Healthy School Partnership
Virginia: Virginia Naturally School Recognition Program
Washington, DC: DCEEC Design Healthy Green Sustainable Schools for DC (in progress)
West Virginia: West Virginia Sustainable Schools
Find more green school resources in our Resource Center .
MWEEs are learner-centered experiences that focus on investigations into local environmental issues that lead to informed action and civic engagement. The MWEE consists of four essential elements that describe “what students do”: Issue Definition, Outdoor Field Experiences, Synthesis & Conclusions, and Action Projects. These elements promote a learner-centered approach that emphasizes the role of the student in actively constructing meaning from the learning experiences. The MWEE also includes four supporting practices that describe “what teachers do” to ensure success: Active Teacher Support, Classroom Integration, Local Context, and Sustained Activity. Visit the online MWEE Guide for resources on developing MWEEs for your school! | <urn:uuid:41939b04-2d00-480a-a04b-00679d72c766> | CC-MAIN-2017-47 | http://baybackpack.com/schoolyard_projects/project/green_schools_basics | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-47/segments/1510934804724.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20171118094746-20171118114746-00270.warc.gz | en | 0.912714 | 1,080 | 2.75 | 3 |
The World Health Organization released recommendations this week to curb the use of antibiotics in livestock, saying it could help reduce the risk of drug-resistant infections in humans.
But the U.S. Department of Agriculture says some of the guidelines from the United Nations’ public health agency would place “unnecessary and unrealistic constraints” on farmers and veterinarians. It's a disagreement that could have an impact on farm exports.
The WHO says some antibiotics should be available to treat infections only in humans, not cattle, hogs and chickens, and that farmers should not use antibiotics to make healthy animals grow faster. Those ideas are in alignment with goals outlined by the U.S. to slow the spread of antibiotic resistance.
The WHO goes on to suggest, however, that animals should only be treated when they are sick, not to stop them from getting sick. U.S. policy still allows veterinarians to prescribe antibiotics preventively.
“The WHO guidelines are not in alignment with U.S. policy and are not supported by sound science,” Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, the acting chief scientist at the USDA, said in a statement. Jacobs-Young says there's no indication that restricting preventive treatments would have a meaningful impact on drug-resistant bacteria.
The Food and Drug Administration, which is in charge of regulating veterinary drugs, says preventive antibiotics need to be available to avoid widespread illness in animals, such as respiratory illnesses that commonly infect hogs and cattle in confined-feeding operations.
“However, to ensure these drugs are used judiciously, FDA believes it is critical that these uses are under the oversight of licensed veterinarians,” the agency said in a statement to Harvest Public Media.
WHO guidelines have no direct bearing on U.S. policy, but the agency can influence international guidelines for livestock treatment from its fellow U.N. agency, the World Animal Health Organization and the Codex Alimentarius, a set of consensus food safety standards.
A Codex committee will gather later this month in South Korea to discuss guidelines around antibiotic-resistant bacteria in food.
“(The standards) are not binding on anyone, but under the World Trade Organization they’re considered the minimum standard,” Michigan State University law professor Neal Fortin says. But the Codex keeps countries from setting up tariffs under the guise of food safety, he adds.
The U.S. has referred to the Codex to pressure the European Union to allow imports of meat treated with growth promoting hormones. The E.U. claims some hormones are unsafe for humans to eat, but the Codex says they are safe.
“The Codex can be used to help show that something is more restrictive than necessary for health and safety,” Fortin says.
It is beneficial for international guidelines to match the practices of U.S. farmers when it comes to antibiotics, Fortin says, because when there are trade disputes it can help keep doors open to livestock exports.
Follow Grant on Twitter: @ggerlock | <urn:uuid:acd5b42b-61f2-4dbb-82f9-e0fe8ac695e4> | CC-MAIN-2018-09 | http://iowapublicradio.org/post/who-suggestion-limit-antibiotics-livestock-criticized-us-regulators | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-09/segments/1518891814393.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20180223035527-20180223055527-00258.warc.gz | en | 0.932413 | 619 | 3.140625 | 3 |
Since 1789, our Chief Executives have led America through every challenge. Now, they're here to teach kids how to have fun! These puzzles help kids identify Lincoln's birthplace, learn about the Declaration of Independence, and find out about other historical events. Famous and lesser-known presidents appear in 45 engaging activities, from crosswords and word searches to follow-the-dots. Solutions included.
|Availability||Usually ships in 24 to 48 hours|
|Author/Editor||Tony J. Tallarico, Jr.|
|Grade level||Preschool - 5 (ages 3 - 11)|
|Dimensions||4 3/16 x 5 3/4| | <urn:uuid:7d664449-4cb4-4789-92f8-15007594d9ac> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://store.doverpublications.com/0486473880.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131296456.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172136-00244-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.797397 | 140 | 2.875 | 3 |
Read the text about periodic table and then answer the questions.
People have known about elements like carbon and gold since ancient time. The elements couldn't be changed using any chemical method. Each element has a unique number of protons. If you examine samples of iron and silver, you can't tell how many protons the atoms have. However, you can tell the elements apart because they have different properties. You might notice there are more similarities between iron and silver than between iron and oxygen. Could there be a way to organize the elements so you could tell at a glance which ones had similar properties?
Dmitri Mendeleyev was the first scientist to create a periodic table of the elements similar to the one we use today. This table showed that when the elements were ordered by increasing atomic weight, a pattern appeared where properties of the elements repeated periodically. This periodic table is a chart that groups the elements according to their similar properties.
Remember changing the number of protons changes the atomic number, which is the number of the element. When you look at the modern periodic table, do you see any skipped atomic numbers that would be undiscovered elements? New elements today aren't discovered. They are made. You can still use the periodic table to predict the properties of these new elements.
The periodic table helps predict some properties of the elements compared to each other. Atom size decreases as you move from left to right across the table and increases as you move down a column. The energy required to remove an electron from an atom increases as you move from left to right and decreases as you move down a column. The ability to form a chemical bond increases as you move from left to right and decreases as you move down a column.
The most important difference between Mendeleyev's table and today's table is that the modern table is organized by increasing atomic number, not increasing atomic weight. Why was the table changed? In 1914, Henry Moseley learned you could experimentally determine the atomic numbers of elements. Before that, atomic numbers were just the order of elements based on increasing atomic weight. Once atomic numbers had significance, the periodic table was reorganized.
Elements in the periodic table are arranged in periods (rows) and groups (columns). Atomic number increases as you move across a row or period.
Rows of elements are called periods. The period number of an element signifies the highest unexcited energy level for an electron in that element. The number of elements in a period increases as you move down the periodic table because there are more sublevels per level as the energy level of the atom increases.
Columns of elements help define element groups. Elements within a group share several common properties. Groups are elements which have the same outer electron arrangement. The outer electrons are called valence electrons. Because they have the same number of valence electrons, elements in a group share similar chemical properties. The Roman numerals listed above each group are the usual number of valence electrons. For example, a group VA element will have 5 valence electrons.
There are two sets of groups. The group A elements are called the representative elements. The group B elements are the nonrepresentative elements.
Each square on the periodic table gives information about an element. On many printed periodic tables you can find an element's symbol, atomic number, and atomic weight.
Elements are classified according to their properties. The major categories of elements are the metals, nonmetals, and metalloids (semi-metals).
You see metals every day. Aluminium foil is a metal. Gold and silver are metals. If someone asks you whether an element is a metal, metalloid, or non-metal and you don't know the answer, guess that it's a metal.
Metals share some common properties. They are lustrous (shiny), malleable (can be hammered), and are good conductors of heat and electricity. These properties result from the ability to easily move the electrons in the outer shells of metal atoms.
Most elements are metals. There are so many metals, they are divided into groups: alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, and transition metals. The transition metals can be divided into smaller groups, such as the lanthanides and actinides.
1. Describe Mendeleyev´s periodic table. Do you know what he predicted?
2. How are the elements arranged in the modern-day periodic table? | <urn:uuid:ef2b80a9-d6ee-4b36-9cdd-561d72cec4c2> | CC-MAIN-2018-34 | http://doclecture.net/1-7945.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-34/segments/1534221211403.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20180817010303-20180817030303-00113.warc.gz | en | 0.925936 | 914 | 3.6875 | 4 |
In recent years, CO2 emission constraint has been strengthened worldwide in order to fight global warming, and it is believed that the demand for compact and energy-saving car will be increasing year after year. On the other hand, larger interior space of vehicle to as-sure passenger comfort is demanded, so that the car air-conditioner is required to be smaller and energy saving efficient further more. Therefore, we have developed the new type of compact high-efficiency blower fan for compact car air-conditioning system (HVAC). Because of the requirements that the blower fan to be not only small size but energy-saving and low noise efficient, we started this development by modifications for basic blower fan internal air flow system of existing products. Generally, Sirocco fan, which is compact and able to supply high pressure, is often adopted for blower to be used for car air-conditioner. Previously, some studies [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ] reported that flow loss and fluid noise were mostly generated at the areas in between fan blades, yet those generation systems were still not completely clarified. Consequently, we newly created “Image derotator devise” to visualize rotating air flow movements through fan blades, aiming to realize those movements carefully then to investigate generation systems of flow loss and fluid noise. On the basis of those investigations, we succeeded to establish the technology of airflow homogenization at the areas in between blades so that we did productization of the compact high efficiency blower fan. This is a report how we achieved the project. | <urn:uuid:e37ee8ed-b8c9-40e5-b7e7-1bbaa1026891> | CC-MAIN-2018-05 | http://papers.sae.org/2010-01-0805/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-05/segments/1516084887253.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20180118111417-20180118131417-00526.warc.gz | en | 0.943011 | 317 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Big, Bigger, BIGGEST! 3 MASSIVE MACHINES that move! (World’s biggest / largest ever built!)
Big, Bigger, BIGGEST! 3 MASSIVE MACHINES that move (and work!) (World’s biggest / largest ever built!) NASA CRAWLER-TRANSPORTERS: The NASA crawler-transporters are the largest land transport vehicles in the world. Each crawler weighs about 2.7 million kilograms or about 6 million pounds. They are 40 meters or 131 feet long and 35 meters or 114 feet wide. Built in 1965 at a cost of 14 million US dollars each, the 2 crawler-transporters are actually nicknamed “Hans” and “Franz”. And what absolutely magnificent works of design and engineering they both are – these massive machines and their combined 8 thousand horse power engines have smoothly and faithfully carried all the Saturn V rockets and all the Space Shuttles the 5 mile journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the Launch Pad. And in fact between the 2 of them they have travelled more than 3,400 miles in total, that’s about the distance from Miami to Seattle. BERTHA: Big Bertha is the world’s largest tunnel boring machine… and here she is in 41 pieces leaving Osaka Bay Japan on route to the United States of America. The 80 million dollar 57.5 foot diameter Bertha was designed specifically for the SR99 Tunnel Project commissioned by the Washington State Department of Transportation. Named after Seattle’s only Female Mayor, Bertha Knight Landes, the massive machine Bertha is 326 feet long and weighs 7,000 tons or 14 million pounds. And as she winds her way under Seattle, Bertha will chew through approximately 35 feet of rock and soil each day. She will also, using her giant pair of arms, automatically erect and seal thousands of concrete panels as she goes. She is simply incredible, and is surely one of the greatest machines ever devised. BAGGER 293: Bagger 293 is the biggest terrestrial vehicle of all time (and the biggest mining machine ever). Built in 1995 by the German industrial company TAKRAF, Bagger 293 is a giant bucket wheel excavator that currently works in a brown coal mine near Hambach in western Germany. At 738 feet long and towering 315 feet high, this gigantic contraption weighs 14,200 tonnes or about 31 million pounds. Powered by enough electricity to sustain a medium sized town, each of Bagger 293s 20 buckets can hold about 80 bathtubs worth of dirt, meaning it can move about 8.5 million cubic feet of earth per day. … to put that in perspective, that’s the equivalent of digging a really, really big hole…. and to be more precise… that’s about the size of digging a football field 30 meters or about 100 feet deep, in a single day. If you want buy one of these monstrous mechanical marvels, you’ll need at least 100 million US dollars and a crew of 5 to drive it… but you won’t have to worry about speeding tickets, as this Big Bopper has a top speed of only 0.9 kilometres per hour.
Braunkohlebagger in Garzweiler
Braunkohlebagger im Braunkohletagebau Garzweiler. Die in Garzweiler abgebaute Braunkohle wird überwiegend in den Kraftwerken der Region verfeuert, Kraftwerk Grevenbroich-Frimmersdorf (13 Blöcke mit einer Gesamtleistung von 2.413 Megawatt), Kraftwerk -Neurath (5 Blöcke, 3 x 300 Megawatt und 2 x 600 MW) und Bergheim-Niederaußem (9 Blöcke mit eine Gesamtleistung von 3.864 MW, Zum Kraftwerk gehört der mit 200 Metern höchste Kühlturm der Welt.)
REALLY BIG MACHINES -- FAK #14
More FAK: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2391259B3E2211F7 Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/VsauceGaming *** LINKS *** MV Blue Marlin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrYYqlfxQz4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkREWw8HKLQ Bucket Wheel Excavator http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cY9O0NBKZ3E Krupp Bagger 288 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUzYIg7u_c4 Big Muskie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSEq79kDiUg Cat 319D LN Climbing Onto Rail Car http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1CMSV81_ws Excavator Undresses Woman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuGBpwnWW2I Liebherr Excavator Climb http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBMUvAUPTGM Liebherr T 282 C Truck http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb5mgf4i4EI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_2WIxawi10 Earthquake Centrifuge http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oe-lSxTFRY Crossrail TBM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTTSj8Sl_N4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx_EjMlLgqY http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17365934 CERN Large Hadron Collider http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzR4eXIz_uA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODhZvrhmkBA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQNpucos9wc Self Propelled Modular Transporter http://www.fagioli.it/?pag=36&lang=ENG http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_9GjBiBYeI Crawler Transporter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui-ehJlGM1Q Overburden Conveyor Bridge F60 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL43bVaYxNg The Falkirk Wheel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxKWSQDeA78 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u8w338Ovvc World's Heaviest Limousine http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=RBzNgdZcbkQ
Bucket Wheel Excavator (Bagger 293)
The Bagger 293 is a giant bucket-wheel excavator built in Germany in 1995. It requires a crew of five to operate and can move over 8.5 million cubic feet of earth per day. The Bagger 293 uses a large 70-foot rotating wheel at the end of a long arm. This wheel has a series of buckets attached, and as the wheel rotates the buckets pick up the earth and dump it onto a conveyor belt. The conveyor belts will transport the earth to other vehicles for removal to the dumping site. | <urn:uuid:10917d0d-7e2f-4836-9d89-fac2b1c3d977> | CC-MAIN-2015-48 | http://www.dragtimes.com/video-viewer.php?v=GF-c5Tn-Xhk&feature | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-48/segments/1448398451744.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20151124205411-00137-ip-10-71-132-137.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.728506 | 1,629 | 3.265625 | 3 |
Anxiety can be as if one is suffering from a physical disability
Everyone deals with stress in their lives. Everyone also feels anxious from time to time, and this is perfectly normal. But the fear can become abnormal, and if this happens, it will start interfering in your life. Something like that can significantly reduce your quality of life, just as if you were suffering from a physical disability. In fact, anxiety can become a type of physical disability.
Anxiety will prevent you from doing things that you want to do. People who are socially anxious can see that anxiousness progress to the point where they do not want to leave their homes. They will start avoiding crowded places, or places or events where they might be required to socialize with other people. They may even start fearing the telephone.
Obviously, all of these things combined serve to lessen the quality of that person’s life — keeping them from socializing with old friends, failing to meet new friends, and failing to participate in particular experiences.
Anxiousness will also prevent you from fully enjoying vital aspects of your life, such as your children or grandchildren, hobbies, or your career. Those who suffer from an anxiety disorder can fill their minds with such enormous amounts of worry that there is little room to enjoy the things that are useful in their lives. They simply cannot stop worrying.
Stress can lead to physical and mental problems. Depression is a common result of anxiety, as are constant tension headaches. These other mental and physical conditions also play a role in lowering one’s quality of life.
People who often are anxious do not sleep well. When we’ve had enough sleep, we see the world around us in a more positive light. With the lack of sleep, however, things often appear to be “gloomier” than they really are.
Despite the fact that things aren’t as gloomy as we might think, the quality of life is lessened even more because our perception of what is going on around us is all that we really have to go by in life.
Anxiety does have an enormous impact on one’s overall life, and, therefore, if you are suffering from anxiety, you should seek treatment as soon as possible, so that your life — and your perception of your life — can get back on the right track. | <urn:uuid:cb97a1a8-cb8d-4af1-8dda-f5361e12db81> | CC-MAIN-2017-39 | http://bipolardisorderdepressionanxiety.com/tag/physical-and-mental-problems/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-39/segments/1505818687820.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20170921134614-20170921154614-00034.warc.gz | en | 0.977278 | 480 | 2.875 | 3 |
When seeing another person wearing a face mask, humans have to rely on visible facial signals, which are the eyes and eyebrows. Looking someone in the eye is an important part of communication.
What is the best way to communicate an important message such as 'Stay at home'? The research team of Mauri compared the emotional reactions to three short videos containing this message using FaceReader.
What happens when we’re in pain, real physical pain, but we cannot tell someone where or how badly it hurts? We can look at the facial expression!
Within the field of human factors and usability, frustration poses an interesting challenge. It can be a barrier for learning. So how can we measure frustration in order to minimize it?
Is there a relationship between food choice and a person’s mood? Bartkiene et al. examined the factors that influence our food choice, using facial expression analysis.
The SUKIPANI smile is an exercise to train the muscles you use while smiling. Dr. Sugahara explains the effect of the movements of the muscles and uses FaceReader to analyze the smiles.
Nowadays, measuring heart rate and heart rate variability can be done remotely, without all kinds of devices being attached to the test participant, using remote photoplethysmography (RPPG). What is RPPG and how does it work?
Hearing an infant cry can cause negative emotions, which can impact the way we respond. Researchers Riem and Karreman instructed parents to apply specific emotion regulation strategies in response to infant crying.
Measuring or assessing emotions is not always straightforward and easy. How do we view the nature of emotions in the first place?
In a previous blog titled “How emotions are made”, I outlined how neuroscience research in the past decades has shown that our brain gives meaning to our experiences/sensations through concepts such as emotions. | <urn:uuid:8d713461-a263-4fae-b58e-077cd29463e6> | CC-MAIN-2022-27 | https://www.noldus.com/blog/category/emotion?page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-27/segments/1656103850139.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20220630153307-20220630183307-00458.warc.gz | en | 0.912399 | 385 | 3.15625 | 3 |
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The reconstructed Mashki Gate of Nineveh
|Location||Mosul, Nineveh Governorate, Iraq|
|Area||7.5 km2 (2.9 sq mi)|
|Events||Battle of Nineveh (612 BC)|
Nineveh (//; Akkadian: 𒌷𒉌𒉡𒀀 URUNI.NU.A Ninua; Syriac: ܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ) was an ancient Assyrian city of Upper Mesopotamia, located on the outskirts of Mosul in modern-day northern Iraq. It is located on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, and was the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Today it is a common name for the half of Mosul which lies on the eastern bank of the Tigris.
It was the largest city in the world for some fifty years until the year 612 BC when, after a bitter period of civil war in Assyria, it was sacked by a coalition of its former subject peoples, the Babylonians, Medes, Chaldeans, Persians, Scythians and Cimmerians. Its ruins are across the river from the modern-day major city of Mosul, in the Ninawa Governorate of Iraq. The two main tells, or mound-ruins, within the walls are Kouyunjik (Kuyuncuk), the Northern Palace, and Tell Nabī Yūnus.
Large amounts of Assyrian sculpture and other artifacts have been excavated and are now located in museums around the world. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) occupied the site during the mid-2010s, during which time they bulldozed several of the monuments there and caused considerable damage to the others. Iraqi forces recaptured the area in January 2017.
- 1 Name
- 2 Geography
- 3 Early history
- 4 Biblical Nineveh
- 5 Classical history
- 6 Archaeology
- 7 Threats to the site
- 8 Rogation of the Ninevites (Nineveh's Wish)
- 9 Popular culture
- 10 See also
- 11 Notes
- 12 References
- 13 External links
The English placename Nineveh comes from Latin Ninive and Septuagint Greek Nineuḗ (Νινευή) under influence of the Biblical Hebrew Nīnewēh (נִינְוֶה), from the Akkadian Ninua (var. Ninâ) or Old Babylonian Ninuwā. The original meaning of the name is unclear but may have referred to a patron goddess. The cuneiform for Ninâ (𒀏) is a fish within a house (cf. Aramaic nuna, "fish"). This may have simply intended "Place of Fish" or may have indicated a goddess associated with fish or the Tigris, possibly originally of Hurrian origin. The city was later said to be devoted to "the goddess Ishtar of Nineveh" and Nina was one of the Sumerian and Assyrian names of that goddess.
Nabī Yūnus is the Arabic for "Prophet Jonah". Kouyunjik was, according to Layard, a Turkish name, and it was known as Armousheeah by the Arabs, and is thought to have some connection with the Kara Koyunlu dynasty.
The remains of ancient Nineveh, the mound-ruins of Kouyunjik and Nabī Yūnus, are located on a level part of the plain near the junction of the Tigris and the Khosr Rivers within an area of 750 hectares (1,900 acres) circumscribed by a 12-kilometre (7.5 mi) brick rampart. This whole extensive space is now one immense area of ruins overlaid in parts by new suburbs of the city of Mosul.
Nineveh was an important junction for commercial routes crossing the Tigris on the great highway between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean, thus uniting the East and the West, it received wealth from many sources, so that it became one of the greatest of all the region's ancient cities, and the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire.
Nineveh was one of the oldest and greatest cities in antiquity. The area was settled as early as 6000 BC during the late Neolithic. The deep sounding at Nineveh uncovered layers now dated to early Hassuna culture period.
By 3000 BC, the area had become an important religious center for the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar. The early city (and subsequent buildings) was constructed on a fault line and, consequently, suffered damage from a number of earthquakes. One such event destroyed the first temple of Ishtar, which was rebuilt in 2260 BC by the Akkadian king Manishtushu.
Ninevite 5 period
The regional influence of Nineveh became particularly pronounced during the archaeological period known as Ninevite 5, or Ninevite V (2900–2600 BC). This period is defined primarily by the characteristic pottery that is found widely throughout northern Mesopotamia. Also, for the northern Mesopotamian region, the Early Jezirah chronology has been developed by archaeologists. According to this regional chronology, 'Ninevite 5' is equivalent to the Early Jezirah I–II period.
Ninevite 5 was preceded by the Late Uruk period. Ninevite 5 pottery is roughly contemporary to the Early Transcaucasian culture ware, and the Jemdet Nasr ware. Iraqi Scarlet Ware culture also belongs to this period; this colourful painted pottery is somewhat similar to Jemdet Nasr ware. Scarlet Ware was first documented in the Diyala River basin in Iraq. Later, it was also found in the nearby Hamrin Basin, and in Luristan.
Old Assyrian period
The historic Nineveh is mentioned in the Old Assyrian Empire during reign of Shamshi-Adad I in about 1800 BC as a centre of worship of Ishtar, whose cult was responsible for the city's early importance. The goddess's statue was sent to Pharaoh Amenhotep III of Egypt in the 14th century BC, by orders of the king of Mitanni. The Assyrian city of Nineveh became one of Mitanni's vassals for half a century until the early 14th century BC, when the Assyrian king Ashur-uballit I reclaimed it in 1365 BC while overthrowing the Mitanni Empire and creating the Middle Assyrian Empire (1365–1050 BC).
There is a large body of evidence to show that Assyrian monarchs built extensively in Nineveh during the late 3rd and 2nd millenniums BC; it appears to have been originally an "Assyrian provincial town". Later monarchs whose inscriptions have appeared on the high city include the Middle Assyrian Empire kings Shalmaneser I (1274–1245 BC) and Tiglath-Pileser I (1114–1076 BC), both of whom were active builders in Assur (Ashur).
During the Neo-Assyrian Empire, particularly from the time of Ashurnasirpal II (ruled 883–859 BC) onward, there was considerable architectural expansion. Successive monarchs such as Tiglath-pileser III, Sargon II, Sennacherib, Esarhaddon, and Ashurbanipal kept in repair and founded new palaces, as well as temples to Sîn, Ashur, Nergal, Shamash, Ninurta, Ishtar, Tammuz, Nisroch and Nabiu.
Sennacherib's development of Nineveh
It was Sennacherib who made Nineveh a truly magnificent city (c. 700 BC). He laid out new streets and squares and built within it the South West Palace, or "palace without a rival", the plan of which has been mostly recovered and has overall dimensions of about 503 by 242 metres (1,650 ft × 794 ft). It comprised at least 80 rooms, many of which were lined with sculpture. A large number of cuneiform tablets were found in the palace. The solid foundation was made out of limestone blocks and mud bricks; it was 22 metres (72 ft) tall. In total, the foundation is made of roughly 2,680,000 cubic metres (3,505,308 cu yd) of brick (approximately 160 million bricks). The walls on top, made out of mud brick, were an additional 20 metres (66 ft) tall.
Some of the principal doorways were flanked by colossal stone lamassu door figures weighing up to 30,000 kilograms (30 t); these were winged Mesopotamian lions or bulls, with human heads. These were transported 50 kilometres (31 mi) from quarries at Balatai, and they had to be lifted up 20 metres (66 ft) once they arrived at the site, presumably by a ramp. There are also 3,000 metres (9,843 ft) of stone Assyrian palace reliefs, that include pictorial records documenting every construction step including carving the statues and transporting them on a barge. One picture shows 44 men towing a colossal statue. The carving shows three men directing the operation while standing on the Colossus. Once the statues arrived at their destination, the final carving was done. Most of the statues weigh between 9,000 and 27,000 kilograms (19,842 and 59,525 lb).
The stone carvings in the walls include many battle scenes, impalings and scenes showing Sennacherib's men parading the spoils of war before him. The inscriptions boasted of his conquests: he wrote of Babylon: "Its inhabitants, young and old, I did not spare, and with their corpses I filled the streets of the city." A full and characteristic set shows the campaign leading up to the siege of Lachish in 701; it is the "finest" from the reign of Sennacherib, and now in the British Museum. He later wrote about a battle in Lachish: "And Hezekiah of Judah who had not submitted to my yoke...him I shut up in Jerusalem his royal city like a caged bird. Earthworks I threw up against him, and anyone coming out of his city gate I made pay for his crime. His cities which I had plundered I had cut off from his land."
At this time, the total area of Nineveh comprised about 7 square kilometres (1,730 acres), and fifteen great gates penetrated its walls. An elaborate system of eighteen canals brought water from the hills to Nineveh, and several sections of a magnificently constructed aqueduct erected by Sennacherib were discovered at Jerwan, about 65 kilometres (40 mi) distant. The enclosed area had more than 100,000 inhabitants (maybe closer to 150,000), about twice as many as Babylon at the time, placing it among the largest settlements worldwide.
Nineveh's greatness was short-lived. In around 627 BC, after the death of its last great king Ashurbanipal, the Neo-Assyrian empire began to unravel through a series of bitter civil wars between rival claimants for the throne, and in 616 BC Assyria was attacked by its own former vassals, the Babylonians, Chaldeans, Medes, Persians, Scythians and Cimmerians. In about 616 BC Kalhu was sacked, the allied forces eventually reached Nineveh, besieging and sacking the city in 612 BC, following bitter house-to-house fighting, after which it was razed. Most of the people in the city who could not escape to the last Assyrian strongholds in the north and west were either massacred or deported out of the city and into the countryside where they founded new settlements. Many unburied skeletons were found by the archaeologists at the site. The Assyrian empire then came to an end by 605 BC, the Medes and Babylonians dividing its colonies between themselves.
Assyria, including the Nineveh region, continued to exist as a geo-political entity (Achaemenid Assyria, Athura, Assuristan etc.) under the rule of various empires until its dissolution in the mid-7th century AD.
Following the defeat in 612 BC, the site remained largely unoccupied for centuries and the ruins remained largely intact during Achaemenid rule, though the library of Ashurbanipal may still have been in use until around the time of Alexander the Great. The city is mentioned again in the Battle of Nineveh in 627 AD, which was fought between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Sassanian Empire of Persia near the ancient city. From the Arab Islamic Conquest in 637 AD until the modern period, the city of Mosul on the opposite bank of the Tigris became the successor of ancient Nineveh.
In the Hebrew Bible, Nineveh is first mentioned in Genesis 10:11: "Ashur left that land, and built Nineveh". Some modern English translations interpret "Ashur" in the Hebrew of this verse as the country "Assyria" rather than a person, thus making Nimrod, rather than Ashur, the founder of Nineveh. Sir Walter Raleigh's notion that Nimrod built Nineveh, and the cities in Genesis 10:11-12, has also been refuted by scholars. The discovery of the fifteen Jubilees texts found amongst the Dead Sea Scrolls, has since shown that, according to the Jewish sects of Qumran, Genesis 10:11 affirms the apportionment of Nineveh to Ashur. The attribution of Nineveh to Ashur is also supported by the Greek Septuagint, King James Bible, Geneva Bible, and by Historian Flavius Josephus in his Antiquites of the Jews (Antiquities, i, vi, 4).[non-primary source needed]
Nineveh was the flourishing capital of the Assyrian Empire and was the home of King Sennacherib, King of Assyria, during the Biblical reign of King Hezekiah (יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ) and the lifetime of Judean prophet Isaiah (ישעיה). As recorded in Hebrew scripture, Nineveh was also the place where Sennacherib died at the hands of his two sons, who then fled to the vassal land of `rrt Urartu. The book of the prophet Nahum is almost exclusively taken up with prophetic denunciations against Nineveh. Its ruin and utter desolation are foretold. Its end was strange, sudden, and tragic. According to the Bible, it was God's doing, His judgment on Assyria's pride (Isaiah 10:5–19). In fulfillment of prophecy, God made "an utter end of the place". It became a "desolation". The prophet Zephaniah also predicts its destruction along with the fall of the empire of which it was the capital. Nineveh is also the setting of the Book of Tobit.
The Book of Jonah, set in the days of the Assyrian empire, describes it as an "exceedingly great city of three days' journey in breadth", whose population at that time is given as "more than 120,000". The ruins of Kouyunjik, Nimrud, Karamles and Khorsabad form the four corners of an irregular quadrangle. The ruins of Nineveh, with the whole area included within the parallelogram they form by lines drawn from the one to the other, are generally regarded as consisting of these four sites. The Book of Jonah depicts Nineveh as a wicked city worthy of destruction. God sent Jonah to preach to the Ninevites of their coming destruction, and they fasted and repented because of this. As a result, God spared the city; when Jonah protests against this, God states He is showing mercy for the population who are ignorant of the difference between right and wrong ("who cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand") and mercy for the animals in the city.
Nineveh's repentance and salvation from evil can be found in the Jewish Tanakh (also read by Christians) and the Muslim Koran. To this day, Syriac and Oriental Orthodox churches commemorate the three days Jonah spent inside the fish during the Fast of Nineveh. The Christians observing this holiday fast by refraining from food and drink. Churches encourage followers to refrain from meat, fish and dairy products.
Before the great archaeological excavations in the 19th century, there was almost no historical knowledge of the great Assyrian empire and of its magnificent capital. Other cities that had perished, such as Palmyra, Persepolis, and Thebes, had left ruins to mark their sites and tell of their former greatness; but of this city, imperial Nineveh, no vestige seemed to remain, and the very place on which it had stood became only a matter of conjecture.
In the days of the Greek historians Ctesias and Herodotus, 400 BC, Nineveh had become a thing of the past; and when Xenophon (c. 430 – 354 BC) the historian passed the place in the Retreat of the Ten Thousand the very memory of its name had been lost. It was buried out of sight.
In his History of the World (written c. 1616) Sir Walter Raleigh erroneously asserted (attributing the information to Johannes Nauclerus c. 1425–1510) that Nineveh had originally had the name Campsor before Ninus supposedly rebuilt it. This was still regarded as correct information when news of Layard's discoveries (see below) reached the west.
Carsten Niebuhr recorded its location during the 1761–67 Danish expedition. Niebuhr wrote afterwards that "I did not learn that I was at so remarkable a spot, till near the river. Then they showed me a village on a great hill, which they call Nunia, and a mosque, in which the prophet Jonah was buried. Another hill in this district is called Kalla Nunia, or the Castle of Nineveh. On that lies a village Koindsjug."
In 1842, the French Consul General at Mosul, Paul-Émile Botta, began to search the vast mounds that lay along the opposite bank of the river. The locals whom he employed in these excavations, to their great surprise, came upon the ruins of a building at the mound of Khorsabad, which, on further exploration, turned out to be the royal palace of Sargon II, in which large numbers of reliefs were found and recorded, though they had been damaged by fire and were mostly too fragile to remove.
In 1847 the young British diplomat Austen Henry Layard explored the ruins. Layard did not use modern archaeological methods; his stated goal was "to obtain the largest possible number of well preserved objects of art at the least possible outlay of time and money." In the Kuyunjik mound, Layard rediscovered in 1849 the lost palace of Sennacherib with its 71 rooms and colossal bas-reliefs. He also unearthed the palace and famous library of Ashurbanipal with 22,000 cuneiform clay tablets. Most of Layard's material was sent to the British Museum, but two large pieces were given to Lady Charlotte Guest and eventually found their way to the Metropolitan Museum. The study of the archaeology of Nineveh reveals the wealth and glory of ancient Assyria under kings such as Esarhaddon (681–669 BC) and Ashurbanipal (669–626 BC).
The work of exploration was carried on by George Smith, Hormuzd Rassam (a modern Assyrian), and others, and a vast treasury of specimens of Assyria was incrementally exhumed for European museums. Palace after palace was discovered, with their decorations and their sculptured slabs, revealing the life and manners of this ancient people, their arts of war and peace, the forms of their religion, the style of their architecture, and the magnificence of their monarchs.
The mound of Kouyunjik was excavated again by the archaeologists of the British Museum, led by Leonard William King, at the beginning of the 20th century. Their efforts concentrated on the site of the Temple of Nabu, the god of writing, where another cuneiform library was supposed to exist. However, no such library was ever found: most likely, it had been destroyed by the activities of later residents.
The excavations started again in 1927, under the direction of Campbell Thompson, who had taken part in King's expeditions. Some works were carried out outside Kouyunjik, for instance on the mound of Nebi Yunus, which was the ancient arsenal of Nineveh, or along the outside walls. Here, near the northwestern corner of the walls, beyond the pavement of a later building, the archaeologists found almost 300 fragments of prisms recording the royal annals of Sennacherib, Esarhaddon, and Ashurbanipal, beside a prism of Esarhaddon which was almost perfect.
After the Second World War, several excavations were carried out by Iraqi archaeologists. From 1951 to 1958 Mohammed Ali Mustafa worked the site. The work was continued from 1967 through 1971 by Tariq Madhloom. Some additional excavation occurred by Manhal Jabur in 1980, and Manhal Jabur in 1987. For the most part, these digs focused on Nebi Yunus.
Most recently, British archaeologist and Assyriologist Professor David Stronach of the University of California, Berkeley conducted a series of surveys and digs at the site from 1987 to 1990, focusing his attentions on the several gates and the existent mudbrick walls, as well as the system that supplied water to the city in times of siege. The excavation reports are in progress.
Today, Nineveh's location is marked by two large mounds, Kouyunjik and Nabī Yūnus "Prophet Jonah", and the remains of the city walls (about 12 kilometres (7 mi) in circumference). The Neo-Assyrian levels of Kouyunjik have been extensively explored. The other mound, Nabī Yūnus, has not been as extensively explored because there was an Arab Muslim shrine dedicated to that prophet on the site. On July 24, 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant destroyed the shrine as part of a campaign to destroy religious sanctuaries it deems "un-Islamic."
The ruin mound of Kuyunjik rises about 20 metres (66 ft) above the surrounding plain of the ancient city. It is quite broad, measuring about 800 by 500 metres (2,625 ft × 1,640 ft). Its upper layers have been extensively excavated, and several Neo-Assyrian palaces and temples have been found there. A deep sounding by Max Mallowan revealed evidence of habitation as early as the 6th millennium BC. Today, there is little evidence of these old excavations other than weathered pits and earth piles. In 1990, the only Assyrian remains visible were those of the entry court and the first few chambers of the Palace of Sennacherib. Since that time, the palace chambers have received significant damage by looters. Portions of relief sculptures that were in the palace chambers in 1990 were seen on the antiquities market by 1996. Photographs of the chambers made in 2003 show that many of the fine relief sculptures there have been reduced to piles of rubble.
Nebi Yunus is located about 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) south of Kuyunjik and is the secondary ruin mound at Nineveh. On the basis of texts of Sennacherib, the site has traditionally been identified as the "armory" of Nineveh, and a gate and pavements excavated by Iraqis in 1954 have been considered to be part of the "armory" complex. Excavations in 1990 revealed a monumental entryway consisting of a number of large inscribed orthostats and "bull-man" sculptures, some apparently unfinished.
City wall and gates
The ruins of Nineveh are surrounded by the remains of a massive stone and mudbrick wall dating from about 700 BC. About 12 km in length, the wall system consisted of an ashlar stone retaining wall about 6 metres (20 ft) high surmounted by a mudbrick wall about 10 metres (33 ft) high and 15 metres (49 ft) thick. The stone retaining wall had projecting stone towers spaced about every 18 metres (59 ft). The stone wall and towers were topped by three-step merlons.
Five of the gateways have been explored to some extent by archaeologists:
- Mashki Gate
Translated "Gate of the Watering Places", it was perhaps used to take livestock to water from the Tigris which currently flows about 1.5 kilometres (0.9 mi) to the west. It has been reconstructed in fortified mudbrick to the height of the top of the vaulted passageway. The Assyrian original may have been plastered and ornamented.
- Nergal Gate
Named for the god Nergal, it may have been used for some ceremonial purpose, as it is the only known gate flanked by stone sculptures of winged bull-men (lamassu). The reconstruction is conjectural, as the gate was excavated by Layard in the mid-19th century and reconstructed in the mid-20th century.
- Adad Gate
Adad Gate was named for the god Adad. A reconstruction was begun in the 1960s by Iraqis but was not completed. The result was a mixture of concrete and eroding mudbrick, which nonetheless does give some idea of the original structure. The excavator left some features unexcavated, allowing a view of the original Assyrian construction. The original brickwork of the outer vaulted passageway was well exposed, as was the entrance of the vaulted stairway to the upper levels. The actions of Nineveh's last defenders could be seen in the hastily built mudbrick construction which narrowed the passageway from 4 to 2 metres (13 to 7 ft). Around April 13, 2016, ISIL demolished both the gate and the adjacent wall by flattening them with a bulldozer.
- Shamash Gate
Named for the Sun god Shamash, it opens to the road to Erbil. It was excavated by Layard in the 19th century. The stone retaining wall and part of the mudbrick structure were reconstructed in the 1960s. The mudbrick reconstruction has deteriorated significantly. The stone wall projects outward about 20 metres (66 ft) from the line of main wall for a width of about 70 metres (230 ft). It is the only gate with such a significant projection. The mound of its remains towers above the surrounding terrain. Its size and design suggest it was the most important gate in Neo-Assyrian times.
- Halzi Gate
Near the south end of the eastern city wall. Exploratory excavations were undertaken here by the University of California expedition of 1989–1990. There is an outward projection of the city wall, though not as pronounced as at the Shamash Gate. The entry passage had been narrowed with mudbrick to about 2 metres (7 ft) as at the Adad Gate. Human remains from the final battle of Nineveh were found in the passageway.
Threats to the site
The site of Nineveh is exposed to decay of its reliefs by a lack of proper protective roofing, vandalism and looting holes dug into chamber floors. Future preservation is further compromised by the site's proximity to expanding suburbs.
The ailing Mosul Dam is a persistent threat to Nineveh as well as the city of Mosul. This is in no small part due to years of disrepair (in 2006, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cited it as the most dangerous dam in the world), the cancellation of a second dam project in the 1980s to act as flood relief in case of failure, and occupation by ISIL in 2014 resulting in fleeing workers and stolen equipment. If the dam fails, the entire site could be under as much as 45 feet (14 m) underwater.
In an October 2010 report titled Saving Our Vanishing Heritage, Global Heritage Fund named Nineveh one of 12 sites most "on the verge" of irreparable destruction and loss, citing insufficient management, development pressures and looting as primary causes.
By far, however, the greatest threat to Nineveh has been purposeful human actions by ISIL, which occupied that area in mid-2010s. In early 2015 they announced their intention to destroy the walls of Nineveh if the Iraqis try to liberate the city. They also threatened to destroy artifacts. On February 26 they destroyed several items and statues in the Mosul Museum and are believed to have plundered others to sell overseas. The items were mostly from the Assyrian exhibit, which ISIL declared blasphemous and idolatrous. There were 300 items in the museum out of a total of 1,900, with the other 1,600 being taken to the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad for security reasons prior to the 2014 Fall of Mosul.[according to whom?] Some of the artifacts sold and/or destroyed were from Nineveh. Just a few days after the destruction of the museum pieces, they demolished remains at major UNESCO world heritage sites Khorsabad, Nimrud, and Hatra.
Rogation of the Ninevites (Nineveh's Wish)
Assyrians of the Ancient Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Assyrian Church of the East and Saint Thomas Christians of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church observe a fast called Ba'uta d-Ninwe (ܒܥܘܬܐ ܕܢܝܢܘܐ) which means Nineveh's Prayer. Copts and Ethiopian Orthodox also maintain this fast.
The English Romantic poet Edwin Atherstone wrote an epic The Fall of Nineveh. The work tells of an uprising against its king Sardanapalus of all the nations that were dominated by the Assyrian empire. He is a great criminal. He has had one hundred prisoners of war executed. After a long struggle the town is conquered by Median and Babylonian troops led by prince Arbaces and priest Belesis. The king sets his own palace on fire and dies inside together with all his concubines.
Atherstone's friend, the artist John Martin, created a painting of the same name inspired by the poem. The English poet John Masefield's well-known, fanciful 1903 poem Cargoes mentions Nineveh in its first line. Nineveh is also mentioned in Rudyard Kipling's 1897 poem Recessional.
- Cities of the ancient Near East
- Destruction of cultural heritage by ISIL
- Historical urban community sizes
- Isaac of Nineveh
- List of megalithic sites
- Short chronology timeline
- Tel Keppe
- Matt T. Rosenberg. "Largest Cities Through History". geography.about.com. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
- Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd ed. "Ninevite, n. and adj." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013.
- "Nineveh", Encyclopaedia Judaica, Gale Group, 2008.
- Cooper, William Ricketts (1876), "Ninii", An Archaic Dictionary: Biographical, Historical, and Mythological; from the Egyptian, Assyrian, and Etruscan Monuments and Papyri, London: Samuel Bagster & Sons, p. 382.
- Rawlinson, George (1886), Ancient Egypt, 10th ed., Ch. XII, London: T. Fisher Unwin.
- Layard, 1849, p.xxi, "...called Kouyunjik by the Turks, and Armousheeah by the Arabs"
- "Koyundjik", E. J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam, p. 1083.
- Mieroop, Marc van de (1997). The Ancient Mesopotamian City. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 95. ISBN 9780191588457.
- Geoffrey Turner, "Tell Nebi Yūnus: The ekal māšarti of Nineveh," Iraq, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 68–85, 1970
- "Proud Nineveh" is an emblem of earthly pride in the Old Testament prophecies: "And He will stretch out His hand against the north And destroy Assyria, And He will make Nineveh a desolation, Parched like the wilderness." (Zephaniah 2:13).
- Kouyounjik / Nebi Yunis (ancient: Nineveh) colostate.edu
- Ian Shaw, A Dictionary of Archaeology. John Wiley & Sons, 2002 ISBN 0631235833 p427
- Polish-Syrian Expedition to Tell Arbid 2015
- Genesis 10:11 attributes the founding of Nineveh to an Asshur: "Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh".
- Ashrafian, H. (2011). "An extinct Mesopotamian lion subspecies". Veterinary Heritage. 34 (2): 47–49.
- "The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World" edited by Chris Scarre 1999 (Thames and Hudson)
- Reade, Julian, Assyrian Sculpture, pp. 56 (quoted), 65–71, 1998 (2nd edn.), The British Museum Press, ISBN 9780714121413
- Time Life Lost Civilizations series: Mesopotamia: The Mighty Kings. (1995)
- Thorkild Jacobsen and Seton Lloyd, Sennacherib's Aqueduct at Jerwan, Oriental Institute Publication 24, University of Chicago Press, 1935
- Dalley, Stephanie, (2013) The Mystery of the Hanging Garden of Babylon: an elusive World Wonder traced, Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-966226-5
- Samuel Shuckford; James Talboys Wheeler (1858), The sacred and profane history of the world connected, Vol.1, pp. 106–107
- "Jubilees 9". www.pseudepigrapha.com. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- VanderKam, "Jubilees, Book of" in L. H. Schiffman and J. C. VanderKam (eds.), Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Oxford University Press (2000), Vol. I, p. 435.
- Greek Septuagint.
- Geneva Bible.
- 1611 King James Bible.
- New King James Version.
- 2 Kings 19:36
- Isa. 37:37–38
- Nahum 1:14
- Nahum 2:6–11
- Jonah 3:3
- Mechon Mamre Hebrew Bible translation, Jonah 4
- Also see these scriptural references: Gospel of Matthew (12:41) and the Gospel of Luke (11:32)
- "Three Day Fast of Nineveh". Syrian Orthodox Church. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
- Menko Vlaardingerbroek, The Founding of Nineveh and Babylon in Greek Historiography, Iraq, vol. 66, Nineveh. Papers of the 49th Rencontre Assriologique Internationale, Part One, pp. 233–241, 2004
- "Dr. Layard and Nineveh", Bentley's Miscellany Vol 29 (1851), p. 102
- Liverani 2016, p. 23. "Toward 1170 the rabbi Benjamin of Tudela, who was traveling throughout the Near East passing from one Hebrew community to another, having arrived at Mosul (which he called 'Assur the Great') had a clear idea (thanks to information given to him by his local colleagues) that across the Tigris was the famous Ninevah, in ruins but covered with villages and farms [...] Ten years later another rabbi, Petachia of Ratisbon, also arriving at Mosul (which he called the 'New Ninevah') and crossing the river, visited 'Old Ninevah', which he described as desolate and 'overthrown like Sodom' with the land black like pitch, without a blade of grass. [...] Myths apart, the localization of Ninevah remained a matter of common knowledge and beyond argument; various western travelers (such as Jean Baptiste Tavernier in 1644, and then Bourguignon d'Anville in 1779) confirmed it, and some soundings followed."
- Pusey, Edward Bouverie (1888), The Minor Prophets, with a Commentary, Explanatory and Practical, and Introductions to the Several Books, Volume II, p.123
- A. H. Layard, Nineveh and Its Remains, John Murray, 1849
- A. H. Layard, Discoveries in the Ruins of Nineveh and Babylon, John Murray, 1853
- A. H. Layard, The Monuments of Nineveh; From Drawings Made on the Spot, John Murray, 1849
- A. H. Layard, A second series of the monuments of Nineveh, John Murray, 1853
- Liverani 2016, pp. 32–33.
- John Malcolm Russell, From Nineveh to New York: The Strange Story of the Assyrian Reliefs in the Metropolitan Museum & the Hidden Masterpiece at Canford School, Yale University Press, 1997, ISBN 0-300-06459-4
- George Smith, Assyrian Discoveries: An Account of Explorations and Discoveries on the Site of Nineveh, During 1873 and 1874, S. Low-Marston-Searle and Rivington, 1876
- Hormuzd Rassam and Robert William Rogers, Asshur and the Land of Nimrod, Curts & Jennings, 1897
- R. Campbell Thompson and R. W. Hutchinson, "The excavations on the temple of Nabu at Nineveh," Archaeologia, vol. 79, pp. 103–148, 1929
- R. Campbell Thompson and R. W. Hutchinson, "The site of the palace of Ashurnasirpal II at Nineveh excavated in 1929–30," Liverpool Annals of Archaeology and Anthropology, vol. 18, pp. 79–112, 1931
- R. Campbell Thompson and R. W. Hamilton, "The British Museum excavations on the temple of Ishtar at Nineveh 1930–31," Liverpool Annals of Archaeology and Anthropology, vol. 19, pp. 55–116, 1932
- R. Campbell Thompson and M E L Mallowan, "The British Museum excavations at Nineveh 1931–32," Liverpool Annals of Archaeology and Anthropology, vol. 20, pp. 71–186, 1933
- Mohammed Ali Mustafa, Sumer, vol. 10, pp. 110–11, 1954
- Mohammed Ali Mustafa, Sumer, vol. 11, pp. 4, 1955
- Tariq Madhloom, Excavations at Nineveh: A preliminary report, Sumer, vol. 23, pp. 76–79, 1967
- Tariq Madhloom, Excavations at Nineveh: The 1967–68 Campaign, Sumer, vol 24, pp. 45–51, 1968
- Tariq Madhloom, Excavations at Nineveh: The 1968–69 Campaign, Sumer, vol. 25, pp. 43–49, 1969
- "Shelby White – Leon Levy Program for Archaeological Publications – Nineveh Publication Grant". Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2011-05-16.
- "Officials: ISIS blows up Jonah's tomb in Iraq". CNN.com. 2014-07-24. Retrieved 2014-07-24.
- Romey, Kristin (19 April 2016), "Exclusive Photos Show Destruction of Nineveh Gates by ISIS", National Geographic, The National Geographical Society
- "Iraqi Digital Investigation Team Confirms ISIS Destruction of Gate in Nineveh". Bellingcat. August 29, 2016. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
- Diana Pickworth, Excavations at Nineveh: The Halzi Gate, Iraq, vol. 67, no. 1, Nineveh. Papers of the 49th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Part Two, pp. 295–316, 2005
- "Cultural Assessment of Iraq: The State of Sites and Museums in Northern Iraq – Nineveh". National Geographic News. May 2003.
- Borger, Julian. "Mosul dam engineers warn it could fail at any time, killing 1m people". The Guardian. guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
- Globalheritagefund.org Archived 2012-08-20 at the Wayback Machine.
- Warda, W, Christians of Iraq: Ba-oota d' Ninevayee or the Fast of the Ninevites, re-accessed 11 September 2016
- Herbert F. Tucker, Epic. Britain's Heroic Muse 1790–1910, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2008, p. 256-261.
- Russell, John Malcolm (1992), Sennacherib's "Palace without Rival" at Nineveh, University Of Chicago Press, ISBN 0-226-73175-8
- Barnett, Richard David (1976), Sculptures from the north palace of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh (668-627 B.C.), British Museum Publications Ltd, ISBN 0-7141-1046-9
- Campbell Thompson, R.; Hutchinson, R. W. (1929), A century of exploration at Nineveh, Luzac
- Bezold, Carl, Catalogue of the Cuneiform Tablets in the Kouyunjik Collection of the British Museum
- Catalogue of the Cuneiform Tablets in the Kouyunjik Collection of the British Museum, British Museum
- Liverani, Mario (2016) , Immaginare Babele [Imagining Babylon: The Modern Story of an Ancient City], translated by Campbell, Alisa, De Gruyter, ISBN 978-1-61451-602-6
- Scott, M. Louise; MacGinnis, John (1990), Notes on Nineveh, Iraq, 52, pp. 63–73
- Trümpler, C., ed. (2001), Agatha Christie and Archaeology, The British Museum Press, ISBN 978-0714111483 - Nineveh 5, Vessel Pottery 2900 BC
- Leick, Gwendolyn (2010), The A to Z of Mesopotamia, Scarecrow Press - Early worship of Ishtar, Early / Prehistoric Nineveh
- Durant, Will (1954), Our oriental heritage, Simon & Schuster – Early / Prehistoric Nineveh
|Look up Nineveh in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.|
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nineveh.|
- Joanne Farchakh-Bajjaly photos of Nineveh taken in May 2003 showing damage from looters
- John Malcolm Russell, "Stolen stones: the modern sack of Nineveh" in Archaeology; looting of sculptures in the 1990s
- Nineveh page at the British Museum's website. Includes photographs of items from their collection.
- University of California Digital Nineveh Archives A teaching and research tool presenting a comprehensive picture of Nineveh within the history of archaeology in the Near East, including a searchable data repository for meaningful analysis of currently unlinked sets of data from different areas of the site and different episodes in the 160-year history of excavations
- CyArk Digital Nineveh Archives, publicly accessible, free depository of the data from the previously linked UC Berkeley Nineveh Archives project, fully linked and georeferenced in a UC Berkeley/CyArk research partnership to develop the archive for open web use. Includes creative commons-licensed media items.
- Photos of Nineveh, 1989–1990
- ABC 3: Babylonian Chronicle Concerning the Fall of Nineveh
- Layard's Nineveh and its Remains- full text | <urn:uuid:e5c920f4-9887-4559-a389-2e62ce8c0458> | CC-MAIN-2018-47 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineveh | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-47/segments/1542039742685.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20181115120507-20181115142507-00335.warc.gz | en | 0.945057 | 9,289 | 3.3125 | 3 |
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One of the most common forms of the 100+ types of arthritis, osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease – also called “wear and tear” arthritis. It affects over 20 million Americans, becoming more common as we age.
Osteoarthritis is the result of when the protective cushion of cartilage covering the ends of the bones breaks down and wears away. This can cause irritation, joint stiffness, and pain. Although osteoarthritis can affect any joint, it arises most often in the hands, spine, and large weight-bearing joints such as the knees or hips.
Hip pain can be completely debilitating, getting in the way of basic daily tasks. If arthritis, a fracture, or other conditions have damaged your hip, common activities like walking, getting in and out or chair, or putting on your shoes and socks may become difficult. Because the hip is one of the body’s largest weight-bearing joints, it is at extra risk of developing some sort of condition. Replacing your damaged hip joint with an artificial joint can alleviate pain, increase your range of motion, and help you get back to enjoying life.
Hip pain can be misleading, however, and it is important to consult with your doctor or orthopedic surgeon. Hip-related issues may actually be felt in the middle of your thigh, or groin, while pain in your hip may actually be the result of back problems.
The most common causes include:
As one of the largest and most active joints in the body, the knee is the source of most orthopedic problems. Over 90% of people who receive total knee replacements see a dramatic reduction of knee pain, and significant improvement in the ability to perform daily tasks.
Overuse, poor form during physical activity, skipping warm up or cool down, or inadequate stretching can result in knee pain. While some simple causes of knee pain get better on their own, more extreme cases will require medical care. Being overweight can put you at greater risk for knee problems.
Common causes include:
Whether you and your doctor decide to treat you with non-invasive methods or surgery, our goals of treatment are always the same: reduce joint pain and stiffness, and increase joint mobility. | <urn:uuid:59e1b26a-caa3-425c-9d65-b2e004fe7935> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://ortho.forthealthcare.com/joint-care/knee-hip-pain/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337595.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20221005073953-20221005103953-00046.warc.gz | en | 0.948306 | 458 | 2.96875 | 3 |
If he wasn’t quizzing his mother or scanning her photo albums, he was asking local characters about their favorite tales, oftentimes following leads to obscure locations throughout southwest Louisiana.
This was the case with Oak and Pine Alley, a magnificent stretch of trees planted by Charles Durand, a local sugar cane farmer, in the early nineteenth century in St. Martinville.
George was familiar with the wedding story of Durand’s daughters, and he sought out the alley for further inspiration. (Oak and Pine Alley pictured above as George saw it in the mid-1970s and below as it stands today, following several major hurricanes).
From Memories of St. Martinville by Charles Larroque (1999, Pelican Publishing):
“Oak and Pine Alley was planted by the slaves of Charles Jerome Durand around 1829. The three-mile alley leading from the Bayou Teche to Durand’s house was a veritable landmark, leaving no doubt as to the social position of the property owner. Like the sugarcane he planted, Durand’s imagination knew no bounds. The plantation family was awakened each morning by servants spraying perfumed mists. After baths in scented waters, daily routines began with promenades in gold-ornamented carriages rivaling even those of Versailles.
In 1850, on the occasion of the simultaneous weddings of his two daughters, Durand’s slaves decorated the arboreal alley in a manner befitting his most eccentric nature. Prolific web-spinning spiders were brought in (some say from the nearby Atchafalaya Basin, others say from as far away as China) and were released in the trees to go about their arachnidan business. Then slaves went to their task of coating the dewy, billowing webs with gold and silver dust blown from bellows. And under this splendidly shimmering canopy proceeded the ethereal promenade of the wedding party and its two thousand guests.”
George painted The Cajun Bride of Oak Alley (1974, 24×32 inches, oil on canvas) based on this story. By her solitary stance, however, she also references Evangeline, as though waiting for her lover, her Gabriel, beneath the oaks. Typical of figures in his Cajun style, the bride is timeless, a ghost not shadowed beneath the tree as one would expect, but rather brightly lit and all in white.
He rendered her this way not only because it is her wedding day, but also because she glows with her culture. She stands facing the alley, with her back to the Bayou Teche. It appears that she is cut out and pasted onto the oak tree, pasted onto Louisiana, forever captured by both a magical story and a romantic painter.
For more Rodrigue paintings related to St. Martinville see the posts “Musicians” (specifically the part about the Romero Brothers, one-third into the essay) and “A History of Evangeline in Rodrigue Paintings”
I’ve avoided commercialism in this blog; however I would feel remiss if I did not tell you that George recently created a silkscreen print of “The Cajun Bride of Oak Alley.” Early lithographs of his Cajun paintings are dark and without the contrasts of the original canvases. Today’s technology, however, allows him to reproduce these works as never before, as fine art silkscreens. “The Cajun Bride of Oak Alley” is one of only five early paintings reproduced in this way. The others are The Aioli Dinner, Jolie Blonde, Kiss Me, I’m Cajun, and Doctor on the Bayou. For further information on the history of these works, visit their links above, especially The Aioli Dinner, which also details the new printing process. For information on the prints and their availability contact the Rodrigue Gallery
Finally, if you’ve been waiting to see Tabitha Soren’s photographs from our recent session, they are now posted in the essay “Nature Girl (The Art of Modeling)” | <urn:uuid:e1839e90-0afa-4490-a3b8-df1014cac9e7> | CC-MAIN-2021-31 | https://legacyarttour.org/2010/10/04/the-cajun-bride-of-oak-alley/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-31/segments/1627046152168.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20210727010203-20210727040203-00327.warc.gz | en | 0.962262 | 872 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Britannia School’s core program is taught in 52 minute blocks. Cross curricular projects are used to enhance engagement and learning. Staff use assessment for learning techniques and differentiated instruction to assist students to learn in a manner that best suits their needs.
For students that are struggling with their academics, Britannia School offers systematic, teacher-led intervention blocks throughout the week. These sessions are used to help students build essential numeracy and literacy skills that support learning across all of the subject areas.
Britannia School is very pleased to be able to provide our students with a large range of complementary courses. It is our hope that this varied selection will expose our students to many new experiences, leading to new hobbies or even potentially future careers.
Our complementary courses cover many topics in the areas of athletics, career and technology studies, fine arts, and languages. These include Art, Drama, Sewing, Knitting/Stitchery, Foods, Nutrition, Computer Animation, Lego Robotics, Video Game Design, Fitness (use of Fitness Centre), Sports Option (Volleyball,Basketball, Badminton, etc.), Guitar, Leadership and Study Skills. | <urn:uuid:31224e74-c151-4672-abb2-cbce629ab866> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://britannia.epsb.ca/programs/regularprograms/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296949694.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20230401001704-20230401031704-00295.warc.gz | en | 0.942913 | 237 | 2.78125 | 3 |
Your period is late. Again.
And it's even more painful than last time. Not to mention the amount of blood.
What is a normal period, anyway?
You wish you knew!
Timing of Your Periods
Unfortunately many women complain about late, painful or heavy periods. Some experience problems occasionally, while others dread their period every month.
When should you be concerned?
“Abnormal is any bleeding between periods, heavy bleeding greater than 80 milliliters a cycle, a menstrual cycle that lasts longer than 38 days or is shorter than 24 days OR bleeding after menopause,” she said.
(An average sanitary pad or tampon absorbs 5 milliliters, or a teaspoon, of blood.)
The timing of your period can be influenced by a great many factors. They include:
- Stress or life-changing events
- Uterine fibroids or polyps
- Endocrine problems, including thyroid problems
- Weight-related issues, including obesity, significant or rapid weight loss, eating disorders or extreme exercise
- Birth control methods, including pills, the patch, nuva ring, depo provera, nexplanon and IUDs. (Copper IUDs can also cause bleeding problems even though they are hormone-free.)
- Pregnancy, including ectopic pregnancy and miscarriages
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
- Medications, including antidepressants
- Endometriosis, a condition where the tissue lining the uterus is found outside the uterus
“If you have questions about abnormal bleeding and fertility, please see your gynecologist for further evaluation,” said Dr. Nunziato.
Most women will have at least minor menstrual cramps at some point in their lives. Others will have downright painful periods.
What are possible causes of the pain, and are there effective treatments?
Menstrual cramps can be caused by hormones that prompt the uterus to contract during a woman’s period.
Other causes of painful periods may include:
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- A uterine fibroid or polyp
- Use of an IUD
- Adenomyosis (when endometrial tissue gets implanted in the uterine wall)
Heavy bleeding during your periods could be a result of a change in your hormone levels, or the use of some types of birth control. It could also indicate the approach of menopause.
But heavy bleeding can also be a sign of serious problems, such as:
- Uterine cancer
- Bleeding disorders
- Endometrial polyps
- Uterine fibroids
So much bleeding may also make you more susceptible to anemia.
Depending on the cause, a variety of treatments are available for abnormal periods.
Over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen are often prescribed to treat mild to moderate cramps. Aspirin is to be avoided, however, since it could increase bleeding.
Estrogen or other hormones might be prescribed to regulate a woman’s menstrual cycle. Other options, such as long-acting contraception, including the IUD, are also available to help reduce heavy bleeding.
Uterine fibroids or polyps may be treated with medications to shrink them, or with surgery to remove or minimize them.
Endometriosis may be treated medically or surgically.
What’s Normal for You?
However you characterize your period, it’s important to know your body, and what is normal for you.
Some women have ultra-light periods all their life, and others have heavy ones.
If you have any questions at all, check with your doctor to make sure you’re in the normal range, or to discuss what steps to take to get you there.
Also remember that with women’s periods, what is “normal” can cover a broad range. | <urn:uuid:cd3063b7-6074-4c7d-b0fd-7e6a65d670eb> | CC-MAIN-2019-35 | https://carilionclinicliving.com/article/women/worried-about-your-period | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-35/segments/1566027315174.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20190820003509-20190820025509-00106.warc.gz | en | 0.927914 | 818 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Never mind kicking a football around after school, writes Alexandra Smith snacking on something other than crisps and chocolate or turning off the TV. It seems researchers have a solution to the childhood obesity crisis- axe school chairs and make chubby kids stand.
A British expert on obesity, James Levine, a medical consultant at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, in the US, has been looking at the link between chairs and obesity.
A study published last year led by Dr Levine showed that thin people were on their feet an average of 152 more minutes a day than their chubby counterparts. Now he is taking his standing-room only theory to the classroom.
His researchers recently asked a class of volunteers aged between 10 and 12 from a nearby school to spend a week standing rather than sitting. The pupils spent five hours a day on their feet, a position that burns three times as many calories as sitting down.
Dr Levine said the idea was welcomed by the students and there was no opposition. Rather than using conventional desks, they worked on white boards, laptops on moveable benches and vertical screens. Cushions were provided if a rest was needed.
In Britain, more than 600 children have attended the Carnegie Weight Management Programme since 1999, the only "fat camp" for children in Europe, run by Leeds Metropolitan University. The camp has thrown its support behind chair-free classes.
The camp director, Paul Gatley, told the Sunday Telegraph: "Our programmes are very active and this summer we will be looking at getting rid of chairs and tables in our classrooms. To tackle this problem we are convinced that we need to engineer more activity into the day. It is perfectly feasible for more schools to do this. Our lab sessions are already chair-free and we encourage walking."
Last month, Anna Walker, the chief executive of the Healthcare Commission painted a disturbing picture of childhood obesity in Britain. She warned that the number of obese children had increased from 9.6% in 1995 to 13.7% in 2003.
The ballooning weight of children is causing a myriad of problems, from joint and health troubles to an increase in childhood diabetes, she said,
A worrying state of affairs, no doubt, and few would deny that lifestyle and dietary changes are turning once-active children into fat couch potatoes. But one thing that hasn't changed is the classroom chair. It has always been there. Child obesity on the scale that we are seeing it has not. Should we be removing the chair at the desk or the chair in front of the TV? | <urn:uuid:1f520ee6-dede-4d01-863b-82e6d9bcbfb0> | CC-MAIN-2016-07 | http://www.theguardian.com/education/mortarboard/2006/mar/28/standingupforfatkids | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-07/segments/1454702032759.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20160205195352-00137-ip-10-236-182-209.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977973 | 515 | 2.734375 | 3 |
HC 271791 is a star with a problem, it’s moving so fast through our galaxy that it will eventually escape from the Milky Way all together. However, there is a growing question mark hanging over the reasons as to why HD 271791 is travelling faster than the galactic escape velocity.
So-called hyper-velocity stars were first predicted to exist back in 1988 when astrophysicist Jack Hills at Los Alamos National Laboratories pondered what would happen if a binary star system should stray too close to the supermassive black hole lurking in the galactic nucleus. Hills calculated that should one of the stars get swallowed by the black hole, the binary partner would be instantly released from the gravitational bind, flinging it away from the black hole.
This would be analogous to a hammer thrower spinning around, accelerating the ball of the hammer rapidly in a circle around his body. When the thrower releases the hammer at just the right moment, the weight is launched into the air, travelling tens of meters across the stadium. The faster the hammer thrower spins the ball, the greater the rotational velocity; when he releases the hammer, rotational velocity is converted to translational velocity, launching the ball away from him. Gold medals all ’round.
So, considering Hills’ model, when one of the stars are lost through black hole death, the other star is launched, hammer-style, at high velocity away from the galactic core. The fast rotational velocity is converted into a hyper-velocity star blasting through interstellar (and eventually intergalactic) space.
Hills actually took his theory and instructed the astronomical community to keep an eye open for speeding stellar objects, and sure enough they were out there. HD 271791 is one of these stars, travelling at a whopping 2.2 million kilometres per hour, a speed far in excess of the galactic escape velocity.
However, the 11 solar mass star didn’t originate from the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole (inside the radio source Sgr. A*), it was propelled from the outermost edge of the galactic disk. There is absolutely no evidence of a supermassive black hole out there, so what could have accelerated HD 271791 to such a high velocity? After all, stars aren’t exactly easy objects to throw around.
If HD 271791 used to be part of a binary pair, its partner would have had to suddenly disappear, releasing its gravitational grip rapidly. One idea is that HD 271791’s sibling exploded as a supernova. This should have provided the sudden loss in a gravitational field — the rapidly expanding supernova plasma will have dispersed the gravitational influence of the star.
However, according to Vasilii Gvaramadze at Moscow State University, the supernova theory may not be sound either; by his calculations a binary pair simply cannot produce such a large velocity. Gvaramadze thinks that a far more complex interaction between two binary pairs (four stars total) or one binary pair and another single star some 300 solar masses. Somehow, this “strong dynamical encounter” caused HD 271791 to be catapulted out of the system, propelling it at a galactic escape velocity.
Although this complex slingshot theory sounds pretty interesting, the supernova theory still sounds like the most plausible answer. But how could a sufficient rotational velocity be attained? As Gvaramadze points out, even an extreme rapidly orbiting binary pair cannot produce a star speeding at 530-920km/s.
This is in contrast to research carried out by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics and the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. In a January 2009 press release, Maria Fernanda Nieva points out that this hyper-velocity star possesses the chemical fingerprint of having been in the locality of a supernova explosion. This leads Nieva to conclude that HD 271791 was ejected after its binary partner exploded. What’s more, a Wolf-Rayet may have been the culprit.
Up to now such a scenario has been dismissed for hyper-velocity stars, because the supernova precursor usually is a super-giant star and any companion has to be at large distance in order to orbit the star. Hence the orbital velocities are fairly modest. The most massive stars in the Galaxy, however, end their lives as quite compact so-called Wolf-Rayet stars rather than as super-giants. The compactness of the primary leaves room for a companion to move rapidly on a close orbit of about 1 day-period. When the Wolf-Rayet-star exploded its companion HD 271791 was released at very high speed. In addition, HD 271791 made use of the Milky Way rotation to finally achieve escape velocity. —Maria Fernanda Nieva
Even though Gvaramadze’s stellar pinball theory sounds pretty compelling, the fact that HD 271791 contains a hint of supernova remnant in its atmosphere, the supernova-triggered event sounds more likely. But there is the fact that just because this 11 solar mass star was near a supernova some time in its past, it certainly doesn’t indicate that a supernova was the cause of it’s high speed.
For now I suppose, the jury is still out…
Publication: On the origin of the hypervelocity runaway star HD271791, V.V.Gvaramadze, 2009. arXiv:0909.4928v1 [astro-ph.SR]
Original source: arXiv blog | <urn:uuid:22a103c5-e143-47fc-90e4-dadbdec256fa> | CC-MAIN-2021-10 | https://astroengine.com/2009/10/06/whatever-happened-to-hyper-velocity-star-hd-271791/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-10/segments/1614178361510.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20210228145113-20210228175113-00578.warc.gz | en | 0.935664 | 1,161 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Identity Theft Definitions
Dumpster diving refers to the practice of rummaging through trash cans – a “low-tech” technique that often produces non-shredded personal information that thieves can use or sell.
Insiders such as friends, family members, relatives, employees and live-in caregivers can abuse their access to privileged information such as personnel records, payroll information, insurance files, account numbers or sales records.
Keystroke logger or key logger can be downloaded or installed unwittingly onto your computer or laptop. Once installed, a keystroke logger will record everything you type, including any user IDs, passwords and account or personal information. Thieves know how to retrieve this information, and can even set up programs to automatically have the information sent back to them. This is a very real risk when using public or shared computers such as those in public kiosks or Internet cafés.
Mail fraud can take on several forms, from official – and legitimate-looking – letters to offers that seem too good to be true. These include letters informing you that you’ve won a prize, requiring that you pay shipping and handling fees that can total hundreds and even thousands of dollars, and then never shipping any prize. Before responding to such an opportunity you may want to contact the Better Business Bureau to check out the business or charity, or in the case of any type of securities or pyramid offer, check with the SEC.
Mail theft includes searching mailboxes for pre-approved credit offers, bank statements, tax forms, convenience checks and credit card payment envelopes that have been left for postal carrier pick-up.
Malware is a generic term used to describe all kinds of malicious software, including viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, adware, hoaxes and other online practices used to damage or disrupt a computer system and/or obtain sensitive information.
Phishing is an attempt to criminally and fraudently accquire sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.
Phone fraud is a tool for obtaining sensitive information. Be very cautious about providing personal or account information over the phone unless you initiated the call. If you receive a call from your bank or a company asking for this type of information, always ask the caller to provide a call-back number, which you can then call to verify authenticity.
Shoulder-surfing is when an identity thief, standing close to you in a checkout line or crowd, memorizes your personal information such as name, address, phone number or PIN number when you perform financial transactions like writing a check or using an ATM. An identity thief can watch you punch in your phone or credit card numbers at a public phone – or overhear you when you give your credit-card number for a hotel room or rental car. It can also be somebody standing near you in a crowded place observing when you fill out a form or enter your login and password in a public kiosk or Internet café.
Skimming is the practice of stealing credit/debit card account numbers as cards are processed at restaurants, stores or other business locations, using a special data collection/storage device.
Spyware is software that consumers unknowingly install that can track online usage and personal information. The risk it involves is that sensitive information like user IDs and passwords can be easily misused by unscrupulous individuals or organizations.
Social engineering an attempt to obtain sensitive information or gain unauthorized access to a system or facility by deceiving an unsuspecting party. Social engineers often rely on the natural helpfulness of people in order to obtain information.
Telefunding and disaster-relief scams occur when scam artists call, e-mail or write to you requesting contributions to nonexistent charitable causes. Be extra cautious of anyone calling you representing a disaster (such as an Asian tsunami or Hurricane Katrina) relief organization. Sadly, these tragic events create a way for thieves to take money from well-meaning people. Always ask for the name of the organization they are representing – and call the organization directly before giving your money away.
Telemarketing fraud is a type of phone fraud, although similar fraud is conducted via e-mail, in person and even by fax. Typically, you’re offered a “get-rich quick” opportunity and are pressured to act right away and send money for more information. The information never comes, but your money is gone. Before responding to such an opportunity you may want to contact the Better Business Bureau to check out the business or charity, or in the case of any type of securities or pyramid offer, check with the SEC. Any time someone asks you to wire money, or to cash a check and then wire a portion of that check to them, it is almost certainly a scam. Wiring money is like giving cash to the recipient and there is nothing your bank or any legal authority can do to help you get it back.
Travel scams include calls, e-mails or letters from individuals awarding you prizes such as vacations. More often than not, these calls are scams. Although the offer may sound like a great deal, it usually involves being asked to provide a credit card deposit. A legitimate prize or free gift should not cost you money.
Trojan horse a type of e-mail virus usually released by an e-mail attachment. If opened, it will scour your hard drive for personal and financial information. It collects and sends your information to the thief’s database.
Worm a self-replicating computer program that uses a network to send copies of itself to linked networks with or without human intervention. Unlike a virus, it does not need to attach itself to an existing program. Worms almost always cause harm to the network, if only by consuming bandwidth, whereas viruses almost always corrupt or modify files on a targeted computer. | <urn:uuid:965366d9-2d79-4a6b-b143-ea497b46feab> | CC-MAIN-2019-47 | https://www.raymondjames.com/privacy-security-and-account-protection/identity-theft-definitions | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-47/segments/1573496670558.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20191120111249-20191120135249-00078.warc.gz | en | 0.925627 | 1,193 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is a member of the mint (Labiatae) family of plants. It is a perennial herb. The plant is even distantly related to the marijuana plant. Catnip is native to much of Europe and Asia but has quickly taken over native areas and become common in both the United States and Canada. There are more than 250 varieties of catnip available. Catnip contains a chemical (Nepetalactone) that acts on the cat's olfactory senses and works as a stimulant when inhaled by the feline.
Plant catnip in full sun or dappled shade. Catnip will adjust to virtually any well drained soil. If the soil is a sandy loam, the catnip aroma will increase dramatically. Catnip enjoys a mildly acidic soil with a pH of 6.1. Work peat moss into the soil at a ratio of 50 percent peat moss with 50 percent garden soil prior to planting. Remove all weed growth from the soil prior to planting.
Sow catnip seeds in the late fall or early spring. If winters are hard, then early spring is the best time to sow catnip seeds. Lightly sprinkle catnip seeds on the soil and cover with approximately half an inch of soil. Water lightly to settle the soil. Catnip can be started indoors if there is a fear of a late hard frost in the region. Start seeds indoors in a plant-start soil mixture and small flats. Once the plants reach five to six inches in height, transplant outside.
When catnip is approximately 5 to 6 inches tall, thin the plants. Each clump should have approximately 12 to 18 inches of space between each other. Catnip grows between 3 to 5 feet in height depending on the variety.
Watering and Fertilizing
Water catnip regularly to maintain moist soil conditions. Fertilize catnip monthly during the growing season. Use a well balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10. Apply lightly according to the directions on the label. Water thoroughly to work fertilizer into the soil.
Cut catnip back after flowering in the fall. Remove the flower heads and discard. Apply added mulch around the base of the catnip before the winter arrives. Apply approximately 3 inches of mulch such as peat moss, recycled plastic, bark chips or sawdust. | <urn:uuid:5a0cf9cd-aa0d-48c5-be4e-7fe27675cbcc> | CC-MAIN-2014-42 | http://www.gardenguides.com/93892-catnip-plant-care.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-42/segments/1414637900031.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20141030025820-00046-ip-10-16-133-185.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93836 | 502 | 3.015625 | 3 |
saddle, seat or pad to support the rider on an animal, chiefly a horse. The saddles mentioned in the Bible are generally considered to have been saddlecloths. The ancient Greeks sometimes used saddlecloths, but they had no saddles and often rode bareback. The Romans did not use a saddle until near the end of the empire. The Native Americans of the Great Plains of North America were famous horsemen, and usually rode without saddles. To riders accustomed to the saddle, however, its advantages are decisive. Probably it was developed either in France during the early Christian era or in the steppe region of Asia. In Europe the saddle came into general use in the Middle Ages. The exploits of medieval knights would have been difficult without the saddle. Saddles of various types include the packsaddle, to which the load of a pack animal is secured; the camel saddle; the howdah, used by riders of elephants; and the saddle used by riders of horses. There are two main types of horse saddles, the Hungarian and the Moorish. The Moorish saddle, which was used extensively by cowboys in the United States, has a horn which is essential in using the lasso. To hold it in place under the strain of the lasso, this saddle has two strong girths, each tightened by a cinch strap. The Hungarian saddle, of which the English saddle is an example, the McClellan saddle, and the racing saddle have no horns. The English saddle has padding, and the stirrup is hung farther forward than on the Moorish saddle or the McClellan saddle, neither of which is padded. For constant use, the hard saddle is believed in North America to be better for both the horse and the rider. The padded saddle has advantages in brief and occasional rides. See also equestrianism; stirrup.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:6b1f0c7c-6520-4e21-917c-5547f32c8acf> | CC-MAIN-2017-13 | http://www.factmonster.com/encyclopedia/science/saddle.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-13/segments/1490218190754.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20170322212950-00351-ip-10-233-31-227.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966639 | 401 | 3.8125 | 4 |
East Is Not East, West Is Not West
In the cartoon novel "Persepolis," Iranian illustrator Marjane Satrapi has created a sensation with the story of her childhood in Iran. The book has been translated into several different languages and has met with enthusiastic acclaim. Petra Tabeling spoke with the artist
Teheran at the end of the 1970s: Satrapis tells the story of a little girl who goes to school like everyone else and wears normal clothes, but who leads a very different life. While her parents are demonstrating against the Shah in the streets of Teheran, she plays revolution in the yard with her friends.
After the founding of the Islamic Republic, relatives and friends of the family disappear. Marji, the little girl, suddenly has to wear a headscarf. She is constantly asking why. By the end of the book, Marji has become a teenager. At age fourteen her parents send her to Austria to live with her aunt. That was in 1984.
Political events packed into cartoon images
Today, this little girl is a 34-year-old illustrator who lives in Paris, mostly working on children's books. But then she decided to illustrate her own history – the history of her country of origin. Her motivation was her own frustration at the way Iran, religion and Muslims are represented in the media.
That was four years ago. "Persepolis" has been a great success in France, selling over 200,000 copies of the original book, which has been followed by three new volumes. In March the first two volumes about Satrapi's childhood were released in German translation.
The memories of an entire generation
Satrapi makes one thing quite clear from the beginning: the book "Persepolis – The Story of a Childhood" tells her own story. She does not claim to speak for an entire generation. But the impact of her story is due to the fact that so many Iranians who grew up in Iran in the 70s and 80s can identify with it.
But "Persepolis" has aroused interest and mixed feelings among a readership far wider than just her fellow Iranians. This is because the story is so vivid it allows even outsiders an understanding – if not of the complexity of the events depicted, then at least of the dramatic social and political upheaval in Iran's recent history: the Shah's rule, the end of the Peacock Throne and the establishment of rule by the Mullahs, as well as the Iran-Iraq War, which left a trail of destruction in Teheran.
What becomes clear from her story is how much people like Marjane and her family suffered from the events of the 1970s and 1980s in Iran. Marjane's family belongs to the upper class; she is the descendent of a Persian ruling family.
Marjane is raised in an enlightened liberal family that is involved in opposing the corrupt regime of the Shah. Her grandfather dies after a long prison sentence, and the entire intellectual circle of friends and relatives of her parents are in prison. But daily terror continues after the revolution under the rule of Islamists.
East is not East, West is not West
Satrapi is a pacifist. She condemns every politicized attempt to paint the East and West in black and white: "If something bad happens in the East, it is immediately related back to religion. But I do not believe that it is a part of European culture that European Christians murdered in the name of Jesus Christ. Just because there are religious fanatics in a society does not mean that they are a part of the culture."
The Iranian artist believes more in cultural similarities between the Orient and Occident than in the differences that separate them: "One is always either Western or Eastern in relation to someone or something. We are much closer than we think. Some Europeans still believe that European mythology has its roots in Greece. But no one knows that much of it originated in Iran."
For Satrapi, the most important thing is understanding people, understanding that they are all similar, regardless of which country they came from. The art of cartoons is her way of emphasizing this: "I think that the language of comics is universal and international. The feelings can be understood by everyone, no matter which culture they are from.
A person laughing or crying means the same thing everywhere in the end." Satrapi has been living and working in Paris for years. After her stay in Austria she returned to Iran for a few years before she emigrated to Europe again. Her parents still live in Iran.
Satrapi, who portays herself as a pert, difficult and curious girl in the cartoon novel, is ambivalent about the idea of returning to Iran. "I often speak about Iran, about the false images and the clichés, but the last twenty-five years since the revolution are a heavy weight on my shoulders."
But today there is a new generation of young people in Iran who do not carry the burden of the past with them, and this gives the thirty-five-year-old artist hope. Two-thirds of students are women, and the younger Iranians are more open and modern.
They have access to high technology and the internet and are active as musicians, authors and artists: "Above all, the artist's scene in Iran is very socially engaged, although artists don't always have it easy in Iran," says Satrapi. The exhibition "Entfernte Nähe" on Iranian art currently at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin is a sign of this, according to Satrapi, who was also involved in the exhibition.
Giving a familiar face to complex realities
Recreating the world of Iran in the 1970s and 80s in a comic book and thereby giving representation to the social realities of that period offers us a unique means for understanding the childhood Satrapi experienced in Iran.
This is thus also a book for adults. With simple, contrasting images, Satrapi is able to sketch complex historical events in a manner that avoids prejudices.
She creates a familiar face to illustrate the abstract historical relations behind her own biography. Perhaps that is why her book has been so successful – and is even now being translated into Japanese and Hebrew. A German translation of the next sequels to "Persepolis" will also be published by the end of the year.
© Qantara.de 2004
Translated from the German by Christina M. White
Marjane Satrapi: Persepolis, Jonathan Cape. 2003 ISBN: 0224064401 | <urn:uuid:e0367312-d4de-4299-89fe-68332d012e6e> | CC-MAIN-2016-50 | http://en.qantara.de/content/marjane-satrapi-east-is-not-east-west-is-not-west?qt-nodes_popularity=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-50/segments/1480698541696.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20161202170901-00088-ip-10-31-129-80.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971478 | 1,354 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Setting parental controls on your TV
Most shows on TV are not geared toward young children and likely aren't something you want your kids watching. You don't want your 5-year-old accidentally watching a rerun of The Walking Dead or even some less-graphic shows with adult themes.
On the other hand, today's TV includes many excellent shows for young children, such as Dora the Explorer, Yo Gabba Gabba!, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sesame Street and Super Why. A couple of hours of educational programming throughout the week can help kick start your child's love of learning.
To make sure your kids of any age are watching only channels and programs you allow them to, try setting parental controls.
Options for parental controls
Depending on the ages of your children, you might want different options for parental controls. If you have preschoolers who watch TV, you can edit your settings to only allow them to watch certain channels during certain times. You might give your preteens some more freedom, while still preventing them from watching channels that you deem inappropriate.
Fortunately, most TVs and providers allow for you to customize your parental blocks, so you can set up the exact controls you want.
Blocking for content
Most TV providers offer variations on how to choose what you'd like to block. You can choose to block based on the rating a program receives or the content itself.
If you don't like the content and themes on a show, you can block the entire series. Is a whole channel inappropriate for your children? Set a lock for the channel so your kids can't access it at all.
Don't want your young kids watching anything rated TV-PG without you around? You can block everything with that rating and above. If you want to watch something with a higher rating, just put in your password to gain access.
Don't want your kids watching TV when they should be doing homework after school? Or up all night watching shows? Set time controls to determine when your kids are allowed to watch TV. Of course, you'll still have to be in charge of what they should be doing.
How to set parental controls
Go to the settings menu of your TV. Find the parental control or ratings section. Depending on your TV or provider, the next steps may vary. You'll likely set a PIN or password, then you'll choose what you'd like to block. Typically, you'll choose which ratings to block, such as everything PG-13 and above, or R and above.
Some other systems may allow you to block specific shows or channels, as well. Read your owner's manual or call your provider for specific information about parental controls.
After the kids have been tucked in to bed and you want to watch something you wouldn't watch with them around, you can enter your password or PIN to watch that program while keeping it blocked from your children.
Feel better about what your kids watch on TV when you're not with them. Customize your parental controls and rest easy! | <urn:uuid:0e8bab2d-afae-4453-b3a3-f5bced622c9b> | CC-MAIN-2015-18 | http://www.cable.tv/tv-tips/setting-parental-controls-on-your-tv.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-18/segments/1429246639414.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20150417045719-00124-ip-10-235-10-82.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951653 | 617 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Welcome to The Animal Hospital of Lynchburg's Heartworm Prevention webpage!
March is when we shift our attention to testing and prevention of Heartworm Disease.
Heartworm disease (dirofilariasis) is a serious and potentially fatal disease in dogs. It is caused by a worm called Dirofilaria immitis. PREVENTION IS KEY....It is always less costly and safer to prevent heartworms than to treat them and the damage they cause !!! Yearly testing & monthly preventative is the cornerstone of a heartworm-free pet.
The disease is not spread directly from dog to dog. An intermediate host, the mosquito, is required for transmission. Spread of the disease therefore coincides with the mosquito season. As many as 30 species of mosquitoes can transmit heartworms. The female mosquito bites the infected dog and ingests the microfilariae (juvenile forms of the worm) during a blood meal. The microfilariae develop further for 10 to 30 days in the mosquito and then enter the mouth parts of the mosquito. The microfilariae are now called infective larvae because at this stage of development, they will grow to adulthood when they enter a dog.
The microfilariae (young worms) circulate throughout the body but remain primarily in the small blood vessels. Because they are as wide as the small vessels, they may block blood flow in these vessels. The body cells being supplied by these vessels are deprived of the nutrients and oxygen normally supplied by the blood. The lungs and liver are primarily affected. Adult heartworms are found in the heart and large adjacent vessels of infected dogs. The female worm is 6 to 14 inches (15 to 36 cm) long and 1/8 inch (5 mm) wide; the male is about half the size of the female. One dog may have as many as 300 worms. They survive up to 5 years and, during this time, the female produces millions of young (microfilaria). Adult worms cause disease by clogging the heart and major blood vessels leading from the heart. It takes a number of years before dogs show outward signs of infection. Consequently, the disease is diagnosed mostly in 4 to 8 year old dogs. They interfere with the valve action in the heart. By clogging the main blood vessels, the blood supply to other organs of the body is reduced, particularly the lungs, liver and kidneys, leading to malfunction of these organs. Unfortunately, by the time signs are seen, the disease is well advanced. The signs of heartworm disease depend on the number of adult worms present, the location of the worms, the length of time the worms have been present, and the degree of damage to the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys from the adult worms and the microfilariae.
The most obvious signs are: a soft, dry, chronic cough, shortness of breath, weakness, nervousness, listlessness, and loss of stamina. All of these signs are most noticeable following exercise, when some dogs may even faint. Listening to the chest with a stethoscope will often reveal abnormal lung and heart sounds. In advanced cases, congestive heart failure may be apparent and the abdomen and legs will swell from fluid accumulation. There may also be evidence of weight loss, poor condition, and anemia. Severely infected dogs may die suddenly during exercise or excitement.
Serological test for antigens to adult heartworms: In most cases, the diagnosis of heartworm disease can be made by a blood test run in the veterinary hospital. Our hospital uses a test that detects antigens (proteins) produced by adult heartworms. It will be positive even if the dog does not have any microfilaria in the blood; this occurs about 20% of the time. In addition, our blood test screens for Lyme Disease, Ehrlichia and Anaplasmosis...commonly seen tick-borne diseases in our area.
Blood test for microfilariae: A blood sample is examined under the microscope for the presence of microfilariae. If microfilariae are seen, the test is positive. The number of microfilariae seen gives us a general indication of the severity of the infection.
The Animal Hospital of Lynchburg recommends the use of HEARTGARD once monthly, 12 months of the year, to prevent both heartworms as well as multiple intestinal parasites. The medication is safe for all breeds of dog, all weights and ages as young as 6 weeks. Heartgard is guaranteed to be 100% effective in preventing Heartworms, Roundsworms, and Hookworms in dogs. If you pet is on Heartgard monthly, 12 months of the year and has its annual heartworm testing, but still comes up positive for any of these parasites, we will cover the entire cost of diagnostics and treatment to remove those parasites.
Be sure to check out these important links:
American Heartworm Society at http://www.heartwormsociety.org/
Check out Heartgard Plus the most recommend prevention for heartworm disease http://www.heartgard.com/Pages/index.aspRevolution, parasite control products for dogs and cats at http://www.revolutionpet.com/default.html | <urn:uuid:59498bbd-e88f-47bf-bf9c-bc60fd9cc65b> | CC-MAIN-2019-35 | https://www.lynchburgvet.com/heartworm-disease.pml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-35/segments/1566027322160.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20190825000550-20190825022550-00235.warc.gz | en | 0.929063 | 1,068 | 3.375 | 3 |
The adoption rate of fuel cells has increased owing to the rising need for clean energy.
In a research that could jump-start the work on a range of technologies, including fuel cells, which are key to storing solar and wind energy, MIT researchers have found a simple way to significantly increase the lifetimes of fuel cells and other devices – changing the pH of the system.
Fuel/electrolysis cells made of materials known as solid metal oxides are in interest for several reasons. In electrolysis mode, they are very efficient at converting electricity from a renewable source into a storable fuel like hydrogen or methane. This storable fuel can be used in the fuel cell mode to generate electricity when the sun is not shining, or the wind isn’t blowing.
The fuel cell consists of many individual cells that are stacked together and connected by steel metal interconnects that include the element chrome to keep the metal from oxidizing. But “it turns out that at the high temperatures that these cells run, some of that chrome evaporates and migrates to the interface between the cathode and the electrolyte, poisoning the oxygen incorporation reaction,” says MIT Professor Harry Tuller.
After a certain point, the efficiency of the cell has dropped to a point where it is not worth operating any longer. “So if you can extend the life of the fuel/electrolysis cell by slowing down this process, or ideally reversing it, you could go a long way towards making it practical,” Tuller says.
The MIT team showed that you could do both by controlling the acidity of the cathode surface. To achieve their results, researchers coated the fuel/electrolysis cell cathode with lithium oxide, a compound that changes the relative acidity of the surface from being acidic to being more basic. After adding a small amount of lithium, researchers were able to recover the initial performance of a poisoned cell. And when the engineers added even more lithium, the performance improved far beyond the initial value.
“We saw improvements of three to four orders of magnitude in the key oxygen reduction reaction rate and attribute the change to populating the surface of the electrode with electrons needed to drive the oxygen incorporation reaction,” Tuller says.
The team is also interested in understanding the distribution of the different chemical additives (chromium and lithium oxide) on the surface. They found that the lithium oxide effectively dissolves the chromium to form a glassy material that no longer serves to degrade cathode performance.
The MIT work essentially shows how to recover – and speed up – the ability of the oxide solids to rapidly breathe oxygen in and out of their crystalline structures by changing the surface acidity. As a result, the engineers are optimistic that their work could be applied to other technologies, such as sensors, catalysts, and oxygen permeation-based reactors. The team is also exploring the effect of acidity on systems poisoned by different elements, like silica.
“As is often the case in science, you stumble across something and notice an important trend that was not appreciated previously. Then you test that concept further, and you discover that it is really very fundamental,” Tuller concludes. | <urn:uuid:128de19b-d40c-4413-8b07-7aee9d723032> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://www.inceptivemind.com/mit-new-technique-increases-lifetimes-fuel-cells/27239/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224648695.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20230602140602-20230602170602-00623.warc.gz | en | 0.952531 | 662 | 3.921875 | 4 |
Investigator: Robert Hadad, Cornell Regional Vegetable Program, Lockport, NY
Project location: Four organic farms in upstate New York
Project objectives are:
- To show farmers the benefits of using buckwheat strip as a management tool on their farm;
- To ascertain costs during the project from information provided by the farmers from their past experiences fighting the pest;
- To further quantify the extent to which buckwheat strips will affect beneficial insect control of CPB in a larger plot (than the previous season);
- To develop a field design that will be a template for a strategic approach to managing insect pests;
- To show that using in-season cover crops can provide multi-purpose benefits and be used as part of an active rotation plan.
The objectives of this project will ultimately show the economic importance of a buckwheat cover crop in an organic vegetable crop system. Farmers will learn first hand the intricate interrelationships between cover crops as habitat for beneficial insects and how these beneficial insects play a role in vegetable crop production. | <urn:uuid:fac934a7-53f0-407c-b436-52e6071878f8> | CC-MAIN-2022-49 | https://grants.ofrf.org/research/grants/investigating-use-buckwheat-strips-attract-beneficial-insects-management-colorado | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-49/segments/1669446710789.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20221201021257-20221201051257-00701.warc.gz | en | 0.918241 | 216 | 2.53125 | 3 |
The original Anambra State was created in 1976 when East Central State was broken into Anambra and Imo States. Then, it
Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe Statue, Onitsha
comprised the present Anambra State and Enugu State including the Abakaliki part of Ebonyi State, with Enugu as its capital. During further states creation in August 1991, Enugu State with Abakaliki was excised , leaving Anambra State as presently constituted, with Awka as its capital.
The state derives its name from the Anambra River, the largest, most southerly, leftbank tributary of the River Niger. With a total land area of 4,416 sq. km, Anambra State, situated on a generally low elevation on the eastern side of the River Niger, shares boundaries with Kogi, Enugu, Imo, Abia, Rivers, Delta and Edo states.
The creation of the present Anambra State resulted mainly from the desire to spread the gains of economic development and arrest the national problem of northsouth, geopolitical dichotomy evi dent in the former Anambra State. There was the agitation that the indigenes of the present Anambra State, because of their highly developed manpow er, dominated the state public services; while on the other hand, there was some measure of concentra tion of infrastructural base and government industri al development in the region that now is Enugu State.
Administratively, the state consists of twentyone local government areas as listed in Table 4.1 and the state capital is Awka, renowned for its craft industries, mainly blacksmithing and wood carving. There are three senatorial districts in the state, namely: (a) Anambra North, comprising Awka North and South, Njikoka, Dunukofia, Anaocha, and Idemili North and South Local Government Areas (LGAs); (b) Anambra Central, made up of Onitsha North and South, Ogbaru, Oyi, Ayamelum, and Anambra East and West LGAs; and (c) Anambra South consisting of Orumba North and South, Aguata, lhiala, Ekwusigo, and Nnewi North and South LGAs.
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These terms and conditions are subject to change at any time and without notice. | <urn:uuid:44c39278-f0f8-4f5f-b1aa-fda644287468> | CC-MAIN-2018-26 | https://www.onlinenigeria.com/anambra-state/?blurb=193 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-26/segments/1529267863043.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20180619134548-20180619154548-00546.warc.gz | en | 0.952576 | 583 | 2.84375 | 3 |
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