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Malaria Atlas Project
Blood smear of Plasmodium falciparum (gametocytes - sexual forms)
|Purpose||Determining spatial limits of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax malaria at a global scale and its endemicity within this range|
|Headquarters||Nairobi and Oxford|
|English, French and Spanish|
|Professor Bob Snow & Professor Simon I. Hay|
|Affiliations||Malaria Public Health & Epidemiology Group, Centre for Geographic Medicine, Kenya and Spatial Ecology & Epidemiology Group, University of Oxford, UK|
The Malaria Atlas Project, abbreviated as MAP, is a non-profit project primarily funded by the Wellcome Trust, UK. MAP is a joint project between the Malaria Public Health & Epidemiology Group, Centre for Geographic Medicine, Kenya and the Spatial Ecology & Epidemiology Group, University of Oxford, UK, with collaborating nodes in Americas and Asia Pacific Region.
Spatial medical intelligence is central to the effective planning of malaria control and elimination. Forty years have passed since the cartography of malaria worldwide was taken seriously. The Malaria Atlas Project (MAP) was founded in 2005 to fill this niche for the malaria control community at a global scale.
The MAP team have assembled a unique spatial database on linked information based on medical intelligence, satellite-derived climate data to constrain the limits of malaria transmission and the largest ever archive of community-based estimates of parasite prevalence. These data have been assembled and analysed by a team of geographers, statisticians, epidemiologists, biologists and public health specialists.
The initial focus of MAP has been centred on predicting the endemicity of Plasmodium falciparum, the most deadly form of the malaria parasite, due to its global epidemiological significance and its better prospects for elimination and control. Work in 2009 began to map the extent and burden of the relatively neglected Plasmodium vivax.
- Hay SI, Snow RW (2006). "The Malaria Atlas Project: Developing Global Maps of Malaria Risk.". PLoS Medicine 3 (12): e473. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0030473. PMC 1762059. PMID 17147467.
- Guerra CA, Gikandi PW, Tatem AJ, Noor AM, Smith DL, Hay SI, Snow RW (2008). "The limits and intensity of Plasmodium falciparum transmission: implications for malaria control and elimination worldwide.". PLoS Medicine 5 (2): e38. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0050038. PMC 2253602. PMID 18303939.
- Guerra CA, Hay SI, Lucioparedes LS, Gikandi P, Tatem AJ, Noor AM, Snow RW (2007). "Assembling a global database of malaria parasite prevalence for the Malaria Atlas Project.". Malaria Journal 6: 17. doi:10.1186/1475-2875-6-17. PMC 1805762. PMID 17306022.
- Hay SI, Guerra CA, Gething PW, Patil AP, Tatem AJ, Noor AM, Kabaria CW, Manh BH, Elyazar IRF, Brooker SJ, Smith DL, Moyeed RA, Snow RW (2009). Mueller, Ivo, ed. "A world malaria map: Plasmodium falciparum endemicity in 2007.". PLoS Medicine 6 (3): e1000048. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000048. PMC 2659708. PMID 19323591.
- Malaria Atlas Project — Official website |
|This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2015)|
A wireless repeater (also called wireless range extender) takes an existing signal from a wireless router or wireless access point and rebroadcasts it to create a second network. When two or more hosts have to be connected with one another over the IEEE 802.11 protocol and the distance is too long for a direct connection to be established, a wireless repeater is used to bridge the gap. It can be a specialized stand alone computer networking device. Also, some Wireless network interface controllers (WNIC)s optionally support operating in such a mode. Those outside of the primary network will be able to connect through the new "repeated" network. However, as far as the original router or access point is concerned, only the repeater MAC is connected, making it necessary to enable safety features on the wireless repeater. Wireless repeaters are commonly used to improve signal range and strength within homes and small offices.
- When in an area with no wireless hotspots.
- In an area with much interference.
- When the distance between the computer and the wireless access point or wireless router is too great for the internal wireless network interface card to receive the wireless signal.
- When networking in an environment with interference and multiple computers or Hubs.
Since only one wireless device can transmit at once, wireless transmissions are doubled (router to repeater and then repeater to client versus just router to client), and so:
- Wireless throughput is reduced by at least 50%.
- Wireless interference (e.g., with other networks on the same channel) is at least doubled.
Some wireless range extending devices connect via a USB port. These USB adapters add Wi-Fi capability to desktop PCs and other devices that have standard USB ports. USB supports not only the data transfers required for networking, but it also supplies a power source so that these adapters do not require electrical plugs.
There are wireless range extending devices that conform to all 802.11 protocols. Most 802.11 compliant devices are backwards compatible. However, 802.11ac runs at 5 GHZ and requires an access point capable of 5 GHz operation. 802.11ac is the most recent and third-generation Wi-Fi standard for wireless home networking. 802.11ac equipment is backward compatible with 802.11n, 802.11g or 802.11b equipment.
An older range extender will not be able to repeat the signal of a newer generation router. Security encryption compatibility also matters and must be at the same level of compatibility for the signal to be extended. For example an older range extender which supports WEP and WPA will not be able to boost a WPA2 signal from a router.
Most wireless repeaters (or range extenders) are purpose built, but certain wireless routers can be flashed with custom firmware such as DD-WRT to give them a 'range extender' option.
A better option for extending wireless coverage is to configure a secondary box as a wireless access point, with a wired connection between a LAN port on the secondary box and a LAN port on the primary box (a wireless router). If Ethernet wiring is not an option, an alternative is powerline networking -- AV500 technology is inexpensive and good.[vague] Wireless extender kits consisting of a powerline adapter module (connected to the wireless router) and a wireless extender module (integrated powerline networking and wireless access point) are available.
- Mitchell, Bradley. "Wireless Networking", About.com, 2010. Retrieved 2010-4-29. |
Living near hydraulic fracturing (fracking) sites may increase the risk of some birth defects, according to a new study, though the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has countered that the findings indicate association, not causation, and should not cause great concern. The study found that an infant born to a mother who lives in an area with a high density of wells, defined as more than 125 per mile, had increased odds of being born with a congenital heart defect or neural tube defect.
A research team led by Lisa McKenzie, with the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Colorado School of Public Health, examined 124,842 births between 1996 and 2009 in rural Colorado. They focused on mothers living away from urban pollution sources such as traffic, congestion and industry and selected a time frame to pre-date the rapid expansion of fracking and directional drilling, which the authors pegged to around 2000. The study examined the most common classes of birth defects thought to result, in part, from the mother’s surrounding environment during the first trimester, including exposure to suspected teratogens, mutagens that are known to cross the placenta, raising the possibility of fetal exposure. Those teratogens include benzene, toluene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum-based solvents — air pollutants tied to natural gas wells and associated drilling processes and infrastructure, including the diesel engines used to move the gas and equipment on and off the well site. They did not find a significant association with lower birth weights, pre-term births or oral clefts.
The study, which was published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, cross-referenced natural gas well locations geocoded based on longitudinal information from the Colorado Oil and Gas Information System and individual birth data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Birth mothers in the study’s high risk category had a 30 percent greater prevalence of congenital heart defects than mothers with no wells within a 10-mile radius of their homes. Out of 1,000 births, nine babies will have some form of congenital heart disorder, according to the American Heart Association — to ease the math, that would be 180 births in 20,000. In this study, of 19,793 births to women near 126 to 1,400 wells, 355 had congenital heart defects. Congenital heart defects are malformations present at birth that can range from holes between chambers of the heart to the complete absence of one or more chambers or valves in the heart, leading to medical conditions such as arrhythmias, as well as heart failure.
Births to mothers living in the study’s high risk areas also showed a possible association with increase in incidence of neural tube defects, birth defects of the brain, spine or spinal cord. Those defects can include spina bifida, in which the spinal column doesn’t completely close, often causing at least some leg paralysis, and anencephaly, in which the brain and skull do not develop. Exposure to benzene was linked to neural tube defects in a previous study.
“We’ve just seen a growing body of science develop over the past several years in particular that raise serious concerns for this rapid expansion of drilling and fracking across the country, especially as it moves into more populated areas,” says Emily Wurth, water program director for Food and Water Watch, which has been campaigning against fracking for four years. “The technology really got way out ahead of the science and we’re seeing increasing evidence that this process is inherently a risk to public health and the environment.”
Dr. Larry Wolk, chief medical officer and executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, issued the following response to the study: “It is difficult to draw conclusions from this study, due to its design and limitations. We appreciate continuing research about possible public health implications that may be associated with oil and gas operations in Colorado. With regard to this particular study, people should not rush to judgment.”
Wolk goes on to say that the study has not distinguished between active and inactive wells or taken into account other risk factors for birth defects, such as smoking, drinking and the mother’s folic acid intake, and was unable to pinpoint where mothers lived at the time of conception or during the first trimester of pregnancy. Pre-term birth rates actually decreased, as did low birth-weight babies, he adds.
Contrary to Wolk’s statement, the study did, in fact, register whether birth mothers had reported smoking or consuming alcohol during pregnancy.
Wolk added that the way the risk of congenital heart disease was presented was “difficult to interpret” and that their findings indicated only association, not causation, in a state he insists has some of the most stringent oil and gas rules in the country.
He also pointed out that the authors themselves provided three pages of limitations — but among those, the researchers noted that birth defects were most likely under-counted because non-live births (babies with severe neural defects may be stillborn), terminated pregnancies and later-life diagnoses were left out.
“Overall, we feel this study highlights interesting areas for further research and investigation, but is not conclusive in itself. We agree there is public concern about the effects of oil and gas operations on health, including birth outcomes. While this paper was an attempt to address those concerns, we disagree with many of the specific associations with the occurrence of birth defects noted within the study,”
Wolk concludes. “As Chief Medical Officer, I would tell pregnant women and mothers who live, or who at the time of their pregnancy lived, in proximity to a gas well not to rely on this study as an explanation of why one of their children might have had a birth defect. Many factors known to contribute to birth defects were ignored in this study.”
“I am absolutely stunned that the Hickenlooper administration would launch this broad-scale attack on the medical researchers at the University of Colorado,” Gary Wockner, Colorado Program Director of Clean Water Action, said in an emailed statement. “That Hickenlooper’s appointee is telling pregnant women to disregard this study is seriously questionable.”
The study concludes that further research on specific activities and production levels near homes over the course of pregnancy would provide more refined estimates. Recent data has indicated that exposure to natural gas development is increasingly common, with the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission estimating that 26 percent of more than 47,000 wells in Colorado are within 150 to 1,000 feet of a home or other building occupied by humans.
The study concludes, “Taken together, our results and current trends in [natural gas development] underscore the importance of conducting more comprehensive and rigorous research on the potential health effects of [natural gas development].” |
A temporary shortage of gas caused by a hack attack on much of the east coast last month and fears of rising inflation have made some people wonder if the 1970s are back. The Bureau of Economic Analysis report released last week did little to allay these fears. He found that the personal consumption expenditure (PCE) price index is up 3.9 percent since last May, the highest annual increase since August 2008. Fortunately, since the 1970s the tax code has been better structured to account for inflation . Otherwise, however, a return in inflation would create tax problems for the real economy.
In the 1970s, the “creep of brackets” in the tax code was a major cause for concern. In a progressive income tax with multiple tax brackets, where rates rise based on nominal income, inflation-related income increases drive taxpayers into higher tax brackets without real income rising. With annual inflation averaging over 5 percent, this was a real problem. Ultimately, this meant paying more taxes without accompanying legislation.
Here is an example from the Tax Foundation’s Tax Basics resource:
Imagine if Beth had an annual income of $ 50,000 in 2000 and her income grows to $ 75,000 by 2020. One could point out that Beth’s salary has increased nominally by 50 percent. However, the cumulative inflation rate between 2000 and 2020 was around 50 percent. That means Beth’s higher salary in 2020 will actually buy her the same amount of goods and services in today’s economy. In other words, their purchasing power has stayed the same.
Now imagine that Beth is faced with a simple two-rate tax plan that charges a 10 percent tax rate on the first $ 50,000 of her income and a 20 percent tax rate on income over $ 50,000. For example, suppose these thresholds were introduced 20 years ago and haven’t changed since Beth made $ 50,000. Although Beth is now buying the same amount of goods and services with her 2020 salary, she has been pushed into a higher tax bracket, resulting in a higher tax liability. The category thresholds have not kept pace with inflation.
These clandestine tax increases contributed to the passage of the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 (ERTA), which from 1985 provided for inflation indexation for tax brackets. With inflation indexation, each tax bracket increases in line with the change in total prices. In Beth’s example, the 10 percent range that applied to all incomes under $ 50,000 in 2000 would apply to all incomes under $ 75,000 in 2020.
Inflation also plays a role in how companies deduct the cost of their investments. When companies pay corporation tax, they deduct their costs as they are taxed on their profits. However, companies cannot immediately deduct all of their costs – especially the amount they spend on investments like buildings and machinery may need to be deducted over several years based on an approximate life expectancy of the asset. For example, trucks are deducted over five years, office furniture is deducted over seven years, and a warehouse is deducted over 39 years.
Due to inflation and the time value of money, the present value of depreciation under these depreciation plans is less than the original cost of the investment. If a company spends $ 39,000 to buy a building, the $ 1,000 deduction in year 39 is worth much less than the $ 1,000 deduction in year 1. That is both in the time value of money and business would rather make a deduction sooner than later and inflation, because even a low and stable level of inflation significantly reduces the real monetary value over long periods of time.
If companies are not allowed to deduct the full investment costs, the investment costs are disadvantaged compared to other expenses. The consequence of this imbalance is lower capital investment. Less investment means less productivity gains, slowing economic growth and wage growth.
The following table shows how the present value of late deductions decreases as inflation rises, using the standard MACRS (Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System) rules for depreciation allowances. Even before 2020, when inflation was historically low, the long-term asset deductions lost more than half their value due to the combination of the still low inflation rate and the time value of money. With inflation expected to rise, companies can withdraw an even smaller proportion of their physical capital investment over time.
|5 year asset||10 year asset||15 year asset||20 year asset||39 year old asset|
|Full cost accounting||$ 100.00||$ 100.00||$ 100.00||$ 100.00||$ 100.00|
|MACRS if the inflation rate falls below (1.5%)||$ 89.68||$ 80.75||$ 73.00||$ 66.26||$ 47.50|
|MACRS when the inflation rate is in line with the Federal Reserve’s target (2%)||$ 88.63||$ 78.94||$ 70.66||$ 63.56||$ 44.38|
|MACRS with US Federal Reserve forecast inflation rate 2021 (3.4%)||$ 85.81||$ 74.22||$ 64.71||$ 56.87||$ 37.23|
|MACRS with a higher than expected inflation rate (5%)||$ 82.78||$ 69.37||$ 58.85||$ 50.53||$ 31.20|
Note: Assumes straight-line depreciation, semi-annual convention, 3 percent real discount rate plus inflation.
Source: authors’ calculations.
The complete and immediate crediting, in which the investment costs can be deducted in the year in which they arise, eliminates this problem. Evidence from the United States and abroad has shown that the ability to withdraw investment earlier has led to increases in investment, production, and wages. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) allowed companies to bear the cost of short-lived assets as an expense, but that policy will expire next year. With fears of inflation mounting, it becomes more urgent to make these provisions permanent.
Crediting is the easiest way to make the Income Tax Act more resilient to inflation problems. There are some political arguments that taxes on capital gains and interest should also be linked to inflation. However, this is much more difficult to manage, and these changes have a much smaller impact on economic growth compared to the full spending.
In summary, while some tax legislation can deal with inflation, fully accounting for capital investments would be a major improvement in this regard.
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Guam Flag - This flag was adopted in 1948. The flag consists of a dark blue background, red boarder and an almond shaped emblem (the Seal of Guam) in the centre. Symbolically, the red boarder is for the blood spilled in WW2 and the Spanish sovereignty. The emblem in the middle is the coat of arms, while shape represents the slingshot stones used by the islanders ancestors.
Prior to this flag being used, the Flag of Spain was used during the Spanish East Indies (1565 - 1899), and then the Flag of Japan during the Empire of Japan (1868 - 1947).
Our Guam flags are finished with a loop at the top and bottom of the flag to be used with clips to attach to the rope and run up a flag pole. Clips are included with the flag for your convenience.
The flags come in a range of sizes for you to choose from, select your size from the drop down menu.
We can make flags to your specifications such as a custom design or vertical sleeve finish, please contact us for a quote. |
Australia, from Port Macquarie to Moreton Bay/Part 2
Port Macquarie—Pleasing scenery—River Hastings—Rich agricultural farms on the tributaries of the Hastings—The sugar plantation and the success that attended it-— Frequent rains in consequence of the altitude of the mountain chains, and their proximity to the coast—Road to the table-land—Capt. King's opinion of the wide extent of fertile country in the vicinity of Port Macquarie—Notes taken during a ride from the MacLeay river to the Hunter— Description of the Clarence river—Fine grazing country—Easy communication between the high table-land and the Clarence—The Richmond river—Extensive tracts of rich land—The Tweed—Moreton Bay—Mr. Oxley's official despatch on the discovery of the Brisbane river—Sources of the Brisbane—Brisbane town—Great fertility of the country—Its capabilities for maintaining a dense population—Climate equally salubrious with the more southern parts of the colony—Moreton Bay well adapted for the culture of many tropical productions—The Bunya-bunya tree—Great numbers of Aborigines in the districts where this tree abounds—Distinctive features of the north-eastern part of the territory of New South Wales, when compared with the more central part of that colony; its geological formation, lofty chains of mountains, numerous rivers and streams, and adaptation for tropical productions.
The town of Port Macquarie is situated on the south side of the river Hastings, just inside of the bar, in 31° 25' 45" south latitude. Port Macquarie is a well built little town, the houses being of brick, and generally surrounded by neat verandahs, and trellis work. The first view from the sea of Port Macquarie is very pleasing. On entering the surf of the bar, one sees immediately beyond the last breaker, the mirror-like surface of the river extending in a long reach; whilst on the left, dark serpentine rocks protect the base of a smooth round eminence, covered with green sward, and crowned by the signal-post, fire-beacon, and windmill. A little farther on is the town, built on a gentle rise, which shows to advantage its pretty little cottages with pointed roofs, its broad straight streets, coated with dark red gravel, and levelled with as much accuracy as garden walks, and its tall square church tower conspicuously prominent in the highest part of the town. A grove of magnificent trees encircles Port Macquarie, and extends along the banks of the river; whilst turning to the west and north-west, the eye embraces a wide extent of forest country, and can trace, among the mountain ranges, the windings of the valley through which the river Wilson flows; Mount Caoulapatamba being sufficiently near to enable one to distinguish every tree on its grassy declivities, whilst the distant ranges at the MacLeay river, and the huge frowning mountain at the back of Cogo, are half dissolved in blue ether.
When I first saw Port Macquarie, five years ago, I had been but a few months in the colony, and had at that time only seen the country in the county of Cumberland round Sydney, which quite coincided with what I had previously read respecting the sterility of the soil of New Holland, and the dry, harsh, dismal appearance of its vegetation. I was therefore much struck with the luxuriance of the vegetation on the coast, as we approached Port Macquarie; dense thickets of cabbage palms and myrtle trees, extended down the gently sloping rocky declivities, even within reach of the spray, and every unwooded patch was covered with grass. I had certainly never before seen a coast so beautiful; the tints of the rocks, foliage, and verdure, were all of that warm, mellow kind which a painter would delight in studying. The lofty forest too, rising so luxuriantly close to the sea, presented a- great contrast to the stunted Banksia thickets, and desiccated scrubs, which I had seen on the sea coast in the sandstone districts round Sydney.
The river Hastings. rises at Mount Warragembi, which is one of the summits on the range which divides the basin of the Manning river from that of the MacLeay. This range branches out at Mount Warragembi, so as to form the basin of the Hastings river, which consequently does not rise in the great main chain of mountains dividing the eastern and western waters, as some authors have averred. Mr. Montgomery Martin, in his work on New South Wales, has committed a great error with regard to the Hastings river. He writes that "the river Hastings rises in a parallel of 33½° south latitude, and under the meridian of 150° east, having a course of 2045 Statute miles, throughout which the elevation of its source, being 3500 feet above the level of the sea, would give its waters an average descent of 20 inches in each mile, supposing the bed of the river to be an inclined plane." Now the source of the Hastings is in 31° 50' south latitude, instead of 33½° and its longitude is 151° 50' east, instead of 150° east, as Mr. Montgomery Martin avers; the length of its course also is scarcely more than one hundred miles, instead of 2045 statute miles. The cause of such great misrepresentation is this. In the history of Captain Sturt's expedition down the Macquarie river, which passes through Bathurst, that enterprising traveller made some observations respecting the length of the course of that river, and the average fall of its waters. Mr, Montgomery Martin, unaccountably confounding the Hastings river with the Macquarie, (although their sources are two hundred miles distant from each other, and their courses in opposite directions,) copied Captain Sturt^s remarks on the Macquarie, and applied them to the Hastings; also giving to the source of the latter river, the latitude and longitude of the source of the former.
There are many errors of a more trivial nature in Mr. Montgomery Martin's work, which however cannot fail of striking any person who has resided some time in the colony; thus, for instance, in his description of the X. arborea or Grass-tree, he remarks that "from the centre of the leaves springs a foot-stalk twenty feet long, resembling the sugar-cane, and terminating in a spiral spike, not unlike an ear of wheat. This stem is used by the natives for spears, the end being hardened by fire." The stem of the Grass-tree is however soft and pithy, scarcely stronger than a kail stalk, and quite incapable of being pointed or hardened; the use the natives make of it, is to fasten a well dried piece of it with gum to the after part of their spears, that its lightness, acting like the feathers of an arrow, may prevent the spear from rising in the air when thrown. Again, after giving most formidable Latin lists of Australian birds, copied from Swainson and others, Mr. Martin observes in another place, in his description of Illawarra, that there are in that locality, black cockatoos with scarlet crests. There are no such birds in the colony; there are black cockatoos marked with yellow on the tails, and two varieties of black macaws with scarlet bands on their tails, but their crests are black. The bird to which I presume Mr. Martin alludes is an iron-grey bird with a scarlet head, (Callocephalon galleatum) which is very often met with at Illawarra. Errors such as these are scarcely worth mentioning, and are almost unavoidable in writing a work of such magnitude as Mr. Montgomery Martin's History of all the British Colonies.
The Hastings and its tributaries are navigable for boats as far as the influence of the tide extends, which runs up the Maria creek to the village reserve at Mariaville, which is about thirty-six miles distant from the town of Port Macquarie. All the available land on the banks of the Hastings has been, at various times, purchased at the Government land sales, but the quantity of land which has been brought under cultivation is not very great. The principal agricultural farms in the county of Macquarie are situated on the banks of the Wilson river, a tributary of the Hastings, and a never-failing stream, flowing through a narrow valley. These farms form a contiguous chain for twelve or fifteen miles, and a very good road connects the whole of them with the embryo township of Ballengarra, the point at which the Wilson river becomes navigable for boats, and which is about twenty miles distant by water from the town of Port Macquarie. These farms are all composed of alluvial soil of the utmost richness; wheat, maize, barley, tobacco, &c. have always been grown on them with the greatest success; and the Colonial Government, during the time that Port Macquarie was a penal settlement, established a sugar plantation on the banks of the Wilson river. The canes succeeded very well, and some sugar was fabricated; but a heavy flood having nearly destroyed the machinery of the sugar-mills, the undertaking was abandoned.
The climate of the district of Port Macquarie is much more agreeable than that of Sydney; the mountains approaching nearer to the coast collect the vapours from the sea, and cause more frequent rains; in summer, especially, the heat is mitigated by many heavy thunder showers. Notwithstanding its comparative vicinity to the tropics, Port Macquarie seems almost entirely exempt from those hot scorching winds, which so frequently occur during the summer months at Sydney; or if they ever happen in the Port Macquarie district, they are so slight as to be scarcely felt. Those sudden, violent gusts of wind, also, from the south, which generally happen at the close of a hot day in Sydney, raising dense clouds of dust in the air, and causing the thermometer to fall twenty degrees in a quarter of an hour, are comparatively unknown in the county of Macquarie. The north-eastern part of the territory of New South Wales, between the great main range, dividing the eastern and western waters, and the ocean, has never experienced such long desolating droughts as those which have occasionally been felt in the central and western parts of New South Wales. The greatest drought which has ever yet been experienced in the northern district was in 1841-2; the natural grasses at our stations were then quite desiccated on the ranges, and the whole country was continually in flames; the only young grass for the cattle and sheep being in the flats. Notwithstanding this, the chains of water-holes were as frill of water as ever, and I never saw finer crops of wheat than were reaped during this droughty season on the alluvial farms on the banks of the Wilson river, and at the squatting stations on the MacLeay river. Dr. Stacey at the Wilson, and Mr. Macleod at Dongai creek, near the MacLeay, reaped crops of wheat averaging upwards of forty bushels to the acre; the weight per bushel being sixty-five pounds. At the same period, most of the crops, in the country nearer Sydney, failed. However, in ordinary moist seasons, wheat does not succeed so well on rich alluvial land in the northern district; the straw grows too rankly and luxuriantly, and the quantity of the grain is diminished in consequence, and of inferior quality, being specifically lighter than wheat grown on forest flats. The best ground for wheat, in the county of Port Macquarie, and at the MacLeay river, would be that of the lightly wooded apple-tree flats.
I have already alluded to the mountain road, which has been rendered practicable for wool-drays, between Port Macquarie and the table land of New England. This elevated district is undoubtedly the best sheep country in Australia, and the squatters there have been much benefited by the diminished land carriage for their wool down this road; for short land carriage will henceforth be an object of greater importance than ever, since the Australian flock-masters have arrived at the conclusion, that the only way of disposing of their surplus sheep, is to boil them down for tallow, with a view of creating a new marketable article of export.
In order to show that my remarks, on the peculiar features and richness of the Macquarie county, are corroborated by other authorities, I will here quote from Murray's New Encyclopaedia of Geography, a description of the country surrounding Port Macquarie, principally deduced from the observations of Captain King, R.N.,the present resident Commissioner of the Australian Agricultural Company, in the neighbouring county of Gloucester, and whose name has acquired considerable celebrity in the scientific world from his surveying voyage round the coasts of New Holland.
"The river Hastings, with the country round it, has since, in its turn, been made a free settlement. The Hastings was discovered, as already observed, by Mr. Oxley, (the late Surveyor General) on his return from his second journey. It is not very important in a navigable view, since it cannot be ascended more than ten miles by vessels of any size; but it flows through a great valley, extending fifty miles inland, till it reaches the mountains, and with a breadth nearly uniform. This tract is various, but generally broken into a pleasing undulation of hill and dale, and consisting mostly of what is called open forest, by which is meant grass land, lightly covered with good timber, and free from the perils of inundation."
Captain King remarks, that "there are here twelve million acres in which it is difficult to find a bad tract. It is, in general, finely watered with clear small streams, an advantage not enjoyed by the more southern districts of the colony. The climate is nearly tropical, and rather too hot for wheat, which is apt to run to straw; maize and rice would, of course, flourish, and sugar and tobacco have been tried with success. The inland dividing Blue Mountains, are very rugged and lofty, rising to 6500 feet, but to the south-west of these mountains is the extensive range of pastoral districts, called Liverpool Plains. Port Macquarie is a bar harbour, into which vessels, drawing more than nine feet of water, cannot safely enter; there is good anchorage outside, and the shore is not dangerous. Not far from hence was recently discovered another river, navigable for vessels of 300 tons, to 57 miles from its mouth, and which falls into Tryal bay. The banks consisted of open pastoral forest, and alluvial untimbered plains, holding out the most flattering prospects to the settler."
Before proceeding to describe the other parts of the northern district, from Port Macquarie to Moreton Bay, I will here insert the journal of a ride from my tents, near the range dividing the MacLeay and Nambucca rivers, across the counties of Macquarie and Gloucester, to the river Hunter, being a distance of two hundred miles; as it will serve to give some idea of the nature of the country passed over.
Some affairs of importance having rendered my presence in Sydney necessary, in the beginning of the year 1841, I had engaged a passage on board one of the small vessels which load in the MacLeay river, with cedar for the Sydney market This vessel, taking advantage of a favourable wind one morning, had crossed the bar and put out to sea, whilst I was absent with my blacks in the whaleboat. Having gone out to sea with my black crew to attempt to join the vessel, a strong north-easterly wind drove us back, and as a tremendous surf was breaking on the shore, we got upset on entering the breakers. We narrowly escaped getting dashed on the rocks, as the wind had driven us very near a rocky headland on which the sea was breaking very heavily, and after we had swam to the shore, I found the boat was shattered from stem to stern. Having previously sent my clothes on board the vessel which had sailed, and there being no other, either at the MacLeay or at Port Macquarie, I returned to my tents, and determined to ride across the country to the river Hunter, from whence steamers proceed every day to Sydney. Accordingly, on the next day, (April 18th), I ordered my horse to be saddled, and started off alone from my tents towards the fords of the MacLeay, near Steele's cattle station. I arrived there about two o'clock, and crossed the river at the ford below the junction of Dongai creek with the MacLeay. I now rode up Dongai creek to MacLeod's station, which is situated on the banks of this stream. A large patch of rich land was under cultivation at this squatting station, and was now covered with a luxuriant crop of maize. I here turned off from the creek, and crossed some thickly wooded, undulating forest land, well clothed with grass, and abundantly watered by chains of water-holes in brushy hollows. A few miles south of Dongai creek I commenced the ascent of the range dividing the basin of the MacLeay river from that of the Hastings. This range is of no great altitude here, for its elevation above the level of the sea does not exceed one thousand feet; but a few miles to the westward it increases in altitude, until the square-topped mountain near Cogo, which throws off the lateral ranges, forming the basin of the Wilson river on one side and that of Dongai creek on the other, is, I should suppose, four thousand feet above the sea.
On the lower slopes of this range, towards the MacLeay river, limestone frequently appears above the surface of the ground, whilst the summit is very scenery was surpassingly beautiful as the shades of evening crept over the landscape. The alluvial plains in the narrow valley were of a rich golden hue from the ripe maize, which formed a strong contrast to the dark green foliage of the lofty brush, and the glistening white trunks of the gigantic Flooded gum trees. Immediately beyond the brush, lightly wooded forest hills, verdant and grassy, rose in graceful waving contour; whilst looking up the valley, lofty mountains, covered with brush, and tinted with deep purple, from the reflected light of the glowing evening sky, closed the scene to the north-west. Having rode past some neat wooden cottages erected on the farms, along a good dray track, and having crossed to the right bank of the river, I passed the fine water-mills belonging to Messrs. Freeman and Gorum, and arrived just After dusk at Dr. Stacey's, where I stopped for the night., consisting of a soft kind of sandstone. After crossing this range I descended it on the south side, along a very stoney slope, grassy and heavily wooded, until I arrived at the first watercourse; I then rode for several miles over a monotonous succession of low thickly wooded ranges, and brushy hollows containing water-courses, or chains of water-holes, until I arrived at the Wilson river. The track here led me through the chain of rich cultivated farms bordering on this stream. The
As the alluvial plains of the Wilson are subject to occasional floods. Dr. Stacey has built his house in a very judicious manner, on strong wooden pillars, sufficiently high to be far beyond the reach of the highest floods. These pillars, being connected by weather boards, form underneath the house a sort of outhouse or store-room, which can be easily thrown open on the approach of floods, so as to offer no impediment to the water, whilst a covered wooden gallery, in the Swiss style, surrounds the upper portion of the building in which the family resides.
April 19th.—Having taken leave of my hospitable host, I passed the large brick stores, originally erected by the Government as a sugar-mill. The ground formerly planted with the canes was now covered by a fine crop of maize, I rode on, down the valley of the Wilson along its right bank, which is skirted by a very good road. Having passed along the foot of Mount Caoulapatamba, a large round-topped hill on the range between the Wilson and the Hastings, I crossed the Wilson again in an alluvial brush, and a little farther on arrived at Ballengarra, where the Wilson river becomes affected by the tide, and is navigable for boats. The police magistrate at Port Macquarie has stationed some men here with a punt, for the convenience of the settlers at the Wilson. Having crossed the river in it, I entered on a very thickly wooded, undulating country, tolerably grassy, and intersected by moist tea-tree flats and sedgy hollows. This description of country extended to the Hastings river, which I reached at its junction with the Maria river, at Blackman's point, where another punt has been established. The Hastings has a beautiful appearance here, as the reaches are of great length, and of an uniform width of about a quarter of a mile. On its left bank there is a pretty cottage, with a flourishing garden of vines and fruit trees, and some distance further down the river, on the right bank, is the handsome villa of Dr. Carlisle.
Having crossed over in the punt, I followed the track to the settlement of Port Macquarie, which extends for some distance along the bank of the river, traversing mangrove thickets and brushy forest land. Having passed at the back of Dr. Carlisle's vineyards, I arrived at Port Macquarie about one o'clock. After taking some refreshment there, and given my horse a feed of corn, I continued my journey. The road I took led me along some forest land and marshes to the beautiful residence of Major Innes, which is situated on a gentle eminence, that slopes down gradually to a large fresh- water lake, beyond which the house commands an extensive view of the ocean and the coast. A few miles further on, I met the line of marked trees to the Manning, near Walter's station. The country now consisted for some distance of thickly wooded, undulating forest land, tolerably grassy, and intersected by chains of water-holes and small watercourses, until I reached a sandy patch of ground, thickly clothed with grass, and timbered exclusively by Banksia, or honeysuckle, which is rather a rare tree in the Port Macquarie district, except in the immediate vicinity of the coast. Having again entered on a tract of the ordinary grassy forest land, heavily wooded by black-butt, iron-bark, stringybark, grey gum, mahogany, and forest oak, and furrowed by innumerable brushy hollows, containing water-courses, I rode on over this kind of country until dusk, when I stopped for the night at a gravelly creek just outside of the brush.
Being without a companion, I unsaddled my horse, and tethered him on some young grass; then collecting some wood, I made a large fire. After making a solitary meal on some biscuits and a flask of wine, which I carried in my saddle bags, I laid down to sleep. Being very lightly clothed in a blouse and summer trousers, I awoke shivering with cold after a short sleep, as the fire had burnt itself out, for want of fresh fuel. I therefore got up, and groping about in the dark in search of some more wood, I soon made a roaring blaze again. My next doze was interrupted rather suddenly; for it seemed that as my second fire diminished, I had insensibly crept nearer to it in my sleep, until the straggling ends of my neckerchief became ignited and blazed into my face.
April 20th.—Having breakfasted and watered my horse, I put on his saddle, and continued my journey. I now crossed a succession of short heavily wooded ranges, covered with fern and wiry grass, and separated by brushy hollows, containing gravelly water-courses. On crossing the range bounding the basin of the river Hastings, I at length entered a deeper brush of a more alluvial character, and encountered a large stream which flows into Camden Haven inlet. The brush of this creek was diversified by an abundance of bangolo palms, fern-trees, and large flooded gum-trees. After crossing it I entered on another tract of country of similar features to that on the north side of Camden creek, the low ranges being of good soil, and tolerably grassy, heavily wooded by large timber, with an underwood of Xanthorrheæ, tree-ferns, and a dwarf kind of Coripha. I then ascended a ridge of some elevation, and obtained an extensive view, To the right was the Broken-bago range, which divides the basin of the Manning river from that of the Hastings, and which was covered all over with the densest forest: on the highest conical summit of this range, a tall pinnacle of naked rock shot up perpendicularly above the trees, like a church-steeple. Looking eastward I discerned the verdant headlands at the entrance of Camden Haven inlet, with a long line of white surf at their bases, and more to the south, the three lofty hills, which stand comparatively isolated, near the coast, called "The Three Brothers," and which form such prominent landmarks when viewed from the sea. I still encountered for some distance further the same unvarying thickly wooded grassy ranges, and gravelly creeks in brushy hollows, at one of which I met with two natives who were getting some honey from the branch of a tree. They belonged to one of the Manning river tribes, and told me that the tribe was "close up bulga," (near the mountain), pointing to one of the Three Brothers. Having borrowed their fire-stick to light my pipe, and given them a piece of tobacco, I went a little farther on, and alighted a short time, whilst my horse fed upon some good young grass. On resuming my journey I pas^ along the foot of one of the Brothers, over a grassy flat, timbered by tea-trees, and swamp oak. A little farther on I met a number of the women belonging to the tribe just mentioned, and soon after I encountered a party of the blacks themselves. They were very solicitous about the Port Macquarie "blackfellows," and made many inquiries as to what they were doing and where they were encamped, on which subjects I could give them no information. They were more importunate and greedy than the less civilized blacks beyond the MacLeay, who had not had so much intercourse with the whites, teasing me for tobacco, and asking for my handkerchief; so I soon rode away from them. The country now became less thickly wooded, and a few miles farther, on crossing a range crowned by a mass of naked pudding-stone rock, I saw, to the left, the extensive swamps to the north of the Manning called Jamaica plains, the intense verdure of which, formed a pleasing contrast to the more yellow-tinted green of the grassy forest hills. I now entered some extensive flats, covered with high grass, and timbered by large blue gum-trees and tea-trees, standing widely apart from each other. There were a great many creeks, and chains of deep water-holes here, which meandered among these flats without being enveloped in brush. The soil was very rich. This level tract extended to Major Innes' cattle station at Brinben, where I arrived at nightfall, being guided thither by the barking of the dogs, as I had ridden for some distance, to the left of the usual track to that station. I was hospitably entertained here by the overseer, whose wife soon placed before me a dish of eggs and bacon, to which I did full justice after my day's ride whilst my horse was recruited with a feed of maize.
April 21st.—It rained hard this morning, when I started after breakfast up the valley of the Manning river. On leaving Brinben I passed over several miles of good grassy undulating forest country, of park-like aspect, and rich soil, and watered by several fine brooks, the largest of which was the Dingo river, a tributary stream of some importance flowing into the Manning, I now crossed some fertile grassy hills, very lightly wooded, and rode past several sheep-stations. Having, at length, entered the brush of the Manning, I crossed over a ford near the Gloucester river, which joins it on the south side. The scenery was very beautiful here. The surrounding ranges of hills were all either very lightly wooded and grassy, or else covered over with brush timber and entangled vegetation. Most of the park-like hills rose in round conical summits, and were probably composed of clay slate; whilst one heavily wooded range, on the south bank of the river, was crowned by huge masses of rock, overgrown with creepers, and resembling the ivy-clothed battlements of some ancient fortress. Some sawyers near here kindly invited me into their hut to take some refreshment; the frying-pan was immediately put in requisition, and they soon placed before me a huge plateful of fried pork, a damper as large as a blackfellow's shield, a kettle-full of tea saturated with sugar, and a pot of milk. My horse was also indebted to their hospitality, as he got several cobs of corn. There were a number of blacks here, and I noticed, among the children, several who were of a brown colour, like the South Sea islanders, being the offspring of white men. The wilder tribes of Australian natives, however, invariably put to death the children resulting from the intercourse between their women and the stockmen at out-stations, especially if they are males.
On the other side of the Manning I entered the county of Gloucester, in which the Australian Agricultural Company possess a portion of their grant. I now rode to the right of the rocky range before mentioned, tracing up the valley of a fine limpid brook, which flowed in a bed of dark-coloured rock. As I advanced, the country became rather hilly, but very grassy; the ranges were lightly wooded by blue gum and stringy bark, whilst the apple-tree, (Angophora lanceolata), predominated in the valleys and on the lower slopes of the hills. The country in this neighbourhood would be very good for sheep, if the grass were not allowed to grow too long and too old, for when once the Australian grass becomes dry, the sheep will never eat it. An intelligent overseer of a sheep-station in Australia, ought therefore so to regulate the grass on his run, by feeding it down, and burning it off in small patches at a time, as to ensure a constant supply of the young succulent grass for the flocks at all times. The Australian Agricultural Company's land seemed to be extremely well watered in this part of their grant, but notwithstanding the more luxuriant aspect of the country hereabouts, I believe their sheep thrive better on the open plains on the other side of the mountains. In the evening I arrived at the first sheep-station belonging to the company, after passing the grave of two shepherds, who had been killed by the blacks at this place. The convict overseer who had charge of this station, gave me better fare than one generally gets at similar establishments, viz. mutton-chops, new milk, a comfortable mattress, and a feed of maize for my horse. There were six shepherds at this station, and several old black women, who had resorted thither, seemed to be of great service, in helping to look after the sheep, bringing in firewood, &c.
April 22nd.—I quitted this morning the hut of my attentive host, who rejoiced in the traversed an excellent tract of grazing country, consisting of undulating forest land, lightly wooded by blue-gums and apple-trees. In this part, I travelled for many miles without seeing a single forest-oak, (Casuarina torulosa), which forms, almost universally, a sort of underwood to the larger trees of the genus Eucalypti, in the forests of New South Wales; the swamp odk,(Casuarina paludosa), was however very abundant along the water-courses and chains of water-holes, where it seemed to take the place of the brush vegetation, so universally prevalent in the channels of drainage more to the northward, nearer Port Macquarie. I soon passed another sheep-station situated on a gentle eminence. My attention was now drawn to the birds in this part of the country, for since I had left the Manning I had not seen any of the parrot tribe, with the exception of the Rosella or Nonpareil parroquet, a bird extremely common throughout the colony generally, but of which I had never seen a single specimen during the long time that I had been at the MacLeay river. The whistling magpie was in almost every tree, and is also a common bird in Australia generally, but I have never seen it at the MacLeay or Nambucca rivers. A few miles farther on, a fine flat extends to Gloucester, a large agricultural and cattle farm belonging to the Company. The superintendent of this establishment lives in a neat cottage, with substantial offices, and an excellent garden. Having been invited to take some refreshment, I stopped here nearly an hour. The situation of Gloucester is very picturesque. An extensive flat has been cleared of trees, divided into paddocks, and brought under cultivation, and now presented the appearance of a wide yellow plain, from the dry wheat stubble, and ripened maize which covered it. On the verge of the flat, an abrupt range of densely wooded hills, called "the Buckets," rose to an altitude of about 1200 feet above the plain, their summits being crowned by precipitous masses of naked rock of fantastic contour, which reminded me of some of the castled crags of the Rhine. After leaving Gloucester, the country continued to be tolerably grassy, but the soil was very inferior to what I had passed over to the northward of that station. I next passed a horse station belonging to the Company, and rode through a large troop of mares and foals feeding in a flat. The range dividing the basin of the Manning, from the valley of the Karuah river, was next crossed by the track. There were several sheep-stations on the other side, but the country seemed to be more suitable for cattle than sheep. At one of these sheep-stations there were several Spanish shepherds. I next passed Talligarra, the Company's chief sheep-station, where there are some substantial buildings and stores; and in the evening arrived at the village of Stroud, the head-quarters of the Company, where I was hospitably entertained by Mr. White, the superintendent of stock.appellation of "Darby Joe," it being a common practice among the men in New South Wales, to bestow some slang names on the stockmen and shepherds in charge of out-stations, such as "happy Jack," "long Ned," "black Bill," "curly Tom," &c. The track led me over some high forest hills well clothed with grass, and of rich soil, whilst several of the adjacent ranges were invaded to their summits by a brush of myrtle, iron-bark, turpentine, &c. I then
April 23rd.—This morning I accompanied Mr. White, before breakfast, through the village of Stroud, to see some of the horses and bulls belonging to the Company. I found that Stroud presented a different aspect to the colonial townships in other parts of New South Wales; there was quite an English look about it, exemplified in the neat little gardens belonging to the mechanics in the service of the Company, and the roses and honeysuckles which diffused a grateful perfume on their verandahs and door-ways.
There is a signal want in Australia, even among the higher classes, of that just appreciation of the beauties of nature, and that innate taste in taking advantage of them, to enhance the picturesque effect of their neatly-arranged dwelling-houses, which, according to Washington Irving, characterize the English nation, from the peer to the peasant. There are some places in New South Wales, few and far between, where considerable taste has been displayed in the arrangement of the grounds, but in general the ne plus ultra of colonial landscape gardening is a square patch of land, laid out in straight walks, and surrounded by hideous pailings, whilst no flowers, or even culinary vegetables, enliven the dwellings of the labouring classes, unless some stray melon or pumpkin sends its long shoots round their huts.
I saw here at Stroud, some Chilians from Valparaiso, who were employed in breaking in some of the Company's young horses. They had fastened ropes to the horses' legs to regulate their paces, but the practice seemed to me useless and objectionable. On continuing my ride, I passed the Company*s chief horse establishment, where I dismounted for a few minutes to see their imported stallions. They were lodged in a substantial brick-built range of stables, commodiously divided, well ventilated, and appeared to be kept in very good order. I next passed the elegant cottage of Mr. Ebsworth, the treasurer of the Australian Agricultural Company, which is situated on an eminence near the river Karuah at Booral, where a tract of ground is under cultivation. I crossed the Karuah, over a shingly bed, overgrown with swamp-oak, and then entered on a level tract of country, tolerably grassy, but of very inferior soil. The red gum began to predominate here, and the Xanthorrhea was prevalent on some of the eminences. The native cherry-tree, (Exocarpus cupressiformus) was very common also hereabouts. I met a black on horseback some distance farther on, belonging to the Port Stephen tribe, who had been despatched somewhere on a message. On inquiring his name, he told me it was "Mutton." As I approached the Hunter, the forest became intersected by a great many cattle and dray-tracks, and I passed two or three farms; but the soil still continued very inferior to the banks of the Hunter, at the village of Raymond-terrace, which is situated at the junction of the Williams river with the Hunter. The site of Raymood-terrace had been a very heavily timbered wood, which had been cut down some years before, and the stumps left standing in the ground. Scarcely any of these stumps had been grabbed up, and they had become perfectly bleached, so that, as I rode into this village in the evening, it seemed as though the houses had been built in the midst of a churchyard, full of upright tomb-stones. Next morning I went on board the steamer from the Green-hills, and arrived in Sydney. that night.
The Clarence, wicch is the next important river, north of the MacLeay, disembogues in Shoal Bay, in 29½° south latitude. Its natural features, and the nature of the country on its banks, are so very similar to those of the MacLeay, that a brief notice of it will suffice. The Clarence river rises in the main range, dividing the eastern and western waters; it receives several very large tributaries, one of which, the Ora-Ora river, rises in the lofty mountains, which, as I have before observed, bound the basin of the Clarence on the south, and divide it from the Bellengen river. The Clarence is remarkable for its great breadth, and large volume of water, compared with other Australian rivers, when the short distance of its sources from die coast is considered.
In common with all other rivers north of the Hunter, its entrance is obstructed by a bar, having about eleven feet of water on it; its reaches are longer and wider than those of any other river on the coast of Australia, and are navigable for large steamers from Sydney to a considerable distance up the river; some craft can ascend the Clarence as far as ninety miles from its mouth. A few miles above the entrance of this river is a large island, containing upwards of fifteen hundred acres, and which, when first discovered, abounded in emus. Many other smaller islands occur higher up the river. The brushes near the mouth of the Clarence are interspersed with the beautiful variety of pine I have already described, and which I found not to extend south of Coohalli creek, near the Nambucca river. He country available for grazing at this river is of excellent quality, and much more extensive than that at the MacLeay; for the country bordering on the Clarence and its tributaries is generally level, and the mountains do not attain any great elevation, except at the sources of the streams.
A great number of squatters have formed stations at the Clarence river. The communication between the table land along the main range, and the navigable estuary of the Clarence, is naturally much less difficult than at Port Macquarie; wool-drays can descend from the fine district, called Beardy Plains, (that portion of table land opposite the sources of the Clarence) with comparative ease, to that part of the river where the vessels take in cargo for Sydney.
An inconsiderable stream, or inlet, called Evan's river, joins the sea at a short distance to the northward of the Clarence.
The Richmond river, a little farther along the coast, disembogues near Lennox Head, in 28° 55' south latitude. It very much resembles the MacLeay in its general appearance, and the character of its scenery: mangrove scrubs, tea-tree, and swamp oak thickets, cover the low flats near its mouth; and the alluvial land, higher up the river, is diversified by brush, abounding in cedar and pine, clumps of bangolo palms, reedy swamps, small rich plains, and lightly wooded forest flats of great richness. The rest of the country is very lightly wooded grassy forest, of the greatest fertility; in fact, there are few rivers where so much good available land exists, unbroken by densely wooded ranges and ravines. The bar of the Richmond river has from eight to ten feet of water on it; this river can be ascended by small craft to a distance of about thirty miles from its mouth. Its sources are not yet ascertained; its main stream appears to rise somewhere in the great main range dividing the eastern and western waters, near Wilson's Peak and Coke's Head, it then sweeps to the south of Mount Lindesay, which was ascertained by Mr. Cunningham to be 5,700 feet above the level of the sea. There is some fine cedar on the Richmond, and several cedar dealers and sawyers proceeded thither last year to cut it for the Sydney market, and for exportation to the other Australian colonies.
The Tweed, which is the next river north of the Richmond, rather deserves the name of a large salt-water inlet than a river; as its proximity to the Richmond, and the rivers which discharge their waters in Moreton bay, renders it impossible for the Tweed to be a large fresh-water stream. Its reaches, however, are long and wide, and are navigable for large boats to a distance of upwards of forty miles from its bar. A cedar dealer, named Scott, crossed the bar of the Tweed in a schooner of sixty tons burden. The land on the banks of the navigable part of the Tweed is of the same rich alluvial character as the other northern rivers; the timber is magnificent. The entrance of the Tweed is between Rainbow bay and Turtle island, in 28° 10' south latitude.
Proceeding along the coast, we arrive at Moreton Bay, which is protected by two narrow islands, each of them being from fifteen to twenty miles in length, called Moreton island and Stradbroke island. The bay also contains numerous small islets, and mud flats covered with mangroves. Several rivers and streams fall into Moreton Bay, the principal of which are the Logan river, the Brisbane river, (which rises in the great main chain, and on which the settlement has been formed) and the Pumice-stone river.
The Brisbane river at Moreton Bay, and the geological formation, peculiar botanical productions, &c. of the surrounding country, have been so minutely investigated by Mr. Allan Cunningham, that it is needless for me to make any remarks on these subjects. The Brisbane river was discovered by Mr. Oxley, the late Surveyor-General of New South Wales, who, in his official despatch, makes the following observations respecting it.
"I sailed from this port, (Sydney) in His Majesty's cutter Mermaid, on the 23rd of October, 1823, and early on the 2nd day of December following, when examining Moreton bay, we had the satisfaction to find the tide sweeping up a considerable inlet, between the first mangrove island and the main land. The muddiness and taste of the water, together with the abundance of fresh-water molluscæ, assured us we were entering a large river, and a few hours ended our anxiety on this point by the water becoming perfectly fresh, while no diminution had taken place in the size of the river after passing, what I called Sea-Reach. Our progress up the river was necessarily retarded by the necessity we were under of making a running survey during our passage. At sunset we had proceeded about twenty miles up the river. The scenery was peculiarly beautiful; the country along the banks alternately hilly and level, but not flooded; the soil of the finest description of brushwood land, on which grew timber of great magnitude, and of various species, some of which were quite unknown to us. Among others, a magnificent species of pine was in great abundance. The timber on the hills was also good; and to the south-east, a little distance from the river, were several large brushes or forests of the Cupressus Australis of very large size. Up to this point, the river was navigable for vessels not drawing more than sixteen feet water. The tide rose about five feet, being the same as at the entrance. The next day the examination was resumed, and with increased satisfaction. We proceeded about thirty miles farther, no diminution having taken place either in the breadth or depth of the river, excepting in one place for the extent of thirty yards; where a ridge of detached rocks extended across the river, not having more than twelve feet on them at high water. From this point to Termination hill, the river continued of nearly uniform size. The country on either side is of very superior description, and equally well adapted for cultivation or grazing, the timber being abundant, and fit for all the purposes of domestic use or exportation. The pine trees, should they prove of good quality, were of a scantling sufficient for the topmasts of large ships. Some measured upwards of thirty inches in diameter, and from fifty to eighty feet without a branch.
"The boat's crew were so exhausted by their continued exertion under a tropical sun, that I was reluctantly compelled to relinquish my intention of proceeding to the termination of the tide-water at this time.
"At this place the tide rose but four feet six inches; the force of the ebb tide and current combined, proved but little greater than the flood-tide, a proof of its flowing through a very level country. Having concluded on terminating the examination of the river at this point, being seventy miles from the vessels, and our stock of provisions expended, not having anticipated such a discovery, I landed on the south shore, for the purpose of examining the surrounding country. On ascending a low hill, rising about twenty-five feet above the level of the river, we saw a distant mountain, which I conjectured to be the high peak of Captain Flinders, bearing south ½ east, distant from twenty-five to thirty miles. Round this point to the north-west, the country declined considerably in elevation, and had much the appearance of extended plains and low undulating hills, well, but not heavily, wooded. The only elevations of magnitude were some hills seven or eight hundred feet high, which we passed to the northward. The appearance and formation of the country, the slowness of the current even at ebb tide, and the depth of the water, induced me to conclude that the river will be found navigable for vessels of burden to a much greater distance, probably not less than fifty miles. There was no appearance of the river being ever flooded, no mark being found more than seven feet above the level of the water, which is little more than would be caused by flood-tide at high water, forcing back any accumulation of water in rainy seasons.
"A consideration of all the circumstances connected with the appearance of the river justified me in entertaining a strong belief that the sources of this river will not be found in a mountainous country. Most probably it issues from some large collection of interior waters, the reservoir of those streams crossed by me during an expedition of discovery, in 1818, and which had a northerly course. Whatever may be its origin, it is by far the largest fresh-water river on the east coast of New South Wales, and promises to be of the utmost importance to the colony, as besides affording a water communication with the southern country bounding upon Liverpool Plains, it waters a vast extent of country, of which a great proportion appears to me capable of supporting the culture of the richest productions of the tropics.
"I afterwards proceeded a few miles to the south-east from the river, through a gently broken country of good soil, declining in elevation towards the south; the high peak before mentioned being the only remarkable eminence from north-east to south.
"As the position of the entrance of the river was still to be fixed, and the channel to be examined, I lost no time in returning down the river with the ebb tide, and stopped for the night at the base of the Green hills; the highest of which was ascended the next morning, and the view from it was found more extensive than I anticipated.
"So much time was spent in the examination of the country above Sea-Reach, that it was quite dark when we got to the entrance of the river, which, out of respect to his Excellency the Governor, under whose orders the bay was examined, was now honoured with the name of Brisbane river. The whole of the next day was spent in sounding the entrance and traversing the country in the vicinity of Redcliff point, and we did not reach the vessel until late in the night of the 5th of December, amply gratified in the discovery of this important river, as we sanguinely anticipated the most beneficial consequences as likely to result to the colony by the formation of a settlement on its banks."
Subsequent expeditions of discovery have not verified the conjectures which Mr. Oxley, in the preceding account of the Brisbane, advanced as to its probable source, and the length of its course. The much larger quantity of water which flows down the rivers in the north-east part of the territory of New South Wales, compared with rivers of equal length of course in the southern and western parts of the colony, might easily have led Mr. Oxley to believe at the time of his discovery of the Brisbane, that that river was the largest fresh-water river in the colony, and had a very long course; whereas it is much inferior in size to the Clarence, and not even equal to the MacLeay river.
The Brisbane river rises in the chain of mountains dividing the eastern and western waters; this range is only sixty miles distant in a straight line from the coast, opposite Moreton Bay; but from the width of the basin of the Brisbane river, its tortuous course, and the great number of tributaries it receives, it soon becomes an important stream. The Brisbane is joined on its south side by the Bremer river, rising near Mount Fraser; coal and limestone abound on the banks of the Bremer. The country in the vicinity of the Brisbane river and its tributaries has been found to equal, if riot surpass, the very favourable description which its discoverer, Mr. Oxley, gave of that portion which he saw: it is variegated by brush land of exuberant richness, clear alluvial plains of the greatest fertility, and good grassy park-like forest land. Although many mountains round Moreton Bay attain an elevation of nearly six thousand feet above the level of the sea, the country is not so much invaded by those endless, densely wooded ranges of hills, in the closest approximation, which render so large a portion of the Hastings and MacLeay rivers unavailable, though these ranges are frequently of very great fertility.
The Moreton Bay district, now called the county of Stanley, is therefore capable of maintaining a very dense population; for it possesses, in common with the rest of the coast country, from Port Macquarie northwards, a much greater proportion of rich land than the central part of New South Wales, at the same time that it is much more level than the country in the basins of the northern rivers generally. Mr. Martin, in his "Colonial Library," entertains the same opinion of the capability of Moreton Bay to support a numerous population, and to produce in abundance the tropical productions of sugar, cotton, coffee, silk, tobacco, &c.
Moreton Bay, shortly after its examination by the late Surveyor-General, was made a penal settlement for convicts under colonial sentences, and free settlers were not permitted to resort thither; but a year or two ago, the convicts were withdrawn, and this fine district was thrown open for location. Brisbane Town, a few miles up the river, contains some very good houses and stores of stone or brick, and it possesses the advantage of having in its vicinity excellent building stone, lime, coal, iron, cedar, pine, and other superior timber of useful kinds. Two other Government townships have been formed in eligible situations, one of them being near the mouth of the Brisbane river, and the other above Brisbane Town, at Limestone. This last township will be the terminus for the wool-drays from the upper parts of the district, and the numerous sheep-stations at Peel's plains. Darling downs, Byron's plains, &c. on the western side of the main dividing range. The settlers on the other side of the range, at these different localities, have been for some time in direct communication with Moreton Bay; the descent into the low country being very easy and gradual, through a passage called the Gap.
Wool has been hitherto forwarded from the Moreton Bay district to Sydney in steamers and other coasting vessels, to be shipped from thence to England, but I see by the latest Sydney papers that the settlers in the vicinity of Moreton Bay are now going to send their wool direct to England from that harbour. Notwithstanding the near approach of this district to the tropic, Moreton Bay being in about 27° south latitude, the climate is quite as salubrious as any other part of New South Wales, and the traveller in the "bush" there can sleep uncovered on the bare ground, ford rivers, ride on in wet clothes, and expose himself to every variation of temperature, with the same impunity as in the more southern parts of New South Wales. The great exposure, to which settlers and travellers in the Australian forests subject themselves, would, in any other clime, infallibly entail upon them fevers, rheumatism, affections of the lungs, &c.; yet their extraordinary exemption from these ill effects has become proverbial, and is the best argument that can be adduced in favour of the salubrity of those parts of New South Wales hitherto colonized. During my surveys at the MacLeay and Nambucca rivers, I found it often necessary to carry lines through extensive reedy swamps, in which I myself and my men were frequently immersed for hours together in stagnant water, which sometimes reached as high as our shoulders; yet although several of the men attached to my surveying party were evidently not of strong constitutions, none of them ever suffered any bad effects from these long continued soakings; they were generally rather pleased on those days when I traversed swamps, as I had made it a rule to give them an extra ration of rum or wine whenever they got wet.
What a contrast between the climate of New Holland, and that of the United States, to which our fellow-countrymen are so fond of resorting! Ague, marsh fever, and dyspeptic complaints, soon attack the unlucky^ emigrant who seeks a home in the dreary back settlements of the latter country, amidst fetid morasses, and dank unwholesome forests, where he is oppressed in summer by a close, moist, almost tropical heat, and in winter experiences the violent gradation to a temperature colder than he has ever experienced in his native land. In the southern states, especially Louisiana, yellow fevers, tumefied livers, et hoc genus omne, are prevalent; and although Texas is said to possess a healthy climate, yet the adjoining countries have been proved- to be so little suited to English constitutions, that I should be rather diffident of trusting to the climate of Texas, unless there existed a very marked difference in the physical conformation of that country compared with Mexico and Louisiana.
Experience is our only guide to enable us to form an opinion of the salubrity of the climate of any country: Hong-Kong was always supposed to be a healthy island, and yet we now learn, after a frightful mortality among our troops and seamen in that settlement, that in order to guard against disease there, it is necessary to take greater care of oneself, and submit to more annoying precautions than in India itself; it being necessary, for instance, to wear thick cloth clothes in the hottest weather, &c.
There are many inexplicable causes which produce wonderful diversity of climate. Thus, if I were called upon to judge from analogy, I should have no hesitation in saying that Australia was a most unhealthy country for Europeans; for the estuaries of its rivers, its creeks, salt-water inlets and mud flats, abound in mangroves, which have been considered by the best authorities the chief cause of the unequalled unhealthiness of the rivers on the coast of Western Africa. Again, there are in Australia an infinite number of tea-tree morasses, and reedy swamps, covered with stagnant water and rank vegetation; and the changes in the temperature, between day and night, are probably greater in Australia than in any other country, and are also very sudden. Nevertheless, the experience of upwards of half a century has now ascertained that no country in the world is more exempt from all that class of disorders which originate in impure air, and deleterious miasma, than Australia. Indeed, when I informed some persons in Sydney a few years ago, that ague was prevalent at the lower part of the MacLeay river, I was listened to with great incredulity, it seemed to them so totally incompatible with the climate of the colony; yet the reader will not wonder that cases of ague should occur at the MacLeay, for beside the mangrove mud-flats at its mouth, there are, on its banks, at least 60,000 acres of stagnant swamps covered with high reeds and water; and the decomposition constantly going on in the dense mass of vegetation on the alluvial lands, must also evolve a great quantity of noxious gases.
Notwithstanding these obvious causes of impure exhalations, and the greater heat of the climate, the ague at the MacLeay river is much milder than in the fenny counties of England; the cold fit occurs every other day, but is seldom so severe as to prevent a man from attending to his daily avocations. Change of air, and sulphate of quinine, remove the ague directly, but it is liable to return by fresh exposure to the causes which produced it. Although I have resided upwards of four years at the MacLeay river, I have never known there a single instance in which ague has been attended, even in bad constitutions, with serious symptoms of an inflammatory or typhoidal character.
Should it happen, that, at any future period, labour became sufficiently cheap and abundant, to render it profitable to clear and cultivate the rich brush land on the banks of the Brisbane and Bremer rivers at Moreton Bay, for the production of cotton, sugar, coffee, indigo, rice, &c. that district will become the most flourishing part of the colony.
Dr. Lang, the present member for Port Philip in the Legislative Council, and whose long residence in New South Wales, and intimate acquaintance with the natural resources of that colony, entitle his observations to great consideration, seems, in his work on New South Wales, to entertain a sanguine opinion of the possibility of forming establishments for the cultivation of tropical productions at Port Macquarie or Moreton Bay. From the great number of experiments which have been made in these two settlements, there is no doubt whatever of those productions succeeding, if largely cultivated, especially at Moreton Bay. Specimens of cotton, grown in the colony, have been manufactured into yam at Glasgow, and pronounced of superior guality. The coffee shrub grows very well, and as I have already observed elsewhere, sugar has been made at the plains on the Wilson river, at Port Macquarie, during the time that that place was a penal settlement; and I have myself seen sugar-cane growing luxuriantly in Mr. Rudder's garden, at the village of Kempsey on the MacLeay river.
Having read in some of the late Sydney journals some remarks on the practicability of establishing an overland communication with Port Essington on the north coast of New Holland, to facilitate the introduction of Chinese into the colony, it may not be out of place here to quote the following observations made by Dr. Lang ten years ago, on the advantage of inducing Chinese to settle in New South Wales. "It appears to me," observes the Doctor, "that if a tract of land, say from ten thousand to twenty thousand acres, were purchased from the government, at one of the northern settlements of New South Wales, as for instance at Port Macquarie, and a thousand families of Chinese settled upon it in one body, either as tenants at a rental in produce, or as proprietors, and allowed to adopt their own manners and customs without interference on the part of the colonists, the tea plant might be introduced with every prospect of success. Were a House of Assembly established in New South Wales, I have no doubt that such a scheme would at least be attempted, and that the funds required for the purpose of carrying it into effect would be comparatively trifling."
The settlers have formed stations considerably to the northward of Moreton Bay, and one gentleman, well known for his enterprising spirit, has established sheep-stations in the vicinity of Wide Bay, which is in 25° south latitude, and nearly six hundred miles from Sydney, A species of palm, bearing an edible fruit, begins to grow to the north of Moreton Bay; there is a large extent of country in which it is particularly abundant, and which is the constant place of resort for a vast number of the Aborigines, who feed on the fruit, which they call Bunya-Bunya. In consequence of the large tribes of natives in this region, the Governor has promulgated an order, enjoining the of Crown lands at Moreton Bay, not to allow any persons to form stations in those parts of the country in which these Australian date-trees grow. The Catholic clergy in Sydney, with their customary zeal to make converts to their church, have hastened to take advantage of the constant assemblage of the native tribes at this prohibited region, and have established a mission among them. As the Governor's order will protect these native tribes from the corrupting influence of the lower orders of the white population, the missionaries appear to entertain great hopes that their endeavours to convey some idea of religion to these Aborigines will be attended with greater success, than the many futile attempts hitherto made to convert the Australian blacks to Christianity.
Some German missionaries have been for some time among the blacks at Moreton Bay, and one of them has obtained considerable notoriety from having deliberately accused the squatters in that district of having poisoned upwards of fifty of the native blacks. The squatters of Moreton Bay, are almost all gentlemen of education and good connections, many of them being retired officers; and the ridiculous improbability of the general accusation brought against them by the Reverend Mr. Schmidt was so universally felt in the colony, that little trouble was taken to remove the aspersion cast upon them. On my arrival in England, however, I found that this affair had been seriously taken up by the Aborigines Protection Society, who threatened to have it brought before Parliament; much discussion on the subject has also appeared in the columns of the Colonial Gazette. These German missionaries seemed to be men of great disinterestedness, and most philanthropic motives in their endeavours to ameliorate the moral condition of the Australian Aborigines. They were probably misled by the natives, and thoughtlessly made a general accusation against the squatters, without sufficiently reflecting on the grave nature of the charge, and the odium which would rebound on themselves, if they failed in making it good. According to the account of the squatters, it would appear, that some sheep, diseased and scabby, had been dressed as usual with arsenic, which, with corrosive sublimate, is the ordinary remedy for scab. These sheep had been rushed by the blacks, and a number of them carried off, and it is supposed that the arsenic caused the death of some of the thieves.by the
I have before observed that the Government of New South Wales are about to send out an expedition of discovery, which is to endeavour to reach the settlement of Victoria, at Port Essington, on the northern coast of New Holland, about two thousand miles from Sydney This enterprise will create the most intense interest in the scientific world, as Sir Thomas Livingstone Mitchell has offered his valuable services to conduct it. The indomitable energy, accurate judgment, and untiring scientific research, which that distinguished officer displayed in his previous well known expeditions into the interior of Australia, will ensure the success of the enterprise, unless insurmountable obstacles should be encountered.
Although Port Essington is far beyond the extreme limits of the territory of New South Wales, I have thought that it might not perhaps be out of place to insert the following extract from a despatch of Captain Sir Everard Home, of her Majesty's ship North Star, who visited Port Essington last year.
"The settlement at Port Essington stands upon a rising ground on the west side of the harbour, elevated about fifty feet, in the highest part, above high water mark, the soil being a conglomerate of red-stone and sand, which from its dryness evidently conduces to the healthiness for which it is remarkable. The extent between the northwardmost building, which is the hospital, and the Government House, which stands south of it, is 690 paces; and from the water's edge to the western extent is 370 paces.
"The settlement of Victoria stands upon partially cleared ground, and consists of the Government House, which is built of wood, and has a shingle roof; the hospital, which is a building of the same description, which has a kitchen behind it, built of stone, but unfinished; there is a mess room, to which is attached the quarters of the second officer in command of the garrison; the space under it is used as the store-room of the officers; there is another building also of a similar description, the upper part of which forms the quarters of the store-keeper and linguist, the lower part of which is the spirit room; there are three good store-houses, one of which is the ordnance store; the foundation being of brick work, the sides of wood. The roofs of all these buildings are of shingles. There is another store-house or building used as such, having a thatched roof, which is supported by wooden posts, the sides formed of the same material as the roof. There is a house also made of wood, and thatched with reeds, formerly occupied by Captain Stanley, and used by him as an observatory; there is also the ruins of a church, built of wood, it was blown down by the hurricane, and has never since been repaired; the rest of the buildings are small huts formed for the most part of reeds, twenty-nine in number; the greater part of them are occupied each by two marines, gardens are attached to each of them, which are very productive, and very well kept; these huts form a square in the centre of which is a well. At the distance of about half a mile southward of the square there are two gardens, one near the beach, the soil of which is sandy, and in the wet season saturated with moisture; the other stands upon higher ground, more to the west, and is a better soil; they are about an acre and a half each in extent, and are extremely well kept by three of the marines; of the plants now growing in the gardens, the pine-apples, (part of one I have tasted), are esteemed to be the best, and are improved, as is the cotton, by being transplanted hither; the lemons are of a thick rind, and without juice; the orange trees are evidently from a state of nature, and the guavas are not of a good kind, but all appear to grow in the most luxuriant manner, and appear in the highest health.
"Of stock they have one English cow, and a bull, two Indian heifers and two cows, about fifty goats, and a few fowls, of which one cow, and several of the goats are the property of Sir Gordon Bremer; another cow, and the bull, besides six working oxen, thirty buffaloes, and six pigs the property of Government; five ponies, and thirty greyhounds for catching kangaroos, complete the amount of the live stock; these last are private property.
"Although the present state of Port Essington is by no means an inviting one to a casual visitor, it holds out, in my opinion, great hopes of success to a permanent settler. Mr. Earl informs me (and a more zealous, acute, or intelligent gentleman I have scarcely ever met,) that the land which is flooded and swampy on the peninsula is as one acre to twenty acres of the dry land; the swamp land can easily be cultivated with rice, and the land not fitted to receive that grain produces the finest cotton; the valleys which are not sufficiently extensive for the cultivation of rice, are admirably adapted for the growth of sugar; cocoa should also be tried, and paper mulberry for the production of silk-worms. Indigo grows wild and is of the best quality; the dry stony land is, in my opinion, well adapted for the cultivation of cactus opuntia, on which the cochineal insects might be produced to a good effect, with many other useful commodities, which would soon suggest themselves to intelligent settlers. There is plenty of very good soil here to be cultivated; the first consideration is, who the cultivators should be; the natives, of whom the greater number of them here, appear to be of a mild and obliging disposition; they will carry water, and do small offices of service for a small reward of bread or rice, but they will not remain permanently fixed at any one spot. The climate is far too hot for Europeans to labour in. In the opinion of Mr. Earl, settlers from Timor, and the islands northward, would be the best; but from what I have seen of the Chinese, from their activity and intelligence, and other qualities fitting them for such work, I should recommend that they also should be encouraged to settle here.
"In the neighbouring woods there are wild ponies, pigs, buffaloes, and red cattle, the greater part of which is the offspring of the stock left at Port Raffles, when that settlement was broken up. On the main land, opposite to Goulburn Island, two herds of wild buffaloes, consisting of about fifty each, have been seen feeding by the water side.—Kangaroos are very numerous.
"There are five never-failing wells of excellent water. One by the eastern garden, near the seaside, is high enough, with the addition of a little work, to enable the water in it to be conveyed, by hose or trough, into the boat upon the shore. The timber here is extremely well adapted for building; it is hard and durable, and is never attacked by the white ant, which is the greatest enemy to be contended with in this place.
"Of the general results which your Excellency has directed me to inquire into, of the communications with British and foreign ships since the foundation of the settlement, and the probable advantages which may be derived from such sources, I have consulted Mr. Earl, and his opinion is, that one of the objects in forming this settlement was, that it might become a port of refuge for vessels that had received damage in the adjacent seas, and for the crews of such as might be lost: it has certainly proved beneficial.
"In 1841, the crew of the Montreal, a ship which had been lost on Alert reef, to the westward of Torres Straits, came to this port in their boats, and as the monsoon blew that year with great strength, it is doubtful if they could have reached any port in Timor. The Lord Auckland was hove down here and repaired by Captain M‘Arthur. The two strongest cases were those of the ship Manlius and the little cutter Harriet from Timor; had not this settlement existed, the crew of the former must have perished, their provisions being nearly expended, and they would have been unable to leave this coast for nearly three months, owing to the monsoon, if she had not, indeed, caught fire from her damaged cotton long before the period elapsed."
The point from which Sir Thomas Mitchell proposes, (according to the Sydney papers,) to start into the unknown interior towards Port Essington is the stockade on the Darling, made by him in his journey down that river, and which is about four hundred and fifty miles from Sydney.
Having in the foregoing pages thus attempted to describe the north-eastern part of the territory of New South Wales, which the late ministry at one time intended making a separate colony, and of which Moreton Bay was to have been the seat of Government, I will now briefly recapitulate, in general terms, the distinctive features of this part of New South Wales compared with its central districts.
Firstly, Its Geological formation, which, instead of being sandstone, so generally predominant, south of the river Hunter, consists of rocks, mostly of primitive or transition origin, such as granite, trap, ancient limestone, slates, &c, Now in Australia, all these classes of rock furnish, by their decomposition, a much more fertile surface soil than sandstone. Secondly, The general mountainous nature of the country,the very great altitude of the mountains, exceeding six thousand feet above the level of the sea, and their proximity to the coast. These mountains accumulate and condense the vapours from the sea^ and occasion frequent rains; they also mitigate the scorching heat of the hot winds from the north-west, which are so severely felt in Sydney, although that city is so much farther south.
Thirdly, The abundance of water every where, and the great number of navigable rivers in close proximity to each other. Thus from Moreton Bay to the Manning river, the southern boundary of the county of Macquarie, which is not more than two hundred and seventy miles along the coast, there are no less than nine rivers with bar harbours, which can be entered by coasting vessels and small steamers; viz. the Brisbane, the Tweed, the Richmond, the Clarence, the Bellengen, the MacLeay, the Hastings, Camden Haven creek, and the Manning.
Lastly, The adaptation, for the culture of tropical productions, of the rich alluvial soil on these rivers, which soil extends in continuous narrow borders of brush land along their banks. The inexhaustible productiveness of this kind of land I have already alluded to; it is unknown in European soils, and can only be paralleled by that of the alluvial flats of tropical countries. These rich brush lands are not available in the present state of the colony; for it would never answer to clear them of the dense mass of indigenous vegetation which encumbers them, for the culture of the mere ordinary agricultural productions of New South Wales. Should cheap labourers, such as Chinese or Coolies, ever be introduced into the colony, it is not improbable that, at some future period, the banks of these northern rivers may be diversified by plantations of sugar-cane, cotton, coffee, rice, &c.; for all these productions have been ascertained from experiments to succeed well north of Port Macquarie. There would be one great advantage also, that the climate would be better suited to Europeans, than that of almost any other country in which these productions are grown. In the meanwhile, the brush land, which has been cleared of trees in the districts of Port Macquarie and Moreton Bay, and the naturally unwooded alluvial flats, which the squatters on the intermediate rivers cultivate, yield, with little trouble, crops of maize, more certain, abundant, and of better quality, than the central parts of New South Wales; wheat, as I have before observed, grows better there on alluvial land, in dry than in moist seasons; and the tobacco is of very superior quality; and if its manufacture were properly understood, it would be a most profitable article to cultivate, the duty imposed by the colonial legislature on foreign tobacco being so great.
The north-eastern part of the territory of New South Wales, will also be found pre-eminently suited for the cultivation of the vine, from the great prevalence of lightly wooded undulating fertile ranges, the rocks and soil of which are such as experience has proved the best suited for the production of superior wine. The hot winds from the north-west, and the cold south wind, being almost unknown in the Port Macquarie district, that part of the colony especially, seems remarkably adapted for the formation of extensive vineyards; a few patches of vines have already been planted there in different places. Dr. Carlisle has a vineyard near the town of Macquarie, on a fluviatile sandy flat, and although a situation such as this is not in general favourable for vines, he has nevertheless made some very good wine. Two or three acres have been planted with vines at the village of Kempsey on the MacLeay river; they were thriving uncommonly well when I last saw them.
It must not however be imagined, from the foregoing observations, that I consider the coast country, north of Port Macquarie, superior to other parts of the colony for agricultural and pastoral pursuits, or other ordinary colonial occupations, unless yards. For it is too mountainous, densely wooded, and swampy, to be so good as many other parts for sheep, and wheat and potatoes do not grow there so well as in the extreme southern districts. My object, in publishing the foregoing observations on this part of the territory of New South Wales, has been to show that it is in a great measure exempt from that extreme aridity in the aspect of the country, which characterises Australia generally; whilst it is well adapted for the production of many objects of cultivation, such as rice, cotton, sugar, indigo, &c. for which its warmer and moister climate, and the rich belts of alluvial soil on the banks of its rivers and streams, are peculiarly suited.
- The MacLeay river.—My survey has however, shewn that it is only navigable for thirty-four miles, and so far only for vessels not exceeding sixty or seventy tons burden.
- Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, with Descriptions of the newly explored Region of Australia Felix, and of the present Colony of New South Wales, by Major Sir T. L. Mitchell, D.C.L., F.G.S., &c. Surveyor-General. 2 vols. 8vo.—London: T. & W. Boone, New Bond Street.
- I have already observed, in the commencement of this work, that in Australia the rocks exercise a more marked influence on the vegetation growing on the soil which covers them, than in any other country. In estimating the quantity of land in any part of Australia, the nature of the subjacent rock, and the general formation of the surrounding country, should be considered of paramount importance. With regard to the influence of rocks on soil, Hausmann, in his work on the Connection of Geology with Agriculture and Planting, has observed that "from what has been said of the relations existing between the masses of which the crust of the globe is composed, and the loose earth or soil by which it is covered, it appears evident enough that they have great influence over its formation and nature, and therefore upon the more perfect vegetables and especially those which are the objects of cultivation; and that, although the fertility of the soil is much increased by these vegetables themselves, yet the first foundation of their vigour was derived from the disintegration and decomposition of rocks." |
History and geography
The Central Region was historically part of the Western Region until 1970 when it was carved out just before the 1970 Population Census. It occupies an area of 9,826 square kilometres or 4.1 per cent of Ghana’s land area, making it the third smallest in area after Greater Accra and Upper East. It shares common boundaries with Western Region on the west, Ashanti and Eastern Regions on the north, and Greater Accra Region on the east. On the south is the 168-kilometre length Atlantic Ocean (Gulf of Guinea) coastline.
The region was the first area in the country to make contact with the Europeans. Its capital, Cape Coast, was also the capital of the Gold Coast until 1877, when the capital was moved to Accra. It was in the castle of Cape Coast that the historic Bond of 1844 was signed between the British and the Fante Confederation.
In all, there are about 32 major festivals in the region. Notable among these are the Aboakyer at Winneba, Fetu at Cape Coast and Bakatue at Elmina.
The region has two Universities - University of Cape Coast and the University of Education, Winneba. The Cape Coast Municipality has excellent educational institutions like Mfantsipim School, St. Augustine’s College, Wesley Girls High School, Adisadel College and Holy Child that have produced some of the prominent citizens in the country.
The region can be broadly divided into two: the coast, which consists of undulating plains with isolated hills and occasional cliffs characterised by sandy beaches and marsh in certain areas and the hinterland, where the land rises between 250 metres and 300 metres above sea level.
The Region lies within the dry equatorial zone and moist semi-equatorial zone. Annual rainfall ranges from 1,000mm along the coast to about 2000mm in the interior. The wettest months are May-June and September-October while the drier periods occur in December- February and a brief period in August. Mean monthly temperature ranges from 240C in the coolest month (August) to about 300C in the hottest months (March-April).
Along the coast can be found the coastal savannah with grassland and few trees while semideciduous forest predominates the inland areas. Much of the original dense forest vegetation has been cleared for the cultivation of cocoa and oil palm.
The region is endowed with rich natural resources like: gold, beryl and bauxite in the Upper Denkyira District; petroleum and natural gas at Saltpond; kaolin in the Mfantsiman district; diamond at Nwomaso, Enikokow, Kokoso all in the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District; clay including pigment clay in all the districts; tantalite and columbite at Nyanyano in the Awutu- Efutu-Senya District; quartz, muscovite; and other minerals like mica, granite, feldspar as well as timber in all the forest areas; rich fishing grounds along the coast; forests and rich arable land. |
This chapter presents some empirical data to support this contention that gaze modulates face processing. It reviews research that indicates that sensitivity to gaze is an early emerging capacity. The child's vision meets the criterion for being effectively blind, and yet this limited visual ability is sufficient for processing gaze in static faces. Attentional cueing by perceived gaze shifts in young infants raises an interesting question. The effects were upheld, indicating that it was gaze which determined the attentional cueing rather than the representativeness of faces with direct gaze. One potential problem for these recognition studies is the conclusion that better memory for faces with direct gaze reflects the attentional benefits of direct gaze. Both 6-year-olds and adults correctly recognized more faces with direct gaze in the first condition. Parents of blind children can experience rejection in the absence of social smiling.
|Title of host publication||Gaze-Following|
|Subtitle of host publication||Its Development and Significance|
|Publisher||Taylor & Francis Group|
|Number of pages||14|
|Publication status||Published - 1 Jan 2017|
- Cognitive Science |
Driving an electric vehicle, carrying a reusable water bottle, and switching to more energy efficient light bulbs are some of the most common to-dos when it comes reducing our individual carbon footprints. Even plastic straws are increasingly reaching villain status in mainstream consciousness. But you want to do more, right? Consider this: One of the most effective ways any nature-loving, animal-adoring, eco-conscious friend of Planet Earth can slash his or her impact on the environment is to adopt a plant-based diet.
We eat many times in a single day, and it turns out the choices we make in these mealtime moments hold a lot of power when it comes to fighting climate change. A comprehensive new study by the University of Oxford and published in the journal Science essentiallydropped the mic on the subject in June 2018. Over the course of five years, scientists sought to analyze the detrimental effects farming can have on the environment and included data on nearly 40,000 farms in 119 countries. They examined a total of 40 agricultural products in the study, which cover 90% of all food that is eaten. Their findings unequivocally prove how devastating animal agriculture is to our planet.
The study showed that cutting meat and dairy out completely can reduce an individual’s carbon footprint from food by up to 73%. And that kind of action has a ripple effect; if everyone stopped eating meat and dairy, it would reduce global farmland use by up to 75%, which would not only drastically diminish atmospheric greenhouse gases (agriculture is second only to electricity and heat production as a global greenhouse gas emitter), but would also free up more wild lands – the loss of which is a primary cause of mass species extinction. Indeed, Nature released a 2014 study finding that emissions from the production of beef and lamb are 250 times higher than those of legumes, and pork and poultry are 40 times higher than legumes. Natural Resources Defense Council reported, in “To Shrink Your Carbon Footprint, Ease Up on the Dairy,”
that 14 kilo-calories of fossil fuels to produce a single kcal of dairy milk, whereas just 1 kcal of fossil fuels can produce 3.2 kcal of soybeans (for use in soymilk). That measurement takes into account the fertilizers, pesticides, and other industrial inputs used in dairy production.
Unfortunately, the massive amounts of land needed to raise livestock for meat and dairy consumption and the resulting greenhouse gases are just the tip of the bull’s horn when it comes to animal agriculture’s impact on the planet. Animal agriculture is an inefficient way to produce a single meal, such as the quarter-pound of conventional beef in a typical cheeseburger, because it requires so many resources. Business Insider broke it down, and it’s staggering. Among many things, there’s the water – estimated at more than 460 gallons – and the corn-based feed, which totals 13.5 pounds per quarter-pound hamburger. Grass-fed beef requires even more resources. Beef and dairy production also release plenty of methane but also nitrous oxide, which are dangerous greenhouse gases that trap 20 and 250 times more heat than carbon dioxide, respectively.
So, while you may pay a buck or two for that cheeseburger at a fast food restaurant, the cost to Mother Nature and mankind is far greater. Deforestation (80% of all Amazon deforestation is due to beef production), ocean acidification, sea level rise, erosion, famine, extreme weather, widespread disease, fresh water scarcity, and the loss of biodiversity are all major fallouts from the greenhouse gases produced by the animal agriculture industry. These things hit poor and vulnerable communities hardest, so there’s a moral imperative to cutting meat and dairy from our diets, as well.
In Summer 2018, global carbon dioxide levels rose to the highest they’ve been in at least 800,000 years. The landmark Paris Agreement aims to keep global temperatures from rising 2 degrees Celsius. A Bloomberg report from June 2018 states, “Given current efforts, the world is probably heading for temperature gains of 4 degrees or more, according to climate negotiator Tovivo, citing figures from Climate Action Tracker.” While political will and policy shifts may lag, we as individuals can take the reins by cutting meat and dairy from our diets.
It’s a great time to try out this whole vegan thing. There are scores of amazing companies (like Follow Your Heart!) creating ever more tasty and nutritious dairy and meat alternatives. CNN columnist John D. Sutter wrote in his powerful essay “Why Beef Is the New SUV,” “Our diets are a rare chance for us to take control of our climate footprints, as researchers explained to me. We don’t need governments or utilities to help. Apathy is all that stands in the way.” If you’ve read this far, the motivation is clearly there to get you started on the journey towards a greener (pun intended) diet. It’s time to take action.
The best thing is, you don’t have to kick all of your favorite foods to the curb at once. Subtle tweaks will help you achieve any lifestyle overhaul – and the planet will thank you for it. Just don’t beat yourself up if you encounter setbacks or succumb to temptations along the way. This kind of thing takes practice, which is ultimately how you’ll discover what works best for you. Try swapping one foodstuff for another. You want vegan ice cream? You got it. Vegan beef or chicken? Plenty of options await your tastebuds. Vegan cheese and eggs? You’ve come to the right place!
Here are our best-sellers to help you get started on your journey towards a more plant-based diet! |
A short history
1812 The first organized club for shotgun shooting was established in England - The Old Hats. The name derives from the use of old top hats from which live pigeon where sprung as targets. Guns at that time where all muzzle load.
1832 The frenchman Casimir Lefacheaux invented the pinfire shotgun shell, which makes reloading the shotgun a lot faster. The pinfire cartridge was later replaced by the type we use today.
1850 Shotgun shooting grows very popular and exceeds the supply of live pigeons. Glass balls filled with feathers are introduced as a substitute. Famous glass ball shooters where Annie "Ms. Sure Shot" Oakley and William "Buffalo Bill" Cody.
1877 The American captain Adam Bogardu, also a famous glass ball shooter, invented the glass ball trap machine or catapult. This made the throws more uniform and competitions more fair.
1880 A lot of scattered glass on the field from the glass balls was considered a downside of the otherwise fun sport. This was remedied as George Ligowsky from Ohio USA invented the clay target from hard baked clay. In order to promote his new invention he arranged a series of matched across the United States between the two most known glass ball shooters captain Adam Bogardu and William "Doc" Carver. Carver won 19 of the 25 matches and the clay target became a success.
1884 The Ligowsky clay target of baked clay was wery hard to break and was soon replaced by a new invention "the Preoria Blackbird", the first modern clay target, consisting of coal tar, pich and other ingredients. The target was all black, hence the name. The father of the ancestor to the modern target is considered to be Fred Kimble from Illinois.
1900 Shotgun shooting was introduced in the Olympics. The Paris Olympics 1900 included two shotgun disciplines trap and believe it or not, live pigeon shooting. This was the first and only time live pigeons where targets in any Olympics.
1908 The London Olympics. Finland participates for the first time in the Olympics. Of the total 62 athletes nine where shooters. In the three person trap team you will find Karl Fazer the founder of the Fazer confectionary enterprise, world known (at least among Finns) for its Fazer Blue chocolate.
1924 Paris Olympics. Konrad "Konni" Huber wins for Finland the first Olympic medal (silver) in shotgun. The team from Finland is on third place.
1937 Konrad Huber wins for Finland its first World Champoinship gold medal in trap before his home audience in the Helsinki World Championships.
1968 Even if skeet was invented in the 1920's it was not until the Olympic in Mexico in 1968 that it was introduced as an Olympic event. The first gold medallist was Evgeni Petrov from USSR.
1996 The Atlanta Olympics. Double trap becomes an Olympic event. Women have their own category. Gold medallists where Mark Russel from Australia and Kimberly Rhode from USA. The women's double trap event is short lived in the Olympics. Only three games, 1996, 2000 and 2004.
2000 Sidney Olympics. Women have their own categories also in skeet and trap. First winners are Daina Gudzineviciute, LTU (trap) and Zemfira Meftakhetdinova AZE. But, Zemfira was not the first lady to win an Olympic gold medal in skeet. In Barcelona in 1992 Shan Zheng from China win the medal in the skeet mixed event.
2004 Athens Olympics. Marko Kemppainen (skeet) wins for Finland its second Olympic medal in shotgun (silver) after a dry spell of 80 years! This after an exciting shootoff for gold with Italy's Andrea Benelli. When asked by the media after the shootoff what the silver feels like, Marko, who is also a keen hunter answered "Better than a hundred rabbits".
2008 Beijing Olympics. Satu Mäkelä-Nummela (trap) wins for Finland its first Olympic gold ever in shotgun. A classic quiz question is nowadays: "Which Olympic gold medal has been won wearing jeans?"
2016 Rio Olympics. Mens double trap is for the last time an Olympic event. Last gold medallist is Fehaid Aldeehani (Independent Olympic Athlete). |
Playing alongside other children is all you can expect from your toddler. At 18 months, they are still too focused on themselves to make really good playmates. But they can always practise.
Not a good playmate - yet
Toddlers aren’t sociable in the same way older children and adults are. For the most part, they find meeting other small children exciting and great fun. But they tend to look after number one first and see themselves as top of the list. They would rather take things than give them. The difference between right and wrong isn’t quite clear. By far the most important person is “me”, and nobody else.
’Parallel play’ is a well-recognised stage and part of growing up.
Practise playing together
In time, however, we learn to be friends and play cooperatively, if we get to practise playing, sharing and showing consideration.
So introduce your toddler to friends and play on a small scale. Begin with one friend. Encourage games that are played together, but don’t expect much. Stay close by, keep the peace, and remain neutral. Don't push things - it’s supposed to be fun for everyone.
Do you have any suggestions for games that toddlers can play together?
Tell us about them here! |
Cross-reactivity or cross-allergy is an immune-mediated phenomenon of IgE antibodies recognizing, binding, and inducing immune responses to molecules with similar structures.
These cross-reactions include proteins from animals, mites, molds, latex and other plant matter, medicines, venom as well as food.
The most common cross-reactions involve pollen and raw fruit. Current molecular research is providing helpful information in the prediction of cross-reactions. Common allergen components are Bet v1 or v2, profilins, PR-10 and tropomyosin proteins. Many, but not all of these proteins are digested in the upper intestine and are also destroyed by heating. Latex allergies are caused by reactions to some of the many proteins in the latex plants, which are generally involved in the plant defense system against microbes.
Frequency in population
Pollen–food cross-reaction allergies are currently the most common type of food allergy in adults in Western Europe, affected 2-5% of the population.
Approximately 70% of adults with established food allergies also have other allergies, especially hay fever (aeroallergens). Food symptoms are caused in these patients by allergic cross-reactions between eaten food and inhaled aeroallergens. In children, cross-sensitization may be as high as 25%. Hay fever (allergic rhinitis) occurs in 15-30% of the population and about 50% of these will have some form of mouth or, less frequently, intestinal allergic reaction.
Birch pollen allergy is the form of hay fever most commonly accompanied by food allergies in the Western developed world – in up to 80%. Between 30-80% of individuals with latex allergy have associated allergic reactions to food. Cross-reactivity between shellfish and house mite allergy is quite common. Children with atopic dermatitis / eczema have a high prevalence (at least 30%) of food allergies, predominantly cow’s milk, egg and peanut. The incidence of food-induced asthma in children is about 6% (rarer in adults), with the most frequent offending food allergies being milk, eggs, and peanuts.
Up to 17% of health care workers are sensitive to latex. The prevalence of latex allergy in the general population is unclear due to a range of reactions to latex products besides allergy.
Individual types of allergy
Allergies often involve multiple organs, e.g. gastrointestinal and respiratory systems including the sinuses, the eyes, skin and even the nervous system. Careful observation and history taking by the physician are essential to discover patterns of associations between allergies.
Common cross-reactions between pollen and food
Birch pollen: apple, carrot, celery, pear, tomato, cherry, tree nuts (infrequently: many more fruit and spices)
Goosefoot pollen: banana, melon, peach (infrequently: nectarine, asparagus, kiwi, potato, olive, onion)
Mugwort pollen (weed): carrot, celery, aniseed, peach (infrequently: many more fruit, vegetables and spices)
Ragweed pollen: melon, cucumber, banana, sunflower
Timothy grass: apple, litchi, tomato, celery, corn, bell pepper, paprika
Further common examples amongst many cross-allergies are the Alternaria (mold)-spinach syndrome, mite-shrimp syndrome, cat-pork syndrome, bird-egg syndrome and cypress-peach syndrome.
Most individuals with hay fever cross-react to two or more foods.
Common cross-reactions between different foods
- Shrimp, lobster, crab, less common: squid, scallops, clams, oysters (associated: mite allergy)
- Squid, scallops, clams, oysters, less common: shrimp, lobster, crab
- Peanut, lupine
- Tree nut (walnut, hazelnut, Brazil nut, pecan), pistachio, cashew
- Cow’s milk, all mammal’s milk (e.g. >90% with goat and sheep milk, cow meat (10%!))
- Hen’s egg, rarely other bird’s eggs and poultry meat
- Cereal (wheat, oat, barley, rye, millet, sorghum, maize, rice): cross-allergy not common. 20% cross-react with one other cereal.
- Flour allergy – consider mite contamination.
- Fish, frequent cross-reactions, even between salt and fresh water fish. Not to shellfish. Distinguish from histamine intolerance (i.e. non-allergic, see Histamine and biogenic amines intolerance)
- Seeds, sesame, mustard, sunflower
- Peach and melon commonly cross-react with other fruit (generally mild reactions)
Latex-fruit allergy syndrome
Latex contact allergy is associated with food allergy in 30-80% of cases. The most common cross-reactions include: bananas, avocado, chestnut, apple, kiwi, potato, tomato, melon, papaya. Less common: apple, fig, pineapple, peach, pear, passion fruit, walnut, hazelnut, almond, carrot, grapefruit, strawberry, spinach, lettuce, celery, diverse spices. Contact allergy with latex products, as well as certain plants (e.g. fig, gum, oleander, cactus).
Allergic reactions involving the alimentary tract can result in a wide range of symptoms, stretching from harmless tingling of the mouth to life-threatening shock reactions and from lasting a few hours to many days.
At least 30% of sufferers will have symptoms resembling functional bowel disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome, functional diarrhea or functional dyspepsia: nausea, vomiting, bloating, abdominal cramps and pain, diarrhea, swallowing problems or reflux. Tingling, swelling, itching of the mouth, tongue and throat are frequent allergic signs relating to the pollen-associated oral allergy syndrome (food contact hypersensitivity syndrome), which is the commonest food allergy in teenagers and adults. These symptoms often increase in parallel with hay fever.
Other possible manifestations of food allergies are skin reactions, such as itching (urticaria), rash, edema or swelling, and respiratory problems, such as runny nose, sinusitis, asthma or bronchitis. Nervous system reactions, such as tiredness, chronic fatigue, loss of ability to concentrate, migraine headaches and psychiatric disturbances, and musculoskeletal symptoms, including joint and muscle pain, are increasingly recognized.
Food allergy may result in reactions outside of the intestinal tract, such as eczema, devoid of any intestinal symptoms. At the extreme end of the spectrum anaphylactic shock and death can ensue.
Atopic dermatitis/eczema is associated with egg, cow’s milk and peanut allergy and removal of the allergens results in significant improvement in most children. Most cases improve by teenage years, but some develop respiratory allergy.
The most important aspect of allergy management is accurate recognition of the offending food(s) or other agent(s).
Permanent exclusion of even small amounts of the recognized component(s) from the diet is currently considered to be of prime importance, as this prevents the occurrence and escalation of symptoms. A total elimination diet is often difficult, depending on the food component(s), frequently requiring expert dietary advice and a great deal of personal motivation and discipline. Careful reading of food, drug and in some cases household and cosmetic product labels is advised. Fruit can be present in juice, liqueur, wine, fruit salad, ice cream, jam, chewing gum, potato chips, muesli and fruit enzymes (papain, bromelain, and ficin) are used in food and drugs. Advice on food substitution is crucial in the case of fruit or vegetable allergies to prevent deficiencies.
The allergenic potential of many components is reduced, but generally not eliminated, by cooking and processing, with the exception of peanut and tree nut.
If complete elimination is not achieved or achievable, there is some evidence certain types of anti-allergic medication may be helpful. These include a combination of antihistamines. Emergency treatment injectors (e.g. Epipen™) should be carried in case of severe allergic reactions. Immunotherapy (desensitization) for some allergies, especially the pollen-associated food allergies, may be successful in a subset of individuals, however even then the effect is often not long-term.
- Food allergy cross-reactions with pollen may increase during pollen season and decrease subsequently. Therefore, certain foods may be tolerated only outside of the high pollen season.
- If fish allergy exists, it is best to avoid all fish due to high cross-reactivity.
- Reactions to fish, especially if not fresh, may involve histamine sensitivity rather than allergies. See Biogenic amines
- The most common fruit allergy cross-reactions are with peach and melon.
- Food allergy may cause symptoms outside of the intestinal tract, such as eczema, without inducing relevant intestinal symptoms.
Cross-Reactive Allergens & Allergen Calendar |
Past Today: Why Conflicts Endure
01:195:270 (3 credits)
Core: CCO or CCD; AHo or AHp
Professor Richard Serrano, French, Comparative Literature
The great American novelist William Faulkner famously said, "The past is not dead. It's not even past." Why do some conflicts endure despite the enormous political, technological, cultural and economic changes of the past several decades?
What can we learn about 21st-century struggles through examining the representation of conflict in comparative literature and arts? How can we understand the ways in which the past remains “undead” through its continuing animation of today's clashes while complicating all attempts to resolve them? How can literature, film, and other visual arts, as well as architecture, and music, be used to understand how the past shapes political and cultural strife today? Focusing on three current conflicts from disparate cultures, this course explores how conflicts are constructed and searches for the means to look through and beyond them, to overcome them, and to loosen the past’s hold on the present and future.
This course is particularly recommended for students who intend to pursue majors in African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian languages; American Studies; anthropology, art history, Asian languages and cultures; Asian Studies; comparative literature; English; history; Latin American studies; Middle Eastern studies; political science; sociology; and South Asian studies. This course carries credit toward the major and minor in comparative literature. Past Today can be used to meet the SAS Core Curriculum goals in Contemporary Challenges [CCO or CCD] and Arts and Humanities [AHo and AHp].
Watch our interview with Professor Serrano below. |
The Importance of Sleep
We have all heard the suggestion at one time or another that we should get at least 8 hours of sleep each day. How well are you DOING? Chances are you like the 35-40% of adults who fail to achieve the MINIMUM 8 hours that you should get every night. The ability to get a good night’s sleep takes a definite downturn around age twenty-five and a larger downturn at age forty-five. Most patients with chronic pain sleep poorly and are usually tired during daylight hours. A good night sleep is difficult to attain as pain is typically more keenly felt at night, as there are less distractions present.
What’s the Big Deal?
There is a strong correlation between sleep and quality of life. There have been many studies conducted to explore this concept. One in particular found definitively that female volunteers who experienced poorer quality of sleep (less time in REM) had a higher sensitivity to pain. With regards to both acute and chronic pain, all variables affect sleep, and sleep also affects all variables. It becomes difficult for someone who is not getting adequate sleep to calm down the nervous system, and the perception of pain is altered. It is almost impossible for HEALING to take place when the body is inflamed from additional stress. If you are involved in physical therapy, a body that is “fired up” will likely find the actions performed intolerable because physical therapy involves both stretching and strengthening of muscles and ligaments through specific movements that require significant force in order to be effective.
How Can I Get More Sleep?
Here is a list of suggestions to help you get to sleep and STAY asleep:
** Do not use any electronics (TV, cellphone, ipad, computer) for one hour prior to sleep time.
** Don’t get into bed until you are ready to fall asleep. Watch TV, read, etc. in another room
** Do not drink any caffeine after noon.
** Try to meditate prior to sleep to calm the racing thoughts
** Minimize alcohol intake in the evening–alcohol helps you to fall asleep but not stay asleep.
** Avoid heavy exercise in the evenings.
** Remove any clocks from the room.
** Do something relaxing just before going to bed. Have a routine to relax you prior to sleep.
** If you are hungry have a light snack – avoid heavy meals at night.
** Concentrate on relaxing each muscle group in your body from head to toe.
** Try Melatonin supplements (a natural hormone that helps control your sleep and wake cycles)
Sleep is so important, that even though we don’t like increasing the amount of medications, I would suggest working carefully with your doctor to figure out a week or two course of sleep medication to calm your nervous system.
Reference: Hanscom, D. (2012). Back in Control. Seattle, WA: Vertus Press. |
Advanced course search
Special Topic in Mathematics - Graph Theory
In a nutshell, graphs are mathematical structures which model relationships between objects. Graph theory is the branch of combinatorics concerned with their study, and has grown to become a very rich and diverse discipline in its own right. It has applications in almost every scientificfield, from analysing the spread of epidemics to modelling social networks.In this self-contained course we will explore a range of topics from graph theory, considering both theory and applications. The course is intended for students majoring in Mathematics or Computer Science. Does not require MATH120 or MATH220.For a full list of Honours courses, please refer to the School of Mathematics and Statistics Honours Booklet Mathematics and Statistics Honours Booklet
Subject to approval of the Head of School.
Mathematics and Statistics Honours Booklet
General information for students
Domestic fee $932.00
International fee $3,950.00
For further information see
Mathematics and Statistics. |
What is chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells.
Chemotherapy drugs are also called cytotoxics, which means poisonous (toxic) to cells (cyto).
Some of these drugs are obtained from natural sources such as plants, while others are completely developed in the laboratory. There are many types of chemotherapy drugs, which are often used in different combinations and at different strengths.
- How does it work?
- Why have chemotherapy?
- How is chemotherapy given?
- Does chemotherapy hurt?
- Where will I have treatment?
- How long does treatment last?
- Chemotherapy is time consuming
- How much does treatment cost?
- Can you have chemotherapy during pregnancy?
How does it work?
Most chemotherapy drugs enter the bloodstream and travel throughout the body to reach cancer cells in the organs and tissues.
Chemotherapy drugs target and injure rapidly dividing cells, but because the drugs are not cancer specific, both cancer cells and some normal cells are affected. When normal cells are damaged, this can cause side effects.
By the time your next treatment starts, your body’s normal cells have usually recovered but the cancer cells have not. This is because cancer cells don’t repair easily, so they recover more slowly than normal cells. This means that more cancer cells are destroyed with every treatment.
Some types of chemotherapy can be delivered directly at the tumour site rather than travelling through the bloodstream. Examples include chemotherapy wafers for brain cancer and chemoembolisation for liver cancer. As the treatment is localised, side effects are less common.
Why have chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy can be used for different reasons:
Cure – Some cancers can be cured by chemotherapy on its own or in combination with other treatments, such as surgery or radiotherapy.
To help other (primary) treatments – Chemotherapy can be given either before or after other treatments. Used beforehand (neo-adjuvant therapy), its purpose is to make the cancer smaller so your primary treatment is more effective. If chemotherapy is given after your primary treatment (adjuvant therapy), its aim is to get rid of any remaining cancer cells that may not be seen on scans.
To control the cancer – If the cancer is too large and can’t be cured, chemotherapy can be used to control the cancer’s growth for an extended period of time.
How is chemotherapy given?
Chemotherapy can be given in a variety of ways. Most people have chemotherapy through a vein (intravenously). It can also be given orally (tablets or capsules), as a cream, or as injections into different parts of the body.
Does chemotherapy hurt?
Having intravenous chemotherapy may feel like having your blood taken.
- If you have a temporary tube (cannula) in your hand or arm, only the initial injection may hurt.
- If you have a central venous access device, it should not be painful.
- Some treatments will cause side effects. However, chemotherapy drugs are constantly being improved to give you the best possible results and to reduce side effects.
If you feel burning, coolness, pain or any other unusual sensation where a cannula or central venous access device enters your body, or if you have tenderness or redness over the injection site, tell your doctor or nurse immediately.
Where will I have treatment?
Most people have chemotherapy on an outpatient basis during day visits to a hospital or clinic. Sometimes an overnight hospital stay may be needed. Some people who have oral chemotherapy or use a portable pump can have chemotherapy at home.
How long does treatment last?
How often and how long you have chemotherapy depends on the type of cancer you have and the drugs that are used. You may have treatment daily, weekly or monthly for several months to a year.
Chemotherapy is commonly given in courses (cycles), with rest periods in between. This allows normal cells to recover and your body to regain its strength. If your body needs more time to recover, i.e. for the blood count to return to normal, your next cycle may be delayed.
Your doctor will discuss your treatment plan with you. Sometimes people have chemotherapy over 6–12 months, but it’s possible to have it for a shorter or longer period.
Chemotherapy is time consuming
When you have chemotherapy you may spend a lot of time waiting, usually in the hospital or clinic: waiting for the doctor, for blood tests, for test results, for your drugs to be prepared and for the drugs to be given. There are sometimes additional delays due to safety checks, emergencies or workload of the treatment centre. Bring water and snacks with you in case of long delays.
To pass the time, you may want to do the following:
- read a book or magazine, or listen to music
- complete a crossword or other puzzle
- chat with a companion
- use a laptop, tablet or other electronic device – check with the treatment centre if this is okay and the availability of power points
- write or draw in a journal
- meditate or practise relaxation techniques.
At first, you may feel uncomfortable being around people who are sick because of cancer or their treatment. You may not identify with them. However, many people find support from others who are receiving chemotherapy at the same time as them.
How much does treatment cost?
Chemotherapy drugs are expensive, but most people only pay a fraction of the cost as many drugs are heavily subsidised by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). However, there are some drugs that are not covered by the PBS.
Your nurse, specialist or clinic will tell you what you will have to pay. You will usually have to cover the cost of medications taken at home to relieve the side effects of chemotherapy (such as anti-nausea drugs).
If you have private health insurance and elect to have your treatment privately, you may have to pay for out-of-pocket expenses and contribute to the cost of the drugs. Check with your doctor and your health fund before you start treatment.
Can you have chemotherapy during pregnancy?
Being diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy is rare – about one in 1000 women are affected.
It is possible for some pregnant women to have chemotherapy. Your medical team will discuss all of the available treatment options with you. Their recommendations will be based on the type of cancer you have, its stage, the other treatment options, and how to avoid harming your developing baby. Sometimes chemotherapy or other treatment can be delayed until after the baby’s birth.
Most pregnant women with cancer feel anxious about the potential effect of treatment on their unborn child. Being well-informed about possible treatments and side effects can make it easier to make decisions and cope with what happens.
If you have chemotherapy during pregnancy, your doctor will probably advise you to stop having it at least 3–4 weeks before your delivery date. This is because chemotherapy increases your risk of bleeding or getting an infection during the birth. Stopping chemotherapy allows your body time to recover from the side effects.
Researchers are currently doing long-term studies on women and children to explore this issue further. It is known that giving chemotherapy in the first trimester (12 weeks) increases the risk of birth defects. However, some studies on children who were exposed to chemotherapy in the womb during the second and third trimesters show that chemotherapy did not affect their development.
Different chemotherapy drugs may affect a developing baby in different ways. For example, chemotherapy may cause premature delivery. Pre-term babies often have other health problems, such as respiratory problems and delayed development.
Your doctor can talk in detail about your specific situation and what is best for your health and your unborn baby. |
Which of the following are relevant for a special order?
A. Incremental revenues and expenses
Cost plus pricing
B. Is inherently circular for manufacturing firms
C. Requires specification of desired level of profit
Customer profitability is measured as
D. Revenues - cost of goods sold - indirect service costs
With activity based pricing
D. All of the above are correct
To determine the profit maximizing price, a manager must
C. Both a and b are correct
Typically, which departments are involved in setting target costs?
D. All of the above
Which of the following is an advantage of cost plus pricing?
B. The method is simple to apply
When is it beneficial for companies to accept an order that is priced at less than the products full cost?
D. When incremental revenue exceeds more incremental cost
"Cost plus" pricing includes which of the following costs?
A. Manufacturing costs
Formula: Profit maximizing price
Profit = ((Price per unit – variable cost per unit) x Quantity Demanded) – Fixed Cost
Formula: Target costing
Price - Desired Profit
Revenues - cost of goods sold - indirect service costs
According to economic theory, how would a manager determine the profit maximizing price for a product or service?
The manager would estimate the quantity that could be sold at various prices.
Why is cost plus pricing inherently circular for a manufacturing firm?
The cost plus price is based on full cost per unit. But to determine full cost per unit you have to estimate the quantity that can be sold but the quantity sold depends on price
To implement target costing for a new product, companies often set up a cross functional team with members from engineering, marketing, and cost accounting. Why is a cross functional team desirable when implementing the target costing approach?
The target cost depends on price, and marketing staff is needed to determine product features and price. Engineers are needed to determine efficient production methods given the product features. And cost accountants are needed to estimate costs given the production process. A cross functional team helps ensure good communication among these various parties, increasing the likelihood that a product will be put into production that can be produced for the target cost.
How is cost allocation used in customer profitability analysis?
In customer profitability analysis, indirect costs are grouped into cost pools (e.g., the cost pool related to processing fax orders, the cost pool related to processing Internet orders, the cost pool related to shipping, etc.). The costs are then allocated to customers using various cost drivers (allocation bases) to determine customer profitability.
Explain why less profitable customers may become more profitable if a supplier switches to activity based pricing?
With activity-based pricing, customers are charged for various services. For example, there might be separate charges for delivery, for rush orders, and for returns. This way, customers that impose high costs on a supplier will pay for the services they demand.
What is the lowest per unit price on a special order that a company could accept and still not show a loss from the special order?
The lowest special order price should be the incremental cost of the order including opportunity cost |
Educational inequalities in Australia are high compared to the average for developed countries according to a new OECD report Going for Growth 2015. It calls on Australia to improve equity in education, saying that children from disadvantaged backgrounds face severe educational shortfalls.
The report shows that the link between socio-economic background and student achievement in Australia is one of the strongest in the OECD [p.336]. Students from low socio-economic status (SES) families achieve much lower results than students from high SES families. Only eight out of 34 OECD countries have a stronger link between SES and student achievement than Australia.
The report also shows high variation in student results in Australia compared with other OECD countries [p.335]. Only seven other OECD countries have greater variation in student achievement than Australia. It also says that enrolments in pre-school education are relatively low [p.141].
Clearly, Australia is at the bottom end of OECD countries in terms of equality in education outcomes.
Drawing on these findings, the editorial of the report says that providing a broader and more equal access to quality education at the primary and secondary levels is a priority for Australia and several other countries [p.6]. Not only will this reduce social exclusion but also increase potential economic growth: “Increasing the provision and quality of education and training is an example of reforms that contributes both to economic growth and equity” [p.85].
The report states that labour productivity is the key to future economic prosperity. However, labour productivity growth in Australia has slowed since 2000, as it has in many other countries [p.50]. It says that raising the quality and inclusiveness of education systems will underpin the development of the skills and knowledge-based capital needed to increase productivity: “education is a fundamental driver of long-term growth and requires pursued efforts over an extended period of time” [p.51].
The report cites strong research evidence that the social returns to education are high, especially in the earlier stages of education and for disadvantaged students. Consequently:
Increasing the quality of lower-level schooling across broad segments of the population is thus important both for securing improved productivity, but also for achieving rising participation in higher education. High-quality primary and secondary education should be prioritised in public funding because those are a prerequisite for raising skill levels and expanding tertiary education. [p.51]
Particular emphasis should be put on equal access to early, primary and secondary education as well as in evenly-high quality of basic education, in order to prevent the exclusion from labour market of socially or economically disadvantaged groups. [p.85]
The report’s key recommendations for Australia in education are to improve early education and reduce inequality in educational outcomes and opportunities [Table 1.6, p. 52]. Notably, its recommendations do not include increasing school autonomy which is a central plank of the Coalition’s education policy.
The report commends the introduction of the Gonski funding plan for giving greater weight to socio-economic factors in school funding. Given the importance the report attaches to reducing inequality in education, it is surprising it stops short of calling for full implementation of the Gonski funding. It can only be surmised that this was at the behest of the Federal Government which would have had an opportunity to comment on the draft of the report as is the norm for OECD reports involving member countries.
Nevertheless, the new report must be an embarrassment to the Federal Government and the Education Minister, Christopher Pyne, who has consistently said that Australia does not have an equity problem in education. In contrast, the report highlights education inequality in Australia as a priority to address, not only to reduce social injustice but to improve Australia’s long-term economic outlook.
Increasing funding for disadvantaged schools and students is fundamental to reducing education inequality and improving economic growth in Australia. It means much more funding for public schools because they enrol the vast majority of disadvantaged students.
The Federal Government has refused to commit to the final two years of the six year Gonski funding plan. Only small increases in funding are due over the next few years. The real difference for greater education equity will only come from the large funding increases originally planned to flow to public schools in the final two years of the plan. The new OECD report shows that it is imperative that the Government commit to implementing these final two years of funding increases. |
A peripheral nerve lesion occur to the median, radial, & ulnar nerves. The location of the lesion determines the impairment of sudomotor, vasomotor, muscular, sensory, & functional involvement.
There are four procedures used to surgically repair nerves.
- 1. decompression- most common - carpal tunnel release- decompressing the median nerve.
- 2. repair
- 3. neurolysis
- 4. grafting
The purpose for splinting an extremity that has nerve injury are to protect, prevent contractures (short oppenens splint) of the tyhumb web space after a median nerve injury.& assistance with function.
Clawhand deformity results from a ulnar nerve injury. The splint used for this is a mobilizing ulnar gutter splint to remodel the soft tissues to increase passive extension of the ring & little fingers.
Wrist drop & radial tunnel syndrome are caused from radial nerve injury. Splint intervention would be the Long-arm elbow & wrist splint elbow flexion of 90 degrees and slight wrist extension 20-30 degrees in flexion. |
Once there was a small boy named Shankar. He belonged to a poor family. One day, he was crossing through the forest carrying some woods. He saw an old man who was very hungry. Shankar wanted to give him some food, but he did not have food for his own.
So he continued on his way.
On his way, he saw a deer who was very thirsty. He wanted to give him some water, but he did not have water for himself.
So he went on his way ahead.
Then he saw a man who wanted to make a camp, but he did not have wood. Shankar asked his problem and gave some wood to him. In return, the man gave him some food and water.
Now he went back to the old man and gave him some food and gave some water to the deer. The old man and the deer were pleased. Shankar then happily went on his way.
However, one day Shankar fell down the hill. He was in pain, but he couldn’t move, and no one was there to help him. But, the old man, he had helped, saw him and quickly pulled him up the hill. He had many wounds on his legs. The deer whom Shankar had given water saw his wounds and quickly went to the forest and brought some herbs. After some time his wounds were covered.
All were very happy that they were able to help each other.
Moral: If you help others, then they will also help you.
Creation: A Sioux Story
The Creator gathered all of Creation and said, “I want to hide something from the humans until they are ready for it. It is the realization that they create their own reality.”
The eagle said, “Give it to me, I will take it to the moon.”
The Creator said, “No. One day they will go there and find it.”
The salmon said, “I will bury it on the bottom of the ocean.”
“No. They will go there too.”
The buffalo said, “I will bury it on the Great Plains.”
The Creator said, “They will cut into the skin of the Earth and find it even there.”
Grandmother Mole, who lives in the breast of Mother Earth, and who has no physical eyes but sees with spiritual eyes, said, “Put it inside of them.”
And the Creator said, “It is done.”
How Can We Be Happy?
Once a group of 50 people was attending a seminar. Suddenly the speaker stopped and decided to do a group activity. He started giving each one a balloon. Each one was asked to write his/her name on it using a marker pen. Then all the balloons were collected and put in another room.
Now, these delegates were let in that room and asked to find the balloon which had their name written, within 5 minutes. Everyone was frantically searching for their name, colliding with each other, pushing around others and there was utter chaos.
At the end of 5 minutes, no one could find their own balloon.
Now each one was asked to randomly collect a balloon and give it to the person whose name was written on it. Within minutes everyone had their own balloon.
The speaker began— This is what is happening in our lives. Everyone is frantically looking for happiness all around, not knowing where it is. Our happiness lies in the happiness of other people. Give them their happiness, you will get your own happiness. And this is the purpose of human life.
Is this not what you are looking for?
Remember, you are NOT alone! Until next time–Jenn |
Playschemes create inclusive environments that enable children to play freely. They may run from one week in the summer to all year round; usually for school-age children ranging from five to 15 years; from two hours a day to seven hours a day. Play is facilitated by paid playworkers or play volunteers who have had some level of training in play. Playschemes may run for several years. Maam children’s playscheme in Galway has been going since 1996.
A few definitions may be useful:
Playwork is the provision by adults of an environment and opportunities that enable children and young people to engage in play opportunities offering social, physical, intellectual, cultural, creative and emotional development. The values underpinning playwork derive from a clear understanding and commitment to equality of opportunity, the child’s right to play, and the importance of choice, freedom, empowerment, safety and social justice.
Playwork is rooted in an understanding that children learn and develop while they are playing and that the nature of modern life often works against that process.
Playwork seeks to address that problem by creating environments that enable children to play.
Someone whose task is to facilitate, enable, encourage, empower and where necessary intervene to ensure that the play environment and the play opportunities provided for children always start with the child and/or young person’s needs first.
Playwork Unit, Sprito (national training organisation for sport, play and recreation in UK, 1999)
Play is the Focus:
Most parents and playworkers know that children of all ages still enjoy books, stories, drawing, music, walks, making things from almost anything, games, and generally playing alone and with others.
While much of what happens in a playgroup or an after school club may have similarities with what happens in a playscheme, a child’s right to play is the central focus in a playscheme.
Children are consulted, make choices and help run their own play space. The value of play is recognised for its own sake and play is acknowledged as distinct from sports or recreation.
While playschemes are carefully structured and have clear boundaries and rules agreed with and among the children, there is not a programme packaged into a series of adult–directed 30 minute activities. Children have time and space to immerse themselves in the play of their choice.
Playschemes aim to foster independence, mutual respect and self– esteem among children of different age and ability groups, who might otherwise be separated by the structures of everyday life (pre-school, school age, special needs . . . ). They offer opportunities for children to play together in a stimulating and safe environment, with enough playworkers (one to two playworkers for every eight children is recommended) to help create a rich play environment and facilitate play.
Accessible playschemes are based on equal entitlement and accessibility. They are usually free or easily affordable by all. They can run from one week in the summer to all year round, usually for school age children, ranging from five to 15 years or for different age groups e.g. five to nine years, ten to 15 years. They can be run for two hours a day or six/seven hours all day. Numbers can range from 12 to 50 and depend on age and abilities of children attending, quality and size of venue, numbers of playworkers and helpers available.
Paid staff and volunteers have undergone or are given training in areas such as play and child development, first aid, the role of a playworker, listening skills, health and safety.
Trained and experienced playworkers help ensure play is inclusive and meets children’s needs/abilities. Playworkers facilitate play and help create play opportunities rather than direct play.
Playschemes are not dependent on lots of equipment. The more loose parts in the play environment, the more innovative and creative the play.
Basic Equipment quiet play area
dressing up clothes and accessories
story area and books
active play area
boxes all sizes for imaginative play, making things
messy play/art area with water available
balls various sizes especially beach and foam balls
crayons, pencils and paints, scrap paper and some larger sugar paper
some musical instruments perhaps made by children themselves
puppets, masks some made by children
junk craft materials, scissors, glue
construction toys e.g. bricks, lego
old socks for throwing games, making puppets
Playschemes may also choose to have some specific organised art workshops, games or story sessions; some run trips.
Organising your Playscheme Aims and ethos of the playscheme. Why are we having a playscheme?
Involving children in planning & running it.
Who is it for? Ages. Access. Children with special needs.
Criteria for deciding who attends.
Free or affordable.
Creating a local play policy for the scheme, including issues such as policy on child abuse, bullying etc.
Health and safety issues.
Venue, inside and outside—access, safety, storage, rent, emergency telephone.
Staffing—paid staff, volunteers. Who else in the community can offer skills/help.
Training for paid staff and volunteers
Numbers—what will venue and staffing levels support in terms of health and safety and in terms of quality of experience.
Number of days, length of days.
Insurance e.g one or two weeks summer school insurance to cover public liability and employer’s liability for volunteers as well as staff. Equipment insurance?
Equipment and supplies—what do you have; what can you borrow; what might you need to buy?
The play environment—arranging space and equipment e.g setting up a messy play/art room (see also Basic equipment and the play environment above)
Working out a contract with children and helpers on the first morning
Building in reviews and evaluations from children, parents/playworkers
Playschemes need careful organisation to work well and the contract, group time and making name badges on the first day and group and circle/ co–operative times on subsequent days are a big part of this.
See Brochure – Maam Children’s Playscheme
Children need to feel secure at the playscheme, be involved, know the boundaries and who they can turn to and feel part of a larger caring group. Simply reading out or putting up a list of ‘rules’ does not work that well and often leads to children not taking responsibility for their own behaviour and helping less e.g clearing up, more conflict, teasing and even bullying.
Successful playschemes should have:
Policies on Play Child Protection
Code of Behaviour
Health and Safety
Planning your Playscheme General administration and organisation Grant applications
Keep notes at each meeting including action who agreed to do what
Organise insurance for scheme
Check equipment (keeping an inventory)
Buy new equipment
Design & send out booking forms and helper’s forms
(remember to include medical/special needs)
Produce consent forms for trips/specific activities where necessary
Collect in forms and money—taking to bank
Collect receipts & noting expenditure, checking budget
Give out expense forms staff and volunteers should be
reimbursed for telephone calls, postage, printing, travel etc.
Produce lists of children, ages and medical needs,
emergency contact numbers etc.
Check first aid & set up accident/incident book
Coordinate helpers and who is doing what when —
produce an overall list of who is at scheme, when, and their roles.
Plan scheme especially first day—contract and settling in,
Plan any specific workshops or events e.g. dance, treasure hunts, trips
Included by courtesy of Playshare
Photos were provided courtesy of ‘Maam Children’s Playscheme’
Model of Good Practice
Maam Children’s Playscheme:
“… a volunteer playscheme in rural Ireland Maam Children’s Playscheme caters for young people aged five to 14 from Maam, Co Galway and nearby villages … Visiting children are also welcomed. There are no paid workers. The playscheme depends on parents, young adults and others working together. As far as possible parents and carers are expected to give at least a day or half day at the playscheme … At the playscheme itself children choose what they want todo – much of it is free play, with some organised workshops …”
[extract from Ready, steady, play: a national play policy published by the National Children’s Office, Dublin] |
The number of babies born in the United States with signs of drug withdrawal has tripled in a decade because more pregnant women are using narcotics, according to a new study.
The rate of infants born with withdrawal symptoms reached about one every hour in 2009, researchers report in this week’s issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"What we found was that from 2000 to 2009, the number of babies having drug withdrawal increased by three times," said the study’s lead author, Dr. Stephen Patrick of the University of Michigan's division of neonatal-perinatal medicine in Ann Arbor.
Babies with withdrawal, called neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), commonly show:
- Difficulty feeding.
- Difficulty breathing.
- Low birth weight.
For the study, Patrick and his co-authors reviewed hospital billing data from across the U.S.
They looked at how many women were using opiates at the time of delivery as well as whether the newborns showed drug withdrawal symptoms.
In 2009, at least 1,057 babies were born in Canada with NAS, an 18-per-cent increase over the year before, according to the most recent figures available from the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
Complex and costly hospital stays
The incidence of the syndrome increased from 1.20 per 1,000 hospital births per year in 2000 to 3.39 per 1,000 hospital births at the end of the decade, the researchers found.
Not all babies born to women who used opiates during pregnancy showed symptoms.
The newborns included babies like Savannah, whose mother stopped abusing painkillers and switched to prescribed methadone early in pregnancy.
Savannah has trouble sleeping peacefully, sometimes cries all night, and has had diarrhea and trouble feeding.
"It's really hard, every day, emotionally and physically," said her mother Aileen Dannelley, 25. "It's really hard when your daughter is born addicted."
Dannelley said a neighbour introduced her to crack at age 14 and she's also abused Vicodin prescribed to her for back pain as well as other prescription painkillers and heroin.
The hospital length of stay for newborns diagnosed with the syndrome averaged 16 days and remained about the same throughout the study. In Canada, the average hospital stay for for NAS infants was 15 days, CIHI said.
"In conclusion, newborns with NAS experience longer, often medically complex and costly initial hospitalizations," the study authors wrote.
The researchers said many pregnant women were legitimately taking pain-relieving opiates prescribed to them.
The researchers said they want more done to find ways of protecting the unborn from the drugs that offer pain control for cancer and chronic pain.
A journal editorial accompanying the study called opiate medications "overprescribed, diverted and sold illegally, creating a new opiate addiction pathway, and a public health burden for maternal and child health."
Marie Hayes of the University of Maine, Orono, and Dr. Mark Brown, chief of pediatrics at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor agreed with the researchers that research needs to establish the best ways to treat opiate dependence in pregnancy. That may include starting methadone treatment early in pregnancy, monitoring alcohol use and providing psychiatric care.
The babies are dependent on methadone or other opiates because of their mothers' use during pregnancy. The infants are given small doses of methadone to wean them off. That's safer than cutting them off cold turkey, which can cause dangerous seizures and even death, Brown said.
Scientists are gaining clues to dependence by studying how opiates cross the placenta and analyzing infant stool samples.
The research was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program. |
You’ve started your lawn and it looks great. But with lawn and garden care,you can keep it looking great all season long! Here are some tips for maintaining your yard:
- Water in the early morning! This helps to prevent fungal disease.
- Water more deeply and less frequently! It encourages deeper root growth.
- Water using 1/2 to 1 inch of water! This wets the soil to a depth of 4-6 inches. To check on how much water you’re using, collect water from sprinklers in a small can or rain gauge.
- Prevent water run-off! Irrigate slowly or in multiple short cycles because water is more likely to run off clay soil and sloping lots.
- Allow soil to dry out between waterings!
- Watering is hardly necessary during the dormant season (December–February)
- Mow grass frequently! Enough so that no more than 1/3 of the leaf blade is removed at one time.
- Mow when the grass is dry! This prevents the spread of turf disease.
- Cut the grass higher in the summer! This helps to establish a deeper root system.
- Sharpen mower blades regularly! Sharp blades do less damage to grass.
- Do not bag your grass clipping! Use a mulching mower if possible because cut grass that’s left on the lawn returns 60% of the nitrogen and 100% of the phosphorus to the soil,which is very beneficial.
Aerate Your Lawn
- Aerating your lawn at least once a year will help to improve drainage and bring more oxygen to the soil.
- Moisten your soil the day before aerating to make it easier and more effective.
- Use a hollow-tined aerator that removes the plugs to increase water and oxygen to the soil.
- After aerating, apply compost for added nutrients.
- Low levels of weeds are okay! When you develop a dense, healthy turf most weeds will go away.
- Avoid using herbicides! The most effective, least toxic way to remove weeds is pulling them by hand or by using a non-toxic PH balanced granular formula.
- Don’t let weeds bloom and release their seeds! One plant can send hundred of seeds into your yard.
- Fill in bare spots in your lawn with grass plugs or seed.
Organic Lawn and Garden Care Products
Keep pests away by using Wondercide’s EcoTreat Outdoor Pest Control in a lawn sprayer. It's a natural solution for organic lawn care and pest control that will surely help you keep your organic lawn beautiful! Not only does it help prevent and remove pests, but it does not harm beneficial insects like butterflies! EcoTreat Outdoor Pest Control has been provento be both safe and effective.To see how to use EcoTreat Outdoor Pest Control in a lawn sprayer, watch our how-to video:
We wish you the best of luck on yourlawn and garden careprojects and hope that these tips help you with maintaining your yard! |
How Superfoods Contribute to a Healthier Lifestyle
As more consumers focus on choosing foods that fuel their body, support immunity health, and taste delicious, superfoods are taking center stage. We are happy to note that mushrooms are on the list of superfoods you should include in your daily diet. That’s great news since mushrooms are delicious and can be added to countless meals, from breakfast omelets and decadent pasta sauces.
South Mill Champs is one of North America’s largest mushroom growers, supplying over 110 million pounds annually of the best quality minimally processed mushrooms throughout North America. We pride ourselves on continuing to find innovative ways to help you make a health-conscious lifestyle as easy as possible.
Adding superfoods into your diet as often as possible is a central building block of a healthy lifestyle. With options like our mushrooms, that’s easy to do. But, do you know which foods fit into that category? And why?
What Are Superfoods?
Superfoods are foods that give your body an extra boost of nutrition. Superfood lists seem to vary from year to year, but mushrooms are always a staple. Superfoods all have a few things in common. They are usually plant-based foods, with the addition of omega-rich seafood, whole grains, and low-fat dairy. The common denominator is that all the foods on the lists are nutrient-dense and provide a wide range of health benefits, such as anti-inflammatory properties or antibacterial components.
The Foods Most Frequently Included on Superfood Lists
Most people know that they should eat fruits and vegetables, but some fruits and vegetables are simply more nutrient-dense and potent than others. A few of the most common superfoods include the following.
- Mushrooms. These fungi have been touted for centuries for their medicinal benefits, including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Unlike other kinds of superfoods, almost all varieties are exceptionally potent and healthful.
- Avocados. These green orbs are high in magnesium and help regulate blood pressure. Don’t let the high fat content stop you; like nuts, it’s all fat that is good for you.
- Berries. All berries have high fiber content and abundant levels of antioxidants. However, blueberries stand out among others for their boosts to health.
- Broccoli. Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables are high in fiber and lower your risk of cancer. They also taste good.
- Salmon. Fresh-caught seafoods are high in omega 3 fatty acids, which lower heart attack risks. Of these fresh caught fish, salmon is among the healthiest.
- Garlic and onions. Garlic and onions are often overlooked, but these members of the allium family are noted for their antibacterial and antiviral benefits.
- Kombucha, kimchee, and other fermented products. Drink them alone or add them to a smoothie, these products offer innumerable probiotic benefits.
What Makes Mushrooms a Superfood
Mushrooms possess several attributes that qualify them as a true superfood, and over 400 species of mushrooms are identified with medicinal properties. Chinese medicine has a long history of using these fungi for their antiviral and antimicrobial benefits as well for the anti-inflammatory properties that contribute to overall health.
Mushrooms not only provide you with B vitamins such as niacin and riboflavin, but are also excellent sources of three essential antioxidants, glutathione, ergothioneine, and selenium.
Additionally, they are an excellent source of vitamin D and potassium. B vitamins benefit the body in several ways, including converting our food to energy for distribution to cells and helping regulate the nervous system and maintain overall cell health. The vitamin D present in mushrooms not only helps to strengthen bones, but it also regulates the production of proteins that your body needs to kill bacterial and viral infections.
Glutathione and ergothioneine are antioxidants that, when teamed together, can reduce the signs of aging caused by effects of physiological stress. The benefits of mushrooms in reducing oxidative stress in the body can be an essential component of an anti-aging lifestyle. Including them in your diet may help in delaying or reducing the impacts of age-related diseases.
Although our bodies do not produce selenium, it is a nutrient that is critical to our metabolism and thyroid function. It is important to include this antioxidant in your daily diet, as it helps negate the impacts of oxidative stress on your body. Adequate levels of selenium are necessary to help the body effectively fight off viral infections.
Another one of the benefits of mushrooms is the impact on brain decline associated with aging. A study by researchers in Singapore found that seniors who included at least two weekly servings of mushrooms in their diet may reduce their risk of mild cognitive issues by 50 percent. Additionally, glutathione and ergothioneine are thought to help prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
Mushrooms are also used as a companion in the treatment of breast cancer due to their anti-inflammatory properties. As you can see, mushrooms are beneficial to your overall health and should be included in your diet in a variety of ways. The good news is that South Mill Champs has a wide variety of ways to make adding mushrooms to your diet easy and delicious.
Ways to Add Mushrooms to Your Everyday Diet
When you think of mushrooms, you likely think of using them for salads, steaks, or in an omelet. You can reap the nutritional benefits of mushrooms by thinking creatively. The meaty texture and umami flavor of mushrooms make them an excellent protein replacement for red meat in a recipe.
Consider making your next burger a portabella mushroom burger or replacing a portion of the meat in your turkey burger with diced mushrooms. You can easily use Tuesday Taco as an opportunity to increase your antioxidant intake with this taco recipe. You can add nutrition and cut calories by making mushrooms the center of your pizza night.
Mushroom superfood powder is also an excellent way to upgrade your morning coffee’s nutritional value. A teaspoon will turn your regular coffee into an earthy treat bursting with nutrients. You can also add the powder to smoothies, cereals, and entrées. Our line of mushroom snacks is another way South Mill Champs makes eating healthy easier.
We offer a variety of portable, tasty treats that are easy ways to include nutrition into your on-the-go lifestyle. Keep plenty of them around the house for a delicious and nutritious snack when you want it.
What are Shroom Snacks?
As you begin to look at ways to incorporate mushrooms and other superfoods into your daily routine—don’t forget our healthy snacks!
Snacking is now a mainstay in the diet of most consumers. We eat on the go or tend to graze more often during the day. It is vital to make your snacks are as nutritionally dense as possible. South Mill Champs offers mushroom crisps and jerky all easy and delicious snacks, packed with nutritional benefits.
We developed the Shrooms line as an exciting and somewhat adventurous way for mushroom lovers to incorporate more of that savory taste into their snacking options.
The Shrooms Product Line Includes:
Available in a variety of flavors to fill all your crunch cravings, Shrooms Crisps come in spicy jalapeno, sea salt, mesquite barbeque, and pizza flavors. This crispy mushroom snack offers all the crunch you expect from a potato chip but with less fat and more nutritional value.
The great taste you expect from jerky but with a boost of antioxidants, the Shrooms Jerky line is another tasty way to add mushrooms to your diet. The jerky is composed of two types of mushrooms—shiitake and portobello. The mushrooms are deeply marinated for 24 hours a day to enhance the flavor profile. The options are roasted teriyaki portobello, honey chipotle shiitake, and original portabella.
Get the Health Benefits of Mushrooms with Shroom Snacks
Including superfoods into your daily diet is an excellent way to proactively increase your quality of life and fight the negative impacts of stress on your body. Shroom snacks are a simple way to ensure that you reap the benefits that mushrooms provide, including improved brain function and blood pressure regulation. They have antioxidant and antiviral properties and offer weight control benefits.
The Shroom Crisp snacks are a convenient option to take along on hikes, easy to pack in a school lunch, and make an excellent topping for salads if you are looking to add a little crunch.
Next time you are looking for something to hold you over until dinner or you need a boost after your workout, try Shrooms Snacks.
Start on your journey toward better health and longer life by incorporating more superfoods into your diet. Check out our recipe section for more ideas on how to incorporate mushrooms into your cooking. |
of the Beaver
Newberry Honor Book
Book by Elizabeth George Speare
Notes about the Author
Elizabeth George Speare (1908-1994) was a respected and talented writer who won several Newbery Medals for her historical fiction books for young people. The Sign of the Beaver is a Newbery Honor book.
She explained how Sign of the Beaver came to be written:
This true story took place in 1802 to the Sargent family who purchased wilderness land in the Milo, Maine area. The young son's name was actually Theophilus, but Elizabeth chose to call him Matt. The accounts of the bear, the friendly Penobscot Indians, and the family illnesses were all part of the true story.
In 1996 a television movie called Keeping the Promise was made from the story.
See other teaching possibilities below:
1)Two historians-Daily Life in the Colonies , Early Settlements
2)Mapmaker-Map of Matt's family's journey from Quincy, Mass. to Maine
3)Architect-Log cabins , Making a log cabin
4)Chef-Johnnycakes , Food on the frontier
5)Craftsmen-Compass , Corn husk dolls
6)Sportsman-Colonial children games
7)Educator-Home school , Books , Hornbooks
1)Two historians- , Land and Water Preservation,
(Century of Massacres, Land in its Infancy),
4)Chef- Recipes , Iroquois food , Maple syrup
5)Craftsman-Making baskets , Bow and arrows
6)Sportsman-Games , Powwows , Bow and arrow for hunting
7)Educator-Storytelling , Legends , Language
Author Awareness Resources:
Why I wrote The Sign of the Beaver
The class will be divided into two major groups: Attean's Clan, and Matt's Clan.
II. Nine researchers from
each clan are needed: two historians, mapmaker, architect, chef, craftsman, sportsman,
educator, and seamstress.
Each researcher will present that information to his/her clan through a report, model, poster, Kid's Pix, etc. (use Resources for information)
III. Two coordinators are needed for each clan. They will
be responsible for getting all the information from their researchers in that clan, and
putting it together for presentation at the PowWow when both clans meet.
IV. One person in the class will research the author, Elizabeth George Speare, and prepare a presentation to be shared at the PowWow.
Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
TeacherView by Carmen Talavera
Grades taught: 5-6
Craig Williams Elementary School
Lakewood, California USA
During the summer of 1768, Matt Hallowell and his father stake a claim in Maine territory. Matt is left alone to guard the house when his father returns to Massachusetts to get Matt's pregnant mother and sister. While waiting months for his father to return to their cabin, Matt is befriended by the Penobscot Indians. Chief Saknis and his grandson, Attean, save Matt when he is almost killed by a swarm of bees. To thank Saknis and Attean for saving his life Matt teaches Attean to read English. During this time Attean is teaching Matt to become a skilled hunter. Saknis offers to adopt Matt and take him north with the tripe as it moves to new hunting grounds. Matt knows that he would be proud to be Attean's brother, but he also knows he must wait for his own family.
Some of the activities you can do with this novel are:
R-E2. Use reading strategies such as making inferences and predictions, summarizing, paraphrasing, differentiating fact from opinion, drawing conclusions, and determining the authors purpose and perspective to comprehend written selection
R-E3. Analyze selections of fiction, nonfiction and poetry by identifying the plot line distinguishing the main character from minor ones; describing the relationships between and motivations of characters; and making inferences about the events, setting, style, tone, mood and meaning of the selection
Writing (Grades 6-8)
PO 4. Present clearly written and organized information
PO 4. Use personal interpretation, analysis, evaluation or reflection to evidence understanding of subject
W-E3.Write a summary that presents information clearly and accurately, contains the most significant details and preserves the position of the author
|Healthy Survivor 100%||A. The presentation will have a clear explanation of what has been learned with three inferences based on observations and clear illustrations. B. You will have at least three notes on changes you would have made if you had been in Matt's position. C. Both activity sheets on Ms. Rosenbaum's web page have been completed with at least 90% accuracy.|
|Hungry Survivor 85%||A. The presentation will a clear explanation of what has been learned with at least two inferences based on observations and an illustration. B. You will have two or three notes on changes you would have made if you had been in Matt's position. C. Both activity sheets on Ms. Rosenbaum's web page have been completed with at least 80% accuracy.|
|Malnourished Survivor 75%||A. The presentation will have an explanation of what has been learned with at least one inference based on observations and a illustration. B. You will have at least one note about a change you would have made if you had been in Matt's position. C. Both activity sheets on Ms. Rosenbaum's web page have been competed with at least 70% accuracy.|
|Starving Survivor 65%||A. The presentation will have an explanation. B. You will have completed the activity sheets on Ms. Rosenbaum's web page.|
|Decaying Non-Survivor 50%||A. You will have attempted and explanation an attempted the activity sheets.|
1. Before you begin the book have the class look at the cover and predict what the story is about.
2. Go over the key words, discuss with the students what they would need to survive alone in the wilderness. Make a list.
3. As you read the story, have the students keep a journal of all of the problems the boy faces followed by the solutions.
4. After reading Chapter 3, have each class member make a wanted poster, listing all of the descriptive information given about Ben. Ask students to include a drawing of what they think Ben looks like.
5. In the story, Attean's family marks their territory with a beaver on the tree. Have each student select an animal and draw a picture of it on a tree.
6. Attean cannot believe the kind of work that Matt has to do. In Attean's culture, Matt's work is considered that of a woman. Make a list of the activities Matt has to do and then a list of the activities Attean does. Now see how many of the activities are similar.
7. After you finish the book, talk about the several events that caused Matt and Attean to change their attitude toward each other.
8. Matt had to decide between going north with the Beaver Clan or waiting alone during the long winter for his family. Have the class list reasons for going and reasons for staying. Next, have them write one paragraph about what they would do if they where in that situation, and why. Hold a debate where students argue for going or staying.
9. Here are some questions that may help to get the students thinking:
A. If Matt and Attean met after a 20 year separation, describe their conversation.
B. Share an important lesson you have learned from a friend.
C. What good things resulted from Ben's visit?
D. If Ben were arrested and tried for his crime how might his lawyer defend him?
E. How are Matt and Attean alike? How are they different?
F. Which of your prized possessions would you be willing to give to a friend?
From the students journals they will choose one event and write in detail the problem and how that problem was resolved. The students will be assessed using the six traits of writing.
Each student makes a "birchbark" diary out of brown paper grocery bags that have been cut to approximately 8" x 11" pieces( this takes mucho bags, so start saving them). We bind them together by first using a paper punch to punch holes down the left side, then sew them together with twine.
Students then decorate the cover using Indian symbols or whatever. A journal entry is completed after each chapter is read. I begin by modeling the first 4-5 chapters and writing an entry to Ma and Pa from the main character's perspective.
The next 4-5 chapter entries are done in small groups; then for the latter part of the book students complete their own individual entries. By the end of this book students have a good "handle" on writing a summary. I assess the last few chapter's entries for a grade. |
Everybody has heard about 'portion distortion' and many of us in Central Texas practice it every time we go by the fast food joint and order our meals to be 'supersized,' 'upsized,' or any other adjective that you can assume means too much food. For example, a standard hamburger in the 1960s was about the same size as a kid's burger today. And it's not just fast food that's a challenge. Restaurants typically serve enough food for two meals and we often serve ourselves more food than we really need because our judgment about what is adequate has been, well, distorted.
"To really control portion sizes, you need to measure everything you eat," says Seton Outpatient Nutrition Services Senior Clinical Dietitian Wendy Morgan, RD, LD. "Of course, that's not very practical anywhere except in your own kitchen. Measuring your food at home for awhile can help you reset your visual imaging about how much food is appropriate. But even when you are not a home, you have a handy tool with you that can help you make good choices and it's attached at the end of your arm - your own hand."
"Using your hand as a measurement tool gives useful approximations. Bigger people have bigger hands, so their estimates will include more food than those of smaller individuals. However, the differences will be proportional, so the person doing the measuring will be getting the right amount of food for him- or herself."
The Difference Between Portions & Servings
"Serving size describes how much experts recommend you eat. Standard serving sizes have been determined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and are required to be listed on the Nutrition Fact label on food sold in this country. Portion size is how much you choose to eat." says Wendy.
Many of us regularly overeat certain types of food. It's easy to eat more than a recommended serving of corn chips (about 32) or ice cream (1/2 cup). But may people eat too much of good foods, such as whole grain cereals. If a recommended serving size of whole grain cereal is 1/2 cup and you are eating a whole cup, you are getting too much. Check the box's Nutrition Fact label to find out.
"The best way to retrain your eye to estimate how much food makes up a portion is to measure your food. A good measuring cup, set of measuring spoons and a small kitchen scale are a dieter's best friends," says Wendy. "But it's not practical to carry that much equipment when you go out to dinner or just pick up lunch in the cafeteria where you work. Count on it, even cafeterias will be serving you too much food because everybody is looking for a bargain," says Wendy.
Most Americans are always looking for value in consumer goods, and food is no different. To appeal to our sense of getting more for our money, food establishments quickly learned that once the overhead costs of doing business are covered, the cost of a little extra food makes people happy and loyal customers.
"We all know what we should do in restaurants - either share your meal with someone or pack half of it up to take home. But sometimes, that's just not a practical solution and we are left to guess how much we actually should eat in a quiet, subtle way. Hopefully, measuring your food at home has given you better visual judgment. But you always have your hand with you to help you estimate."
Wendy offers these examples:
- The food on your plate should take up no more space than your spread hand.
- A clenched fist is the same size as a serving of fruit.
- A cupped hand holds a serving of cereal or grains.
- Two cupped hands hold a serving of leafy salad greens.
- The palm is about the same as a serving of meat.
- Your thumb is about the same as an ounce of cheese.
- The tip of your thumb is about the same as one tablespoon.
- Your fingertip is about the same as one teaspoon.
For More Information
Learn more about recommended food consumption at the USDA's MyPyramid. The USDA also put together a nifty chart of visual cues to help estimate portion sizes. The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Portion Distortion has put together two interesting and informative quizzes to test your knowledge of portion distortion. Other useful links include Meals Matter, Food Reflections and Portion Distortion.
Wendy Morgan, RD, LD
Senior Clinical Dietitian
Seton Outpatient Nutrition Services
Wendy is a clinical dietitian and accepts outpatient nutrition counseling referrals from physicians. Contact her at (512) 324-1000, x18014 for an appointment. |
Monday, September 23, 2013
We humans have a tendency to present our species as being the most sophisticated, smartest and superior. But when it comes down to it, there are many things animals can do a lot better than we can.
1. Gripping Ability
If you've ever played tug-of-war with your dog, you know how strong his grip is. The average bite force of a dog is 320 pounds per square inch. Humans have an average bite force of 120 psi. The Mastiff has the highest bite force at 552.
A dog running at full stride is beauty in motion. It's almost as if they are racing the wind. The fastest human, Usain Bolt, holds the running record at 28 mph, and has an average running speed of 23 mph. But his speed isn't even close to the fastest dog, the Greyhound, with an average speed of 40 mph and a top running speed of 45 mph. When you add endurance, humans would be gasping for breath long before most canines stopped.
3. Navigate Tight Spaces
4. A Nose That Knows
The ability of dogs to pick up scents in the air is truly amazing. The canine brain is wired to process smells, and gives them a sort of “visual image” that is as vivid to them as a photograph is to us. Almost half of the dog's brain is dedicated to analyzing scents. The average canine nose has between 125 to 300 million scent receptors to our mere 5 million.
5. Purr Therapy
An old veterinary school saying “If you put a cat and a sack of broken bones in the same room, the bones will heal,” may seem farfetched, but researchers have discovered cat purrs do have a healing ability. Cats purr when they're happy, but they also purr when injured, giving birth and even at the end of life. The feline purr is between 25 and 150 Hertz, which is the best frequency range to promote healing in feline bones and muscles, and improve bone density.
6. Radar-like Ears
Dogs track a sound by moving their ears to locate exactly where it's coming from, and can pinpoint the source to 6/100th of a second. An average dog can hear sounds four times farther away than we can, and ten times better. Eighteen muscles in each ear gives dogs radar-like control to follow an interesting sound (like when you are opening up his favorite CANIDAE treats!). We hear sounds at 20,000 cycles per second; dogs hear sounds at 40,000 to 60,000 cycles per second.
7. Sniff Out Trouble
We've come a long way from the first seeing eye dog, Buddy, who made history when he safely guided his blind owner across a busy New York City intersection in 1928. Since then, we have successfully trained dogs to detect seizures, cancer, low blood sugar, peanuts (for those with allergies) and other medical conditions and possible life-threatening situations.
8. Make a Perfect Landing
A cat's flexible spine is what allows her to twist, turn and perform acrobatic acts. Felines are born with the ability to right themselves in mid-air to make a perfect landing on their feet. The first thing a falling cat does is rotate her head, then the spine, and finally the rear legs. To soften the impact, she will arch her back. Many cats have survived falls from heights of seven stories or more. The higher the fall, the more time the cat has to right herself.
9. Super Vision
Feline eyes are designed to see in low light to locate prey. Proportionately larger than our eyes, cat eyes have super reflective cells called tapetum lucidum, which reflects light like a mirror to give rods and cones in the eye a second chance to pick up all available light. Larger eyes and the tapetum make it possible for cats to see in very low light and pick up movement, and is why their eyes glow at night.
10. Predict Earthquakes
The paw pads of dogs and cats are super sensitive, and seismologists believe some pets may be able to detect P-waves before an earthquake hits. P-waves are the fastest moving waves just before an earthquakes occurs.
Top photo by Kathleen Tyler Conklin
Middle photo by Anssi Koskinen
Bottom photo by Mark Watson
Read more articles by Linda Cole |
The pitman arm is one of the most crucial parts of your car's steering system. The pitman arm is connected to your vehicle's steering gear, which is responsible for making your vehicle perform linear movements and be able to turn smoothly. The sector shaft secures the pitman arm in place, while a ball joint is supporting the drag link. Since everything is linked together, the steering box movements transfer through the drag link and the wheels can turn in the planned direction.
The idler arm is basically the mirror part to the pitman arm. It's located on the passenger's side of the steering box and also plays an important role in making sure your steering system works. Just like the pitman arm, the idler arm helps assist your vehicle in turning in either direction. The idler arm mirrors the motions made by the pitman arm.
Pitman Arm Problems
Sometimes there can be issues with your pitman arm which lead to driving problems. If a vehicle has a problem with the pitman arm, the steering will be misaligned and ultimately can lead to faulty steering. Some signs of problems with the pitman arm would include your vehicle strolling slightly in the wrong direction and loose or stiff steering. If not repaired, the pitman arm can cause the steering to worsen over time.
How the Pitman Works
To understand how the pitman arm works, you'll have to understand how the steering system is designed. Both the pitman arm and idler arm are major components of your steering system which provide a linkage for your steering box and center link, and eventually your hub parts. The whole linkage is setup so that when your steering wheel is turned, it will send the movement through the linkage and all the components will complete the motion.
The pitman arm is the leading role for completing steering movements. The idler arm just supports all moves made by the pitman arm by mirroring them so both wheels turn in the same direction. If you begin to notice that your steering system is working poorly, you may need to replace your pitman arm.
Since a bad pitman arm can cause your vehicle to jump over the road, it's definitely dangerous when traveling in isolated areas or at high speeds. You should replace a bad pitman arm immediately, as well as any other parts of the steering system that aren't performing as well as they could.
Replacing the Pitman Arm
Once you determine there are problems with your pitman arm, it's essential to fix it before your steering gets too out of control. You can drive with a bad pitman arm for a while but it'll be a lot rougher and harder to control your vehicle. Make sure you install a new pitman arm as soon as you can.
Depending on your vehicle, you may have to replace your pitman arm frequently. Those that invested in Hummers will probably agree with this statement as many have had to replace their pitman arm as regular as every 20, 000 miles. Pitman arms also get worn out on trucks a lot easier than they do on cars.
If you have experience around cars, you'll probably want to replace the pitman arm yourself. You can find some guides to complete the task and if you follow the instructions, there shouldn't be any difficulties. For those that don’t have the proper tools or experience for the job, it's strongly suggested that you get a professional mechanic to complete the replacement. Since your pitman arm is an essential part of your steering system, getting it replace properly is absolutely crucial. |
Imagine going through life with your arms permanently bent and locked at the elbows. Awkward, right?
Until recently we thought the mega-marsupial Palorchestes azael lived exactly like this. This rare, distant relative of the wombat became extinct (along with much of Australia’s megafauna) about 40,000 years ago.
But our research, published today in the Journal of Anatomy, shows Palorchestes could in fact move its elbows — but only a very tiny amount compared to other mammals.
Thus, we think this enigmatic creature would have had a highly unusual gait, which may provide a clue to why it went extinct.
A strange setup
The humble elbow has been around since the ancestors of all four-limbed animals first hauled themselves out of the water and onto land.
For most mammals, the elbow is a hinge-like joint that connects the humerus (which runs from shoulder to elbow) with the ulna and radius (which run from elbow to wrist).
The elbow allows the bending and straightening of the arm and is essential for four-legged walking. In the wild it’s also useful for tasks such as feeding, fighting, climbing and grooming.
But Palorchestes seemingly gave much of that up. Unlike other large mammals alive or extinct, it kept its arms in a perpetual “push-up” position.
So what would moving around have looked like for Palorchestes? And why might it have evolved such a narrow range of elbow motion in the first place?
Palorchestes was an unusual-looking marsupial. With a slender jaw indicating a long tongue and tiny nasal bones retracted high up in a narrow skull, some palaeontologists have suggested it had a tapir-like trunk (although others think this is unlikely).
Fossils of Palorchestes’s robust bones show evidence of heavily muscled forelimbs with huge, sharp claws suited for clinging and tearing. And we recently found it may have grown to weigh more than a tonne.
Still, for us the most interesting aspect of Palorchestes is its flattened elbow joint surfaces, which seem to indicate its elbows stayed bent at around a 100° angle.
We scanned the fossilised arm bones of Palorchestes and created computer simulations to model the full range of movements possible at its arm joint.
Our results indicate Palorchestes could move its elbows, but only in an off-axis motion that was tiny compared to other clawed mammals with chunky limbs such as wombats, pangolins, aardvarks and bears. Even its closest extinct megafaunal relatives had vastly more elbow function.
This suggests none of these creatures are good templates for understanding how Palorchestes moved.
By adding sliding movement as well as rotations, we used our 3D simulations to calculate the “average” motion in Palorchestes, from fully flexed to fully extended elbow poses. We found the axis of this small movement was skewed, like a “wonky” hinge.
The interactive below shows the maximum elbow motion that would have been theoretically possible for Palorchestes azael.
This skew means Palorchestes probably held its arms sprawled out from its body, allowing what little elbow mobility was possible to contribute to each stride while walking.
Arms akimbo make for awkward walking
Our findings suggest Palorchestes would have trundled along on crouched forelimbs, with its elbows sprawled out to the sides — a highly inefficient gait compared with the pillar-like limbs and tucked-in elbows of its relatives and large mammals alive today.
We think this posture was a compromise which let it use its strong arms and giant claws to access food in a specialised way, which was probably unique even back then.
While exact details remain a mystery, it could be that Palorchestes clung to tree trunks and hauled itself up onto its back legs to reach higher foliage with its long tongue.
Or it might have used its huge, bulky body to push over tree ferns to access the young nutritious fronds higher up.
Whatever it did, Palorchestes was evidently pretty successful. While its fossils are rare, they’re widely distributed right across eastern Australia.
The specialisation trap
The fossils of Palorchestes tell us it was a specialist, highly adapted to a forest landscape.
Large animals have large appetites to match, but Palorchestes’s inefficient walk probably limited its ability to roam widely in search of food.
This would be no problem in times of plenty. But when shifts in Australia’s climate caused sweeping environmental changes across the eastern half of the continent, large specialised megafauna such as Palorchestes were especially vulnerable.
Even small changes in the vegetation mix would have made it difficult to find enough food.
So an adaptation that can be a recipe for success in one environment can lead to a species’ demise in a changing world.
And while there’s nothing like Palorchestes alive today, many unique species now face the same fate due to drastic changes in their habitats.
Hazel L Richards is supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program scholarship and a Monash-Museums Victoria PhD top-up scholarship.
Alistair Evans receives funding from Australian Research Council, and is an Honorary Research Affiliate at Museums Victoria.
Justin W. Adams receives funding from the Australian Research Council and is a Research Associate with the Palaeo-Research Institute at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
Peter Bishop receives funding from Harvard University and is an Honorary Researcher in the Geosciences Program of the Queensland Museum.
David Hocking does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Read the full article here.
This content was originally published by The Conversation. Original publishers retain all rights. It appears here for a limited time before automated archiving.By The Conversation |
The location of a long-lost natural wonder in New Zealand has been identified, thanks to an accidentally found diary of a 19th century geographer.
The so-called Pink and White Terraces on the shores of Lake Rotomahana on New Zealand's North Island used to attract scores of adventurous tourists in the late 19th century. The massive deposits of silica sediment created by upwelling geothermal hot springs were as large as a city block and as tall as an 8-story building. Yet in 1886, within a single night, a massive eruption of a nearby volcano transformed the landscape around the lake beyond recognition and erased the natural wonder from the Earth's surface.
An independent researcher now claims he knows exactly where the terraces lie. The mystery was solved using a field diary that belonged to the German geographer Ferdinand von Hochstetter, which no one knew about until 2011. [10 Historical Treasures That the World Lost in the Past 100 Years]
"There were four eruptions of the Terawera volcano on the night of 10 June 1886," said study co-author Rex Bunn, explaining the magnitude of the disaster. "Three separate volcanic eruptions happened along a mountain peak and that was OK. The terraces survived that. But finally a hydrothermal, hot water, eruption happened and blew up the floor of the lake and that's what buried the terraces."
A huge cloud of fine volcanic ash buried the glowing surface of the terraces under a blanket of debris more than 50 feet (15 meters) thick. The shape of the lake changed and many of the surrounding landmarks, including the terraces, disappeared. Many thought the tourist magnet was destroyed by the eruption.
"The government had never surveyed the area, so the colonists had no way of knowing where [exactly] the terraces had been," Bunn told Live Science. "There was no way of getting GPS coordinates for them so it became a mystery, which continued until today."
Searching for the terraces
Bunn, an independent researcher, joined the quest to find the terraces four years ago after he had learned about work by an international research team in the area. The researchers from New Zealand's geological research institute GNS Science, Waikato University and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, in the U.S., discovered pink rocks during a survey of the lake's bottom. They suggested these rosy stones could belong to the long-lost terraces.
"This encouraged me to launch a $6 million project in 2014 to lower the lake and recover the terraces," Bunn said. "But later the same year, the group of researchers warned me to cease the efforts as they claimed they have found a newly active magma chamber, which could trigger an eruption, if I lowered the lake." [Big Blasts: History's 10 Most Destructive Volcanoes]
But in a twist of fate, Bunn was about to stumble upon a document that would change the direction of the quest. While searching for the right art for his upcoming e-book about the terraces, he came across a publication about Hochstetter, which contained hand-drawn maps of the area around Lake Rotomahana. The author of that publication, Sascha Nolden, a research librarian at the National Library of New Zealand, was also in possession of Hochstetter's field diary, which he recovered a few years earlier while working at the estate owned by the geographer's descendants in Switzerland.
"Hochstetter was commissioned by the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1859 to join the expedition of SMS Novara to carry out research in the South Seas," Bunn said. "When they came to New Zealand, the colonial government asked him to undertake survey work on the North Island. He spent many months working on the island with his assistants and the survey included the old Lake Rotomahana and the Pink and White terraces."
However, the colonial government seems to have never received the documentation. Hochstetter returned to Europe together with his field diary, which contains 24 full pages of information about Lake Rotamahana and the Pink and White Terraces. The diary happens to be the only accurate scientific record documenting the lost natural wonder.
"I immediately saw the diary contained numerical data, which were compass bearings of various features around the old Lake Rotomahana," Bunn said. "Most of these old lake features in the diary were destroyed by the 1886 eruption, but 10 remained." ['Dear Diary': 14 Noteworthy Journal-Keepers]
In Hochstetter's steps
From these surviving bearings, Bunn developed an algorithm to reconstruct the coordinates of the land where Hochstetter stood in 1859. According to Bunn, compass bearings recorded 150 years ago need to be adjusted for today's use, because Earth's geomagnetic field has changed since the late 1800s. Subsequently, Bunn converted the data into mapping formats that could display the location of the terraces on Google Maps and other 21st-century mapping services.
Bunn said he is confident his findings are accurate. But the terraces, contrary to data from previous research, don't lie at the bottom of the lake. Rather, they are on the shore, covered by 50 feet (15 m) of volcanic deposits. Bunn is in talks with the native tribes that own the land, and he hopes to make radar and drilling surveys of the area in an attempt to recover a piece of the pink and white silicate.
"The ash [that deposited onto the terraces] was only about 150 degrees Celsius to 250 degrees Celsius [302 degrees to 482 degrees Fahrenheit] hot and it would not have hurt the terraces," Bunn said. "The melting point of silicate is between 600 and 1,200 degrees Celsius [1,112 degrees and 2,192 degrees F], so the ash would not have hurt them and that's why I am fairly confident that they lie buried under this fine ash."
The researcher hopes the long-lost wonder can be dug out and once again exposed to the eyes of the world. The hot springs that once created the terraces no longer exist. But, according to Bunn, other wonders of the world, such as the monuments of ancient Rome and Greece, are also in less-than-perfect condition and yet sensation-seeking tourists don't seem to mind.
The results of the study were published online June 7 in the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand.
Original article on Live Science. |
Letters to the Editor
Evolutionary science forms research basis
Regarding the creationism-in-the-classroom debate: Students need to be taught authentic science in keeping with the scientific method. They need to know what science is and how a scientist operates.
Creationism does not fit into this category because it is not science. There are many theories in evolutionary science that scientists work with in order to understand the evolutionary process, but creationism is not one of these theories.
Evolutionary science forms the basic framework for ongoing research and understanding of all of the sciences, which include anatomy, physiology, geology, genetics, biochemistry, astronomy, biology, statistics and comparative anatomy. To discredit or doubt evolution as a legitimate science is to reject all present knowledge in these areas of research.
If creationism is ever to be a part of the curriculum, then it belongs in comparative religion or philosophy classes. Creationism is not science, and the Bible, the Koran or any other book of faith cannot be considered a science textbook, no matter how valuable it may be to an understanding of our faith.
Creation, evolution are both science, religion
Those who think evolutionism is science and creationism is religion are mistaken. They are both science and religion. Both use science to support some ideas while other ideas are accepted by faith alone.
Faith in evolution? Yes. For example:
- Particles of matter pulling themselves together to form atoms, or stars or planets not observed.
- Life coming from nonlife not observed.
- All life forms coming from a common ancestor not observed.
Assumptions: Ideas not observed, but believed to be true.
Science in creationism? Yes. For example:
- Design and information content that cannot come from matter itself (the cell).
- Abrupt appearance of fully developed life forms with phylum-level differences (the Cambrian fossils). Precambrian fossils offer no explanation for this using evolutionism.
- Irreducible complexity: All parts, processes, information, organization and coordination must be present to start with or the system or structure cannot exist (the blood-clotting system, the immune system).
- Life always produces life. Life does not come from nonlife.
Creationism and evolutionism are two opposing world views to explain what is. Neither is proven true by science. Both require faith. Both need to be taught in the science and social studies classrooms so students can decide for themselves. To teach students one model to the exclusion of the other is to indoctrinate rather than to teach critical thinking.
Let the students decide which view is best supported by the actual facts of science.
Mayor Harris' Visioning team concept working
I rise in support of the Mayor's Visioning teams.
I attended the Second Regional Island-wide Vision Meeting at the Convention Center on Aug. 4. I believe that what Jeremy Harris said in the video, in speeches and in conversation is far more about fulfilling his promise to deliver on a shared vision for O'ahu than electioneering.
We should expect that all public officials will actively confer with the voters and demand that attention when and where it does not exist.
The production and broadcast of a 30-minute video is a cost-effective way to deliver information to a large audience and at the same time create tools that will be useful in the planning process. The aerial shots of O'ahu's regions will be invaluable to the real work being done by neighborhood boards, the Visioning teams and city planners.
I agree with UH President Evan Dobelle, who said that pledging to accept only excellence for the vision of the future is an obligation to ourselves, our families and the community: "When you love something as much as we all love these Islands, how could you do any less? Hawai'i is a special place. It deserves our very best and most excellent effort."
It is now rare indeed when citizens can participate directly in the decision-making process that affects the use of their taxpayer dollars. The mayor's Visioning teams concept does just that.
Soccer tournament referee embarrassing
The new Waipi'o Soccer Fields complex is gorgeous and we owe a big thank-you to Mayor Harris and his people for getting it done.
Teams from the Mainland commented, "We have nothing like this back home." The recent Rainbow Soccer Tournament attracted teams from all over the Mainland a total of approximately 490 games were played over several days and we owe a huge thank-you to tournament director Max Sword and his all-volunteer staff and crew who orchestrated the event.
But as we know, "It only takes one bad apple to spoil the barrel" and we had a big one in the form of a referee who used his "15 minutes of power" to destroy the positive experience of at least one Mainland team. When he made a questionable call and the visiting team and coach questioned him, he responded with "What? You don't like the weather here?" obviously referring to his questionable call. Then when the visiting team tied the score and he was questioned about another call, he yelled "Hey, this championship means more to my team. What does it mean to you back in California?"
When this critical game ended in a tie, this referee pushed one of the visiting players and said, "Go back to California." When I went to the referee station to formally protest, I found that other referees and staff heard him also.
All of the time, money and effort spent to attract all those teams and their families to Hawai'i may have been lost because, thanks to this referee, they may not be back and they've been coming for over four years. Events like this have such great potential for all of us to show our aloha spirit and enjoy the benefits of this kind of tourism.
These games are not just about winning but about sportsmanship and fairness. That one referee set a bad example and was an embarrassment to all.
Careless, thoughtless drivers are killing us
When will it end? Do I have to fear for my family's life every time we want to go to the movies or anywhere else after dark? Should we just shelter ourselves in our home to avoid injury or death?
This is getting harder and harder to tolerate. I know the police are doing everything they can to curb the speeding, drinking and driving, racing and killing, but isn't there more that can be done? There are innocent lives out there being ruined by careless and thoughtless people.
We can't put all the blame on teenagers, either, for there are grown adults causing just as much chaos, such as the Aug. 4 Pearl City accident.
I live on the North Shore, and whenever I drive home at night, whether alone or with my family, I am scared. Scared at what is going to happen on the other side of the bend or over the hill. There have been too many incidents where I have come close to a head-on collision or being side-swiped.
I would like to send a message to all you careless and thoughtless drivers out there. There are others on the road, others with children in the car whom they love and want to see grow up into healthy adults. Please have a heart and use your head when on the road.
We already have a great aquarium
What's wrong with the aquarium we have?
The No. 1-rated best small aquarium in the world. World leader in coral growing and propagation. First aquarium to ever hatch and raise chambered nautiluses. Numerous children's education programs such as reef walks, overnight sleep-overs, guided tours for classes and the well-known Small Fry class. Coral spawning nights where people can go into the aquarium at night and observe corals spawning. The famous Ke Kani O Ke Kai or Concert by the Sea. Reef Squid exhibited for the first time ever in Hawai'i. Cuttles big and small. Leafy sea dragons and monk seals. Best of all, a $5 entrance fee for kama'aina.
So I ask you, Gov. Cayetano, "Why do we need another aquarium and what is wrong with the one we already have?"
Convention Center proposal is disgusting
I am disgusted at our mayor's latest scheme to beautify the area around the Hawai'i Convention Center. The great white elephant sits empty for years while the clubs around it thrive.
No, they are not anywhere I would go, but yes, they do generate jobs and tax revenue. This is more than I can say for the empty Convention Center.
I have to wonder if the mayor has ever been to the Los Angeles or San Francisco convention centers. They are not in the middle of a wonderland; in fact, they are somewhat out of the way of things so that they don't wreak havoc on anything else when large loads of people descend on them.
Just another prime example of Hawai'i government being very unfriendly to small business. I hope all you voters take a look at his logic before the next governor's election.
Don't toss cigarettes out of moving vehicles
All too often we see people flicking cigarettes out of motor vehicles. One's careless actions may cause a brush fire.
Dry conditions and gusty winds can contribute to a huge fire, and it can get out of control. Firefighters would have to struggle to contain a blaze that could threaten lives, homes and businesses.
So please, consider the danger of careless actions. Wake up. Be responsible.
Peter Charles Jagiella
Big plans made for Kaho'olawe
Judging from a number of letters to the editor in recent months suggesting that the island of Kaho'olawe could be turned into a casino, a prison or a happy hunting ground for Honolulu's feral cats, there are still a lot of people who don't know what's being planned for our eighth-largest island.
The answer is simple: Kaho'olawe is going to be a native Hawaiian cultural reserve. That was the vision set 25 years ago, when the first protesters "occupied" the island and first heard the voices of their ancestors telling them what the island was and what it could become.
That vision was strong enough to sustain the members of the Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana through their successful battle to stop the military bombing of the island. That made the 'ohana the most successful grass-roots movement in recent Hawai'i history.
That vision guided members of the state Legislature into creating the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission. That very same vision was clear enough for members of the U.S. Congress. They stated it's in the national interest to recognize the value of assuring safe use of the island for cultural, historical, archaeological and educational purposes.
Today that vision guides the commissioners and staff as they prepare for the end of the Navy's cleanup and the commission's assumption of full managerial control of the island. What is the vision? Six simple sentences:
- The kino (physical manifestation) of Kanaloa (ancient name for Kaho'olawe) is restored.
- Forests and shrublands of native plants and other biota clothe its slopes and valleys.
- Pristine ocean waters and healthy reef ecosystems are the foundation that supports and surrounds the island.
- Na po'e Hawai'i (Hawai'i's people) care for the land in a manner that recognizes the island and ocean of Kanaloa as a living spiritual entity.
- Kanaloa is a pu'uhonua and wahi pana (refuge and storied place) where Native Hawaiian cultural practices flourish.
- The piko (navel) of Kanaloa is the crossroads of past and future generations from which the Native Hawaiian lifestyle is spread throughout the Islands.
For a copy of Southern Beacon, the commission's first newsletter, please call (808) 586-0761 on O'ahu or (808) 243-5020 on Maui.
Colette Y.P. Machado
Chairwoman, Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission
Noa Emmett Aluli
Outgoing chairman, Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission |
Flourished in the latter part of the fifth and beginning of the sixth century, and was held in high veneration in Wales, where many churches were dedicated to him, chiefly in Glamorganshire. Born in Armorica, of Bicanys and Rieniguilida, sister of Emyr Llydaw, he was a grandnephew of St. Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre. According to one account he crossed to Britain and joined King Arthur's Court, and later went to Glamorgan, where he was miraculously converted by St. Cadoc. These details, however, rest on a late life of the saint (Cottonian manuscript, Vesp. A XIV). He is supposed to have been ordained by St. Dubricius, Bishop of Llandaff, and with the assistance of Meirchon, a Glamorgan chieftain, to have built a church and a monastery, which became a centre of learning, one of the three great monastic schools in the Diocese of Llandaff. Among the scholars who flocked thither were Sts. Gildas, Samson, and Maglorius, whose lives, written about 600 ("Acta SS. Ordinis S. Benedicti", Venice, 1733), constitute the earliest source of information on St. Illtyd. According to these, his school was situated on a small waste island, which, at his intercession, was miraculously reunited with the mainland, and was known as Llantilllyd Fawr, the Welsh form of Llantwit Major, Glamorganshire. The story of the miracle may have been inspired by the fact that the saint was skilled in agriculture, for he is supposed to have introduced among the Welsh better methods of ploughing, and to have helped them reclaim land from the sea. The legendary place of his burial is close by the chapel dedicated to him in Brecknockshire, and is called Bedd Gwyl Illtyd, or the "grave of St. Illtyd's eve ", the old custom of having been to keep vigil there on the eve of his feast, which was celebrated 7 February. There is still to be seen in Llantwit Major a cross, probably on the ninth century, bearing the inscription: SAMSON POSUIT HANC CRUCEM PRO ANIMA EIUS ILITET SAMSON REGIS SAMUEL ERISAR.
The Catholic Encyclopedia is the most comprehensive resource on Catholic teaching, history, and information ever gathered in all of human history. This easy-to-search online version was originally printed between 1907 and 1912 in fifteen hard copy volumes.
Designed to present its readers with the full body of Catholic teaching, the Encyclopedia contains not only precise statements of what the Church has defined, but also an impartial record of different views of acknowledged authority on all disputed questions, national, political or factional. In the determination of the truth the most recent and acknowledged scientific methods are employed, and the results of the latest research in theology, philosophy, history, apologetics, archaeology, and other sciences are given careful consideration.
No one who is interested in human history, past and present, can ignore the Catholic Church, either as an institution which has been the central figure in the civilized world for nearly two thousand years, decisively affecting its destinies, religious, literary, scientific, social and political, or as an existing power whose influence and activity extend to every part of the globe. In the past century the Church has grown both extensively and intensively among English-speaking peoples. Their living interests demand that they should have the means of informing themselves about this vast institution, which, whether they are Catholics or not, affects their fortunes and their destiny.
Copyright © Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company New York, NY. Volume 1: 1907; Volume 2: 1907; Volume 3: 1908; Volume 4: 1908; Volume 5: 1909; Volume 6: 1909; Volume 7: 1910; Volume 8: 1910; Volume 9: 1910; Volume 10: 1911; Volume 11: - 1911; Volume 12: - 1911; Volume 13: - 1912; Volume 14: 1912; Volume 15: 1912
Catholic Online Catholic Encyclopedia Digital version Compiled and Copyright © Catholic Online |
There are some weeks that I carry one story or activity over most of my groups and differentiate based on levels, goals, and interests. Last week was not one of those! I had such a variety of lessons happening throughout the day.. Here’s a little peek at some things that have been keeping us busy.
We read “Little Cloud” by Eric Carle. I love this book because of its engaging illustrations, repeated text, and connections to basic vocabulary.
Throughout the story we talked about different shapes and designs that clouds can make. At the end we made our own. When I pulled out my bag of cotton balls I found some picture cues for cotton and glue… I love little surprises like that!
I got some fantastic communication out of this simple craft! My little guy is very sensitive to different textures so when I flattened his hand into the cotton balls and it became covered in glue that created a lot of spontaneous speech! We used vocabulary like “That’s sticky”, “stretch it out”, and “it feels soft”.
My 3rd-5th graders were wrapping up the idioms section from my Down to Earth: Idioms, Categories, and Descriptive Language lesson. I always have this Dictionary of Idioms book from Marvin Terban displayed in my room. It gives an example in a sentence, states the definition, and provides the origin of how the idiom was created.
My 5th graders we also doing an idioms unit in class and they brought up some of the idioms they learned in class. We referenced this book as we were working with their class idioms and our Earth Day idioms. The origin is my favorite part. It really helps my kids to make a connection when trying to remember the meaning of these expressions. For example, we read that when the thermometer was first invented, scientists discovered that the inside of a cucumber is 20 degrees cooler than the room temperature on the outside. Now the expression “cool as a cucumber” makes perfect sense!! I learn something new too!
I have a group that is a combo of articulation and language. We used this descriptive ladybugs activity and were able to target both sets of goals. We talked about what each descriptor meant (texture means how something feels, location describes a place, etc) and then brainstormed ideas for each question. For my artic kiddos, I added in a starter sentence based on the target articulation sounds. For example, R kiddos might say “I really wonder what feels…” and SH kiddos could say “I should share something that feels…”.
I also started this bubble making science experiment with some of my groups. The visual support is intended for functional communication groups. It really creates fun learning for all ages 🙂 I introduced it with the story Benny’s Big Bubble which I’ve had in my book bin forever. It has a great repeated story line with simple concepts and vocabulary.
The spontaneous communication that occurs when bubbles are around is unreal!! For more info on what this activity entails, check out my previous post. I’d love to hear what you have in store for Spring therapy! |
Stowe explores the magnificent landscape garden that is one of the most remakable legacies of Georgian England and the succession of extraordinary characters who made it. Created by Viscount Cobham in the grounds of his family home, the garden came to reflect a coherent programme of ideas based on Cobham's hugely influential network of political affiliations. Realised by designer William Kent, Stowe encapsulates an idealised vision of constitutional monarchy and political freedom. The garden features a series of extraordinary and innovative garden buildings, designed by leading architects of the day, all set in a carefully constructed Arcadian landscape of valleys and lakes.
Cobham's immediate successors enhanced and extended the garden, naturalising its more formal aspects and openeing up fresh vistas towards the glorious new house that they constructged, as well as adding yet more temples and monuments. The house and garden were sold in l922 when Stowe School was founded. The National Trust first became involved in l967 and took over formal ownership of the garden in l989, initiating a major programme of restoration.
Richly illustrated with superb garden photography, portraits and archive material, Stowe tells a fascinating sotry of power and personality, and celebrates a wonderful garden that was inspired by politics and rescued by a school. |
Carter Williams, Managing Director And CEO, Iselect Fund
The modern world has a serious problem with sugar.
An average American consumes more than 129 pounds of sugar each year, according to the USDA, more than double what we ate two generations ago. And, unlike in previous decades when most sweeteners came from cane and beet sugars, today the vast majority are derived from high-fructose corn syrup, which brings with it unique new health risks.
It’s in nearly everything that we eat, not just sweets. Nearly 75 percent of all packaged foods and beverages in the U.S. contain some form of sweetener, according to a recent study in The Lancet journal of diabetes and endocrinology, making it a more than $100 billion market. Every time we eat a doughnut, drink a diet soda or pour a jar of pasta sauce over our linguine, we’re increasing the sugar in our diet, adding up to almost three times the recommended daily amount on average.
To impact public health at a large scale and reduce the cost of healthcare, we need to make good nutrition more addictive than the alternatives
Americans spend about $1.5 trillion a year on food, and yet our diets are carbs and sugar heavy in ways that are not good for us. Too many people are overweight, unhealthy, and it costs our healthcare system billions.
Why? Carbs are cheap, and sugar is addictive. Lab rats prefer it over cocaine. Put sugar in a food product, and consumers are more likely to eat a bunch of it and buy more.
This is a new challenge for agriculture producers. In the face of rapidly changing consumer demands—including the rise of organics, new interest in traceability, and a renewed interest in overall health benefits—how can they de-commoditize themselves in the market and claim their share?
After all, if everyone goes out and buys the newest genetics from Monsanto, it just increases supply and drives down price. Even for the farmers that grow a differentiated product, like organics, they still sell to the same grain elevator.
What does innovation look like in agriculture?
I suggest a new approach to the age-old question of health. Let’s make healthy food as “addictive” as sugar.
If we are going to invest in food innovation, then we need to address the increased cost of good food and sugar addiction.
This is where innovation comes in. And we’re already seeing it in the marketplace.
In 2016, consumer packaged goods companies reformulated 20 percent of their food products to reduce ingredients such as sugar and salt, and Nestlé, PepsiCo, and Mars have all announced plans to decrease the sugar content of their food products going forward. Coca-Cola is even offering a $1 million prize to whoever can find a new, zero-calorie sugar substitute for their sodas.
It’s not going to be easy, though. Scientists have been working for decades to solve this problem with little success.
But we can no longer ignore the connection between diet and poor health.
To impact public health at a large scale and reduce the cost of healthcare, we need to make good nutrition more addictive than the alternatives. It’s time to get started. |
Everyone, including your Fountain Valley Dentist, knows that gum disease can cause serious problems, but recent research is proving that there may be a direct link between Alzheimer’s disease and poor dental health.
A recent study conducted by the University of Central Lancashire in the United Kingdom has discovered that people who have gum disease and poor oral health could be at a much higher risk when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease. When the brains of patients who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia were examined, they discovered Porphyromonas gingivalis, which is a bacteria or bug that has long been associated with people who suffer from periodontal disease.
The study took 10 brain samples from dementia patients and 10 samples from people who did not suffer from the disease. The Porphyromonas gingivalis was only present in the brains of the patients who had been afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease.
Your Orange County Dentist is well aware that the bacteria lurking inside your oral cavities will eventually enter your bloodstream from eating, chewing, brushing, and flossing. Every time the Porphyromonas gingivalis enters the brain, it could actually release excess chemicals that could kill your brains neurons. Once that happens it could cause Alzheimer’s symptoms like memory loss and confusion according to the study.
Brushing twice and flossing once a day is essential for healthy teeth and gums as is regularly scheduled appointments with your Dentist in the OC.
During your check-up with Hagen Dental, you will be given a thorough dental exam. The comprehensive exam will include x-rays, oral cancer screening and gum disease evaluation. Your Fountain Valley Dentist will also look for tooth decay and make sure that your restorations are still doing their job.
After your x-rays, your OC Dentist will diagnose your radiographs looking for bone loss, cysts, tumors, and tooth decay. The x-rays will also help your Hagen Dental determine your root and tooth positioning.
If your Fountain Valley Dentist detects gingivitis or periodontal disease, Dr. Hagen will schedule a professional deep cleaning or scaling and planing.
Gingivitis and Periodontal disease can be hard to detect, especially without a professional examination. If you are experiencing red or swollen gums, persistent bad breath, or bleeding gums after brushing and flossing it is time to schedule a thorough dental exam with Hagen Dental. Research is still being conducted and no one knows for sure if poor oral health causes dementia, but are you willing to take that chance? |
Legal Innovation & Technology Lab
@ Suffolk Law School
Data Wrangling and Feature Engineering
Estimated Time (Reading & Exercises): ~45 min.
As mentioned previously in Why Data Science, data scientist make use of a number of open source tools. There is some debate over what tools one should use, but the primary fracture comes down to R vs Python. Of course, as lawyers we know the answer really is "it depends." That being said, for our purposes we'll be using Python largely because it is a programing language in its own right, and we'll be using this as an opportunity to learn some coding as well. Don't worry, we assume no prior programing experience on your part. That being said, we also expect you to follow the Lab rule re. tech issues: If you set to doing something and you are hitting your head against a wall for 30 plus minutes, ask for help in the appropriate Slack channel.
To help ease us into coding, we'll be making use of notebooks. Notebooks are documents accessed by your web browser which contain blocks of code and text, allowing you to run code next to notes and documentation. Normally, notebooks live on your local computer and just happen to use the browser as an interface. However, to avoid the troubleshooting that comes with having folks install something on a bunch of different computers, we'll be using a cloud-based version of Jupyter Notebooks from Microsoft.
To access the notebooks associated with this exercise, you'll need a Microsoft account. If you don't have one, create one here. If you haven't already, you may want to follow the suggestions found under Get Your Accounts in Order.
Visit this collection of files (library) we've put on Azure Notebooks for this lesson, and click Clone.
This will prompt you to login with your Microsoft account, grant Azure permissions, and create a copy of the files that you can actually play with (not just read). You should be brought to your copy of the files, what the site calls a library. Find the file named Wrangling.ipynb and click it.
This will spin up a virtual server running the notebook, and inside the notebook you will find the actual lesson with tips for wrangling your data, including instructions meant to acquaint you with the use of notebooks and Python. Just follow along. |
Nepal is a Kingdom of high Himalayan mountains, artistic monuments, exotic wildlife and diverse cultures. It is the land where Lord Buddha was born over 2,500 years ago. Roughly rectangular in shape, the Kingdom of Nepal is situated between China to the north and India to the south. The land extends approximately 885 km east to west, and 193 km north to south. Nepal is primarily an agricultural country. Tourism, carpets and garments are the major industries.
The land. The terrain rises from the Terai, the southern plains covered with tropical jungles and fertile farmland at almost sea level, to the high Himalaya mountains in the north - with valleys and lush hills in between - within a distance of less than 200 km. Eight of the 10 highest peaks in the world lie in Nepal.
Climate. Nepal contains a variety of climatic conditions ranging from the tropical heat of the Terai plains to the freezing cold of the high Himalaya. The mid-hills, particularly the Kathmandu Valley, are pleasant with warm summers and cool winters. Temperatures range between a maximum of 37 and a minimum of 8 degrees Celsius in the plains, 28 and 2 degrees Celsius in the Kathmandu Valley, and between -6 and 16 degrees Celsius in the mountains. The rainy season lasts from June to August.
What to wear. Medium-weight and easy-to-wash cottons can be a good choice year-round in the Kathmandu Valley. From October to February, woolen sweaters, jackets or similar other warm outfits are necessary. Short or long-sleeved shirts are good March through May. From June to September, light and loose garments are advisable.
Wildlife. Nepal provides shelter to over 30 species of large wild animals and approximately 180 species of mammals. The rhinoceros, tiger, crocodile, snow leopard, red panda, Himalayan black bear and many other beasts are found in Nepals jungles. Nepal is also a haven for birds and over 800 species, representing approximately 10% of the worlds population, are found here. There are more than 650 species of butterflies and over 6,000 species of moths.
The people. Nepals many ethnic groups are as varied as its land with their own languages and cultures. In the Kathmandu Valley are the Newars, whose culture and artistry have earned them an international reputation. The Sherpas of the Himalaya are known as tough mountain climbers. Brahmins and Chhetris are scattered over the hills and valleys, and Tamangs are found in the districts around the Kathmandu Valley. The Rais, Limbus, Magars and Gurungs of the mid-hills have earned fame as Gurkha soldiers. Lowland ethnic groups such as the Maithili, Bhojpuri and Tharu enhance the colorful mosaic. The population of Nepal is about 22 million.
Language. Nepali, written in the Devanagari script, is the national language as well as the lingua franca for Nepals diverse communities. Numerous languages and dialects are spoken in the Kingdom, however, only six (Nepali, Maithili, Bhojpuri, Tharu, Tamang and Nepalbhasa) are spoken by more than half a million people. English and Hindi are widely understood in the urban centers and areas frequented by tourists.
Currency. Nepalese currency is the rupee (abbrev. Rs.) which is divided into 100 paisa. Bank notes come in denominations of 1000, 500, 100, 50, 25, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 rupees. Approximate exchange rate at time of going to press US$ 1 = Rs. 70.
Getting there. Kathmandu is connected by direct flights to Amsterdam, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Moscow, Vienna, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dubai, Karachi, Kolkotta, Delhi, Mumbai, Patna, Varanasi, Dhaka, Paro, Lhasa, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Osaka.
MD Publishing Co.
Tripureswor, P. O. Box 3525, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Tel: 260327, 256003 . Telex: 2611 EMC NP. Fax: 977-1-261159.
Design and Maintained by Amaa Network Consultant, Inc.
Last Updated: 24 July, 2000
Comments and Suggestions to: Webmaster |
Advantages Of Studying Music
As an art, music is now recognized worldwide. In many schools, music is now a subject.Even if others seem not to like it, it has offered some great benefits.Pupils also learn the art of music not necessarily to become artists but to learn the aspects that are involved in the music industry. This also broadens the chances of employment and even self-employment. Merits of studying music are highlighted below.
As pointed at earlier, music is a source of employment. In the olden days, music was not really valued. To them, it was not worth studying and learning it.In this generation, everyone listens to music due to the improved technology. To get in contact with music, you can use your device. Music as a whole can ensure that your child is employed. This has really dealt with the problem of unemployment among the youth. With music, age is not something to worry about anyone.
Emotions can be seen in music as an art.Students and especially teenagers may find it difficult to show their emotions. Through music, they get the chance to bring out what is inside them and the society can help them in whatever way they can. Through this, children can be able to evade drugs as a result of stress. Those who pursue music have good behavioral traits as compared to some that do not.
Normal classes can be boring. Working without play makes a child gloomy. To make the learning process more interesting, music was introduced. Students can play and use various musical instruments. Their brains are freshened by this for their daily classes and thus an improvement in tackling learning in a positive attitude. By music students are taught different formulas. This will increase their ability to memorize and remember them. This is seen as plus to the students.
A very important thing in your community is to preserve one’s culture.Music is one of the few ways of achieving your dream. Through songs and musical organs, children learn about their culture and how to preserve it. Through their lives, children are able to make critical decisions easily. They are also able to learn how their ancestors made their daily living.
The above paragraphs have clearly shown the benefits of studying music. Get your child to a school where they can be able to pursue music. Nowadays, music is quite important to the growing generation. As they grow up, you should not be wary of any awkward behaviors. Music also helps people to bond. To achieve this fully, students should be introduced to it when still young. |
What Is Presentation Of Data
Wayne lamorte, md, phd, mph, professor of epidemiology, boston university school of public health.
What is presentation of data. A sales director presenting financial projections to a group of field reps wouldn’t visualize her data the same way that a design consultant would in a written proposal to a potential client. Objectives of tabular presentation of data the objectives of the tabular presentation of data have been mentioned below. Presentation of data requires skills and understanding of data.
It is critical therefore to present data powerfully. 10 superb data presentation examples here we collected some of the best examples of data presentation made by one of the biggest names in the graphical data visualization software and information research. The presentation of data refers to how mathematicians and scientists summarize and present data related to scientific studies and research.
These brands put a lot of money and efforts to investigate how professional graphs and charts should look. Describe data in textual form3. There are many people in the world who do not find it easy to understand numbers.
The presentation of data is not as easy as people think. In order to present their points, they use various techniques and tools to condense and summarize their findings. Afterall everything that’s pleasing to our eyes never fails to grab our attention.
Data analysis helps in the interpretation of data and help take a decision or answer the research question. The decision is based on the scale of measurement of the data. Ultrasonic data can be collected and displayed in a number of different formats.
Statistical and logical conclusions are derived from its presentation. While graphical presentation of data is the most popular and widely used in the research, textual presentation allows the researcher to present qualitative data that cannot be presented in graphical or tabular forms. This data icon template will allow you to present valuable data in a highly visual way.
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One look at the TIOBE index is enough to see that Python is one of the most popular programming languages today.
And no wonder: Python is simple, versatile, and minimalistic. We love Python and use it in many of our projects. But we often get asked whether it’s the best technology out there to solve a specific problem.
When is it worth to use Python? And how to make sure that you’re making the most of Python in your project?
Here are projects that stand to benefit from Python most today.
1. Machine Learning (ML)
Python is an excellent choice for machine learning projects. Since machine learning projects are complicated, Python’s readability, versatility, and easiness come in handy. The speedy implementation of an idea in Python helps engineers to validate it quickly.
Python offers a wealth of machine learning libraries and frameworks such as scikit-learn and TensorFlow. While scikit-learn comes with popular machine learning algorithms, TensorFlow is a low-level library that helps developers build custom machine learning algorithms.
Most of them are free to use under GNU license and are easy to use – you can implement them even with a basic understanding of Python.
2. Data analysis and visualization
Python is also an excellent choice for projects that rely on data analysis and/or visualization, areas that are key to data science projects. One of the most popular libraries for data visualization is Matplotlib.
The good thing about it is that it’s easy to get started using it and learning it means that you’ll have an easier time learning other libraries later on (for example, seaborn which is based on is Matplotlib).
To see how Python works for data visualization with the help of Matplotlib, have a look at this recent post by my colleague, Aleksander.
3. Natural Language Processing (NLP)
Another area where Python brings many benefits is NLP. Many things about Python make it a top programming language for an NLP project: its transparent syntax and semantics, its simplicity, and its excellent support for integration with other languages and tools.
Python also offers extensive libraries that handle many NLP-related tasks such as document classification, topic modeling, part-of-speech (POS) tagging, and sentiment analysis.
Have a look at these 6 best Python Natural Language Processing libraries that have helped us deliver quality projects over the last few years.
4. Web development
Web frameworks based on Python such as Django, Flask, and Pyramid have become very popular in web development recently. They help developers create backend code, starting with mapping different URLs to Python code, generating HTML files users see in browsers, and managing databases.
Which Python web framework should you be using? Have a look at these articles from our blog to get more information about them:
Choose Django if you care about building final product easily – Django supports both simple and complex applications. Flask or Pyramid are great options if you want more control of the components you’ll be using in your projects (for example, the ORM or template engine you want to use).
5. Automation (scripting)
Sometimes developers need to automate simple tasks. That’s when they turn to scripting – writing small programs that solve simple problems automatically. Python is an excellent language for this type of task because of its simple syntax and ease in writing.
Writing something small and testing it in Python is quick and straightforward. And that’s what we want when automating tasks.
The power of Python
As you can see, Python is useful in many different situations, starting with data science projects that rely on Machine Learning, data analysis, and visualization, or NLP to web development and automation.
- Also on our blog: How to choose the programming language for the project (and why it should be Python)
If you’re still not sure whether Python is the right language for your project, don’t hesitate and get in touch with us.
We advise organizations about the best technologies for the type of problem they’re trying to solve and know where Python brings the best results. |
Ghatotkacha was the Rakshasa son of the Pandava Bhima and the Rakshasi Hidimba in the Mahabharata. He was one of the most powerful warriors in the Mahabharata. With the ability to grow to the size of mountains, Ghatotkacha was able to trample soldiers during the Kurukshetra War. He was also the father of the legendary warrior Barbarika.
On the fourteenth night, Ghatotkacha was invincible. Using his magical powers, he annihilated tens of thousands of soldiers. Eventually, Karna was forced to use his infallible Shakti weapon to slay Ghatotkacha.
- Father: Bhima
- Mother: Hidimba
- Half-Brothers: Sutasoma, Sarvaga
- Wife: Kamakantaka (also known as Ahilawati)
- Sons: Anjana Parva, Barbarika
Background and Birth
This story is in the Mahabharata, Adi Parva, Chapters 139-143
After the Pandavas escaped the Lakshagraha death trap at Varnavrata, they trekked northwards into the forest. At nightfall, Kunti and the Pandavas slept on the forest floor. Meanwhile, Bhima couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t tolerate their unfortunate circumstances. He decided to stay awake and keep guard…
Not far from where the Pandavas slept, a pair of cannibalistic Rakshasa (monster) siblings lived under a Sala tree. The brother’s name was Hidimb, and his sister was Hidimba. They had multiple sharp teeth, red hair, and large bellies. Suddenly, Hidimb sensed the smell of mankind. He told his sister, “I smell human prey. It has been a while since we have feasted. Today, let us feast on the flesh and blood of these humans. Go and see who they are!”
Thus, Hidimba approached the Pandavas, greedy for their flesh. However, when she saw Bhima, she stopped. Hidimba had fallen in love with Bhima. She decided to disobey her brother’s command and marry Bhima. Hidimba assumed the form of a beautiful human woman and strode towards Bhima.
“Who are you and what are you doing here? Who is the woman and these men who are asleep? This is the abode of a Rakshasa: my brother. He sent me to kill you. However, I have fallen in love with you. Marry me, and I will save you from the wrath of this Rakshasa,” Hidimba beseeched. But Bhima wasn’t afraid of a Rakshasa. Besides, he didn’t want to leave or disturb his mother and brothers. He casually denied her offer.
Bhima vs. Hidimba
Meanwhile, Hidimb grew impatient and approached the spot where Bhima was conversing with Hidimba. Seeing her brother, Hidimba requested, “Look, the wicked Rakshasa is here. He will kill you and your family. Let me rescue you.”
Bhima reassured her that he was capable of killing the Rakshasa, no matter how deadly he was. Meanwhile, Hidimb realized that the beautiful woman was his sister; she had the intention of marry the human. Infuriated, he rushed out of his cover and said, “Hidimba! How can you desire this puny human. You have shamed the honour of the Rakshasas. I will kill you and these humans!”
Hidimb ran towards his sister, but Bhima stepped in his way and challenged him to a fight. Bhima and Hidimb began wrestling and fighting. They let out loud roars and uprooted the trees. Because of the commotion, Kunti and the Pandavas woke up. Hidimba told them all that had happened. Meanwhile, Bhima whirled the Rakshasa and then threw him on the ground, ending his life.
The Birth of Ghatotkacha
The Pandavas congratulated Bhima and then left the dark forest. However, Hidimba kept following them. Seeing her, Bhima said, “Stop following us, unless you want to go down the same path as your brother!” Hidimba fell at Kunti’s feet and conveyed her desire to marry Bhima. Yudhishthira and Kunti approved, but said, “During the day, Bhima is all yours. But after nightfall, you must return him to us.”
Bhima said, “I will stay with you until you give birth.” Thus, Hidimba and Bhima spent time together in the snowy mountains, lush forests, and flowing rivers, while the Pandavas stayed in the nearby forest. After a couple months, Hidimba gave birth to a Rakshasa son. The moment he was born, he grew to become a young adult. He was named “Ghatotkacha” because he was bald like a “ghata” (water pot).
Hidimba then knew that her time with the Pandavas was over. Before they left, Ghatotkacha took a vow that he would assist the Pandavas whenever they called him. The Pandavas then proceeded southwards, while Ghatotkacha lived with his mother and inherited the Rakshasa kingdom.
Whenever you wish for me, I will present myself in front of you and obey your command.
Ghatotkacha Marries Kamakantaka: The Warrior Princess
This story is in the Skanda Purana, Kaumarika Khanda, Chapter 59-60
Once, Ghatotkacha came to visit the Pandavas and Lord Krishna at Indraprastha. Upon seeing Ghatotkacha after a long time, Yudhishthira said, “How are you doing, dear Ghatotkacha? I hope you are ruling your kingdom righteously. How is your mother doing? I pray that she is happy.”
“I have placed the kingdom under good administration. As for my mother, she is happy. She is currently doing penance,” Ghatotkacha informed.
Krishna and the Pandavas then embraced Ghatotkacha. After repeatedly complimenting Ghatotkacha and Hidimba, Yudhishthira asked Krishna, “I am worried about finding a suitable wife for Ghatotkacha. You know the entirety of the three worlds. Can you please find a wife for Ghatotkacha?”
Krishna vs. Kamakantaka
“There is one girl suitable for Ghatotkacha. She is the daughter of the Daitya Mura. A few years back, I had killed Naraka and his friend Mura at Pragjyotisha. After I killed Mura, his daughter Kamakantaka (also called Ahilawati) attacked me in rage. She fought valiantly, cutting off my arrows and even striking my mount Garuda. After three days, I decided to end her life with my Sudarshan Chakra,” Krishna said.
“But at that moment, Goddess Kamakhya appeared. She told me that Kamakantaka was under her protection, so I refrained from attacking. Kamakhya then approached Kamakantaka and explained that her father’s death was inevitable. Kamakantaka gave up her anger and bowed down to me. Currently, Kamakantaka lives in Pragjyotisha with Naraka’s son Bhagadatta,” Krishna continued. “But she has set one condition for her future husband:
“Many Rakshasas and Asuras have approached her for marriage, but she has defeated and slain all of them. But I think Ghatotkacha will defeat her,” Krishna finished.
Yudhishthira didn’t believe that Kamakantaka was a good match for Ghatotkacha. However, Bhima interjected and said, “I agree with Krishna. A Kshatriya like Ghatotkacha should always prove his valor through difficult tasks like this. It earns them a reputation and respect.” Arjuna also agreed with Bhima’s statement.
Thus, it was decided that Ghatotkacha would go to Pragjyotisha. As he was about to go, Krishna said, “Remember me during the debate. I will enhance your intellect.” He then rose into the sky with his three Rakshasa followers and flew to Pragjyotisha.
Ghatotkacha at Pragjyotisha
Ghatotkacha soon reached the golden palace of Pragjyotisha. There were many attendants fulfilling their duties in the garden. He approached one of them, named Karnapravarna, and said, “Where is the daughter of Mura? I wish to see her.”
“I advise you to not challenge her. She has killed millions of lovers. Stay with me; I will give you all you want,” Karnapravarana said.
“I cannot accept your offer. Either I will win the hand of your mistress in marriage, or I will be killed by her in battle. Please go and inform her of my arrival,” Ghatotkacha gently requested.
Karnapravarna informed her mistress of Ghatotkacha’s arrival. Ghatotkacha entered Kamakantaka’s chambers and admired her beauty. He said, “I have come here as your guest. Please offer me your hospitality.”
“If you want to return home alive, leave. But if you love me, recount a story that confuses me. If you are unable to do so, I will kill you right now,” Kamakantaka said.
Ghatotkacha Defeats Kamakantaka
At that moment, Ghatotkacha remembered Krishna and he came up with a story. He began the story: “Once, a loving couple gave birth to a daughter. Soon, the wife died and the husband raised the daughter. When the daughter grew up, the lustful father said, ‘You are my neighbor’s daughter. I raised you so that you could become my wife. Fulfill my desire.’ The daughter agreed and married her father. Soon, they had a daughter. Is that daughter the man’s daughter or granddaughter?”
Kamakantaka was perplexed. She didn’t know the answer! She resorted to fighting to defeat Ghatotkacha. Kamakantaka created Rakshasas to defeat her lover. However, Ghatotkacha destroyed them with his own Rakshasas. Kamakantaka then reached for her sword, but Ghatotkacha caught her. He threw her on the ground and placed his foot on her neck. Kamakantaka surrendered.
“Our family tradition is that the wife carries the husband. Hence, carry me to Indraprastha, where we will marry,” Ghatotkacha said. Kamakantaka said goodbye to Bhagadatta and then carried Ghatotkacha to Indraprastha. There, Ghatotkacha and Kamakantaka were married. The newlywed couple then left for the Rakshasa forests. Ghatotkacha and Kamakantaka spent a lot of time together. Soon, they had a son. As soon as he was born, he grew to become a man. He was named Barbarika. They soon had another son named Anjana Parva.
This story is in the Mahabharata, Bhishma Parva and Drona Parva
During the Pandavas’ exile, Ghatotkacha was always with them. Sometimes, he even carried Draupadi when she was too tired. After the exile, war was declared between the Pandavas and Kauravas. Ghatotkacha obviously sided with the Pandavas. He brought a large force of Rakshasas, along with his son Anjana Parva. Ghatotkacha played a significant part in the war on the eight day and on the fourteenth night.
On the eighth day, Alambusha (a Rakshasa on the Kaurava side) killed Arjuna’s son Iravan. Seeing his cousin’s death, Ghatotkacha was enraged and roared. All the soldiers were terrified. Duryodhana, however, courageously confronted Ghatotkacha. The king of Vanga brought his elephant army to help Duryodhana. However, Ghatotkacha’s Rakshasa army slaughtered the elephants. Duryodhana was enraged. He quickly killed four of Ghatotkacha’s Rakshasas: Vegavat, Maharoudra, Vidyutjihva, and Pramathi. In retaliation, Ghatotkacha covered Duryodhana and the king of Vanga with arrows. Meanwhile, Bhishma was concerned about Duryodhana’s safety. He sent Drona and many others to protect Duryodhana.
But Ghatotkacha and the Rakshasas successfully defeated all of them. They were invincible in battle. At the same time, Yudhishthira sent Bhima, Abhimanyu, and others to protect Ghatotkacha. Hence, a fierce and chaotic battle ensued between the Pandava warriors and the Kaurava warriors. Ghatotkacha was a master of magic. Thus, he created an illusion (maya) and terrified the Kauravas. They all fled. As usual, Duryodhana complained to Bhishma. He sent Bhagadatta to attack Ghatotkacha. Bhagadatta and his massive elephant caused havoc. The day then ended with a deadly battle between Ghatotkacha and Bhagadatta.
Ghatotkacha vs. Ashwatthama: After the death of Jayadratha, the battle continued into the night. Since Rakshasas grow stronger at night, Ghatotkacha became unstoppable. Sensing danger, Ashwatthama attacked him. A fierce battle began between Ghatotkacha and Ashwatthama. Ghatotkacha shot hundreds of arrows at Ashwatthama. Ghatotkacha’s son Anjana Parva also attacked him. But Ashwatthama was no less of a warrior. He recovered and quickly disarmed Anjana Parva. The Rakshasa then lept to the ground, but before he could attack, Ashwatthama killed him. Upon seeing his son’s death, Ghatotkacha resulted to magic. He created a mountain that rained arrows. But Ashwatthama quickly destroyed it. Thousands of terrifying Rakshasas with animal heads rushed at Ashwatthama. They rained weapons, but Ashwatthama fought like Lord Shiva himself, defeating all of them. Ashwatthama then shot a large dart at Ghatotkacha. It hit him on the chest and he collapsed. Dhrishtadyumna quickly took him away.
Ghatotkacha vs. Alambusha: Meanwhile, Karna was destroying Pandava forces. After Ghatotkacha recovered, Krishna sent him to attack Karna. But at that moment, Alambusha Rakshasa attacked Ghatotkacha. The two Rakshasas fought, each displaying magical illusions. Flaming rocks fell from the sky. Ferocious beasts and ghosts rose from the ground. Frightening monsters fought each other. Finally, Ghatotkacha destroyed Alambusha’s chariot. Alambusha leaped out and attacked with his bare hands. The two giants started wrestling each other. They turned into various different forms and animals. In the end, Alambusha started weakening. Ghatotkacha took advantage and with a powerful blow, killed Alambusha. He then threw Alambusha’s severed head into Duryodhana’s chariot.
The Fall of the Giant
Ghatotkacha then attacked Karna. Both warriors fought vigorously and neither was winning. Ghatotkacha then invoked an army of thousands of Rakshasas, but Karna deftly killed them. He then used magic to disappear and reappear in different places and sizes. Ghatotkacha used various illusions to attack Karna. He multiplied himself one hundred times, invoked an army of beasts, and created goblins. But Karna wasn’t scared. He stood his ground and destroyed them all using celestial weapons.
Suddenly, Ghatotkacha disappeared. He then created a red cloud in the sky. The red cloud started raining weapons and flying Rakshasas. The Kaurava armies were terrified. They started fleeing. Ghatotkacha then reappeared and advanced towards Karna.
Karna realized that his death was approaching. He thought about the Vasavi Shakti, given to him by Indra. It never missed its target. Karna had reserved it for Arjuna, but now he realized that he had no choice. He had to use it. He released the weapon and it came flying towards the Rakshasa. Ghatotkacha knew he would die. As a final attack, the Rakshasa increased into the size of a mountain. When the arrow struck him, he fell down. A whole Akshauhini of Kaurava soldiers died underneath him. Thus, even while dying, he was victorious.
Warrior Killed by Ghatotkacha in the Kurukshetra War:
|Warrior Killed||Day Killed||Kingdom/Territory|
Krishna was exuberant. He started dancing and laughing, while all the other Pandavas cried. Everyone was surprised at Krishna’s reaction. Krishna then explained, “Karna wanted to use the Vasavi Shakti weapon on you. He would have killed you. But now that he has used it on Ghatotkacha, you are safe!” Meanwhile, Yudhishthira was depressed. He couldn’t handle Ghatotkacha’s death. As this source explains, Yudhishthira and Ghatotkacha had a father-son relationship. They were very close to each other. In the end, Vyasa Rishi had to come and console Yudhishthira.
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By: K. Brian Kelley | Last Updated: 2015-01-14 | Comments (2) | Encryption
I've recently taken over a SQL Server and I have been asked if there is encrypted data in any of the user databases. Is there an easy way to determine if this is the case?
The easiest way to determine if there is encrypted data in a database is to get that information from whoever wrote the application. Sometimes this is through documentation and other times it's by contacting the development team or the vendor. In reality, this is the only way to be completely sure. However, barring this method, there are a few things you can look for which would suggest that you have encrypted data in a given database.
SQL Server Built-In Encryption Markers
A marker for the possibility of encrypted data are cryptographic objects within the SQL Server database. SQL Server supports three specific things to look for:
- Symmetric Keys
- Asymmetric Keys
As you might guess, if we query the correct catalog views, we should be able to determine if built-in encryption is being used.
If the SQL Server database master key has been created, it will appear in the symmetric keys catalog views. The database master key is often used to encrypt asymmetric keys and certificates. Asymmetric keys and certificates are often used to encrypt symmetric keys (other than the database master key). Symmetric keys are then used to encrypt the data. As a result, any entries in this catalog view would indicate a strong possibility that there is encrypted data in the database. How do we find those symmetric keys? This query will list the symmetric keys, their algorithms, key length, and when they were created/modified:
SELECT name, key_length, algorithm_desc, create_date, modify_date FROM sys.symmetric_keys;
One place in SQL Server where you should always find at least one symmetric key in the master database. At a minimum it will have a symmetric key corresponding to the service master key.
A database master key doesn't have to exist for an asymmetric key to be present. In addition, it is possible to encrypt data in SQL Server using an asymmetric key. Knowing these two facts, we should also query for the existence of asymmetric keys:
SELECT name, algorithm_desc FROM sys.asymmetric_keys;
Please note that I didn't include the created or modified date in that query. That's because the asymmetric key catalog view differs quite a bit from the symmetric key catalog view and doesn't include those columns. If you want to know what all the columns are for each catalog view, the best place to look is in Books Online for the appropriate version of SQL Server.
Certificates and asymmetric keys use the same algorithm within SQL Server. They differ in some key ways, namely that you can back up a certificate as well as have a certificate generated elsewhere and imported into SQL Server. Certificates can be used to encrypt data as well. Because of this, we need to check for the existence of certificates, even if we don't see any symmetric keys.
SELECT name, subject, start_date, expiry_date FROM sys.certificates
An important note here on certificates: though an expiration date is specified, it is not checked nor enforced when used for data encryption.
I Found Something!
If one of these queries returns an encryption object, that means you've got a strong probability that there's encrypted data in that database. However, this isn't always the case. You could have legacy objects where data was once encrypted, but isn't any longer. Or you could have the case where a certificate or asymmetric key was used to sign a stored procedure. Therefore, even if you find these objects, more investigation is required. Finding these objects is important, though, because it can tell you how the data is/was encrypted.
Looking Through Data Types
There are three data types we're concerned with that handle binary data. These are the most likely data types for encrypted data. While it is possible to use sql_variant or even xml, those data types aren't very efficient. Therefore, it's best to query for any columns that use the following types:
This query will tell us exactly what tables have these types of data types:
SELECT S.name AS 'Schema', T.name AS 'Table', C.name AS 'Column', ty.name AS 'DataType' FROM sys.columns C JOIN sys.types ty ON C.system_type_id = ty.system_type_id JOIN sys.tables T ON C.object_id = T.object_id JOIN sys.schemas S ON T.schema_id = S.schema_id WHERE ty.name IN ('binary', 'varbinary', 'image') ORDER BY S.name, T.name, C.name, ty.name;
Another note: just because these data types exist doesn't mean that the data is encrypted. For instance, run the query against the msdb database. The packagedata in the sysssispackages table is only "encrypted" data if the person storing the package chose to protect it. Otherwise, it's simply the binary file for the SSIS package.
What If I Didn't Find the Encryption Objects?
You should still query the column data types. If an application performs the encryption outside of SQL Server, then the built-in encryption objects won't be there. However, you will still have encrypted data in your database. There are various reasons for why an application would encrypt data outside of SQL Server. However, that isn't relevant to the question of whether such data exists in a database you are responsible for.
So There's Still Some Legwork to Be Done?
In a word, yes. The existence of symmetric keys, asymmetric keys, certificates, and/or binary data type columns suggest that there could be encrypted data, but you'll still need to ask the right folks and verify. As I noted in each section, there are legitimate reasons for an object to exist or a for a column to be a binary data type that has nothing to do with encrypting data. As a result, the presence of any of these isn't an automatic indicator that you've got encrypted data. In short, there's no "easy button."
- Understand the difference in performance between symmetric and asymmetric keys.
- Make sure you know the symmetric key algorithms and which are safe to use.
- Know the role key length plays in asymmetric keys and which key lengths you should be using.
- Learn how to use authenticators so that just having access to the key isn't enough.
Last Updated: 2015-01-14
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WWF’s Constructed Courtyard Wetland project is just one part of a comprehensive water resources protection and demonstration programme that began in 2008. Other projects include the restoration of the natural ecology of rivers, as well as the promotion of rural biogas and environmentally friendly cultivation. Based on the success of the Constructed Courtyard Wetland project, WWF is planning to expand operations in Yuantian and other villages.
The project demonstrates WWF-China’s approach to conservation, that is, one that balances the social, economic and ecological needs of the Upper Yangtze region. With 9 million rural residents out of a total population of 1.4 billion, rural living will continue to be a core way of life in China's future. Creating models that demonstrate sustainability and create cleaner water will not only further support biodiversity conservation, but also greatly benefit human health.
The location of this pilot project is significant. The Yangtze river basin is one of WWF’s global priority places. Here, the Minshan Mountains play a vital role not only as one of the last strongholds of several endangered species including the giant panda, but also in watershed protection for the mighty Yangtze River, regulating the flow of fresh water for more than 400 million people downstream.
More info at this source: http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/about_freshwater/freshwater_news/?195532/Constructed-wetland-does-more-than-spruce-up-the-garden |
Phillips, Thomas (1635?-1693) (DNB00)
PHILLIPS, THOMAS (1635?–1693), military engineer, is first mentioned in a letter from James, duke of York, appointing him in 1661 master-gunner of the ship Portsmouth. On 30 June 1672, after passing a satisfactory examination by the master-gunner of England, he was appointed by warrant one of the gunners of the Tower of London. In the following year he was sent as master-gunner to Sheerness. In 1679 and 1680 he was in the Channel Islands as a military engineer, busily engaged in making maps and plans of the bays and probable landing-places, and of the defences both existing and required. Many of these plans are now in the British Museum.
In the beginning of 1683 Phillips was similarly employed in the Isle of Wight, and in the summer he was sent to Tangiers under Major (afterwards Sir) Martin Beckman, with the expedition commanded by Lord Dartmouth, to demolish the defences and the Mole. Samuel Pepys accompanied this expedition, and refers to Phillips in his correspondence. Phillips returned to England in May 1684, having, in the previous March, been promoted to be his majesty's third engineer. In August, at Lord Dartmouth's request, he visited Portsmouth to examine the defence works in progress ‘against the coming of the king to that garrison,’ and to set in hand further fortifications proposed by Sir Bernard de Gomme [q. v.] and approved by the board. During the next year Phillips was in Ireland employed in making maps of the country and designs for defences.
On 23 Dec. 1685 Phillips was appointed by royal warrant to be his majesty's second engineer. During the remainder of the reign of James II, Phillips remained in London at the board of ordnance, but visited, as occasion required, Poole, Portsmouth, Chatham, and Sheerness, with the master-general or surveyor-general of the ordnance, to inspect and advise as to the defences. On 10 Dec. 1687 he was appointed captain of a company of miners. On 8 May 1689 a royal warrant of William and Mary renewed the appointments of Phillips as second engineer and captain of a company of miners; but in the summer he declined to join Schomberg in Ireland, and in December, on Schomberg's representations, he was dismissed from both offices. In 1690 he invented a new gun-carriage, with which all the guns of the ship Royal Sovereign were ordered to be supplied; and his services were in request at Portsmouth and also in Ireland, where he was present under the Earl of Marlborough as his engineer at the sieges of Cork and Kinsale, and was paid 100l. royal bounty by Lord Ranelagh [see Jones, Richard, first Earl of Ranelagh.]
On 8 May 1691 Phillips was reinstated as second engineer. A proposal made in the following month to send him to Newfoundland on special duty to secure the trade of English merchants against the depredation of the French was abandoned for the time on his advice. A letter of Phillips, describing the object of his proposed mission to Newfoundland, is printed in ‘Gent. Mag.’ for 1802 (pt. ii. p. 918).
Phillips was employed in the ordnance train in the summer expedition of the fleet against the coast of France in 1692, and again by royal warrant of 16 May 1693, as chief engineer in the train under Sir Martin Beckman, when he accompanied Captain John Benbow (1653–1702) [q. v.] in the Norwich to the rendezvous of the squadron in Guernsey road. The squadron, including a number of bomb-vessels, sailed on the morning of 16 Nov. 1693 for St. Malo, and anchored before the Quince Channel the same afternoon. It bombarded the place all night, and hauled out on the morning of the 17th, when Phillips, who was in charge of the ‘bombs,’ fired about seventy. The following day, the 18th, the firing was continued, and on the 19th a galliot called ‘Ye Infernal,’ filled with powder and carcases, was taken by Phillips himself to the foot of the wall and fired, Phillips escaping to his ship. The explosion was a terrible one, shaking the whole town like an earthquake, damaging hundreds of houses, and bringing down the sea-wall. Whether Phillips was hurt or became ill from anxiety or excitement is not known, but he died on board Benbow's ship on the return of the squadron to Guernsey roads on the evening of 22 Nov. 1693. <section end=Phillips, Thomas (1635?-1693)/ He left a widow, Frances, and a family in indifferent circumstances, as his pay seems to have been in arrear; and the state papers contain a petition from her for 800l., part of it due for expenditure in works in Tangiers ten years before.
In the British Museum are plans or maps drawn by Phillips of Athlone, 1685; Belfast and the design for erecting a citadel upon the Strand, 1685; Culmore Fort; the bay and harbour of Dublin, 2 sheets, 1685; the fort of Duncannon; a prospect of the fort of Duncannon; the barony of Enishowen, co. Donegal; numerous charts, prospects, and plans of Guernsey, Jersey, Sark, and Herm, dated 1680 (mainly coloured); and a description of the several harbours, bays, landing-places, and castles of Guernsey, illustrated by coloured plans. Macaulay refers to Phillips's map of Belfast as ‘so exact that the houses may be counted’ (History, 1883, ii. 184n.)
[War Office Records; Royal Engineers' Records; State Papers; Cottonian MSS.; London Gazette; Charnock's Biogr. Navalis; Kennett's Complete History of England; Campbell's Lives of the British Admirals; Treasury Papers; Life, Tour, and Correspondence of Samuel Pepys, 2 vols. 1841; Porter's Hist. of the Corps of Royal Engineers.] |
I am a college student who has spent the past two summers working in the operation rooms of hospitals. From my experience, the overuse of antibiotics is leading to a profound public health threat -– antibiotic resistance. From increased costs for more intensive care to extended hospital stays, the implications that antibiotic resistance has for human health are serious.
Antibiotics are for sick humans, not healthy animals. The overuse of these drugs on factory farms poses an immediate threat to the advances of modern medicine. Nearly 70 percent of all antibiotics used in human medicine are given to animals on a daily basis. Medically important antibiotics, such as penicillin, are used for a wide variety of medical practices and overusing them promotes the development of more antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are not confined to farms; they can infect humans. In fact, 2 million Americans contracted antibiotic-resistant infections last year. The government has a responsibility to regulate the use of these medicines, particularly on factory farms. Antibiotic resistance puts everyone at risk. It’s time for the Obama administration to end the misuse of antibiotics on factory farms.
Evan Tikka, Hartford
The writer is a student at Trinity College. |
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In the metric system, a measure of length, equal to 10 kilometers, or 6.2137 English miles, or 6 miles 376 yards.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A metric measure of length, containing ten thousand meters. It is equal to 6.2137 miles.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Alternative form of
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a metric unit of length equal to 10,000 meters
Sorry, no etymologies found. |
One of the most exciting plays in the game of soccer is a free kick.
Players are often able to curve the flight of the ball into the net
by imparting a spin to the ball. Soccer players call this effect "bending"
and it is caused by
aerodynamic forces on the ball.
All that is necessary to create lift is
to turn a flow of air. The airfoil of a wing turns a flow, but so
does a spinning ball. The
details of how the force is generated are fairly complex, but the
magnitude of the force F depends on the radius of the ball b,
the spin of the ball s, the velocity V
of the kick, the density r of the air, and an
experimentally determined lift coefficient Cl.
F = Cl * 4 /3 * (4 * pi^2 * r * s * V * b^3)
where pi is the number 3.14159 .. the ratio of the circumference to
the diameter of a circle.
As the force acts on the ball, it is deflected along its
flight path. If we neglect the viscous forces on the ball, which
slow it down and change the magnitude and direction of the force, we
have a constant force always acting perpendicular (at a right
angle) to the flow direction. The resulting
is a circular arc.
On the figure, we see the trajectory of the soccer ball as it moves
from right to left. The radius of curvature R of the flight path
depends on the velocity V of the kick and the acceleration a
produced by the side force.
R = V^2 / a
We can determine this acceleration from
Newton's second law of motion using the force for a spinning ball
and the mass m of the ball.
a = F / m
Since the radius of curvature
depends on the force, all the factors that affect the force will also
affect the trajectory.
Collecting all the information into one equation:
R = (3 * m * V) / (16 * Cl * r * s * b^3 * pi^2)
We can use this equation to make some predictions about the
trajectory of a spinning ball.
Higher spin s produces a smaller radius of curvature R and
a sharper curve.
Higher velocity V produces a larger radius of curvarture and
a straighter curve.
A ball with a smaller mass, like a ping-pong ball, has a lower radius
of curvature and curves more.
At higher altitudes,
the density r is lower producing a larger radius of curvature and a
The altitude effect helps to explain some of the complaints at the recent
World Cup, 2010. The games were played at 10 different stadiums, some at sea
level and some high in the mountains. It is much harder to bend a
kick at high altitude.
Knowing the radius of curvature and the distance of the kick D
we can also calculate the distance that the ball is deflected (Yd) along the flight path.
There is a right triangle formed by the radius of curvature R,
the distance D at the top, and the radius
of curvature minus the deflection distance R - Yd on the
right. We can then use the
to relate the sides of this triangle:
R^2 = D^2 + (R - Yd)^2
Now let's do a little algebra:
R^2 - D^2 = (R -Yd)^2
sqrt(R^2 - D^2) = R -Yd
Yd = R - sqrt(R^2 - D^2)
You can investigate the effect of
aerodynamics on kicking a soccer ball by using the
SoccerNASA Java Applet.
Have fun !
use the browser "Back" button to return to this page. If you
want your own copy of SoccerNASA to
play with, you can download it
- NASA Soccer Home Page
- Beginner's Guide Home Page |
USDA declares natural disasters in 11 western, central states because of drought
Dead fish lie in the dry silt of Lake Arrowhead, one of the prime sources of water for the City of Wichita Falls, Texas, Monday, Jan. 6, 2014. (Wichita Falls Times Record News / Torin Halsey)
The Associated Press
Published Thursday, January 16, 2014 1:42PM EST
Last Updated Thursday, January 16, 2014 3:20PM EST
LAS VEGAS -- U.S. officials have designated portions of 11 western and central states as primary natural disaster areas because of a drought.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's announcement Wednesday includes counties in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Kansas, Texas, Utah, Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Oklahoma and California.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement that he sympathizes with farmers and ranchers who are dealing with the lack of rain and snow, and assured them that the USDA will stand by them.
The designation means eligible farmers can qualify for low-interest emergency loans from the Agriculture Department.
Counties adjacent to those that are affected also are eligible for assistance.
The United States Drought Monitor reports that while storms have dumped rain and snow in the East, droughts are persisting or intensifying in the West. |
The Alice Paul Institute
I think about how much we owe to the women who went before us-legions of women, some known but many more unknown. I applaud the bravery and resilience of those who helped all of us – you and me – to be here today.” Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Supreme Court Justice
Grade: 6-8 / Duration: 2 class periods
- Students will develop analytical research skills, work cooperatively, and practice positive presentation skills.
- Students will learn about a diverse array of women’s rights activists and how they shaped the suffrage movement.
- Craft supplies – construction paper and/or poster board, plain white paper, markers, glue, scissors, etc.
- Computers with internet access for research
- Missing Persons Report handout
- List of activists (included) to assign students
PROCEDURE: After watching Alice at a Glance, debrief with students:
- Who were the main historical figures presented in the DVD?
- What did they contribute to their women’s suffrage movement?
- What obstacles did they face, and how did they overcome them?
- Was women’s suffrage achieved with the work of only these women, or did it take many different hands?
TASKS: In groups of two or three, students will each research a different activist who somehow played a role in women’s rights. While all of these activists are well known among historians for their contributions, most of us have never heard of them before. Each group will craft a creative “Missing Persons Report” on their historical figure (see assignment handout). They should include a bibliography of their sources used. Students should use the resources available at the school to conduct their research, including internet research databases and library materials. (Google searches should only be accepted as a last resort and information must be from reputable websites.) When students have completed their research (See handout for guidelines of relevant information) they should begin creating their Missing Persons Report. Encourage students to get creative. They may wish to bring in materials from home to complete their Missing Persons Report the following day. When all students have completed their Missing Persons Report, give students time to present their posters to the class. Students should present basic background information about their activist, highlight their contributions and briefly explain why they think this activist should be better known. Display the posters in the classroom or hallway to share students’ research about lesser-known women’s rights activists.
EVALUATION: Consider evaluating students’ learning for a grade based on their group participation, research bibliography, and finished product. Check in on student’s understanding as they research–they may need additional support with the research process or sorting through information about their activist.
ADAPTATIONS: A more extended project might involve the creation of a class book, group PowerPoint project, or a project using other media. Consider creating an interdisciplinary project on persuasion with a Language Arts class by asking students to use persuasive techniques in their final projects. Expectations of final products and analysis involved will vary with grade levels.
LIST OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVISTS
The following activists worked for women’s suffrage; even if students are familiar with some of the names, they often don’t know the activists’ contributions to women’s rights in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Here’s a chance for them to find out: Jane Addams; Ida Wells Barnett; Antoinette Brown Blackwell; Henry Blackwell; Harriot Stanton Blatch; Mary Ann Shadd Cary; Carrie Chapman Catt; Anne Clay Crenshaw; Paulina Wright Davis; Rheta Childe Dorr; Frederick Douglass; Lillian Feickert; Abigail Kelly Foster; Matilda Joslyn Gage; Angelica Emily Grimke; Sarah Moore Grimke; Ida Husted Harper; Julia Ward Howe; Alice Duer Miller; Esther Morris; Lucretia Mott; Parker Pillsbury; Robert Purvis; Jeanette Rankin; Caroline Severance; Anna Howard Shaw; Mary Church Terrell; Sojourner Truth; Victoria Woodhull; Maud Younger
Missing Persons Report
There are many activists (female and male) who made tremendous contributions to women’s rights. Most are well-known by historians, but many of us don’t recognize the names of people who had a major impact on women’s rights. As historical detectives, you will research one activist who fought for women’s right to vote. With your group, you will create a Missing Persons Report about your historical figure. Get creative with your report! Be sure to address:
- Who your figure is (name)
- When they lived
- An image of the activist
- Their major contributions to women’s rights
- Why you think people should know about this activist
- Consider including symbols of your activist’s work and life, quotes by or about your activist, or pictures of their work – anything that will show others who your activist was. |
What is Piles?
Piles also called as hemorrhoids are swollen parts of the anus that occurs due to various reasons. The anus is part of the large intestine which is about 4 cm long. There is a small network of veins within the lining of the anal canal. These veins sometimes become bigger and enlarged with more blood than usual. The engorged veins and the superimposing tissue may then form into one or more small growth called piles.
What are the different types of piles?
Internal piles are those that develop above a point and inside the back passage (anus) in the upper part of the anal canal. Inner piles are usually unproblematic because the superior anal canal has no pain nerve fibers. External piles are those that form underneath that point, in the inferior part of the anal canal. External piles may be painful because the lower part of the anal canal has lots of pain nerve fibers. Some people develop internal and external piles at the same time.
Internal piles can be categorized into grades 1 to 4 rendering to their seriousness and size:
Grade 1 are tiny swellings on the interior lining of the anal canal. They cannot be seen or felt externally from the anus. Grade 1 piles are common and in some people they expand further to grade 2 or more.
Grade 2 are larger. They may be partially pressed out from the anus when you go to the toilet, but speedily coil back again internally
Grade 3 mass dangles out from the anus when you go to the toilet. You may sense one or more as minor, soft swellings that suspend from the anus. However, you can thrust them back inside the anus with a finger.
Grade 4 perpetually hang down from inside the anus, and you cannot push them back inside. They sometimes become quite big.
Causes of piles:
The blood vessels round the anus and in the rectum will expand under force and may swell. Inflamed veins (hemorrhoids) can develop when pressure increases in the lower rectum. This may be due to:
- Chronic diarrhea
- Straining when passing a stool
- Chronic diarrhea
- Lifting heavy weights
The tendency to develop hemorrhoids may also be inherited. The risk of developing piles grows with age.
Risk factors of Piles
Dehydrated or drinking less than eight glasses of water per day can contribute to constipation and, therefore, the development of hemorrhoids.
Dietary fiber is essential to digestive health, and many people simply don't get enough. Low-fiber diets (with less than 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day) can significantly increase your risk of constipation. Diets rich in the cheese, chips, fast food, processed foods, frozen foods and red meat can significantly increase your risk of constipation:
Physical inactivity and the absence of regular exercise can cause a general loss of muscle tone (including the anorectal muscles) while affecting gastrointestinal motility (often resulting in alternating bouts of diarrhea and constipation).
Our Panel Of Piles Experts:
Dr. Arundhati Srinivasan is a Consulting Homoeopath. Been practicing for 5 years, she's the third generation doctor in her family.
Her mother is a successful homeopath with an experience of 30 years and Dr. Arundhati has trained and been polishing her skills under her guidance. She started attending her mother's practice seriously as soon as she entered the medical college.
Herself being a staunch believer in homeopathy, she has been raised since birth purely on homeopathy and seen it work wonders on acute issues during childhood.
She studied in Bombay at CMP College which is Asia's best and has the best faculty in the country.
She's gained hospital experience for 2 years working in the wards and worked under an orthopedic surgeon for 2 years.
Dr. Kausar Ansari is a well-known Homeopath doctor practicing in Kalina, Mumbai. She has gained expertise in solving multiple types of cases until now such as
Skin Related: Psoriasis, Warts, Urticaria, Eczema.
Female complaints: Leucorrhoea, DUB, Fibroids, Infertility, PCOD.
Others: Piles, Thyroid crisis, Sinusitis, Allergic rhinitis, SLE (Systemic Lupis Erythrematosis), Hemorrhoids.
Dr. Shilpa Pandey is a post graduate in Homoeopathic Practice of Medicine from Maharashtra University of Health Science, Nashik in Year 2013. With more than 6 years of experience, learning, and research, she has developed most effective diagnosis and treatment to various ailments and chronic diseases.
She got trained under Dr.Padam Patni (Chest & TB Specialist) for 2 years and with her rich experience, she has solved several cases related to Respiratory disorders.
Her expertise lies in detailed patient assessment which helps her to pinpoint the exact cause of illness. Over past 6 years, she has solved several chronic and acute cases which includes Obesity, Eczema, Dermatitis, Hairfall, Allergic Rhinitis, Migraine, Piles, Sleeps disorders, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Asthma, Sarcoidosis, COPD, Nasal Polyp, Psychiatric illness and many more.
Dr.Nritiya Dave completed her B.H.M.S (Bachelor in Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery) in the year 2007 (Reg No: A2216) and has been practicing successfully since then.
Since 2007 Dr. Nritiya has treated many people with Homeopathic medicines alone for varieties of complaints ranging from cold, allergies, acute infections, skin troubles etc to more complicated chronic cases such as Rheumatoid arthritis, renal failures,Piles, cancers and many more, providing homeopathic management and treatment tailored to suit the needs of every case. Her Homeopathic treatment modality follows the laws of core tenets of Homeopathy that serve to treat all cases from its very root very gently yet swiftly with precision.
Dr. Tanima is BHMS Specialized in Homoeopathic Medicines, classical Homoeopathic Practitioner and believes in the holistic approach of treatment. She has vast 22 years of rich experience with strong command in specific ailments and has gained expertise in Psychiatry, Infertility, Anxiety, PCOD, Piles, Children Illness.
She is practicing homeopathy in Kolkata. She is passionate and devoted to homeopathy. She had successfully treated a variety of cases, an especially chronic illness where allopathy has limited results. She always emphasizes treating a patient in a holistic way and strongly believes that all types of specialized diseases, can be cured permanently by homeopathy.
What do our health packages offer?
Money Back Guarantee
Consultations as per your needs
24X7 Customer support
Free Health Kit for all generic disease customized as per the individual
Home medicine delivery
End to End Treatment
Piles will be cured with the help of Homeopathy
Get back to Regular Life and avoid further complex problems
Expected Duration of Treatment: 5-6 months
Expected No of Consultations: Min 1/2 consultations per month
Contact Us To Get Complete Cure from PILES
WhatsApp or Call Us by clicking on below icon.
Initiate a Chat With Us
Send an Enquiry by filling the form at the bottom of this page.
Drop an Email at [email protected]
How does Homeopathy help in Piles?
This is one of the so-called surgical diseases where homeopathy can successfully reduce the use of scissors and scalpels to give relief and many patients worldwide are enjoying the benefits of homeopathy and can avoid the operation theatre lifelong. Homeopathy treats an individual patient as a complete entity than just focusing on the problem. Since Piles is a lifestyle disease, homeopathy practitioners understand the person’s lifestyle and provide solutions for the same. Homeopathy helps in understanding the psychological state of the person undergoing the treatment. In many patients, the progress of the disease is stopped by proper homeopathic treatment, and they live rest of their lives with piles but little or no suffering, many other patients are fortunate enough to get complete recovery. The possibility of success depends mostly on the stage of the disease, medication compliance and changes to their lifestyle.
Tips and remedies for Piles:
Ice is the most effective treatment for inflammation and swelling. Placing an ice pack in the affected region can give the temporary relief.
- Eat more fiber-rich foods:
Diet plays a very significant role in preventing the incidence of piles as well as reducing hemorrhoid pain. A diet rich in complex carbohydrates and fiber is highly suggested for getting relief from piles. Fiber helps to relieve constipation and evade strain, which both are major risk factors for increasing hemorrhoids. Oatmeal, barley, whole-grain cereals, beans, leafy vegetables like spinach and citrus fruits like oranges are a few fiber-rich sources that can be included.
- Consider fiber supplements:
If your diet does not provide you with enough fiber, it is essential to take fiber supplements for bringing about greater relief in constipation eventually reducing Piles.
- Eat flavonoid-rich foods:
Flavonoid-rich foods like blackberries, blueberries, cherries and citrus fruits increase the strength in the vein structures, thereby improving circulation around the anus. A meta-analysis has shown that flavonoids help to reduce persistent symptoms of piles by about 58 percent with a fair reduction in the risk of bleeding, persistent pain, itching and recurrence.
People suffering from hemorrhoids/piles often spend time straining during their bowel movement. A lubricating agent like petroleum jelly can help you to avoid straining if you use it just before passing a bowel movement.
Apart from fiber that helps in moving the digested food smoothly through the intestine, water helps to determine the consistency of your stools. When you drink less water, your intestinal walls absorb water from your stools to make them hard. And, hard stools cause constipation and straining which leads to piles. Hence, you should drink a lot of water so as to maintain stool consistency and preventing constipation and dehydration.
- Avoid regular use of laxative medications:
Laxative medications are generally used for treating constipation. They are drugs that either stimulate bowel movements and/or soften the stool. However, using them regularly can badly affect your bowel movement pattern and further worsen constipation. Instead include foods like bananas (especially boiled ones), figs, prunes, dried fruits which act as natural laxatives.
- Extra care while pregnancy:
Pregnant women should be extra care while using any natural remedy for treating piles. Consult your doctor before taking any laxative medication or cream. Eat healthy, avoid spicy foods and do mild exercise regularly. Do not sit or stand for a long period of time.
What is a Piles Health package?
- A Piles health package will consist of an online consultation with the Homeopathic doctors who are specialized in treating Gastrointestinal ailments and all you need is a desktop/laptop with an integrated camera and internet connection to avail this facility
- The package will allow you multiple consultations during the entire course of the treatment. The 1st Consultation will be the most important one, where your complete medical history will be taken and a line of treatment will be designed based on that. Hereon, the consultations can be taken every month or on mutual consent with the Doctor on an appointment basis. The course of the treatment can last anywhere from 6 months to 1 year depending on the chronicity of the disease & extent.
- After the first consultation, a medical kit will be provided to the patient that will comprise of medicines for the most common symptoms associated with Piles. These medicines will have to be taken on the prescription of the Doctor and will cover through the entire course of the treatment.
- The Doctor will provide a certain diet and weight management plan that is tailored according to the patient needs. This diet plan along with the medicines can help in faster recovery.
Why Choose Us?
MyDocZone has devised a Piles Health Package that offers the best Homeopathic consultation at the click of a button. With this package, we focus on providing the finest Homeopathic facility in terms of affordability and availability. The package covers treatment to completely eradicate Hemorrhoids and helps in the overall wellbeing of the person.
What is a Health Package?
The package is a onetime payment mode for any given treatment or services that are provided which include consultation, medicines, dietary advice, regular follow-ups. This onetime payment mode enables a series of consultations that take place within 15-30 days or as required.
Why should I buy a Package and not just a single consultation?
The package is more cost effective and in cases that require continued treatment, it ensures follow-ups without having to pay each time and make consultations hassle free and easy. Also, packages are extremely useful in the case of health kits.
Is there a validity of the package?
Yes, 1 year.
Can the package validity be extended if I’ve not exhausted all my consultations within the Mentioned validity period?
Yes, max by one month.
Will I also get medicines if I purchase this package?
Yes, medicines are inclusive in the package, courier charges included.
Is this package pricing inclusive of all taxes and charges?
Yes it is inclusive of all taxes, consultation fees and medicines and follow up fees for the mentioned period of the package
I am not sure whether an online consultation/treatment package will be effective. Is it really effective?
Yes, it is completely as effective as an in-person consultation.
Can the timings of consultation (audio/video) be rescheduled on request?
Yes, it can be rescheduled
How can I know about the number of consultations I have used and the number of consultations that remain?
Your doctor/portal will give you the pre-decided no of consultation that you have to undergo which may either be once in 15 days or once a month subject to the case
What if I want to discontinue this package in between after purchasing? Will my money be refunded?
It may not be advisable to discontinue any treatment midway, you may, however, discontinue the package in between the consultation if there is a genuine reason to do so. Money refund will not be applicable in such cases unless any such offers have been declared by the doctor or the portal.
Some Relevant Case Histories: (Just For Reference) |
Visit the only museum focused on the issue of slavery in the U.S.
The first museum in America dedicated entirely to slavery in the U.S. opened in 2014 in Wallace, Louisiana. It’s called Whitney Plantation – and it’s the ONLY slavery museum in the United States. I found that shocking really. Race relations in our country cannot be understood or healed without fully understanding and healing our slave-owning past.
From the website >> “Within the boundaries of the “Habitation Haydel”, as the Whitney Plantation was originally known, the story of the Haydel family of German immigrants and the slaves that they held were intertwined.”
“In 2014, the Whitney Plantation opened its doors to the public for the first time in its 262 year history as the only plantation museum in Louisiana with a focus on slavery.”
“Through museum exhibits, memorial artwork and restored buildings and hundreds of first-person slave narratives, visitors to Whitney will gain a unique perspective on the lives of Louisiana’s enslaved people.”
“The Wall of Honor is a memorial dedicated to all the people who were enslaved on the Whitney Plantation. The names and the information related to them (origin, age, skills) were retrieved from original archives and engraved on granite slabs.”
“The Whitney Plantation Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Whitney Plantation is a genuine landmark built by African slaves and their descendants. As a site of memory and consciousness, the Whitney Plantation Museum is meant to pay homage to all slaves on the plantation itself and to all of those who lived elsewhere in the US South.”
The Atlantic posted an in-depth article about the plantation and slavery in the U.S. along with a video interview with the founder, John Cummings.
This is one of those places that is transformative – life-changing – enlightening. It’s an important place teaching important lessons that will hopefully help in the advancement of racial healing and understanding in the United States.
The Whitney Plantation is located just north of New Orleans off of I-10.
The address is 5099 Louisiana Highway 18, Wallace LA 70049.
The phone number is 225-265-3300. |
WASHINGTON New research on the benefits of probiotics in children and seniors was presented at The American College of Nutrition Annual Meeting in a symposium Monday. Scientific experts in the fields of pediatrics, aging, and nutrition discussed the potential uses for probiotics in children as well as the elderly, and for health conditions such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
“Infants don’t have all of their gut bacteria at birth as they acquire it up until about 2 years of age,” stated Allan Walker, professor of Nutrition and Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, as part of a panel of speakers in summarizing the role of probiotics in pediatrics.
Mary Ellen Sanders, a consultant specializing in probiotics, provided an overview of the studies showing the benefits of probiotics and health. She said, “compelling new studies are showing how probiotics can help keep healthy people healthy. One study showed a decreased incidence of common infectious diseases among kids in day care.” She stressed the fact that each individual strain of probiotic can act differently, so a probiotic that helps with digestion may be different from one that supports the immune system.
Stefano Guandalini, professor of Pediatrics and director of the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center shared the newest research on probiotics and inflammatory bowel disease. “Inflammatory bowel disease is a condition that affects approximately 1 million adults and 150,000 children in the U.S. Emerging studies are showing promise in children and will continue to help determine how we can be using probiotics practically for such serious conditions.”
About 70 percent of our body’s immune system is located in the digestive tract and as we age, our immune function weakens, added Simin Meydani, associate director of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. “The idea is that taking in certain probiotics on a regular basis might positively change the bacterial populations in the gut in older people,” she said.
Under normal circumstances in our gastrointestinal systems, there are many more “friendly” bacteria than “bad” bacteria. If this balance shifts, however, the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract may be affected. Research suggests that adding probiotics to the diet can help optimize the functioning of the intestinal lining, as well as, the immune system, researchers noted.
A Webcast of the symposium will be made available at http://nutrition.med.harvard.edu/, www.usprobiotics.org, and www.americancollegeofnutrition.org. |
Fancify Your Typography with Ligatures and More
By Shelly Wilson on Monday 23rd of July 2012
OpenType features are a great way to give your typography extra umph. And now you can design with them in Typecast!
OpenType features are bonus styles that introduce new shapes and positions to a typeface’s characters. They’re really useful when you want to add a few flourishes and inject a little finesse to your typography.
For example, old-style numerals can add a sense of history or heritage and often look nicer in body copy than default numerals, which are sized as caps. And ligatures can add personality or informality to display text by joining up letters much the way we do when we blend our print handwriting with touches of cursive midway through.
These bonus styles can also help you produce more-accurate typography, for example proper fractions:
An easier way to apply styles
Until now, if you wanted an OpenType feature to display on your site in web font form, you had to know the correct code and syntax. To turn on common ligatures, for example, you needed to know that the value code for them is ‘liga’ and then code the correct instructions with it, like this:
-moz-font-feature-settings: 'liga=1'; -ms-font-feature-settings: 'liga' 1; -webkit-font-feature-settings: 'liga' 1; -o-font-feature-settings: 'liga' 1; font-feature-settings: 'liga' 1;
We’ve made this easier by replacing tag recall and complex code with simple button activation. Choose your font, click the button for the feature you want to apply, and Typecast will update your text with that style and insert the code for you behind the scenes. But if you want to double check we got the code right, go ahead. It’s right there in the CSS.
Right now you can pick from six of the most commonly used OpenType features, but we’ll be adding more in the future:
Dress up more than 30 faces
So far we’ve unleashed the OpenType awesomeness of 35 beautiful typefaces:
Browser support issues
Sometimes you may select a typeface and see a number of OpenType buttons that are not clickable, like this.
This means that the additional styles are available for that typeface in Typecast, but that the browser you are working in doesn’t yet support them. So in our example above, which we captured while in Chrome for Mac OSX, you can see that Typecast offers six bonus styles for Bello Pro, but in that operating system Chrome only supports common ligatures.
Browser support for OpenType features is still patchy, but it’s getting better fast, which is great for web design. Here’s a table showing which of our OpenType features are supported by the most current versions Chrome and Safari:
Login now to try opentype features in your project. |
Presentation on theme: "Lesson 10: Gender and Sexuality"— Presentation transcript:
1 Lesson 10: Gender and Sexuality Robert WonserIntroduction to Sociology
2 Gender ≠ SexAlthough the terms “sex” and “gender” are often used interchangeably, sociologists differentiate between the two.Sex refers to an individual’s membership in one of two biologically distinct categories—male or female.Gender refers to the physical, behavioral, and personality traits that a group considers normal for its male and female members.
4 IntersexAbout 1 babies in 1,000 are born intersexed, or hermaphroditic, which means having an abnormal chromosomal makeup and mixed or indeterminate male and female sex characteristics.This is a function of biological sex.Gender is different because it relates to the way that a person behaves based on their biological sex.In other words, we learn how to act manly or womanly based on the sex that we’re born into and society’s expectations of that sex.Hijras embracing at a wedding.
5 As nature made himDavid Reimer was subjected to gender reassignment surgery at 18 months old. What does his story tell us about the relationship between biological sex and gender identity?
6 Constructionist Approach to Gender Identity Most sociologists use a constructionist approach and see gender as a social construction and acknowledge the possibility that the male–female categories are not the only way of classifying individuals.Constructionists believe that gender is constructed, or created, through our interactions with other members of society.Your behavior creates your genderUnlike many other animals, humans how low levels of sexual dimorphism.
7 Gender InequalityGender inequality can be found in all past and present societies.The activities that women could participate in were limited because they had less physical strength and because of the demands of bearing and raising children.Men delivered the most important resources to the group, such as food from hunting or land from warfare, and became powerful by controlling the distribution of these resources.There are several sociological theories that attempt to explain why this inequality has persisted in contemporary societies. We’re going to discuss several of these theories now.
8 Theories on Gender Inequality Functionalists:Believe that there are social roles better suited to one gender than the other, and that societies are more stable when certain tasks are fulfilled by the appropriate sex (instrumental and expressive roles).
9 Theories on Gender Inequality In the 1950s, Talcott Parsons advanced the idea that the nuclear family effectively reared children to meet the labor demands of a capitalist system.According to Parsons:Men were more suited for an instrumental role (the person who provides the family’s material support and is often an authority figure).Women were more suited for an expressive role (the person who provides the family’s emotional support and nurturing).
10 Theories on Gender Inequality Conflict theorists:Believe men have historically had access to most of society’s material resources and privileges.Therefore, it is in their interest to try to maintain their dominant position.
11 Theories on Gender Inequality Symbolic Interactionists emphasize how the concept of gender is socially constructed, maintained, and reproduced in our everyday lives.Doing Gender is the idea that in Western culture, gender, rather than being an innate quality of individuals, is a psychologically ingrained social construct that actively surfaces in everyday human interaction.
12 Who Farts and Who Cares?Heterosexual men were the most likely to think it was funny and the most likely to engage in “intentional flatulence.”“Guys would say it’s raunchy and then say ‘Nice one,’” explained one heterosexual guy, “because if it’s strong it’s more manly. You know, because women would not try to clear a room with a fart.”Heterosexual women felt like they were violating gender norms if their farts were stinky: “The worse it stinks,” said one, “the nastier they think I am.”
14 Gender Role Socialization Gender role socialization is the lifelong process of learning to be masculine or feminine, primarily through four main agents of socialization: families, schools, peers, and the media.
15 Gender Role Socialization Families are usually the primary source of socialization and greatly impact gender role socialization.Social learning theory suggests that the babies and children learn behaviors and meanings through social interaction and internalize the expectations of those around them.remember: we learn gender, we are not born knowing who wears pink
16 Gender Role Socialization Schools also socialize children into their gender roles.For instance, research shows that teachers treat boys and girls differently.This may teach children that there are different expectations of them, based on their sex.
17 Gender Role Socialization In Western societies, peer groups are an important agent of socialization.Teens are rewarded by peers when they conform to gender norms and stigmatized when they do not.Ex: Gender Policing
18 Gender Role Socialization Finally, there is no question that sex-role behavior is portrayed in a highly stereotypical manner in all forms of the media: television, movies, magazines, books, video games, and so on.
19 Sex, Gender, and Life Chances Sex and gender affect almost every significant aspect of our lives.Even lifespan is different by gender!Women are disadvantaged in institutional settings in our society. Women tend to:Do a disproportionate amount of houseworkEarn less on average than their male peers at workRemain more likely to live in poverty
23 Sex, Gender, and Life Chances This has led to a situation called the feminization of poverty, which is the economic trend showing that women are more likely than men to live in poverty, due in part to:the gendered gap in wages,the higher proportion of single mothers compared to single fathers,and the increasing cost of childcare.
24 Sex, Gender, and Life Chances Even our language and vocabulary tend to reflect a hierarchal system of gender inequality.What’s the difference between a stud and slut?Mankind, mailman, guys
25 Feminism and the Women’s Movement Who considers themselves to be a feminist?Do you know what feminism is?Feminism is the belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes and the social movements organized around that belief.In the United States, the history of the women’s movement can be divided into three historical waves.
26 The Women’s MovementThe first wave was the earliest period of feminist activism and included the period from the mid-nineteenth century until American women won the right to vote in 1920.The campaign organized around gaining voting rights for women was called the suffrage movement.
27 The Women’s MovementThe second wave was the period of feminist activity during the 1960s and 1970s often associated with the issues of women’s equal access to employment and education.The third wave is the most recent period of feminist activity and focuses on issues of diversity and the variety of identities that women can possess.
28 The Men’s MovementAlthough originally broadly sympathetic with feminism, the men’s movement has now split into the men’s rights movement (a group that feels that feminism creates disadvantages for men) and the pro- feminist men’s movement (a group that feels that sexism harms both men and women and wants to fundamentally change society’s ideas about gender).
29 Sexual OrientationSexual orientation is the inclination to be heterosexual (attracted to the opposite sex), homosexual (attracted to the same sex), or bisexual (attracted to either sex), or to not be sexually attracted to anyone (asexual).
30 Sexual OrientationIs sexual orientation a continuum rather than a few simple categories?Those who are asexual may simply reject any sexual identity at all.Alfred Kinsey was suggesting that human sexuality was far more diverse than was commonly assumed. His own studies led him to believe that people were not exclusively heterosexual or homosexual but could fall along a wide spectrum.3030
31 HomophobiaHomophobia is a fear of or discrimination toward homosexuals or toward individuals who display purportedly gender- inappropriate behavior.Some argue that the term “homophobia” represents a biased attitude because the term “phobia” implies a psychological condition, thus excusing intolerance.Despite a great deal of change in recent years, homophobia is still common in American society. Some argue that the term “homophobia” represents a biased attitude because the term “phobia” implies a psychological condition, thus excusing intolerance.3131
32 HeterosexismHomophobia refers to individual beliefs and behaviors, not institutionalized discrimination.Heterosexism refers to the antihomosexual beliefs and practices embedded in social institutions.Similar to “white privilege”; we’re not taught to see how racism puts some in a position of privilege but rather view it as something that puts racial ethnic minorities at a disadvantage.
33 Examples of Heterosexism Hospitals do not recognize spousal rights for same-sex partners sick or dying or for same-sex parents with children in the hospitalGay, bisexual and lesbian issues are not included in school curriculaSchool rules about name-calling, harassment or bullying are not enforced for anti-gay incidentsStudent rights laws or policies do not include sexual orientation as a protected categorySchool social events are organized around assumptions of heterosexuality (dances, dating)Same-sex displays of affection in school are not toleratedLesbians and gay men are assumed to be a threat to children in some professions: teaching, coaching, pediatric medicine
34 Examples of Heterosexual Privilege You can go wherever you want and know that you will not be harassed, beaten, or killed because of your sexualityYou do not have to worry about being mistreated by the police or victimized by the criminal justice system because of your sexualityYou can express affection (kissing, hugging, and holding hands) in most social situations and not expect hostile or violent reactions from othersYou are more likely to see sexually-explicit images of people of your sexuality without these images provoking public consternation or censorshipYou can discuss your relationships and publicly acknowledge your partner (such as by having a picture of your lover on your desk) without fearing that people will automatically disapprove or think that you are being “blatant”You can legally marry the person whom you love in all 50 statesYou can receive tax breaks, health insurance coverage, and spousal legal rights through being in a long-term relationship
35 Lesson QuizTrue or False: Sociologists believe that sex and gender are essentially the same thing.a. Trueb. FalseANS: B3535
36 Lesson Quiz2. Which theoretical perspective generally believes that there are still social roles better suited to one gender than the other?a. Conflict theoryb. Functionalismc. Labeling theoryd. Symbolic interactionismANS: B3636
37 Lesson Quiz3. The physical, behavioral, and personality traits that a group considers normal for its male and female members is referring to:a. sexb. genderc. sexual orientationd. the functionalist theory of genderANS: B3737
38 Lesson Quiz4. The economic trend showing that women are more likely than men to live in poverty is called:a. gender inequityb. the suffrage movementc. gender role socializationd. the feminization of povertyANS: D3838
39 Lesson Quiz5. What was the cause most identified with the first wave of the women’s movement?a. Equal pay for womenb. Equal access to education for womenc. The right to vote for womend. The celebration of diversityANS: C3939 |
Modern Latin Mammalia, coined 1758 by Linnaeus for the class of mammals, from neuter plural of Late Latin mammalis (“of the breast”), from Latin mamma (“breast”), perhaps cognate with mamma (mother).
mammal (plural mammals)
- An animal of the class Mammalia, characterized by being warm-blooded, having hair and feeding milk to its young.
- (paleontology) A vertebrate with three bones in the inner ear and one in the jaw.
animal of the class Mammalia
paleontology: vertebrate with three bones in the inner ear and one in the jaw |
Question: “Would you please provide us with some additional information about Trusts so that we can better understand what they are and incorporate them into our Estate Plan, if appropriate?”
Answer: Trusts are a common planning tool that can be used to allow one person to hold property for the benefit of another. There are different types of trusts with different benefits and drawbacks. In fact, there are so many different types of trusts that it can often be confusing for people who are considering setting up a trust as part of their estate planning. You should not be intimidated by trust-based planning. With the help of a knowledgeable advisor, trusts can be an extremely beneficial component of a thorough retirement and estate plan.
Before we discuss types of trusts, it is important to understand what a trust is. Every trust must satisfy four basic requirements. First, someone must create the trust (Trustmaker). This person is usually called the grantor, although some people might refer to the person as the donor, the settlor, or the trustor. Second, some person or entity must agree to hold the assets that will go in the trust for the benefit of someone else. This is the trustee. There may be more than one trustee, and a trustee does not have to be an individual, a trustee can be a corporation with trust powers, such as a bank. Third, some assets (money and/or property) must actually be held by the trustee. These assets are called the trust principal or corpus. The principal of the trust will likely change; it may be spent or invested and it may go up or down in value. Fourth, someone must benefit from the trust. This person is called the beneficiary. There may be more than one beneficiary. Aside from these four basic requirements, trusts can vary greatly depending on the manner in which they are created, what the assets are, and the purpose for which they are created.
There are two general categories of trusts: living trusts and testamentary trusts. A living trust, also known as an “inter vivos” trust, is set up during a person’s lifetime. A testamentary trust is set up in a will and established only after the person’s death. It is subject to review and accounting to the probate court.
Living trusts can be divided further into two main types: revocable and irrevocable. A revocable trust allows you to retain control over all of the assets in the trust and revoke or change the terms of the trust at any time. This flexibility does have a cost, however. A revocable living trust does not avoid estate taxes because you still own the property in the trust, although it can help to reduce expenses and avoid probate upon death. An irrevocable trust, by contrast, generally cannot be revoked by the Trustmaker once it has been created. You can specify the beneficiaries of the trust, how it will function, and who will serve as trustee. But, you typically cannot make changes to the trust once it is established without the consent of the beneficiaries or another third party. Because the assets in an irrevocable trust are no longer yours, the appreciated assets in the trust are not subject to estate taxes. Irrevocable trusts can also be used to protect property from the claims of your creditors and those of the beneficiaries.
The trusts mentioned above are just some of the many types of trusts available. There are also many more sophisticated uses of trusts that apply to specific situations. Below is a list of just a few additional types of trusts (keep in mind that the names identify one use of the trust and not all of its uses):
If you have questions about trusts and how they might be incorporated into your retirement and estate plans, you should consult with a knowledgeable professional in your state, many of whom can be found on ElderCareMatters.com – America’s National Directory of Elder Care / Senior Care Resources for Families.
Henry C. Weatherby, Esq., CLU, ChFC, CEBS
Weatherby & Associates, PC
Connecticut State Coordinator, ElderCareMatters.com
If you need answers to your elder care questions, send your questions to us at:
Answers are provided by our ElderCare Matters Partners, some of America's TOP Elder Care Professionals who have years of experience in helping families plan for and deal with a wide range of Elder Care / Senior Care Services.
All Q&A's are posted on the homepage of ElderCareMatters.com
If you help familes plan for or deal with elder care matters, then you owe it to yourself and to families across America to become a professional member of the National ElderCare Matters Alliance and to be listed on the many Elder Care / Senior Care Directories that are sponsored by this National Alliance of Elder Care Professionals.
For additional information about professional membership in the National ElderCare Matters Alliance, (including the many benefits of becoming one of our ElderCare Matters Partners) and to download an Application for your Basic, Premium or Partner Membership in the National ElderCare Matters Alliance, visit: ElderCare Matters Alliance. |
For fun, profit, principle or superior nutrition, raising layer hens is a rewarding experience. Keeping a few of the chickens described in this article will provide hours of pleasure, a valuable education for the entire family, a renewed connection with your food and some of the animals who provide it, and a sense of satisfaction that you are participating in the important work of saving these interesting and valuable breeds for future generations. Many of these breeds need quality stewards to ensure their survival. If one of these breeds doesn’t strike your fancy, check out Heritage Chickens to learn about many other endangered chicken breeds that might fit the needs of your farm or homestead.
You might think Australia’s claim to fame is the kangaroo, but in the land Down Under, Australorps reign supreme. In fact, the breed is recognized as the unofficial breed of Australia, its country of origin.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Black Orpingtons were imported from England to Australia. The Australians valued the Black Orpington for its egg-production traits and began selecting and outcrossing to improve laying abilities. Meanwhile, the English continued selecting their Black Orpingtons for meat qualities. By the 1920s, the “Australian Laying Orpington” was divergent enough to be labeled as its own breed, the Australorp. The breed then was imported to England and the United States. In 1929, Australorps were officially recognized by the American Poultry Association as a standard breed.
Today, Australorps are still known for their great egg-laying abilities, often laying more than 200 eggs a year. The Australorp’s eggs are tinted tan, and average 26 to 27 ounces per dozen. Although the breed is reputed for its laying abilities, the birds have relatively meaty carcasses that can serve the needs of the small farm or homestead. The Australorp is a black chicken with a moderately large single comb. Females average 6 1/2 pounds and males average 8 1/2 pounds. The Australorp is gaining popularity among poultry fanciers.
The Campine is an attractive chicken often raised for ornamental purposes, but don’t let this Belgian beauty fool you. Underneath all those feathers is a productive layer that makes a great addition to the backyard flock.
The Campine is thought to be a cousin to the Braekel breed, first documented in Belgium in 1416. The Braekel is native to the rich clay soil of the Flanders district, whereas the Campine survived in the less fertile Kempen region — hence the Campine name. In 1893, this historic breed was first imported to the United States, but its popularity never grew. Poultrymen tried importing the breed again in 1907, this time from English stock, but many farmers felt the birds weren’t rugged enough for their needs. Eventually The Homestead Campine Farm began selecting for hardiness, but other breeds had already won the hearts of America’s homesteaders. The Campine was officially recognized by the American Poultry Association in 1914.
Today, this bird combines beauty and productivity to meet the needs of small farm or urban flock owners. Laying more than 150 medium-sized, white eggs per year, these hens won’t disappoint. The breed is known as a great forager and is active, alert and intelligent. Birds average from 4 to 6 pounds, depending on the sex. Campines come in two color varieties: silver and golden. They are said to have friendly, chatty dispositions, but they don’t always do well in confinement. Campines are critically endangered, with fewer than 500 breeding birds in the United States.
Leghorn — Non-industrial
The hen-some Leghorn breed is a prolific layer that originates from the landrace Livornese fowls of Northern Italy. This landrace, found near the port of Leghorn, was reputed for its small size and ability to lay a large number of eggs.
In 1852, an American ship guide by the name of Captain Gates returned from Italy to the United States with cargo in tow — including Livornese, or what is known in English as the Leghorn breed. In 1853, additional stock was brought over from Italy. Interestingly, in the 1870s, the English imported Leghorn stock from the United States.
The English began selecting for larger size, and, in the early 1900s, these larger, dual-purpose birds made their way back to the United States. About this time, poultrymen began selecting for different qualities in their Leghorns. Some felt form and function were important and kept selecting for traditional traits, while other breeders felt production qualities were superior and began selecting for higher-production rates. Selecting for production led to the evolution of the modern-day industrial Leghorn, which is widely used in the poultry industry. Those who kept selecting for traditional traits helped to conserve the form and function of the traditional, non-industrial Leghorn.
Today, the non-industrial Leghorn is still found on farms, in shows and on homesteads across the country. The breed is reputed for its exceptional ability to lay 250 to 300 medium-to-large-sized, white eggs per year. The breed is a great forager and is very active, hunting and scratching to find food. Leghorns also are noted for their hardiness and vigor. Males weigh an average 6 pounds, and females average 4 1/2 pounds. Leghorns come in many different subvarieties with varying colors and either rose or single combs. Non-industrial Leghorns are growing in popularity as small-scale farmers are rediscovering these prolific and attractive layers.
China is home to one of the great wonders of the world, but many people don’t know it’s also the homeland of one of the great chicken breeds of the world. The Langshan, a graceful and stately breed, was bred for centuries in the Yangtze Kiang River region of China about 100 miles from Shanghai. In 1872, Maj. A.C. Croad brought the breed to England. Interestingly, because the breed was imported from Shanghai, some people thought the breed was a Cochin and began selecting for four distinct types. Luckily, some breeders recognized the uniqueness of the breed and selected for the original type known for its long legs, deep body and full breast. The breed was first accepted into the American Poultry Association (APA) standard in 1883.
The Langshan is historically a good layer and can lay up to 200 large, dark brown eggs per year. In addition to eggs, Langshans provide plenty of meat for the family because of their large size. Langshan females average 7 1/2 pounds, and males average 9 1/2 pounds. The breed is noted for its abundance of rich meat that is particularly white. It has a reputation as being fast-growing, hardy, easily reared on well-drained soils, and active. Black, blue and white Langshans are recognized by the APA. There are currently fewer than 1,000 breeding Langshans in the United States, making them a necessary conservation priority.
The Ancona chicken, like the Leghorn, is an Italian chicken breed known for its prolific laying abilities. The Ancona takes its name from (surprise) Ancona, the port city in Italy where it originated. In the mid-1800s, Ancona chickens were imported to England. Again in the 1880s, additional stock was imported to England, and the breed suddenly grew in popularity. The breed was first recognized by the American Poultry Association as a standard breed in 1898 in the single-comb variety and in 1914 in the rose comb variety.
Anconas are once again gaining popularity as poultrymen reacquaint themselves with the many valuable characteristics of the breed. Anconas lay 120 to 180 large, white eggs per year. They are similar in size to the Leghorn, with males weighing 6 pounds and females averaging 4 1/2 pounds. The breed is a great forager and very active. Some suggest that these birds are ideal in areas where birds of prey are a serious predation problem because they are alert and active, and their dark color makes them less easy to spot. Anconas are known to be fairly cold-hardy, and they often lay longer into the winter than other breeds without the need for supplemental light. If you are looking for a good layer that’s also quite an attractive show bird, look no further than the Ancona.
Rhode Island White
Many people have heard of the Rhode Island Red chicken, but not many have heard of the other famous chicken breed from Rhode Island: the Rhode Island White. While the Rhode Island White was never as famous as the Rhode Island Red, it is reputed as an excellent egg layer for the backyard flock and a true American original. The Rhode Island White was created in 1888 when J. Alonzo Jocoy developed the breed by crossing White Wyandottes, Partridge Cochins and Rose Comb White Leghorns. Breeders continued to perfect the breed with the goal of achieving a bricklike body shape similar to the Rhode Island Red. In 1922, the breed was admitted to the American Poultry Association’s Standard of Perfection. The breed had a robust following during its heyday, but by the 1960s it was losing the popularity contest to more industrial-adept breeds that could produce more eggs.
Today, the Rhode Island White is trying to regain its popularity and position itself in the backyard chicken movement. The breed is known to lay more than 240 large to extra-large, brown eggs per year. The Rhode Island White also has a reputation as a dual-purpose breed, making it a great option for a meat bird as well. Males average 8 1/2 pounds and females average 6 1/2 pounds. Rhode Island Whites are said to have a mellow disposition, and they don’t tend to go broody. They are a hardy, productive breed that also is an excellent layer of winter eggs. The Rhode Island White is making its comeback, but it needs quality stewards to ensure its future in agriculture.
Carolina born and raised, Jennifer Kendall resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, and dreams of one day owning some of these heritage breeds.
The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy is a nonprofit membership organization working to protect more than 180 breeds of livestock and poultry from extinction. Founded in 1977, ALBC is the pioneer organization in the United States working to conserve historic breeds and genetic diversity in livestock. ALBC’s mission is to ensure the future of agriculture through genetic conservation and the promotion of endangered breeds of livestock and poultry.
Membership in the organization is $35 per year. For more information or to join, call 919-542-5704 or visit The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. |
The Civil Air Patrol was authorized on December 2, 1941, and began operations to patrol the coasts of the United States shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor five days later. CAP pilots, flying modified civilian aircraft, were credited with saving lives at sea, radioing the position of German submarines to the U.S. Army and Navy, and attacking several submarines, sinking two.
At the end of the war, the United States Congress enacted CAP's status as a public corporation. The United States Congress passed Public Law 557[?] on May 26, 1948 which permanently established the Civil Air Patrol as the auxiliary of the United States Air Force.
CAP's relationship with the Air National Guard, as it is with all other components of the US military, comes only through CAP-USAF headquarters. CAP does not have a combatant role, and is not authorized to be used in law enforcement except for scouting and transportation roles. The parent unit of CAP is the Air University[?] of the Air Training and Education Command[?].
The Civil Air Patrol is actually a non-profit corporation established by public law in 1947. It receives funding from several sources:
One of the grim jokes in the organization is CAP stands for "Come and Pay". There are very few paid positions in Civil Air Patrol. They are located at National Headquarters.
The Civil Air Patrol Corporation owns the Cessna 172 and Cessna 182 aircraft used by most squadrons. Some members use their own airplanes. In addition, CAP owns and distributes several vans for use by CAP's ground teams. Members may use their own vehicles and be reimbursed for fuel, oil, and communications costs during a USAF-authorized mission. Most CAP members are part-time volunteers, though search-and-rescue missions may take days and weeks to accomplish.
One current issue facing the CAP has been the requirement to retire most of the organization's VHF-FM radios, to be replaced by radios certified by the NTIA. Most CAP radios are dual-use amateur radios and are expensive. The National Commander has expressed concerns over the cost of conversion, and is asking the USAF to help fund the changeover.
CAP aircraft and its extensive radio network have been used not only by the USAF, but by other Federal, state, and agencies in a variety of civil emergencies. The state of Maryland, for example, uses CAP aircraft to regularly patrol the waters of Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries for boats in distress and to detect water pollution. Floods of the Mississippi River in 1995 led to the greatest deployment of CAP assets since the Second World War.
Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, CAP aircraft were used for homeland defense by several states, such as New York and Maryland. A CAP aircraft was the first to overfly the wreckage of the World Trade Center. CAP aircraft also carried blood supplies to the sites of the disaster.
The Civil Air Patrol is organized in the following manner:
CAP members are not members of the United States military and receive no pay from the U.S. government; however, they may wear a modified version of the USAF uniform and practice military courtesies and customs[?] such as saluting. As part of recognition of CAP's service to the USAF, CAP members are allowed to wear "U.S." as part of their uniform.
Senior members are those who joined CAP for the first time past the age of eighteen. There is no retirement age or physical requirements to join. Many successful CAP members have been physically challenged.
Senior members hold the following ranks, from lowest to highest:
The National Commander is both a CAP member and a USAF officer, who usually holds the rank of colonel.
CAP rank epaulets are gray instead of Air Force blue. On field uniforms, name tags and rank are bright blue with white threading instead of camouflaged.
Rank is normally used as a sign of progression in training and experience. Senior members have commanded squadrons, with lieutenant colonels working under them.
Senior members pay for their own uniforms and equipment.
Cadets have a rank structure similar to the USAF enlisted and officer ranks. A cadet starts as Cadet Airman. As the cadet progresses through aerospace education and physical training, CAP gives the cadet awards such as the Earhart Award and the [[Carl "Tooey" Spaatz|Spaatz]] Award. A cadet who has reached the level of the Earhart Award is eligible for promotion to cadet officer.
Cadets take part in all CAP missions, including practice and actual search-and-rescue missions. In addition, cadets take part in summer encampments, honor guards, and drill and ceremonies[?] competitions, and may take part in an international exchange with cadets from Canada[?], the United Kingdom, Japan, and several other nations.
Cadet members do not incur a military obligation upon leaving CAP, but may enter the Air Force as an Airman First Class (E-3) with sufficient experience. Several former CAP cadets have become astronauts and leading Air Force and Navy pilots, including Shawn Osborne[?], who was pilot of the United States Navy EP-3 Orion[?] aircraft that collided with a Chinese fighter in April 2000.
The USAF's Air Education and Training Command[?], through the Air University, has been the parent command of CAP. However, in October 2002, the USAF announced plans to move CAP into a new office for homeland security. In addition, CAP's National Commander was promoted to the rank of major general from brigadier general. |
iPad integration into the classroom has become all the rage. Many educators and administrators have adopted the transcendent device in an effort to increase student engagement. This adoption hasn’t come without challenges for many. For one, producing relevant curriculum content for the iPad hasn’t been the easiest of tasks. Also, there is the one in a million student (sarcasm) that might veer off topic and try to use one of the other exciting features of the iPad.
Enter Nearpod, “An all-in-one solution for the synchronized use of the iPad in the classroom”. It allows an instructor to:
- Create interactive content for classroom presentations
- Push presentations out to classroom iPad devices
- Control the content on a student’s iPad (and also allow the student a certain amount of control)
- Monitor the iPad activity of all students in the classroom (instructor is alerted when student leaves app)
- Perform instant assessment via quizzes and surveys
Students are able to:
- Engage the coursework more closely
- Get instant feedback from the instructor
- Share their work with the rest of the class
In addition teachers can share presentations with each other. Visit the Nearpod site to get more information at http://www.nearpod.com. It seems like a great step in the right direction. |
As you swim, exhale gently through both your nose and mouth, or just your mouth – whichever you find most comfortable. [Tip: a nose clip can help you breathe out of your mouth more comfortably.] The trick to exhaling underwater is to do it slowly.
How do I stop swallowing water when swimming?
To correct this: Exhale through both nostrils instead; twice as much air will be released as when you exhale through a pursed mouth. To prevent sucking water up your nose, push your tongue against the roof of your mouth to seal off the airway at the end of the inhalation.
What is the proper way to breathe while swimming?
Remember to inhale through your mouth and exhale through both your nose and mouth. As you are standing with your head in the water, practice and focus on the control you have with a relaxed, full breath into your system.
Is it bad to swallow swimming pool water?
Although swallowing a small amount of pool water is harmless, it’s important for parents to realize that ingesting too much can lead to chlorine poisoning or so-called recreational water illness, according to Dr. Sampson Davis, an emergency room physician at Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center in New Jersey.
Is it OK to swim with head above water?
Swimming only with your head out of the water, like so many people do, isn’t a good idea because trying to move forward carrying the weight of your head puts tremendous strain on your neck and back. You’re not engaging properly with the water and it’s generally about the worst thing you can do to ‘keep fit’.
How do you swim front crawl without getting tired?
Here are a few tips for swimming front crawl without getting tired-
- Perfect your body position while swimming front crawl.
- Learn the proper front crawl breathing technique.
- Focus on swimming with long strokes.
- Train your front crawl more often.
- Improve your overall front crawl swimming technique.
How do Beginners breathe while swimming?
Breathe Out – Most novice swimmers tend to hold their breath underwater instead of breathing out when swimming. When your face is submerged in water, you should be breathing out gently and bubbles should come out of your mouth or nose. Breathe In – Most swimmers breath in through their mouth.
Why do I struggle to breathe when swimming?
Water is denser than air and it compresses your chest somewhat. You must make an effort to exhale under water. The feeling of constriction distresses some novice swimmers, but once you build confidence, you lessen the likelihood of hyperventilating or holding your breath as a reaction to stress.
What happens if you sniff water up your nose?
Well, the cells of your nose are protected by a semipermeable membrane. If the water that enters your nose has a lower salt concentration than the one percent in your body’s cells, guess what happens? Water rushes through the cell walls to try to balance out that concentration.
Can water go up your nose into your brain?
Of course, water that gets up your nose doesn’t actually go into your brain. It just hits your sensitive sinus passages. But it still hurts. The reason water gets up your nose is because of a difference in pressure between your sinuses and the water around.
How long does it take to learn breathing in swimming?
The process of learning how to swim is completely different from one individual to the next. As a general rule of thumb, kids learn gradually over a number of years and adults take on average 20 hours teaching to be able to swim one length front crawl with breathing.
What is the importance of proper breathing for swimming?
Proper breathing—especially exhaling—provides a lot of benefits for swimmers: It helps you to swim faster. Having lungs full of air makes your chest too buoyant, making your body move like a seesaw around your central core. This instability causes your legs to sink in the water, creating unnecessary drag.
How can I increase my lung capacity for swimming?
1. Use breathing patterns throughout your workout.
- Start simple and progress slowly. If breathing every five strokes is out of the question, work on breathing every four. …
- Use breathing patterns on pull sets. Our legs burn up a ton of oxygen when we are swimming. …
- Do them in your warm-up to get your lungs warmed-up. |
C. Richard King, ed. Native Athletes in Sport and Society: A Reader. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2005. xxxiii + 264 pp. $26.95 (paper), ISBN 978-0-8032-7828-8.
Reviewed by Wade Davies (Native American Studies Department, University of Montana)
Published on H-AmIndian (July, 2006)
American Indian Athletes: Race, Power, and Identity
C. Richard King and the other authors in this collection correctly contend that Indian athletes, until very recently, have been denied the scholarly attention they deserve. This edited volume offers others interested in this growing field of inquiry a strong introduction to existing scholarship and allows King to propose avenues for future study. In it, he and his selected authors stress themes of agency, power relations and the assertion of racial pride.
Indian participation in football has received more scholarly attention than have other topics in Indian sports history, primarily because of the high-profile accomplishments of the Carlisle Industrial School team and Jim Thorpe. That sport and its players are also featured here. John Bloom honors Grace Thorpe for successfully campaigning to gain recognition for her father as the century's greatest athlete and for fighting the stereotypical imperialistic image of him as a fallen Indian hero. William J. Bauer Jr.'s interesting essay stresses Tommy Yarr's ability to win over Notre Dame football fans because the media stressed his "biethnic identity" as an Indian and Irishman who brought the best qualities of his ancestors to the gridiron. Charles Fruehling Springwood adds a highly theoretical, but less accessible offering in comparison to the other essays. He analyzes the stereotypical portrayal of football's Oorang Indians and the players' responses. Gerald Gems shows ways Indian athletes, and Carlisle's football players in particular, empowered themselves through sport. His use of the "trickster" as a metaphor is interesting but problematic when used in a multi-tribal context. Tricksters have multiple meanings and interpretations within communities and do not hold the same meaning from one tribal culture to another.
Jeffrey Powers-Beck and Daniel P. Barr concentrate on baseball, but stress similar themes as the above-mentioned authors. Barr reconsiders Louis Sockalexis's career, arguing that the debate over the origin of the Cleveland Indians' name should not obscure the player's accomplishments on the field nor the struggle he faced in confronting assimilationist expectations in a racist society. Powers-Beck offers a biography of the lesser-known George Howard Johnson, who successfully asserted and drew strength from his Indian identity as an early-twentieth-century pitcher.
Vicky Paraschak and Ellen J. Staurowsky both argue that Native women have suffered from both racial and gender bias and are therefore undeservedly amongst the lowest profile athletes in American sports history. Paraschak writes that a systematic bias works against women in the patriarchal American sports world. She shows, in a case study of the Six Nations Reserve between 1968 and 1980, that this bias obscures the active involvement and importance of indigenous female athletes. Similarly, Staurowsky refers to a "racialized gender hierarchy" (p. 192) and argues that SuAnne Big Crow was an "Indian hero" (p. 204) who maintained her identity as a Lakota woman. Linda Peavy and Ursula Smith's well-known piece on the Fort Shaw women's basketball team's triumph at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition has brought Indian women's athletic achievements to broader public attention. The co-authors stress that while Fort Shaw used its athletes for institutional purposes, the players used the tournament to their own advantage.
Arguably the most intriguing inclusion is the essay that does not put forth a central thesis. Ann Cummins, along with co-authors Cecilia Anderson and Georgia Briggs, writes about the Shiprock Cardinals women's basketball team--the two co-authors are former players. Cummins argues that it is easy for scholars writing solo-authored works to inadvertently misrepresent Indian athletes. Rather than risk doing so, the authors offer excerpts from a public discussion about the team's history. Issues of racial identity, gender and negative stereotyping appear in the discussion, but above all the former athletes reveal a fundamental love for sport and competition that we scholars often underestimate. Counter to commonly accepted and overly generalized academic assumptions about "Indian" competitive values (or the lack thereof), the players say that winning was always a, if not the, primary purpose of playing.
The book as a whole has its limitations, but these are more reflective of the nature of current scholarship than any errors on King's part. The articles fit into relatively narrow categories in that they all focus on American Indian involvement in sports introduced by Euro-Americans (especially football, basketball, and baseball). They also center on issues of interracial conflict, colonization, and decolonization. As someone who also writes about these sports (basketball in particular) and issues of assimilation and Indian identity, I am not criticizing these authors for writing what I consider to be thoughtful, interesting and, in some cases, pioneering essays. But the book shows, as King writes in his epilogue, that there is a great deal yet to be done. We need to know more about the importance of sports played by members of one Native community against another and between opponents living in the same community; about the negative effects of athletics (including problems with young Indian student athletes who, like their non-Indian teammates, devote too much of their physical and mental energy to sports); and the continuing importance of tribal sports (only lacrosse has received much academic consideration elsewhere in a modern context). More in-depth research needs to be done on the values expressed through differing tribal sporting traditions, and also the complex and varying intentions of the boarding school faculty and professional coaches who work(ed) with Indian athletes. More attention should also be devoted to less studied but commonly played sports introduced by Euro-Americans (volleyball, for example, was widely played in boarding schools). King's strong article about Notah Begay's battle against racial stereotypes in the modern golf world and his importance to modern Indian communities is the only one in this volume not focusing on one of the big three American sports. We also have to acknowledge that many Indian athletes play sports for reasons, and identify themselves in ways, that do not mesh with present scholarly modes of interpretation. These athletes and their beliefs are also worthy of our attention.
If there is additional discussion of this review, you may access it through the list discussion logs at: http://h-net.msu.edu/cgi-bin/logbrowse.pl.
Wade Davies. Review of King, C. Richard, ed., Native Athletes in Sport and Society: A Reader.
H-AmIndian, H-Net Reviews.
Copyright © 2006 by H-Net, all rights reserved. H-Net permits the redistribution and reprinting of this work for nonprofit, educational purposes, with full and accurate attribution to the author, web location, date of publication, originating list, and H-Net: Humanities & Social Sciences Online. For any other proposed use, contact the Reviews editorial staff at [email protected]. |
HackerTeen is a project created by 4Linux, a company specialized in training and service based on open source software with a focus on computer security. 4Linux has already trained more than twelve thousand students in Linux throughout Brazil.
4Linux has developed some of the best known open source software projects in Brazil, including: the São Paulo Metro System, Brazilian Mint, Ceagesp Agricultural Warehouse, and the Center for the Dissemination of Technology and Culture (CDTC), a partnership between IBM and ITI. This partnership involved, among other activities, the largest Linux training program in Brazil–785 education professionals from the Ministry of Education (MEC) were trained in Linux by 4Linux.
Why Was HackerTeen Created?
The HackerTeen mission is to turn out ethical young hackers
Three social problems–which will grow quite a bit over the coming years–provided the motivation for establishing HackerTeen:
- Excessive time spent by young people playing computer games on the internet;
- Young people committing digital crimes on the internet;
- A lack of professionals who work with networks and computer security.
Many young people spend too much time playing computer games and, despite the fact they do develop strategic and logical reasoning, we feel that it is not necessary to spend hours and hours playing computer games in order to achieve this.
In spite of the amount of time spent in front of the computer, young people end up learning things that are not useful for their future. In fact, they end up learning things that are detrimental to their future.
On the other hand, during the 70s, many companies which are now multinationals were started in the bedrooms and garages of young people who loved technology. HackerTeen wishes to resuscitate this spirit. The beginning of the information age has already begun and the more young people learn to use technology in a positive way, the brighter their future.
For this reason, HackerTeen teaches computer security (an area with good salaries), entrepreneurship and hacker ethics. There are plenty of job openings in the market. But there are not enough qualified young people to fill those positions.
Harvard Business School
The project of creating an educational program with the goal of attracting adolescents to subjects such as Computer Security, Internet Entrepreneurship, and Hacker Ethics attracted the attention of Kerry Herman, a senior researcher at Harvard University. Ms. Herman was in Brazil in May of 2005 conducting research on the progress of open-source software.
Her research focused on the way in which free software, such as Linux, makes digital inclusion possible and how countries may benefit by encouraging entrepreneurship.
Herman believes HackerTeen is an innovative idea and a unique project that has all the necessary content to become economically viable and successful worldwide. |
Chapter 4, by Daugaard and Laursen, examines a multilingual classroom in Denmark as a site of negotiations of language and literacy. Classrooms have never been homogeneous, in many senses, but in the present era of global fl ows and new forms of mobility the heterogeneous nature of classrooms is more prominent than ever. In this chapter, the classroom is characterized as a messy marketplace, in which language ideologies and identity options are maintained, contested and negotiated. The close examination of literacy practices in the classroom in focus in this chapter shows what transitional processes take place when people move across spaces and how the sociolinguistic reality of the classroom clashes with the educational conceptualization of ‘the bilingual student’. The analysis also shows how multilingual children actively claim – and transform – linguistic space in the classroom.
Literacy Practies in Transition: Perspectives From the Nordic Countries, 2012, p. 103-118 |
A hollow flashlight powered by the heat from a user's hand, designed by a 15-year-old girl from Victoria, has been picked for the finals of the Google Science Fair.
Ann Makosinski, a Grade 10 student at St. Michaels University School in Victoria, is one of 15 students from around the world who beat out thousands of entries from more than 100 countries to earn their spot as finalists.
They will visit the Google campus in Mountain View, Calif., in September for the prize ceremony, Google announced Thursday. Winners will be chosen in three age categories, and one will receive the grand prize, which includes a $50,000 scholarship from Google and a trip to the Galapagos Islands.
Makosinski said she is excited about presenting to the Google Science Fair judges, many of whom are scientists, and being able to talk to the other finalists about their projects.
'I'm really interested in harvesting surplus energy, energy that surrounds but we never really use.' —Ann Makosinski
Makosinski has been submitting projects to science fairs since Grade 6, and has been particularly interested in alternative energy.
"I'm really interested in harvesting surplus energy, energy that surrounds but we never really use," Makosinski said in an interview Thursday.
While researching different forms of alternative energy a few years ago, she learned about devices called Peltier tiles that produce electricity when heated on one side and cooled on the other. She experimented with such tiles for her Grade 7 science fair project and thought of them again as a way to potentially capture the thermal energy produced by the human body.
Makosinski did some calculations to see if the amount of energy produced by warmth from a person's hand was theoretically sufficient to power an LED bright enough to use in a flashlight, and she found it was more than enough.
She bought Peltier tiles on eBay and tested them to see if they could produce sufficient power to light an LED. It turned out the power was more than enough, but the tiles generated only a fraction of the voltage needed. Further research suggested that if she made some changes to the design of the circuit, transformers could be used to boost the voltage.
Makosinski admitted there were points in the experiment when she thought it would never work, but said "You just kind of have to keep going."
She spent months doing research on the internet, experimented with different circuits and even built her own transformers, which still didn't provide enough voltage.
"This took quite awhile 'cause I had to do it during the school year as well and I had homework, plays, whatever that I was also doing," she recalled.
In the end, she came across an article on the web about energy harvesting that suggested an affordable circuit that would provide the voltage she needed when used with a recommended transformer, she said in an online report submitted to Google.
Finally, the circuit worked.
Steady beam of light
Makosinski made two different flashlights, each using a slightly different kind of Peltier tile, by assembling the electronics with other parts:
- An aluminum tube, obtained from a mechanical shop at the University of Victoria, where her father works as a laboratory manager. The aluminum was used to transfer the cooler temperatures of the air to one side of the Peltier tiles.
- A PVC tube from Home Depot used to house the aluminum tube, with an opening cut in it to allow a person's hand to come in contact with the other side of the Peltier tiles.
Makosinski tested the flashlights and found that both were brighter when the air temperature was 5 C than when it was 10 C, due to the bigger difference between body temperature and the air temperature. But even at 10 C, both flashlights maintained a steady beam of light for over 20 minutes, she reported.
In all, the materials for each flashlight cost about $26, she said, but she thinks that if it were mass produced, it could be manufactured and sold for a far lower price.
Neither of Makosinski's parents have a post-secondary science education, but they have encouraged her passion for science, she said. Her father helped her by teaching her the basics of electronics and ordering the parts she requested online.
Makosinski said she is looking forward to her upcoming trip, including the visit to Google's headquarters. She added, "I just can't believe that I actually made it this far." |
Sivapullaiah, Puvvadi Venkata and Sankara, Gullapalli and Allam, Mehter M (2010) Mineralogical changes and geotechnical properties of an expansive soil interacted with caustic solution. In: Environmental Earth Sciences, 60 (6). pp. 1189-1199.
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The type and amount of clay mineral plays an important role in the behaviour of fine-grained soils. Clay minerals are the primary source and moisture is often the external agent of swelling in soils. Also soils may exhibit increased/reduced swelling due to interaction with chemicals. Alkalis used in industrial operations are one such example. Concentrations of alkali and mineral type are the key factors in such interactions. The present paper reports the changes in the properties of an expansive Black Cotton soil containing a mixed layer mineral, rectorite upon interaction with high concentration caustic solutions. X-ray diffraction studies have shown that the rectorite present in the soil undergoes changes with increase in the concentration of alkali. Saponite gets transformed to nantronite. Small amount of kaolinitic mineral present in the soil also reacts with alkali producing some changes in its mineralogy. Many hydroxides are produced. Differential thermal analysis studies have been supportive of these changes. Consequent of these changes, the soil-specific surface increases, changes its Atterberg limits and free swell volume increases. The results have been supported by the characteristics and behaviour of samples contaminated in the field with alkali from an alumina extraction plant.
|Item Type:||Journal Article|
|Additional Information:||Copyright of this article belongs to Springer.|
|Keywords:||Alkali;Atterberg limits;DTA;Index properties;Rectorite;X-ray diffraction|
|Department/Centre:||Division of Mechanical Sciences > Civil Engineering|
|Date Deposited:||02 Jun 2010 05:25|
|Last Modified:||02 Nov 2011 06:23|
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Stream & Shoreline Restoration
By planting forested buffers (above) and living shorelines, CBF is creating natural pollution filters throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Photo by CBF Staff
The Importance of Rivers and Streams
Five major rivers—the Susquehanna, Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and James—provide nearly 90 percent of the fresh water to the Chesapeake Bay. These and the hundreds of thousands of creeks and streams that feed them, provide vital habitat for many aquatic species, including anadromous fish species like shad and sturgeon,turtles and amphibians, and important plants and grasses.
Stormwater runoff from farmland and urban and suburban areas wash nutrients—often excessive amounts of them—into our streams and rivers eventually leading to the Bay. Too much of these nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus in particular) do great harm to our waters' critters, plants, and underwater life.
What We're Doing About It
By building and restoring forested buffers (multiple rows of native trees, shrubs, and grasses) along streams and rivers, we are able to capture and filter out the pollution from runoff through these buffers. They also provide important habitat for wildlife and aquatic species, stabilize stream banks against erosion, and help keep rivers cool in summer.
In addition CBF creates living shorelines along river and Bay waterfront with native wetland plants and grasses. These areas help restore habitat, prevent erosion, capture sediment, and filter pollution.
Volunteers of all ages plant native grasses along Annapolis' Parkwood neighborhood shoreline. Photo by Tom Zolper/CBF Staff
CBF Creates First Urban Living Shoreline in Annapolis
In June 2012, CBF staff and volunteers created a living shoreline in the Parkwood neighborhood in Annapolis, one of the few such natural shorelines built in an urban neighborhood in the state.
Planting a living shoreline is a creative and proven approach to protect tidal shorelines from erosion. It substitutes for a conventional bulkhead, using native wetland plants and grasses, shrubs, and trees to prevent waterfront erosion, and also to filter polluted runoff from the land.
This winter, contractors built several stone sills that act as breakwaters just offshore of the community’s waterfront. Then in June volunteers planted over 7,000 native grasses in the tidal area along the 640-foot waterfront. |
The Upper House (a.k.a. Moonviewing House) sits on the slope of the Moon Viewing Hill as a place of quiet retreat. From the engawa, or veranda, one can contemplate the beauty of the gardens and the splendor of the moon from the time it rises until it sets. Constructed without nails in the traditional manner, this is the original house built by the Stine family in 1918. The interior floors are covered with tatami mats and there is a tokonoma for a scroll and flower arrangements.
Below: The Lower House (a.k.a. Zen Garden House) was built in 1922. It incorporates many Japanese features such as post and beam construction with sliding doors and windows. It is an example of the organic architecture movement, popular at the time which emphasized the use of honest materials in their unaltered state.
Below: The Cultural Exchange Center (CEC) is an authentic reproduction of a 19th century (Edo period) Kyoto tea-merchant's house and shop. The original plan was to ship a several-hundred-year-old tea merchant house from Japan to California, but fire regulations did not allow it. The architect Kiyoshi Yasui designed the CEC and American architect Warren Haid, a fellow Rotarian, assisted. The result is a well-proportioned Japanese building that was constructed in Japan, disassembled, shipped to Saratoga and reassembled on-site. |
Alabaster, a man of recondite Hebrew learning, published in 1632 his tragedy of Roxana, which, as he tells us, was written about forty years before for one night's representation, probably at college, but had been lately printed by some plagiary as his own. He forgets, however, to inform the reader, and thus lays himself open to some recrimination, that his tragedy is very largely borrowed from the Dalida of Groto, an Italian dramatist of the sixteenth century. The story, the characters, the incidents, almost every successive scene, many thoughts, descriptions, and images, are taken from this original; but it is a very free translation, or rather differs from what can be called a translation. The tragedy of Groto is shortened; and Alabaster has thrown much into another form, besides introducing much of his own. The plot is full of all the accumulated horror and slaughter in which the Italians delighted on their stage. I rather prefer the original tragedy. Alabaster has spirit and fire, with some degree of skill; but his notion of tragic style is of the "King Cambyses' vein:" he is inflated and hyperbolical to excess, which is not the case with Groto. |
Lord with the Flies: Describe and Thorough Analysis
“ Lord of the Flies” can be a famous international written by Expense Golding. The following book dirt the debut of the author’ s career, whose techniques of authoring would following be leading by a Nobel Prize with Literature within just 1983. This novel per se is about modest boys stranded on an uninhabited piece of land subsequent to having a plane accidents. Throughout the over-all text, they’ve been trying to endure and find order within their lives. Though their efficient upbringings, without any connection to country, the kids rapidly descend towards savagery in addition to primitivism. The following “ report about teens on the island”, as it’ s quite often referred to simply by its families, was constructed in 1954. Due to its around the globe popularity, your book has been turned into a lot of movie, 2 bottle – by means of 1963 within Britain because of Peter Brooke & Lewis Allen, along with in 1990 in the US just by Harry Find & Lewis Allen. A person’s book independently bears quite a few references with an earlier scenario, “ Ones own Coral Island”, which was published by Robert Erika Ballantyne in just 1857. Together texts lay on a critical place in the whole body of young adult fiction materials heritage.
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Below there are actually a detailed study guide concerning “ Jesus of the Flies”. It indicates a short summing up of it is actually plot, explanations of a main subjects and representations, as well as key facts about the e-book. This information ended up being compiled using supporting students developing essays inside the novel, students conducting examine on Bill Golding’ ersus writing, and book fans trying to find out no matter if this story will fulfill the needs involving their fictional taste.
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Lord with the Flies Everyone
That characters after only “ Jesus of the Flies” are young ones in their teen years. Leading to a text’ vertisements plot begins, we believe that that the aircraft passengers have been being being evacuated from England because of series (it’ ersus not clear precisely what war exactly). Most of them hadn’ t accepted each other in advance of landing about the island, besides the group of choir boys contributed to by Jack port port. The main most people – Ron, Jack, apart from Piggy – demonstrate this differences on the inside human side effects to the error. While some of try to maintain a clear the main and make use of reason so that you can survive, some others give towards natural puppy instincts in addition to go untamed.
Ralph is often a main mother nature whose mindset is looked at the most while using readers – he is tall, fair-haired, never very talkative. He is shrewd, likes deal, and is taken at first as being the leader with the group. She’s one of the few characters that be capable of keep feelings of decide on and world without hiking down into savagery. Unfortunately, if your other young ones begin to travel around completely nutty, they track down him, and he comes for their particular life until finally he matches a naval officer with the beach.
Piggy is Ralph’ s suitable hand. The first is intelligent together with quick-witted, nevertheless, his exorbitant weight and various physical impairments don’ more time allow your ex boyfriend to join ones own hunters. Some may be the source of support designed for Ralph within just his darkest moments in the event the rough actions of the searchers makes Take advantage of consider going down increasingly being the boys’ head. Piggy may be the one who offers to build ones own solar noisy alarms, which seems to indicate his usefulness and shrewd mind. Her glasses is a crucial equpiment used to learn how to start and valuable rescue discourage. He dead tragically so as to recover a partner’s stolen spectacles or contact lenses from Jack port and the woman’s hunters.
Jack Merridew can be described as well-behaved chap who would once lead a good nearby school choir. Once within the island, the affected individual becomes worried about the absence of the grown-ups. However , he quickly abandons his “ good boy” image, turns into the lead hunter, not to mention actively economical events Ralph’ lenses authority. They have the craving to head others in addition to a wild wish to see various living insects get pain.
Roger is mostly a typical bully who ultimately gets a good unlimited probability to exercise your girlfriend inner infiltration and anger without considering any risks of actual physical punishment. He applications his positioned as a hunter to harass others, that will he extremely enjoys. These are the one which launches a huge rock aloof from Castle Small gravel, which weakens Piggy. For the end within the book, her rage will become out of control and in many cases the individual who reads doubts as soon as Jack gives you any power over of which rogue violence-thirsty teenager.
Samneric is actually this name for 2 characters: Mike and Eric, who are identical twins. Your boys are in general so inseparable that they are covered as one, when Piggy pronounces in Position 8: “ You have to treat Samneric as one move. They achieve everything together”. These persona types signify the shortcoming to grow along with develop their particular individual personalities along with contemporary quicker days. They are normal followers exactly who agree with a class top force – be it Deceive, at first, or maybe Jack in the future.
Simon is one of the personality types with a far more subtle using humane intention. He helps out you to others and is particularly curious to educate yourself about the world all around him. This particular soft in combination with intrinsic persona makes your ex girlfriend a perfect target for the hunters’ aggression. Based on his actions, it’ vertisements likely which he suffers from epilepsy. He discussions in this head to a person’s pig’ vertisements head, of which he bands the Lord to your Flies, in conjunction with these chats confirm your ex suspicions which beasts have been living inside of him in combination with his connects. Simon will be the first persona to kick the bucket in the hands and wrists of the people that go wild.
Your Beast can be a mysterious animal nobody gives seen, nonetheless everybody is in fact afraid with. The younger roughness are the early to bring the dog up within the second general meeting. At the beginning, the senior boys persuade everyone there presently prevails no enemies on the temparate island. Then, they will believe that this approach dead parachutist’ s physical structure that wound up with on the is actually is the Beast. It is the a depiction representation of the group’ s old fashioned fear additionally wild greetings. The kids are afraid of this particular Beast nonetheless nevertheless fascinated by the appliance simultaneously. Jack port uses is a good the beast to obstacle Ralph: they makes a great promise to find and clear away the monster. Simon becomes killed on top of a ritual wearing dance at any time nobody might see simply so the teenagers treated the girl like an pet dog.
This naval cops is the skin of the marine corps that come to help you out rescue that boys. That presence with such a identity is one of the major references that will help you “ This Coral Island” novel, where by there is a great officer with a very similar description. He is additionally the one with who literally sarcastically says a good name “ Coral Island” when they sees a boys’ horrifying conditions.
“ Lord together with the Flies” Assess Guide: Key points
- This particular book ended up being made as a answer another plot, “ A good Coral Island”, published within just 1857 simply by Robert Ellie Ballantyne. Nevertheless in “ Lord inside the Flies”, ones events need an absolute antipode turn.
- The a large number of youthful kids have the first to see a incomprehensible “ beastie” (Chapter 2) on the sunny isle and the more mature boys get fun types. In the end, precisely as it happens that examples of the older roughness were a person’s monsters most people had frightening.
- Simon is the one who gives the pig’ s neural that was affixed with the continue to be the nickname – “ Lord in the Flies”
- It’ vertisements not clear the amount of boys were there on the sunny island in LOTF (“ Master of the Flies” ). Several of them, Piggy and Simon, fell patient to the hunters’ violence additionally died.
- The dialect of the words has an superb quantity of teenaged slang, that makes it even more normal. The younger young people are labeled as “ littluns”: “ That they talk together with scream. This particular littluns. ” (Chapter 3); and the previous boys found themselves called “ biguns”.
- The main “ Lord for the Flies” motifs are the position of the modern world, the issue of the boyfriend soul, plus the equivocation with values. Of which text capabilities as an wonderful source meant for essays around friendship, which difficult course of action of becoming a toddler, civil decide on, and answers of the mind to challenging circumstances.
Overview of “ Lord of do my homework online the Flies” in conjunction with Analysis
“ Lord of the Flies” chapter summaries for all 12 chapters within the book exhibit a progressive descent regularly into madness through the boys off the beaten track from the world. The author doesn’ t discuss dates inside chapters to your book, thus, it’ vertisements not clear the time the roughness lived within the island. Possibly, the 12 chapters a blueprint 12 appointments months— then again it’ ersus just opinions. The text is actually abundant in monologues that make the written text an easy have a peek at. Hidden norms of habit of the celebrities, which are along with key layouts in “ Lord for any Flies”, unfold in the web sites chapter as a result of chapter, indicating that people are going to adapt many too definitely to the absence of external regulations.
Summary of Chapter 1: The Disturbance of the Protect
That will events get cracking on the temparate island where several boys – Ralph and Piggy – talk about a plane malfunction that found themselves them this. Piggy troubles that a friend or relative is checking out their attempt since this individual heard a product about your atomic beyond expectations device during the plane tickets, and therefore is convinced that the entire world is destroyed and are all on their own. The small boys talk a little amount about on their own – Ron talks about the way his neurological dad is “ a commander in the Speedy. When they gets result in he’ lmost all come in combination with rescue us” (Chapter 1). Piggy is a complete opposite every single child Ralph, he or she says of which: “ As i used to stay with this auntie. Your lady kept some form of candy save you. I at home with get very many goodies. As many as We liked” (Chapter 1). She is chubby, is normally prone to asthma, and additionally doesn’ l know how to frolic in the liquid. |
The resources that are collected by East Waste on behalf of the City of Burnside are processed at Northern Adelaide Waste Management Authority (NAWMA) Resource Recovery Centre.
They direct about 80 per cent of materials to domestic re-manufacturing facilities and aim to have 100 per cent of materials reprocessed within Australia by 2020.
What is NAWMA doing with your plastic?
Plastics are sorted into polymer types, then baled and send to Recycled Plastics Australia (Kilburn, SA) where they are washed granulated and chipped, The plastic is then moulded into new plastic products including bollards, outdoor furniture and playground equipment.
What is NAWMA doing with your paper?
After being cleaned and sorted, the resources are sent to Norske Skog (Albury, NSW) to be made into newspapers such as The Advertiser: Check out the video here: https://www.nawma.sa.gov.au/adelaide-advertiser-made-from-…/
What is NAWMA doing with your glass?
A recent grant funding received will allow for more glass to be recovered for recycling into glass bottles and small glass fines to be used for bedding sand in footpaths and roads.
What is NAWMA doing with metals?
Metals are collected and separated (mostly by magnets), then baled and sent to SIMS Metal recycling facility in Wingfield, SA to be re-manufactured into new metal products.
Despite us leading the way here in SA, we still need to avoid, reduce and reuse as much as we can and make sure we purchase and use recycled products to ensure we sustain a market for recycled products. In doing so we create a circular economy. |
If you’re not getting the right vitamins, your diet will fail. If your diet is wrong, your physique will fail. It’s simple. Get your vitamin D. Here’s why.
According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, worldwide vitamin D deficiency has reached pandemic proportions. A study found that about 77% of Americans having inadequate stores of this vitamin.
People who live in the Northern Hemisphere, mainly at 40 degrees latitude and higher, get less sunlight during the fall and winter months. As not everyone’s schedule permits daily sunbathing, it becomes even more, vital to get ample vitamin D from our diets. Since less this vitamin is made in darker-skinned people than in those with lighter skin, it’s estimated that about 97% of non-Hispanic black people and 90% of Mexican-Americans are deficient in this vitamin.
Dietary vitamin D is found in fortified foods and supplements and a small amount of foods that have them in a naturally occurring form. Achieving adequate vitamin D stores is tough for those living at high latitudes because of the scarcity of naturally this vitamin rich foods. Still, it’s an important vitamin for optimal health and quality of life.
What Is Vitamin D?
This vitamin is also known as calciferol. It’s more correctly defined as a prohormone, a precursor substance that the body converts to its active hormonal form. This is needed for the absorption of calcium from the intestines, which reduces the mineral’s loss from the body through urinary excretion.
Without enough vitamin D stores, the intestines can absorb no more than 10 to 15% of dietary calcium. It’s also vital in the body’s digestion of phosphorus, an essential mineral needed in bone formation.
It also assists the body’s natural processes through its involvement in blood cell formation, cell reproduction, glucose regulation and immune system enhancement. It’s an essential nutrient to the body, enabling it to produce over 200 antimicrobial peptides that are vital to warding off infections.
Why Are So Many Of Us Lacking?
The main reason so many are vitamin D deficient is too little exposure to sunlight. The sun can be your best friend. Why? Sun exposure is needed to irradiate a cholesterol compound in the skin that’s transformed by enzymatic action into the active form of vitamin D hormone, calcitriol.
Sun exposure is needed to irradiate a cholesterol compound in the skin that’s transformed by enzymatic action into the active form of this vitaminhormone, calcitriol.
Calcitriol is in charge of regulating calcium absorption and bone development. Since the average American covers about 95% of their skin with clothes, wears sunscreen on sunny days and spends less time in the sun than in the past, our vitamin D stores are much less than those of our ancestors.
How Much Is Enough?
The daily recommended intake of vitamin D is 600 IU for those up to the age of 70. It’s boosted to 800 IU per day for those over 70. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants get at least 400 IU of vitamin D per day. This is to prevent the crippling disease rickets, which causes bone malformation. Other diseases connected with this vitamin deficiency include cancer, coronary heart disease, type-1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
As vitamin D affects the expression of about 10% of the body’s genes, its levels can have a major impact on one’s disposition to some diseases and cancers. Some studies show that optimal vitamin D levels cut the risk of some cancers by 60%. Because of calcitriol’s ability to regulate the rate of calcium and phosphorus resorption from bone, it’s been used in a clinical setting to cut the risk of osteoporosis.
Vitamin D Deficiency?
There are many symptoms of this vitamin deficiency. The most common are feelings of tiredness, general aches and pains and frequent infections. Other symptoms include muscle cramps, constipation or diarrhea, weight gain, restless sleep, poor concentration, high blood pressure, headaches and bladder problems.
Clinicians tend to test patients for hypovitaminosis D when they show musculoskeletal symptoms such as bone pain or muscle weakness. These symptoms are often misdiagnosed as age-related weakness, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and even depression.
There are many reasons for vitamin D deficiency. The number one cause is generally accepted as underexposure to the sun’s rays. The sun is our main source of vitamin D3. This is the form that boosts levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain to produce a feel-good feeling.
Poor dietary intake is also a root cause.
How can that happen?
Simple. The list of foods naturally rich in vitamin D is quite short. It includes salmon, tuna, mackerel, cod, oysters, shrimp, beef liver and eggs. If you don’t like fish, you’re in tough.
Your age can also affect your vitamin D status. As we age, our kidneys become less able to convert vitamin D into the active hormonal form, calcitriol. If you’re overweight, have gastrointestinal (GI) disorders or older, you’re at an increased risk of being deficient. As this vitamin is a fat-soluble vitamin, the parent compound, cholecalciferol, gets trapped within the fatty adipose tissue of overweight people.
How Does Working Out Affects Levels?
People with more muscle mass need more vitamin D. Physical inactivity has also been shown to link with low vitamin D levels. In a study of people aged 55 to 74 in the U.S., those with low levels of physical activity, diets low in calcium and bad body mass index readings were generally found to have low vitamin D status.
While three or more hours a week of intense exercise—such as playing sports or jogging—has been found to reduce heart attack risk by 22%, it’s also been shown to boost vitamin D and healthy cholesterol levels. This is due largely to the fact that people who exercise more tend to spend more time outside.
Health Disorders Are Also Triggers
People with health disorders affecting GI function, such as celiac disease, are also at risk for vitamin D deficiency. About 64% of men and 71% of women with celiac disease are lacking in vitamin D. Poor dietary intake levels and a lack of sunshine are both likely reasons for this. But, those with celiac disease are at a greater risk of being deficient because of the effects of gluten intolerance on the gut’s absorptive properties.
For people with celiac who’ve yet to start a gluten-free diet, or for those who don’t stick with it, atrophy of intestinal villi (fingerlike projections in the gut’s lining) causes malabsorption of nutrients. These villi are intended to increase the surface area of the digestive tract, and when they start to get worse due to exposure to gluten, you are not absorbing vitamins from the food you’re consuming.
People with celiac disease are at an increased risk of osteoporosis as their reduced power to absorb vitamin D hurts their ability to form the hormone calcitriol. This in turn leads to insufficient dietary calcium absorption. To balance for the lack of calcium coming into the system from food, the body must take calcium from skeletal stores, thereby weakening existing bone and preventing new strong bone formation.
How Is Depression Linked?
Depression is one of the major signs of a vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D comes in two different forms. They are known as D2 and D3. D3 is the type you get through the sun’s rays, as well as the form linked with depression relief.
Studies have found that those with the lowest levels of vitamin D were up to 11 times more likely to be depressed than those with normal vitamin D stores. This is potentially caused by the effect of vitamin D on brain proteins that influence mood, learning, social behavior, maternal instinct, motor control and memory. This has grave social implications when we consider the global prevalence of this deficiency.
What Foods Should I Eat?
In response to the prevalence of rickets at the turn of the century, the U.S. and Canada began fortifying foods, in particular cow’s milk, with vitamin D in the 1930s. Vitamin D is found in fortified foods and supplements in two forms: D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol).
Your body is able to make D3 when exposed to sunlight. This is also the type of vitamin D found in oily fish and eggs. D3 is the type preferred by receptors in your body. That means that the sun and animal products are the better sources of this vitamin.
Vitamin D2 is the type that’s produced by some mushrooms and other fungi when exposed to ultraviolet radiation. This is often the form used to fortify milk, orange juice, cereals, margarine and other foods.
Today, fortified milk and breakfast cereals are the leading sources of dietary vitamin D in the U.S. Almost all milk produced in the States is fortified with 400 IU of vitamin D per quart. Sadly, current studies show that fortification hasn’t proven effective in preventing hypovitaminosis D. This is particularly the case for those living at high latitudes.
Why hasn’t fortification boosted levels? This is due in large part to the fact that milk isn’t uniformly consumed in the U.S. Also, dairy is often one of the first things people take out of their diets when they get serious about a dieting regime. This finding highlights the importance of seeking natural sources of vitamin D, however, scarce they may be. Try to include those foods in your daily diet.
Fish Is One Of The Best
Don’t like fish? Change. Fatty fish such as tuna, salmon, swordfish and mackerel are some of the only vitamin D rich food sources that aren’t fortified. Cod liver oil is another great source of It. With only one tablespoon of it, you get 340% of your daily value. Small amounts of this vitamin are also found in beef liver, cheese, yogurt and egg yolks.
Fatty fish has more vitamin D than fortified foods such as milks. As little as 3 ounces of sockeye salmon has 112% of your advised daily value intake. Compare that to one cup of fortified milk. That cup only has 29% of your daily value.
You should choose wild salmon instead of farm salmon. Why? Farm salmon only has about 25% of the vitamin D found in wild salmon. Caviar and fish roe are also great sources of vitamin D, as well as vitamin A, vitamin B and potassium. Because of the vitamin D density of fatty fish, many experts advise eating three to four servings a week.
Are There Other Foods Rich In
Don’t fall for all the hype. Many foods that aren’t commonly accepted as health foods are also great sources of vitamin D. According to the Weston A. Price Foundation, pork lard is one of the better fats, with this vitamin levels reaching 1000 IU per tablespoon.This Vitamin from lard helps the body absorb calcium, removes toxins and maintains healthy hormonal function.
Because of their high cholesterol status, egg yolks are also often dismissed by the health conscious. In fact, eggs coming from pastured chickens have four to six times the vitamin D than usual eggs, with the bulk of the vitamin being found in the yolk.
The main reason to get your vitamin D through natural sources is because doing so will ensure you don’t get too much. It’s almost impossible to get too much of any one nutrient from a whole foods diet. On the other hand, a diet rich in fortified foods and vitamin supplements can be a precursor for hypervitaminosis and toxicity.
In a study in the American Journal of Public Health, 41 of 56 people who ate too much vitamin D from over-fortified milk were hospitalized and two people died. While rare, its implications are serious. You’ll likely never have to worry about it. But, stick to natural sources to be on the safe side.
But, more time in the sun, eating vitamin D-rich foods and supplements are all great ways to avoid It deficiency. Lifestyle changes such as spending more time outside, increasing intense activity, and keeping an eye on your nutrient intake will all help you keep your vitamin D levels in check.
By Lillian Dumont
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Marine Pollution: What Everyone Needs to Know - with Author Judith Weis
The Real Truth About Health
Marine pollution occurs today in varied forms--chemical, industrial, and agricultural and the sources of pollution are endless. In recent history, we've seen oil spills, untreated sewage, eutrophication, invasive species, heavy metals, acidification, radioactive substances, marine litter, and overfishing, among other significant problems. Though marine pollution has long been a topic of concern, it has very recently exploded in environmental, economic, and political debate circles; scientists and non-scientists alike continue to be shocked and dismayed at the sheer diversity of water pollutants and the many ways they can come to harm our environment and our bodies.
Judith Weis covers marine pollution from numerous angles, each fascinating in its own right. Beginning with its sources and history, she discusses common pollutants, why they are harmful, why they cause controversy, and how we can prevent them from destroying our aquatic ecosystems
Dr. Judith S. Weis is a Professor Emerita of Biological Sciences at Rutgers University, Newark. She received her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and MS and Ph.D. from New York University. Her research focuses mostly on estuarine ecology and ecotoxicology, and she has published well over 200 refereed scientific papers, a technical book on marine pollution, co-edited a book on “Biological Invasions and Animal Behaviour” as well as several books for the general public. These include a book on salt marshes (“Salt Marshes: A Natural and Unnatural History”), a book on fish (“Do Fish Sleep?”), a book on crabs (“Walking Sideways: The Remarkable World of Crabs”), and a book on marine pollution (“Marine Pollution: What Everyone Needs to Know”).
She is interested in stresses in estuaries and salt marshes (including pollution, invasive species, and parasites), and their effects on organisms, populations, and communities. Particular areas of focus have been effects of contaminants on growth, development, behavior, and predator/prey interactions; development of pollution tolerance in populations living in contaminated areas; effects of contaminants and parasites on behavior and ecology; interactions of invasive and native species; the role of mangroves and salt marsh grasses as habitat; effects of invasive salt marsh plants on estuarine ecology and contaminants. Much of her research has been in estuaries in the NY/NJ area, but she has also done research in Indonesia and Madagascar.
She serves on the editorial board for BioScience. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), was a Congressional Science Fellow with the U.S Senate, and a Fulbright Senior Specialist in Indonesia. She has been on numerous advisory committees for USEPA, NOAA, and the National Research Council, served the United Nations Environment Programme as a lead author of Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5 and GEO-6 North America) and the World Ocean Assessment and chairs the Science Advisory Board of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. She was the Chair of the Biology Section of AAAS, served on the boards of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), the Association for Women in Science (AWIS), and the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS), of which she was the President in 2001. In 2016, she received the Merit Award from the Society of Wetland Scientists.
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Judith Weis, Marine pollution, plastic in ocean, garbage island in the pacific ocean, untreated sewage, eutophication, ocean acidification, fukushima, radioactive ocean, overfishing, whaling, the cove, ocean pollution, pollution, oil spills, oil pollution, pollutants, subnautica, climate change, ocean health, marine litter, garbage island, ocean dying, aquatic ecosystems, estuarine ecology, ecology, ecotoxicology, ocean mercury, plastic, ocean extinction, extinction, marine health |
No matter how sick my grandmother got or what her doctors said, she refused to go to the hospital because she thought it was a dangerous place. To some degree, she was right. Although hospitals can be places of healing, hospital stays can have serious downsides, too.
One that has been getting a lot of attention lately is the development of delirium in people who are hospitalized. Delirium is a sudden change in mental status characterized by confusion, disorientation, altered states of consciousness (from hyperalert to unrousable), an inability to focus, and sometimes hallucinations. It’s the most common complication of hospitalization among older people.
We wrote about treating and preventing hospital delirium earlier this year in the Harvard Women’s Health Watch. In the New York Times “The New Old Age” blog, author Susan Seliger vividly describes her 85-year-old mother’s rapid descent into hospital delirium, and tips for preventing it.
Although delirium often recedes, it may have long-lasting aftereffects. A recent study published online in General Hospital Psychiatry found that hospital delirium can contribute to premature death. Among people over age 65 admitted to a general hospital, those diagnosed with delirium were more likely to die within one year than those without delirium.
The findings echo those in an analysis published last year in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that found a link between hospital delirium in elderly people and poorer outcomes, including death, dementia, and institutionalization (such as in a nursing facility) within one to four years.
Hospital delirium is especially common among older people who’ve had surgeries such as hip replacement or heart surgery, or those who are in intensive care. Anything that interferes with neurotransmitters—the brain chemicals that communicate between nerve cells—can trigger it, including inflammation, infection, and medications. Also implicated are a host of potentially disorienting changes common to hospital stays, including sleep interruptions, unfamiliar surroundings, disruption of usual routines, separation from family and pets, and being without eyeglasses or dentures.
As described in the Harvard Women’s Health Watch, family members and close friends can do a lot to help prevent or limit delirium in an older person:
- Make sure that hospital personnel have a complete list of all the medications the person is taking, including over-the-counter medicines.
- Make things familiar for the person. Take a few family photos or other favorite things (such as a blanket, rosary, book or music tape) to the hospital.
- If someone develops hospital delirium, stay with him or her in the hospital as much as possible, including at night. In addition to providing comfort and reassurance, family members are more likely than others to recognize when their loved one isn’t behaving normally or being treated appropriately.
- Make sure the person has his or her eyeglasses, hearing aids, or dentures. These are often put away during a hospital stay, but that can contribute to disorientation.
- Promote physical and mental activity. Help the patient get up and walk two or three times a day. Engage in quiet conversation about current events or family activities. Play card games or do crossword puzzles together. |
Facts about Haiti
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, sharing the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. It is located about 690 miles south of Miami.
Haiti’s population is roughly 10 million. The official languages are French and Creole. About 80 percent to the population is Roman Catholic.
The country’s president is elected by popular vote to a five-year term. The current president, as of January 2015, is President Michel Martelly. The legislative branch, or National Assembly, is made up of a Senate and Chamber of Deputies.
Information on the Earthquake:
Source: U.S. Department of State and Central Intelligence Agency
- The 2010 earthquake struck at 4:53 p.m. on January 12. The epicenter of the 7.0 magnitude quake was located about 15 miles west of the capital of Port-au-Prince.
- Estimates on the number of deaths caused by the earthquake varies widely, from about 200,000 to more than 300,000.
- More than 1 million people were left homeless or displaced.
- The earthquake was determined to be the worst in the region in more than 200 years. |
Music in America is one of several case-study volumes that can be used along with Thinking Musically, the core book in the Global Music Series. Thinking Musically incorporates music from many diverse cultures and establishes the framework for exploring the practice of music around the world. It sets the stage for an array of case-study volumes, each of which focuses on a single area of the world. Each case study uses the contemporary musical situation as a point of departure, covering historical information and traditions as they relate to the present. America's music is a perennial work in progress. Music in America looks at both the roots of American musical identity and its many manifestations, seeking to answer the complex question: "What does American music sound like?" Focusing on three themes--identity, diversity, and unity--it explores where America's music comes from, who makes it, and for what purpose. Rather than chronologically tracing America's musical history, author Adelaida Reyes considers how musical culture is shaped by space and time, by geography and history, by social, economic, and political factors, and by people who use music to express themselves within a community. Introducing the diversity that dominates the contemporary American musical landscape, Reyes draws on a dazzling range of musical styles--from ethnic and popular music idioms to contemporary art music--to highlight the ways in which sounds from various cultural origins come to share a national identity. Packaged with a 65-minute CD containing examples of the music discussed in the book, Music in America features guided listening and hands-on activities that allow readers to become active participants in the music.
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Rent Music in America 1st edition today, or search our site for Adelaida textbooks. Every textbook comes with a 21-day "Any Reason" guarantee. Published by Oxford University Press. |
With the Covid-19 pandemic continuing and the number of patients virtually doubling in some parts of the United States, many social analysts also see a blessing emerging out of this catastrophe with historic worldwide movements for racial equality and social justice. In recorded history it is possibly the first time that such a worldwide movement is campaigning to bring about a just and fair society. Happily the movement is being led mainly by young women and men perhaps because the world needs youth leadership in a situation where in most countries, including Sri Lanka and the US, the main political leadership is more like a “Mahalu Madama”. In Sri Lanka’s main political parties the top leadership comprises those who are in their late 60’s or mid 70’s. One of Sri Lanka’s brightest political stars Eran Wickramaratne—widely admired for his integrity and excellence—told the Daily Mirror in an interview yesterday that he left the main UNP because a chance was not being given for a youth leadership in the decision making process.
On Wednesday July 15, the United Nations marks the Youth Skills Day with the theme being “skills for a resilient youth in the era of Covid-19 and beyond”. In a statement the UN says this day is being marked in a challenging context. The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures have led to the worldwide closure of technical and vocational education and training institutions, threatening the continuity of skills development. According to the world body, it is estimated that nearly 70% of the world’s learners are affected by school closures.
A survey of technical and vocational education and training institutions was jointly conducted by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Orgainisation (UNESCO), the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the World Bank. They reported that distance training had become the most common way of imparting skills, with considerable difficulties regarding, among others, curricula adaptation, trainee and trainer preparedness, connectivity, or assessment and certification processes. Prior to the current crisis, young people aged 15-24 were three times more likely than adults to be unemployed and often faced a prolonged school-to-work transition period.
In post-COVID-19 societies, as young people are called upon to contribute to the recovery effort, they will need to be equipped with the skills to successfully manage evolving challenges and the resilience to adapt to future disruptions.
Why is the Youth Skills Day important? The UN says rising youth unemployment is one of the most significant problems facing economies and societies in today’s world, for developed and developing countries alike. The latest Global Employment Trends for Youth 2020, technology and the future of jobs show that since 2017, there has been an upward trend in the number of youth not in employment, education or training. In 2016 there were 259 million young people classified as unemployed – a number that rose to an estimated 267 million in 2019, and is projected to continue climbing to around 273 million in 2021. In terms of percentage, the trend was also slightly up from 21.7% in 2015 to 22.4% in 2020 – implying that the international target to reduce the jobless rate by 2020 will be missed, the UN says.
Designated by the General Assembly in 2014, the World Youth Skills Day is an opportunity for young people, technical and vocational education and training institutions, and public and private sector stakeholders to acknowledge and celebrate the importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship. Education 2030 devotes considerable attention to technical and vocational skills development, specifically regarding access to affordable quality technical and vocational education and training. The acquisition of technical and vocational skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship; the elimination of gender disparity and ensuring access for the vulnerable.
In Sri Lanka we have been shattered by two major youth insurrections mainly by highly educated young men and women. As we mentioned at the beginning of the editorial the political leadership is too old. Instead of claiming that experience brings maturity they need to let go and allow the young people to design Sri Lanka’s future with their hi-tech and digital skills. |
Tales of emotional education.
The Collection of stories Diverse Universe promotes the integration and the reflection of emotional education and diversity. It helps the visual recognition of expressions and gestures by means of fantasy characters like the planets and other members of the Universe, and by means of an emotionally rich vocabulary.
By reading the story, children may reflect on the emotions and behavior of the story’s characters. Using an emotionally rich vocabulary will help them express how they feel of what is worrying them. Self-knowledge will improve their relationship with others.
In this first chapter.
Tips to manage inadequate behavior in cases of rebellion, attention-seeking habits and impulsive and defiant personality.Tales of Emotional Education for Social Harmony. Including pages for parents and educators. |
- tale (n.)
- Old English talu "series, calculation," also "story, tale, statement, deposition, narrative, fable, accusation, action of telling," from Proto-Germanic *talo (cognates: Dutch taal "speech, language," Danish tale "speech, talk, discourse," German Erzählung "story," Gothic talzjan "to teach"), from PIE root *del- (2) "to recount, count." The secondary Modern English sense of "number, numerical reckoning" (c.1200) probably was the primary one in Germanic; see tell (v.), teller and Old Frisian tale, Middle Dutch tal, Old Saxon tala, Danish tal, Old High German zala, German Zahl "number."
The ground sense of the Modern English word in its main meaning, then, might have been "an account of things in their due order." Related to talk (v.) and tell (v.). Meaning "things divulged that were given secretly, gossip" is from mid-14c.; first record of talebearer "tattletale" is late 15c. |
A number of governments (notably those in India, California, and parts of Europe) are pushing for greater female representation in the boardroom. And several studies suggest why: Having women on the board results better acquisition and investment decisions and in less aggressive risk-taking, yielding benefits for shareholders. What’s less clear is why these effects happen.
Our research suggests one potential reason: Having female board members helps temper the overconfidence of male CEOs, improving overall decision making for the company.
We were interested in studying overconfidence because prior research has shown that it can be detrimental to the firm and is more prevalent among male CEOs. Overconfidence leads CEOs to overestimate returns and underestimate risk, which can result in overinvestment and excessive risk-taking, destroying shareholder value. We were curious about how the board — which is responsible for supervising the CEO — might moderate a CEO’s tendency to get overconfident.
One benefit of having female directors on the board is a greater diversity of viewpoints, which is purported to improve the quality of board deliberations, especially when complex issues are involved, because different perspectives can increase the amount of information available. At the same time, research has found that female directors tend to be less conformist and more likely to express their independent views than male directors because they do not belong to old-boy networks. So a board with female directors might be more likely to challenge the CEO and push him to consider a wider range of options, as well as pros and cons, when making strategic firm decisions. This could then attenuate CEO overconfidence and correct for potentially biased beliefs.
To test this, we gathered data on 1,629 listed firms in the U.S., including data on their CEOs and boards, for the time period 1998 to 2013. During these years men were disproportionately represented among CEOs and board members. Women, on average, made up 10.4% of the board members and 2.9% of the CEOs in our sample. We examined whether CEOs were less likely to exhibit overconfidence when there were women on their board, and how this effect influenced corporate decisions and performance.
To assess overconfidence, we looked at CEOs’ option-exercise behavior. Unlike corporate decisions that reflect top management’s collective beliefs (such as whether to pursue a corporate strategy), the personal choice of holding or exercising vested options is likely to reveal a CEO’s individual beliefs and confidence about the company. We estimated CEOs’ level of overconfidence by calculating the “moneyness” of their stock option portfolios, or how much the stock price exceeds the exercise price for each year. Think about it this way: If a CEO is confident about the future performance of the firm, he’ll likely be more willing to hold onto his options, thinking he’ll profit from a future stock price appreciation. But if it’s already profitable to exercise those options because the market price is high, holding onto them could indicate overconfidence about the company’s prospects, especially if the anticipated future performance doesn’t materialize.
We then analyzed whether female board representation affected this behavior, controlling for many factors that could influence overconfidence, including firm size, profitability, leverage, growth opportunities, corporate governance, and CEO characteristics (such as age, tenure, education, professional background, and experience). After accounting for these, we found a negative and significant relationship between female board representation, as measured by the fraction of female directors, and the overconfidence measure for male CEOs. In other words, male CEOs at firms with female directors were less likely than male CEOs at firms with no female directors to continue holding options when exercising would yield profits. Interestingly, there was no similar effect on female CEOs’ option-exercising behavior. It’s hard to say why this is the case — whether it’s because female CEOs tend to be less overconfident, for example — because the sample of women was so small.
If women on boards keep CEO overconfidence in check, how might this impact corporate decisions and performance? We’ve already said that too much CEO overconfidence may hurt the firm if it leads to overinvestment in certain opportunities and/or bad acquisitions. So, by reducing CEO overconfidence, female board representation may also result in less aggressive investment policies and better acquisition decisions. This would make the gender composition of the board particularly important in industries where CEOs are more likely to suffer from overconfidence – in our data, we found that the most overconfident CEOs were in industries like pharmaceuticals, computer software, coal, and construction. And we did find that having at least one female director on the board was associated with less aggressive investment policies, better acquisition decisions, and ultimately improved firm performance in these industries. We did not observe this relationship in the remaining industries, such as telecommunications and utilities, perhaps because CEO overconfidence was already not so high.
To further examine how female board members affect firm performance, we looked at differences in accounting and stock performance for 516 firms during the financial crisis of 2007 to 2009. We expected CEO overconfidence (which we similarly estimated from their option-exercising behavior) to result in poor performance during the crisis, as it might have led CEOs to pursue aggressive strategies that made their firms more vulnerable. But because female directors might be more likely to temper these CEOs’ behavior, we expected to see better performance during the crisis for firms with female directors.
Our results were consistent with this prediction. We found that female board representation reduced the negative impact of the crisis on firm performance (measured by firm value, return on assets, and return on equity) because CEOs of firms with female board representation were less likely to adopt aggressive strategies that made their firms more vulnerable to the crisis. Firms that did not have female board representation suffered a greater drop in performance on these measures.
Our study has two important policy implications. First, it suggests that female board representation matters more in certain industries, because some industries have more overconfident CEOs. Second, our findings suggest female board representation can be especially beneficial in helping firms weather crises. Overall, our research supports the view that having women on boards improves strategic decision making and benefits firms. |
Complying with the OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120 regulations and NFPA 472 standards is essential in the fire control and management department. OSHA Act dictates that employees are responsible for the provision of a healthful and safe workplace. OSHA sets and enforces standards that are important in ensuring a safe and healthful environment is achieved. Therefore, the department’s mission should be to assure a healthful and safe workplace through following the OSHA set standards. It is the responsibility of all the employees to comply with the applicable OSHA standards in our department. In addition, it is the duty of all the employees to comply with OSHA Act General Duty clause that requires every employee in any department to keep the workplace free from the serious recognized hazards.
On the other hand, NFPA 472 standard identify the minimum competence levels that are required by the responders of the emergencies that involves mass destruction or hazardous materials in the department. The standard also applies to every member or individual of this department who have the responsibilities of responding to the hazardous materials. The standard in addition, explains competencies for the awareness level personnel, hazardous materials technicians, hazardous materials officers, and the other specialist employees.
Occupational safety and health standards
The 1910.120 explains about the test methods of personal protective equipment. It goes further and gives the non mandatory tests examples that may be employed in evaluating compliance. It is therefore important for the department to employ these test methods since it has the responsibility responding to fire risks that might occur. NFPA regulations are general source for the fire codes and regulations. As the department deal with issues related to fire, these fire codes and regulation are crucial since they provide the procedures that should be followed.
NPFA purpose in the department
The purpose of this standard involves specifying the minimum competencies for the individuals responsible to the hazardous materials incidents. One of the competencies purpose involves reducing the number of injuries, illnesses, and accidents during response to the hazardous materials incidents and to aide in preventing exposure to these materials so that there is a reduction in the possibilities of illness, disabilities, and fatalities affecting the emergency response personnel in the department. The first responders at awareness level shall essentially be trained well to meet all the competencies. In addition, they need to be trained in safety and health regulatory requirements. The goal of the awareness level first responder competencies according to NFPA 472 is to provide these first responders with the skills and knowledge to perform their tasks safely. It is therefore a requirement for this department to train its first respondents according to the guidelines that are given by the NFPA standards.
The other purpose of the fire department is to provide information about how the hazardous materials technician should be trained to be competent. It is the responsibility of the department to train these technicians so that they will be in a position to meet all the competencies at first responder awareness together with the operational levels. It is also important for these technicians to be trained further so that they can be well conversant with OSHA 1910. 120 regulations. The fire department must ensure that all safety and regulation are taken into effect to ensure that no harm is caused to individuals. It has similar characteristics with the OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120 regulations since both are concerned with safety of the workers and also the concerned individuals.
As required by the NFPA standard, the selected PPE must protect the employees in the department from specific hazards that they are likely to face during their work on site. However, the selection of PPE that is appropriate is complex. The training facilities in the department should have sufficient resources, site locations, and equipment to prevent fire occurrences. These training facilities need to be sufficiently organized. The security and safety of the response personnel together with others in the emergency control area.
A control plan site and safety that is comprehensive should include a hazards summary analysis of the site together with the risk analysis of hazards, sketch or site map, and the site work zones. There are various modern devices and methods for use by the emergency response personnel and the others who are involved with the hazards that are experienced. The personal protective equipment program is part of department’s health and safety program. This program addresses various elements that include, their selection based on site hazards.
NFPA rules and regulations alerts people to be prepared and be ready to bounce with action when a disaster strikes. The causes of disaster include tornadoes, hurricanes and also floods. Because disasters happens in unexpected and unpredicted situations, the NFPA have a disaster and response plan that acts as a guide that leads to safety, comfort and maximum security.
The NFPA response plan has put down the ways that people will act to ensure that they counteract an emergency. The citizens are needed to contact the Red Cross chapter so that they can be aware of the disasters that are likely to happen. After clear identification of the different types of disasters, what comes next is a family disaster plan applicable to all forms of disasters. The types of disasters may include natural causes, unintentional and intentional causes.
Prepare an emergency supply kits
Disasters frighten adults and at the same time traumatize children. The parents must be ready to deal with a disaster in case it happens because children will be looking upon the steps that they take when disaster strikes (Ferguson, & Janicak, 2005). The NFPA highlights the need for families to prepare an emergency supplies kit and develop a response plan to deal with the disaster. The parents must ensure that the children are aware with the response and recovery efforts and be attentive to all details that the response plan contains. The NFPA response plan will therefore act as an important guideline and will lead the society with the best way to react to emergencies.
Training according to NFPA 472
The standards and regulation indicates how the fire and emergency services are conducted. It states that the training is done twice in a year. The FES-NL has a training school which is composed of a diversity of topics touching on the fire emergency services. The FES-NL also ensures that it delivers training on the local emergency management so that the learners can generate knowledge on how to deal with the emergencies wherever they arises. The Hazmat and the Fire Investigator are among the specialist departments which students must be aware of and understand fully all the activities that revolve around. The FES-NL will support training on fore fighting because they have regional trainers charged with the responsibilities to impact the knowledge to the learners. They have the best programs that have supported the development of a perfect curriculum which very useful.
In the Health and safety section, both the NFPA and 1910.120 regulations have safety programs that are developed so that they can comply with the regulations and standards set by higher authorities (Ferguson, & Janicak, 2005). The 1920.120 regulation states that the mangers have a role to develop a well written policy on safety and health of their workers that takes part in hazardous waste operations. They come up with a program that will serve a role of identifying, evaluating, and controlling the safety and health hazards. The regulations also ensure that it defines an emergency response that will be in charge of all operations in hazardous waste.
On the other hand, the NFPA ensures that it protects the fire fighters and all their workers in an operation to bring down the fires. The employees are given the required clothing in accordance to the set rules and regulations so that can be safe in providing their services. When they are injured during their operations to save life, they are given free and good health care for a quick recovery. There are also benefits and compensations that ensure that the employees’ health is not jeopardized by all means. The health and safety regulations are an important element in both the OSHA and NFPA compliance.
A well-organized group of trained personnel should be embodied with emergency response operating under compliance of appropriate standard operating procedure and emergency response plan. The trained individual should be able to utilize the response plan to counter and control potential or actual leaks of hazardous material that may result into fire. The team should be able to engage into a close approach to the leaking material.
There are various elements that are required and should be outlined in the action plan to enable the disaster management department to be effective. These elements includes the site topography, design and the predominant weather situation, procedure for local, state and federal government incident report and should be a different section of the health plan and site safety. The other requirement in the response plan is the disaster integration and compatibility, for fire response plan of federal, state and local agencies.
In addition, the response plan should be rehearsed frequently as a section of the aggregate training program for the site maneuver. This will able to enhance efficiency by eliminating errors during the actual response to the disaster. It is also necessary to review the response plan regularly in order to update it with new occurring site conditions. With accordance to 29 CFR 1910.165, the alarm system should be installed to each employee to be able to alarm any emergency situation in the department. The employee is also required to stop any ongoing activity in order to reduce background noise, hence enhancing communication within the organization or department. Based on all the provided information on the action plan, the employers are able to be effective in speeding up the measure to contain the disaster.
In the site control section, the appropriate procedures shall be put into work in order to enhance control of the workers exposure to the harmful substances before the disaster mitigation plan is implemented. A site control program should be implemented as a part of the workers’ health program and site safety that is required by the law (Ferguson, & Janicak, 2005). This site control plan should be developed during the planning level of risky waste cleanup procedure and adjusted as soon as new information reaches the department. Therefore, the management in the department should keep updating the site control program by ensuring there is regular reviewing of the program. This is also an important measure in the department because they are able to mitigate some of the errors that may be as a result of failure to consider new change in the site.
The elements that are required in the site control program includes work site zones, a site map, site communication system installed with the alerting devices for emergencies, the application of “buddy system” . Most significantly, the program requires safe work practices or standard operating procedures, and clear and fast identification of the nearest medical facility. Although these requirements are outlined in other sections, they need to be repeated to enhance the efficiency in containing potential and actual disaster. All this information that is outlined in the site control procedure is effective in developing and maintaining conducive environment for the workers who are involved in the disaster management.
Coté, Ron. Life Safety Code Handbook: With the Complete Text of the 2006 Edition of NFPA 101, Life Safety Code. Quincy, Mass: National Fire Protection Association, 2006. Print
Ferguson, L. H., & Janicak, C. A. (2005). Fundamentals of fire protection for the safety professional. Lanham, Md: Government Institutes.
Hazardous waste operations and emergency response. - 1910.120. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=standards&p_id=9765 |
How to Care for a Neoregelia 'Fireball'
Neoregelia “Fireball” plants are Brazilian bromeliads that produce a massive cluster of plants. This tropical plant grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 12 with deep wine-red leaves reaching 4 to 6 inches tall. This tender perennial spreads up to 14 inches wide and produces small plantlets when grown in moist, humid locations. Occasionally this tropical plant flowers with a cluster of tiny blue flowers when given the proper care.
Mix together equal parts of peat moss, finely shredded bark and sand or perlite. "Fireball" plants grow best when their roots are cramped, so choose a plant pot smaller than the length across the leaves. Fill the container with the soilless mixture. Plant the bromeliad so the base of the plant is level with the soil.
Place the “Fireball” in an area with bright light for at least 4 to 5 hours per day. This allows the plant to develop the best color. Keep the area above 30 degrees Fahrenheit — this tropical plant should be grown in a greenhouse or as a houseplant in areas with freezing winter temperatures.
Fill the center of the rosette on the bromeliad with clean rainwater or distilled water whenever the water begins to disappear. Do not use tap water, which contains chemicals that can damage the plant. Pour water into the top of the planter directly on the soil whenever it is dry.
Feed the “Fireball” plant from May through August with water-soluble 16-16-16 fertilizer. Mix the fertilizer to 1/3 strength and apply to the soil once a month. Do not feed during the winter, when the light is low and the temperatures are cool.
Remove offsets with a sharp pair of shears from the parent plant when they form their own roots. Plant the small bromeliads in individual plant pots.
- The sharp leaf edges and small spines can inflict painful wounds. Wear gardening gloves when holding the plants.
Karen Carter spent three years as a technology specialist in the public school system and her writing has appeared in the "Willapa Harbor Herald" and the "Rogue College Byline." She has an Associate of Arts from Rogue Community College with a certificate in computer information systems. |
Nicias was an Athenian
general and politician in the era after Pericles
' death in 429B.C.. He was the primary opposition to Cleon
and one of the few who still advocated the policies dictated by Pericles
. He was extremely wealthy, with mentions of him having one thousand slaves working in silver mine
s, he also is noted for a lavish festival procession to the Delia
He was extremely cautious as a general and in the expeditions he led in the Archidamian War he won no major victories and suffered no major defeats. He advocated making peace with Sparta as soon as it could be attained with favourable terms for the Athenians. He is credited with the armistice concluded in 423B.C. and the peace in 421B.C. rightly bears his name.
Now that Cleon was dead, Nicias found two new opponents challenging his policies, Hyperbolus a demagogue took the position assumed by Cleon, while Alcibiades emerged as an eccentric and charismatic young man eager for glory. Hyperbolus planned to end this three way power struggle by arranging an ostracism certain that one of his opponents would be the one to go, however Nicias and Alcibiades joined forces and got Hyperbolus ostracised.
During the peace Nicias wanted to follow a policy of securing areas that had fallen victim to Spartan attack during the Archidamian War especially Thrace, however Alcibiades had his sights set on Sicily and from there he may have desired a campaign against Carthage. Nicias contested Alcibiades over the expedition in the Assembly stressing the magnitude of the task, the Athenians however loved a challenge and they simply increased the size of the expedition. The generals in charge were to be Alcibiades, Nicias, and Lamachus, the idea being that Alcibiades' enthusiasm would balance out Nicias' negativity and Lamachus would sit in the middle. Unfortunately for Athens, Lamachus came from a poor background and lacked political clout and so the other generals did not pay enough attention to him, yet he was a career soldier and the most experienced general on the expedition. In 415B.C. Nicias and his fellow generals led the ships out of the Piraeus after a lavish ceremony attended by most of Athens, little did the citizens realise they were embarking on one of the most disastrous military expeditions in history. Almost straight away, Alcibiades was recalled to Athens to face trial over the mutilation of the herms, however he jumped ship and went to Sparta, encouraging them to send troops to Sicily. The Athenians now had a limited time frame before Sparta became involved and the expedition was being led by a cautious general who didn't want to be there, in addition the cavalry had been delayed meaning that the Athenians lacked the means to make battles into decisive victories. Lamachus urged Nicias to attack Syracuse immediately, using the fear inspired by the site of the large army, however Nicias was overly cautious and he spent the time building up his base. He did win one victory against the Syracusans, however he did not advance on the city choosing to wait out the winter in Catana.
In 414B.C. the campaign went down the toilet, Lamachus commanded a successful series of battles the pushed the Syracusans back and almost forcing the city's surrender, however he died in a skirmish. Now Nicias was the only general in command, unfortunately he became seriously ill, and his forces remained largely inactive. The Athenians on the other hand had been incredibly stupid. Alcibiades' efforts in Sparta had not convinced them to send troops to Sicily since technically the Peace of Nicias had not yet been broken, however the Athenians began naval raids on the coast of the Peloponnese. The Spartan's responded by sending one of their generals, Gylippus to Sicily with the Corinthian, Gongalus, and a significant force. Gylippus turned the tables on Nicias and now the Athenian forces were in trouble.
In 413B.C. Nicias tried his last trick he wrote a letter to Athens telling them to either recall him or send out another army as big as the first. He believed that Athens would never send out that many more men. He was wrong. Demosthenes was sent out with another army, he was one of the best generals left to Athens and he saw the wisdom of Lamachus' plan. Demosthenes immediately attacked Syracuse however Nicias had let things deteriorate too much. When his plan failed and they had been driven back, Demosthenes advised returning to Athens immediately, if this had come to pass then the expedition would have been a failure but not a disaster. Nicias however was afraid of what would happen to him should he return unbidden to Athens, on top of this he was a superstitious man and a lunar eclipse occured before he left, he consulted a soothsayer and he was advised to wait for a month. He did so and the Spartans blockaded the harbour preventing the escape. An attempt was made to break out, however it failed and Nicias in desperation abandoned the ships and led the vanguard inland trying to escape. Nicias was captured and despite the protests of Gylippus he and Demosthenes were executed by Gongalus and the Syracusans.
Nicias was an unremarkable general and an average statesman, his actions leading up to the retreat at Sicily were unfortunate, however he placed his own fears of mob justice above the well-being of his troops; put another way the fears and superstitions of a sick, 57 year old man well past his prime, cost the lives of thousands of young Athenians and quite possibly the war itself. Nicias succeeded in snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, and then he turned that defeat into disaster. |
Uranus is a lopsided oddity, the only planet to spin on its side. Scientists now think they know how it got that way: It was pushed over by a rock at least twice as big as Earth.
Detailed computer simulations show that an enormous rock crashed into the seventh planet from the sun, said Durham University astronomy researcher Jacob Kegerreis, who presented his analysis at a large earth and space science conference this month.
Uranus is unique in the solar system. The massive planet tilts about 90 degrees on its side, as do its five largest moons. Its magnetic field is also lopsided and doesn't go out the poles like ours does, said NASA chief scientist Jim Green. It also is the only planet that doesn't have its interior heat escape from the core. It has rings like Saturn, albeit faint ones.
"It's very strange," said Carnegie Institution planetary scientist Scott Sheppard, who wasn't part of the research.
The computer simulations show that the collision and reshaping of Uranus — maybe enveloping some or all of the rock that hit it — happened in a matter of hours, Kegerreis said. He produced an animation showing the violent crash and its aftermath.
It's also possible that the big object that knocked over Uranus is still lurking in the solar system too far for us to see, said Green. It would explain some of the orbits of the planet and fit with a theory that a missing planet X is circling the sun well beyond Pluto, he said.
Green said it's possible that a lot of smaller space rocks — the size of Pluto — pushed Uranus over, but Kegerreis' research and Sheppard point to a single huge unknown suspect. Green said a single impact "is the right thinking."
The collision happened 3 billion to 4 billion years ago, likely before the larger moons of Uranus formed. Instead there was a disk of stuff that would eventually come together to form moons. And when that happened, Uranus' odd tilt acted like a gravity tidal force pushing those five large moons to the same tilt, Kegerreis said.
It also would have created an icy shell that kept Uranus' inner heat locked in, Kegerreis said. (Uranus' surface is minus 357 degrees, or minus 216 Celsius.)
Ice is key with Uranus and its neighbor Neptune. A little more than a decade ago, NASA reclassified those two planets as "ice giants," no longer lumping them with the other large planets of the solar system, the gas giants Saturn and Jupiter.
Pluto, which is tiny, farther from the sun and not even officially a planet anymore, has been explored more than Uranus and Neptune. They only got brief flybys by Voyager 2, the space probe that entered interstellar space last month.
Uranus and Neptune "are definitely the least understood planets," Sheppard said.
But that may change. A robotic probe to one or both of those planets was high up on the last wish-list from top planetary scientists and likely will be at or near the top of the next list.
Uranus was named for the Greek god of the sky. Its name often generates juvenile humor when it is wrongly pronounced like a body part. (It's correctly pronounced YUR'-uh-nus.)
"No one laughs when I say Uranus," NASA's Green said. "They have to mispronounce it to get the chuckles." |
Excavation is among the most basic and important construction techniques. Mainly used where new construction is present, it can also be employed in the removal of polluted soil. Excavation has four principal methods, though there are many more "offshoots" not listed here. The four principal excavation methods are these:
Vertical excavation is the go-to choice for excavation projects which take place in large urban areas where there is a high level of residential and / or commercial occupancy. In using vertical excavation, each individual layer of the excavation site is exposed in turn. This ends up forming a sort of vertical shaft, with each soil and / or rock layer clearly delineated. This is perhaps one of, if not THE oldest excavation methods in existence.
This is the principal excavation method used when dealing in and with projects involving shallow sites with light or no residential or commercial occupancy. There are some cases wherein both horizontal and vertical excavation are used, however, such hybrid excavation techniques are rarely employed without great need, as the more excavation occurs, the less structural integrity is maintained throughout the excavation site.
The step trenching technique is another example of the various excavation methods commonly in use. It is employed when deep digging is required. It gets its name from the "steps" formed by the digging process. As the excavation site goes deeper and deeper into the earth, these steps get more narrow, eventually meeting in a V-like point at the base of the excavation site.
The final technique in the 4 principal excavation methods discussed here is known as the cofferdam method. It, as you may have guessed from the name, is primarily used when there is a higher than normal danger that the sides or walls of an excavation site might collapse as a result of deep excavation. It is also commonly used in waterlogged sites, where it again helps to provide structural strength.
While all of these methods have their place, there are, as previously stated, many "offshoots" to be considered, like vacuum excavation. One should always do their own independent research before beginning any excavation project, no matter the excavation methods they intend to use. As is the case with many things, Google is a friend to the excavation researcher - use it! Many companies can be hired to help you with any questions or projects you may be considering. Happy hunting!Back to Top |
Atlantic Monthly/August, 1894
There are always, in our national life, certain tendencies that give us ground for alarm, and certain others that give us ground for hope. Among the latter we must put the fact that there has undoubtedly been a growing feeling among educated men that they are in honor bound to do their full share of the work of American public life.
We have in this country an equality of rights. It is the plain duty of every man to see that his rights are respected. That weak good nature which acquiesces in wrong-doing, whether from laziness, timidity, or indifference, is a very unwholesome quality. It should be second nature with every man to insist that he be given full justice. But if there is an equality of rights, there is an inequality of duties. It is proper to demand more from the man with exceptional advantages than from the man without them. A heavy moral obligation rests upon the man of means and upon the man of education to do their full duty by their country. On no class does this obligation rest more heavily than upon the men with a collegiate education, the men who are graduates of our universities. Their education gives them no right to feel the least superiority over any of their fellow-citizens; but it certainly ought to make them feel that they should stand foremost in the honorable effort to serve the whole public by doing their duty as Americans in the body politic. This obligation very possibly rests even more heavily upon the men of means; but of this it is not necessary now to speak. The men of mere wealth never can have and never should have the capacity for doing good work that is possessed by the men of exceptional mental training; but that they may become both a laughing-stock and a menace to the community is made unpleasantly apparent by that portion of the New York business and social world which is most in evidence in the newspapers.
To the great body of men who have had exceptional advantages in the way of educational facilities we have a right, then, to look for good service to the state. The service may be rendered in many different ways. In a reasonable number of cases, the man may himself rise to high political position. That men actually do so rise is shown by the number of graduates of Harvard, Yale, and our other universities who are now taking a prominent part in public life. These cases must necessarily, however, form but a small part of the whole. The enormous majority of our educated men have to make their own living, and are obliged to take up careers in which they must work heart and soul to succeed. Nevertheless, the man of business and the man of science, the doctor of divinity and the doctor of law, the architect, the engineer, and the writer, all alike owe a positive duty to the community, the neglect of which they cannot excuse on any plea of their private affairs. They are bound to follow understandingly the course of public events; they are bound to try to estimate and form judgment upon public men; and they are bound to act intelligently and effectively in support of the principles which they deem to be right and for the best interests of the country.
The most important thing for this class of educated men to realize is that they do not really form a class at all. I have used the word in default of another, but I have merely used it roughly to group together people who have had unusual opportunities of a certain kind. A large number of the people to whom these opportunities are offered fail to take advantage of them, and a very much larger number of those to whom they have not been offered succeed none the less in making them for themselves. An educated man must not go into politics as such; he must go in simply as an American; and when he is once in, he will speedily realize that he must work very hard indeed, or he will be upset by some other American, with no education at all, but with much natural capacity. His education ought to make him feel particularly ashamed of himself if he acts meanly or dishonorably, or in any way falls short of the ideal of good citizenship, and it ought to make him feel that he must show that he has profited by it; but it should certainly give him no feeling of superiority until by actual work he has shown that superiority. In other words, the educated man must realize that he is living in a democracy and under democratic conditions, and that he is entitled to no more respect and consideration than he can win by actual performance.
This must be steadily kept in mind not only by educated men themselves, but particularly by the men who give the tone to our great educational institutions. These educational institutions, if they are to do their best work, must strain every effort to keep their life in touch with the life of the nation at the present day. This is necessary for the country, but it is very much more necessary for the educated men themselves. It is a misfortune for any land if its people of cultivation take little part in shaping its destiny; but the misfortune is far greater for the people of cultivation. The country has a right to demand the honest and efficient service of every man in it, but especially of every man who has had the advantage of rigid mental and moral training; the country is so much the poorer when any class of honest men fail to do their duty by it, but the loss to the class itself is immeasurable. If our educated men as a whole become incapable of playing their full part in our life, if they cease doing their share of the rough, hard work which must be done, and grow to take a position of mere dilettanteism in our public affairs, they will speedily sink in relation to their fellows who really do the work of governing, until they stand toward them as a cultivated, ineffective man with a taste for bric-a-brac stands toward a great artist. When once a body of citizens becomes thoroughly out of touch and out of temper with the national life, its usefulness is gone, and its power of leaving its mark on the times is gone also.
The first great lesson which the college graduate should learn is the lesson of work rather than of criticism. Criticism is necessary and useful; it is often indispensable; but it can never take the place of action, or be even a poor substitute for it. The function of the mere critic is of very subordinate usefulness. It is the doer of deeds who actually counts in the battle for life, and not the man who looks on and says how the fight ought to be fought, without himself sharing the stress and the danger.
There is, however, a need for proper critical work. Wrongs should be strenuously and fearlessly denounced; evil principles and evil men should be condemned. The politician who cheats or swindles, or the newspaper man who lies in any form, should be made to feel that he is an object of scorn for all honest men. We need fearless criticism; but we need that it should also be intelligent. At present, the man who is most apt to regard himself as an intelligent critic of our political affairs is often the man who knows nothing whatever about them. Criticism which is ignorant or prejudiced is a source of great harm to the nation; and where ignorant or prejudiced critics are themselves educated men, their attitude does real harm also to the class to which they belong.
The tone of a portion of the press of the country toward public men, and especially toward political opponents, is degrading, all forms of coarse and noisy slander being apparently considered legitimate weapons to employ against men of the opposite party or faction. Unfortunately, not a few of the journals that pride themselves upon being independent in politics, and the organs of cultivated men, betray the same characteristics in a less coarse but quite as noxious form. All these journals do great harm by accustoming good citizens to see their public men, good and bad, assailed indiscriminately as scoundrels. The effect is twofold: the citizen learning, on the one hand, to disbelieve any statement he sees in any newspaper, so that the attacks on evil lose their edge; and on the other, gradually acquiring a deep-rooted belief that all public men are more or less bad. In consequence, his political instinct becomes hopelessly blurred, and he grows unable to tell the good representative from the bad. The worst offense that can be committed against the republic is the offense of the public man who betrays his trust; but second only to it comes the offense of the man who tries to persuade others that an honest and efficient public man is dishonest or unworthy. This is a wrong that can be committed in a great many different ways. Downright foul abuse may be, after all, less dangerous than incessant misstatements, sneers, and those half-truths that are the meanest lies.
For educated men of weak fibre, there lies a real danger in that species of literary work which appeals to their cultivated senses because of its scholarly and pleasant tone, but which enjoins as the proper attitude to assume in public life one of mere criticism and negation; which teaches the adoption toward public men and public affairs of that sneering tone which so surely denotes a mean and small mind. If a man does not have belief and enthusiasm, the chances are small indeed that he will ever do a man’s work in the world; and the paper or the college which, by its general course, tends to eradicate this power of belief and enthusiasm, this desire for work, has rendered to the young men under its influence the worst service it could possibly render. Good can often be done by criticizing sharply and severely the wrong; but excessive indulgence in criticism is never anything but bad, and no amount of criticism can in any way take the place of active and zealous warfare for the right.
Again, there is a certain tendency in college life, a tendency encouraged by some of the very papers referred to, to make educated men shrink from contact with the rough people who do the world’s work, and associate only with one another and with those who think as they do. This is a most dangerous tendency. It is very agreeable to deceive one’s self into the belief that one is performing the whole duty of man by sitting at home in ease, doing nothing wrong, and confining one’s participation in politics to conversations and meetings with men who have had the same training and look at things in the same way. It is always a temptation to do this, because those who do nothing else often speak as if in some way they deserved credit for their attitude, and as if they stood above their brethren who plough the rough fields. Moreover, many people whose political work is done more or less after this fashion are very noble and very sincere in their aims and aspirations, and are striving for what is best and most decent in public life.
Nevertheless, this is a snare round which it behooves every young man to walk carefully. Let him beware of associating only with the people of his own caste and of his own little ways of political thought. Let him learn that he must deal with the mass of men; that he must go out and stand shoulder to shoulder with his friends of every rank, and face to face with his foes of every rank, and must bear himself well in the hurly-burly. He must not be frightened by the many unpleasant features of the contest, and he must not expect to have it all his own way, or to accomplish too much. He will meet with checks and will make many mistakes; but if he perseveres, he will achieve a measure of success and will do a measure of good such as in never possible to the refined, cultivated, intellectual men who shrink aside from the actual fray.
Yet again, college men must learn to be as practical in politics as they would be in business or in law. It is surely unnecessary to say that by “practical” I do not mean anything that savors in the least of dishonesty. On the contrary, a college man is peculiarly bound to keep a high ideal and to be true to it; but he must work in practical ways to try to realize this ideal, and must not refuse to do anything because he cannot get everything. One especially necessary thing is to know the facts by actual experience, and not to take refuge in mere theorizing. There are always a number of excellent and well-meaning men whom we grow to regard with amused impatience because they waste all their energies on some visionary scheme, which even if it were not visionary would be useless. When they come to deal with political questions, these men are apt to err from sheer lack of familiarity with the workings of our government. No man ever really learned from books how to manage a governmental system. Books are admirable adjuncts, and the statesman who has carefully studied them is far more apt to do good work than if he had not; but if he has never done anything but study books he will not be a statesman at all. Thus, every young politician should of course read The Federalist. It is the greatest book of the kind that has ever been written. Hamilton, Madison, and Jay would have been poorly equipped for writing it if they had not possessed an extensive acquaintance with literature, and in particular if they had not been careful students of political literature; but the great cause of the value of their writings lay in the fact that they knew by actual work and association what practical politics meant. They had helped to shape the political thought of the country, and to do its legislative and executive work, and so they were in a condition to speak understandingly about it. For similar reasons, Mr. Bryce’s American Commonwealth has a value possessed by no other book of the kind, largely because Mr. Bryce is himself an active member of Parliament, a man of good standing and some leadership in his own party, and a practical politician. In the same way, a sketch of Lincoln by Carl Schurz, a life of Washington by Cabot Lodge, a biography of Pitt by Lord Rosebery, have an added value because of the writers’ own work in politics.
It is always a pity to see men fritter away their energies on any pointless scheme; and unfortunately, a good many of our educated people, when they come to deal with politics, do just such frittering. Take, for instance, the queer freak of arguing in favor of establishing what its advocates are pleased to call “responsible government” in our institutions. This agitation was too largely deficient in body to enable it to last, and it has now, I think, died away; but at one time quite a number of our men who spoke of themselves as students of political history were engaged in treating this scheme as something serious. Few men who had ever taken an active part in politics, or who had studied politics in the way that a doctor is expected to study surgery and medicine, so much as gave it a thought; but very intelligent men did, just because they were misdirecting their energies, and were wholly ignorant that they ought to know practically about a problem before they attempted its solution. The English, or “responsible,” theory of parliamentary government is one entirely incompatible with our own governmental institutions. It could not be put into operation here save by absolutely sweeping away the United States Constitution. Incidentally, I may say, it would be to the last degree undesirable, if it were practicable. But this is not the point upon which I wish to dwell; the point is that it was wholly impracticable to put it into operation, and that an agitation favoring responsible government was from its nature unintelligent. The people who wrote about it wasted their time.
But of course much of the best work that has been done in the field of political study has been done by men who were not active politicians, though they were careful and painstaking students of the phenomena of politics. The back numbers of our leading magazines afford proof of this. Certain of the governmental essays by such writers as Mr. Lawrence Lowell and Professor A. B. Hart have been genuine and valuable contributions to our political thought. These essays have been studied carefully not only by scholars, but by men engaged in practical politics, because they were written with good judgment and keen insight after careful investigation of the facts, and so deserved respectful attention.
It is a misfortune for any people when the paths of the practical and the theoretical politicians diverge so widely that they have no common standing-ground. When the Greek thinkers began to devote their attention to purely visionary politics of the kind found in Plato’s Republic, while the Greek practical politicians simply exploited the quarrelsome little commonwealths in their own interests, then the end of Greek liberty was at hand. No government that cannot command the respectful support of the best thinkers is in an entirely sound condition; but it is well to keep in mind the remark of Frederick the Great, that if he wished to punish a province, he would allow it to be governed by the philosophers. It is a great misfortune for the country when the practical politician and the doctrinaire have no point in common, but the misfortune is, if anything, greatest for the doctrinaire. The ideal to be set before the student of politics and the practical politician alike is the ideal of The Federalist. Each man should realize that he cannot do his best, either in the study of politics or in applied politics, unless he has a working knowledge of both branches. A limited number of people can do good work by the careful study of governmental institutions, but they can do it only if they have themselves a practical knowledge of the workings of these institutions. A very large number of people on the other hand may do excellent work in politics without much theoretic knowledge of the subject; but without this knowledge they cannot rise to the highest rank, while in any rank their capacity to do good work will be immensely increased if they have such knowledge.
There are certain other qualities, about which it is hardly necessary to speak. If an educated man is not heartily American in instinct and feeling and taste and sympathy, he will amount to nothing in our public life. Patriotism, love of country, and pride in the flag which symbolizes country may be feelings which the race will at some period outgrow, but at present they are very real and strong, and the man who lacks them is a useless creature, a mere incumbrance to the land.
A man of sound political instincts can no more subscribe to the doctrine of absolute independence of party on the one hand than to that of unquestioning party allegiance on the other. No man can accomplish much unless he works in an organization with others, and this organization, no matter how temporary, is a party for the time being. But that man is a dangerous citizen who so far mistakes means for ends as to become servile in his devotion to his party, and afraid to leave it when the party goes wrong. To deify either independence or party allegiance merely as such is a little absurd. It depends entirely upon the motive, the purpose, the result. For the last two years, the senator who, beyond all his colleagues in the United States Senate, has shown himself independent of party ties is the very man to whom the leading champions of independence in politics most strenuously object. The truth is, simply, that there are times when it may be the duty of a man to break with his party, and there are other times when it may be his duty to stand by his party, even though, on some points, he thinks that party wrong; he must be prepared to leave it when necessary, and he must not sacrifice his influence by leaving it unless it is necessary. If we had no party allegiance, our politics would become mere windy anarchy, and, under present conditions, our government could hardly continue at all. If we had no independence, we should always be running the risk of the most degraded kind of despotism,—the despotism of the party boss and the party machine.
It is just the same way about compromises. Occasionally one hears some well-meaning person say of another, apparently in praise, that he is “never willing to compromise.” It is a mere truism to say that, in politics, there has to be one continual compromise. Of course now and then questions arise upon which a compromise is inadmissible. There could be no compromise with secession, and there was none. There should be no avoidable compromise about any great moral question. But only a very few great reforms or great measures of any kind can be carried through without concession. No student of American history need to be reminded that the Constitution itself is a bundle of compromises, and was adopted only because of this fact, and that the same thing is true of the Emancipation Proclamation.
In conclusion, then, the man with a university education is in honor bound to take an active part in our political life, and to do his full duty as a citizen by helping his fellow-citizens to the extent of his power in the exercise of the rights of self-government. He is bound to rank action far above criticism, and to understand that the man deserving of credit is the man who actually does the things, even though imperfectly, and not the man who confines himself to talking about how they ought to be done. He is bound to have a high ideal and to strive to realize it, and yet he must make up his mind that he will never be able to get the highest good, and that he must devote himself with all his energy to getting the best that he can. Finally, his work must be disinterested and honest, and it must be given without regard to his own success or failure, and without regard to the effect it has upon his own fortunes; and while he must show the virtues of uprightness and tolerance and gentleness, he must also show the sterner virtues of courage, resolution, and hardihood, and of desire to war with merciless effectiveness against the existence of wrong.
(Source: Theodore-Roosevelt.com, “Articles and Editorials,” http://www.theodore-roosevelt.com/images/research/treditorials/am4.pdf) |
He Said, She Said: Differences in Gender Communication
Sondra Thiederman | monster.com
September 10, 2008
Let’s face it: As aggravating and frustrating as they can be, gender differences are also great fun. No, I don’t mean that way. I mean that gender differences strike our funny bone. I suppose it has something to do with our past experiences and the vulnerability many of us feel in our personal relationships with the opposite sex. And we are even more vulnerable when it comes to male-female relationships in the workplace.
While it’s always risky to generalize about gender differences, it’s possible to make certain flexible generalities that can be valuable when communicating across the gender line.
Men and women often differ in the way they manage people and give orders. Several well-respected studies have shown women tend to soften their demands and statements, whereas men tend to be more direct. Women, for example, use tag lines, phrases like, “don’t you think” following the presentation of an idea, “if you don’t mind” following a demand or “this may be a crazy idea, but” preceding a suggestion.
Many women are conditioned by culture to maintain harmony in relationships. That conditioning is manifested in softened demands, hedged statements and a generally more tentative communication style. The important thing to remember is that tentative communication does not mean the speaker actually feels tentative or is lacking in confidence. Similarly, more direct communication – as seen with some men and, because we can’t generalize, some women, too – does not mean the person is arrogant, bossy or feels superior. These are nothing more than learned ways of communicating. |
One of the most important factors in how well a person will heal following trauma depends on the coping skills they utilize both before and after the trauma. People who have learned healthy ways to cope with stress prior to experiencing life changing trauma respond in healthier ways when crisis hits.
It really is about learning effective strategies to cope with distress and practicing them until they become habitual. Yes, it helps if your healthy coping strategies are already habitual prior to experiencing a traumatic event, but they can also be learned following a crisis.
Healthy Ways to Cope with Emotional Trauma
Accept it: Rather than “pushing it under the rug” and pretending it didn’t happen, own it and accept that it happened. Try not to fall into the “life is unfair” “my life stinks” “why me?” trap. This will only keep you stuck and keep you down. Accept where you are, at the present moment, and decide what you can do moving forward. You may have to accept that your life will never be what it was, but you must be willing to excel where you land. Instead of focusing on what you cannot do or how bad you have it, focus on what you can do. Focus on what you do have. (*It is important to note that some people are unable to consciously accept the reality of what has happened to them due to the nature of the trauma. Accepting the trauma too soon can, in some cases, be harmful to a person. Trauma should be treated by a trained mental health professional.)
Know that healing is a process: Healing from trauma is a life long process. You will not heal overnight, and you will not heal using one coping strategy alone. You must look at healing like a puzzle. Each healthy coping skill is a piece of the puzzle. You heal by adding piece after piece. You may always feel some pain, but in time, you will experience joy again- maybe even more joy than you experienced before the crisis.
Seek support: Trauma must be processed. Don’t try to manage it alone. Talk to trusted family members and friends. Seek the help of mental health professionals trained in treating trauma. The sooner trauma is processed with another person the better. Unprocessed trauma is more likely to turn into post traumatic stress disorder, PTSD.
Grieve it: Allow yourself to feel the pain. Pretending to be “alright” prevents healing. You cannot heal until you feel. Similar to when you clean out a closet, things look worse before they look better. It is important to put up with the temporary pain in order to heal. Remember, you will not feel this way forever.
Turn it into a positive: Take what you have learned from your experience and help others in need. Helping others heal, can help heal you.
Recognize trauma triggers: Following trauma, certain things may trigger your nervous system and you may feel like you are experiencing the trauma all over again. Learn to recognize these triggers so you know what is going on within you, and you can remind yourself that you are safe and only being triggered.
Learn to self-sooth without judgment: When you are triggered, try not to judge your emotions. You need to treat yourself with the same compassion that you would treat a hurting child. Allow yourself to feel your emotions, remind yourself that you are safe and that the feelings will pass.
Incorporate other healthy coping skills into your life: Use some of the following coping strategies as puzzle pieces. The more pieces you add, the better you will heal. Take a look at the healthy coping skills listed below and then add some of your own. Figure out which ones work for you and then practice them daily.
- Write in a gratitude journal.
- Help others.
- Talk to a friend.
- Read inspirational and motivational books.
- Educate yourself about trauma and PTSD.
- Visit your doctor.
- Go to therapy. (See someone trained in treating trauma)
- Research and consider EMDR, DBT, and CBT therapy.
- Learn relaxation techniques.
- Appeal to your senses. (Listen to music, burn scented candles, take a warm bath)
- Get a massage. (Unless it is a trauma trigger)
- Dive into the arts. (play music, paint, draw, sing, write…)
- Work on spiritual growth.
- Find a support group.
Sometimes people deteriorate following trauma because they cope in self-destructive ways. If any of the following behaviors are done compulsively in an attempt to numb emotional pain, healing will stop and the person will begin to spiral downhill very quickly. When a person uses an addiction to self-medicate, the addiction will have to be treated before the person can ever begin to heal from the trauma.
Negative Ways to Cope (especially when done compulsively to numb pain)
- Abusing alcohol
- Abusing drugs
- Using sex as a pain-killer/pornography addiction
- Compulsive shopping/excess spending
- Over eating
For more information on coping with traumatic stress go to www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/coping-traumatic-stress.asp.
Related post: Post Traumatic Growth: Why Do Some People Bounce Back?
Image source: Shutterstock |
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a process by which egg cells are fertilized by sperm outside the womb, in vitro. IVF is a major treatment in infertility when other methods of assisted reproductive technology have failed. The process involves hormonally controlling the ovulatory process, removing ova (eggs) from the woman’s ovaries and letting sperm fertilise them in a fluid medium. The fertilised egg (zygote) is then transferred to the patient’s uterus with the intent to establish a successful pregnancy. The first “test tube baby”, Louise Brown, was born in 1978.
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a procedure in which eggs (ova) from a woman’s ovary are removed. They are fertilized with sperm in a laboratory procedure, and then the fertilized egg (embryo) is returned to the woman’s uterus.
The term in vitro, from the [Latin] root meaning within the glass, is used, because early biological experiments involving cultivation of tissues outside the living organism from which they came, were carried out in glass containers such as beakers, test tubes, or petri dishes. Today, the term in vitro is used to refer to any biological procedure that is performed outside the organism it would normally be occurring in, to distinguish it from an in vivo procedure, where the tissue remains inside the living organism within which it is normally found. A colloquial term for babies conceived as the result of IVF, test tube babies, refers to the tube-shaped containers of glass or plastic resin, called test tubes, that are commonly used in chemistry labs and biology labs. However, in vitro fertilisation is usually performed in the shallower containers called Petri dishes. (Petri-dishes may also be made of plastic resins.) However, the IVF method of Autologous Endometrial Coculture is actually performed on organic material, but is yet called in vitro. This is used when parents are having infertility problems or they want to have multiple births.
IVF has been used successfully since 1978, when the first child to be conceived by this method was born in England. Over the past 20 years, thousands of couples have used this method of ART or similar procedures to conceive.
Other types of assisted reproductive technologies might be used to achieve pregnancy. A procedure called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) uses a manipulation technique that must be performed using a microscope to inject a single sperm into each egg. The fertilized eggs can then be returned to the uterus as in IVF. In gamete intrafallopian tube transfer (GIFT) the eggs and sperm are mixed in a narrow tube and then deposited in the fallopian tube, where fertilization normally takes place. Another variation on IVF is zygote intrafallopian tube transfer (ZIFT). As in IVF, the fertilization of the eggs occurs in a laboratory dish. And, similar to GIFT, the embryos are placed in the fallopian tube (rather than the uterus as with IVF).
IVF is one of several assisted reproductive techniques (ART) used to help infertile couples to conceive a child. If after one year of having sexual intercourse without the use of birth control a woman is unable to get pregnant, infertility is suspected. Some of the reasons for infertility are damaged or blocked fallopian tubes, hormonal imbalance, or endometriosis in the woman. In the man, low sperm count or poor quality sperm can cause infertility.
IVF is one of several possible methods to increase the chances for an infertile couple to become pregnant. Its use depends on the reason for infertility. IVF may be an option if there is a blockage in the fallopian tube or endometriosis in the woman, or low sperm count or poor quality sperm in the man. There are other possible treatments for these conditions, such as surgery for blocked tubes or endometriosis, which may be attempted before IVF.
IVF will not work for a woman who is incapable of ovulating or with a man who is not able to produce at least a few healthy sperm.
Once a woman is determined to be a good candidate for in vitro fertilization, she will generally be given fertility drugs to stimulate ovulation and the development of multiple eggs. These drugs may include gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa), Pergonal, Clomid, or human chorionic gonadotropin (hcg). The maturation of the eggs is then monitored with ultrasound tests and frequent blood tests. If enough eggs mature, a physician will perform the procedure to remove them. The woman may be given a sedative prior to the procedure. A local anesthetic agent may also be used to reduce discomfort during the procedure.
The screening procedures and treatments for infertility can become a long, expensive, and, sometimes, disappointing process. Each IVF attempt takes at least an entire menstrual cycle and can cost $5,000–10,000, which may or may not be covered by health insurance. The anxiety of dealing with infertility can challenge both individuals and their relationship. The added stress and expense of multiple clinic visits, testing, treatments, and surgical procedures can become overwhelming. Couples may want to receive counseling and support through the process.
After the IVF procedure is performed, the woman can resume normal activities. A pregnancy test can be done approximately 12–14 days after the procedure to determine if it was successful.
Risks Factors and Complications
The risks associated with in vitro fertilization include the possibility of multiple pregnancy (since several embryos may be implanted) and ectopic pregnancy (an embryo that implants in the fallopian tube or in the abdominal cavity outside the uterus). There is a slight risk of ovarian rupture, bleeding, infections, and complications of anesthesia. If the procedure is successful and pregnancy.
Forin vitrofertilization, hormones are administered to the patient, and then eggs are harvested from her ovaries (A). The eggs are fertilized by sperm donated by the father (B). Once the cells begin to divide, one or more embryos are placed into the woman’s uterus to develop (C). (Illustration by GGS Inc.)
is achieved, the pregnancy carries the same risks as any pregnancy achieved without assisted technology.
The major complication of IVF is the risk of multiple births. This is directly related to the practice of transferring multiple embryos at embryo transfer. Multiple births are related to increased risk of pregnancy loss, obstetrical complications, prematurity, and neonatal morbidity with the potential for long term damage. Strict limits on the number of embryos that may be transferred have been enacted in some countries (e.g., England) to reduce the risk of high-order multiples (triplets or more), but are not universally followed or accepted. Spontaneous splitting of embryos in the womb after transfer can occur, but this is rare and would lead to identical twins. A double blind, randomised study followed IVF pregnancies that resulted in 73 infants (33 boys and 40 girls) and reported that 8.7% of singleton infants and 54.2% of twins had a birth weight of < 2500 g. However recent evidence suggest that singleton offspring after IVF is at higher risk for lower birth weight for unknown reasons.
Another risk of ovarian stimulation is the development of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.
If the underlying infertility is related to abnormalities in spermatogenesis, it is plausible, but too early to examine that male offspring is at higher risk for sperm abnormalities.
The issue of birth defects has been a controversial topic in IVF. Many studies do not show a significant increase after use of IVF, and some studies suggest higher rates for ICSI, whereas others do not support this finding. In 2008, an analysis of the data of the National Birth Defects Study in the US found that certain birth defects were significantly more common in infants conceived with IVF, notably septal heart defects, cleft lip with or without cleft palate, esophageal atresia, and anorectal atresia; the mechanism of causality is unclear.
Japan’s government prohibited the use of in vitro fertilisation procedures for couples in which both partners are infected with HIV. Despite the fact that the ethics committees previously allowed the Ogikubo Hospital, located in Tokyo, to use in vitro fertilisation for couples with HIV, the Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry of Japan decided to block the practice. Hideji Hanabusa, the vice president of the Ogikubo Hospital, states that together with his colleagues, he managed to develop a method through which scientists are able to remove the AIDS virus from sperm.
Success rates vary widely among clinics and among physicians performing the procedure. A couple has about a 10% chance of becoming pregnant each time the procedure is performed. Therefore, the procedure may have to be repeated more than once to achieve pregnancy.
Abnormal results include ectopic or multiple pregnancy that may abort spontaneously or that may require termination if the health of the mother is at risk.
Morbidity and Mortality Rates:
The most common cause of morbidity is ecotopic pregnancy. Pain is associated with most components of the procedure. Mortality as a result of IVF is extremely rare.
Other types of assisted reproductive technologies might be used to achieve pregnancy. A procedure called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) utilizes a manipulation technique that must be performed using a microscope to inject a single sperm into each egg. The fertilized eggs can then be returned to the uterus, as in IVF. In gamete intrafallopian tube transfer (GIFT), the eggs and sperm are mixed in a narrow tube, and then deposited in the fallopian tube, where fertilization normally takes place. Another variation on IVF is zygote intrafallopian tube transfer (ZIFT). As in IVF, the fertilization of the eggs occurs in a laboratory dish. And, similar to GIFT, the embryos are placed in the fallopian tube, rather than in the uterus as with IVF
You may click to see->
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
Three-parent embryo formed in lab |
We can’t possibly know all the factors that lead someone to suicide. Cornell’s family suspects the side effects of his prescription drugs may have played a role; Cornell told his wife he had taken “an extra Ativan or two” that night, according to People.
But we do know that this time of year can be especially difficult for people grappling with mental health issues. Sadly, research shows there is a peak in suicides in the spring.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide rates spike in the spring and to a lesser extent in the fall—not around the holidays as everyone suspects. And suicides in general have increased 24% between 1999 and 2014, according to a CDC report released last year.
Another possible culprit for feeling low this time of year is seasonal affective disorder: It's typically associated with winter, but warmer temperatures and brighter days aren't always enough to lift the blues. What's more, seeing cheery people all around you is a constant reminder that others are having a good time when you aren't, says Michelle Riba, MD, professor and associate director of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Depression Center. |
Breaking News: The measurement of plutonium was abandoned in Japan
At the press conference of TEPCO and related ministries of Japanese government,
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology stated they will not measure plutonium anymore.
The measurement of plutonium was abandoned in Japan.
It was announced on 10/3/2011 20:00 by staff from Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
Now Japanese people are allowed to take 1~10 Bq/kg of plutonium.
However, 1 in a million gram of plutonium causes cancer.
They announced that plutonium and strontium were detected in 45km / 79km area on 9/30.
They seem afraid of having the contamination situation known by more people.
Measurement of plutonium is almost impossible for normal people with normal equipment because it only emits alpha ray.
Your Geiger counter hardly catches it.
Previous posts on this for more details:
- Breaking News: Plutonium found in 45km area
- Breaking News: Strontium-89, 90 in 79km area and contamination map |
In New Book, Researcher Provides PTSD Sufferers and Their Family with a Better Understanding of the Disorder
Article ID: 593514
Released: 11-Sep-2012 3:00 PM EDT
Source Newsroom: Binghamton University, State University of New York
Newswise — Mary E. Muscari, Ph.D, is an associate professor in the Decker School of Nursing at Binghamton University. She is a specialist in child health, mental health and forensics.
Muscari uses her experience in pediatric, psychiatric and forensic nursing in both her clinical practice and her writing, particularly regarding victims and perpetrators of violence.
Close to 5.2 million adults experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) every year. And it can affect anyone — from war veterans and abuse victims to persons directly or indirectly traumatized by violence, natural disaster or other catastrophes. In her latest book, What Nurses Know . . . PTSD, Binghamton University researcher, Mary Muscari, provides a holistic view of this potentially debilitating illness, providing PTSD sufferers and their friends and family with a better understanding of the disorder and what to do about it.
“Dealing with PTSD is like riding a rollercoaster, “ said Muscari, an associate professor in the Decker School of Nursing at Binghamton University. “The swing of emotions can have a huge impact on relationships, work environment and social activities. And in addition to disrupting the lives of the victims, PTSD often has a ripple affect, throwing relationships with family members, friends and colleagues into complete turmoil. But help is out there and this book offers individuals with PTSD and their families the tools to recognize the problem and know how and where to get assistance.” |
What is the PCR parasite stool test (from DNA)?
The PCR parasite stool test analyzes stool to find parasite DNA. The parasite DNA can be from live parasites, a dead parasite, or parasitic eggs (called ova).
What are the strengths of the PCR parasite test?
Tiny amounts of parasite ova (parasite egg) or parasite tissue could be detected and classified. PCR DNA/RNA testing is extremely sensitive.
Intestinal amoeba parasites are easily detected using PCR machines.
What are the weaknesses of the PCR parasite test?
This test can generate false positives. Old parasite infections your body fought off 20 years ago can be detected. That's because our body keeps small amounts of parasite DNA around so our immune system can identify hostile invaders.
Your PCR machine has to be configured to look for specific parasites. There are 2 problems with this:
- To save money, a PCR machine may only look for the most common parasites in your region. But, with food global trade and immigration, parasites from other regions may be found on imported food and in your intestines.
- Some of the larger roundworm parasites do not have reliable DNA fingerprints yet. If you look at this PCR machine, they can only find parasitic amoebas and bacteria - it can't find any worm parasites.
How does the DNA Parasite test work?
First, a patient's stool is collected. Then it's sent to a laboratory and prepared for the PCR machine.
Next, the PCR parasite testing machine is loaded up with the "DNA/RNA fingerprint" of all the parasites they are looking for. Each parasite has a short sequence of DNA that is 100% unique to that species of parasite - like a "DNA fingerprint".
When any "DNA fingerprints" are found in the stool sample, the PCR machine makes thousands of copies of that "DNA fingerprint". After the PCR "copying reaction" is complete, the scientist looks at what "DNA fingerprints" have been copied. Any "DNA fingerprints" are then matched to specific species of parasites.
Is this a good test for diagnosing intestinal parasite infections?
I would say no --- it is not a complete test. The weakness of confusing current and past infections is a serious limitation. Plus, there is still an incomplete library of intestinal parasite DNA fingerprints.
But, in the next 10 years as we'll hopefully complete the "DNA fingerprint" library of parasites. By then, the PCR procedure should be much cheaper by then as well.
At that point, PCR parasite test will be the ultimate "first step" for diagnosing possible parasite infections...even if it confuses past and current parasite infections.
But for now, I would not recommend the parasite PCR stool test as a comprehensive parasite test. Our parasite DNA knowledge is just a bit too limited.
What is a better parasite test?
My research shows that the ova and parasite stool test is the most accurate. It distinguishes past and current parasite infections, and can find the full range of intestinal parasites...if your lab technicians are skilled, and they use high quality preservation and contrast materials.
Also, here's a comparison of the 6 most common parasite tests.
Evan Jerkunica, Parasites.org's founder is happy to help. To get your questions answered, you can: |
In the late 1970s, a small group of academics and former government officials began an initiative that led to the creation of a network of National Issues Forums (NIF) in 1981. NIF-style deliberation is based on the assumption that the greatest challenge in collective decision making is dealing with the tensions that result when many of the things most people hold dear are brought into conflict by the necessity to act on a problem. Public deliberation is a naturally occurring phenomenon that makes use of the human faculty for judgment. The most powerful insight from the NIF experiment has been the recognition that democracy depends on constant learning and that deliberation is a form of learning.
"A 35-Year Experiment in Public Deliberation,"
Journal of Public Deliberation: Vol. 10
, Article 6.
Available at: https://www.publicdeliberation.net/jpd/vol10/iss1/art6 |
This study includes the content of water, ash and volatiles in dried herbs like Oregano, Basil and de Provance. Moreover, amounts of H, N and C, and their calorific value were measured. The content of the following elements (Al, Ba, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, S, Sr, Zn) in the tested herbs were established using the ICP-OES method. Basil leaves had the highest nitrogen and ash content at the level 4.5% and 15,9%. These herbs were characterized by a darker color as compared to oregano. Basil contained the richest source of Ca, K, Mg and P, while the lowest was found in herbs de Provence. The best source of Ca, K, Mg and P was basil, while their lowest amount was found in herbs de Provence (containing a mixture of different herbs), which mostly likely was the reason for the low amount of macro- and micro-components. |
In an address before a joint meeting of Congress, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson discusses the aims of the United States in World War I and outlines his “14 Points” for achieving a lasting peace in Europe. The peace proposal called for unselfish peace terms from the victorious Allies, the restoration of territories conquered during the war, the right to national self-determination, and the establishment of a postwar world body to resolve future conflict. The speech was translated and distributed to the soldiers and citizens of Germany and Austria-Hungary and contributed significantly to their agreeing to an armistice in November 1918.
After the war ended, Wilson traveled to France, where he headed the American delegation to the conference at Versailles. Functioning as the moral leader of the Allies, Wilson struggled to orchestrate a just peace, though the other victorious Allies opposed most of his 14 Points. The final treaty called for stiff reparations payments from the former Central Powers and other demanding peace terms that would contribute to the outbreak of World War II two decades later. However, Wilson’s ideas on national self-determination and a postwar world body were embodied in the treaty. In 1920, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Price for his efforts. |
I-131 is still measured from dried sewage sludge in Chiba
Iodine 131 was measured from dried sewage sludge by Chiba prefectural government again. Iodine 131 is the nuclide to cause thyroid cancer or thyroid related disease. You are to take Iodine table after nuclear accident but now it’s already too late.
The half life time of iodine 131 is only 8 days, and it is produced from nuclear fission. It makes us question, “Has nuclear fission really ended in Fukushima?”
Iodine 131 is also used for medical treatment, but high level of Iodine 131 has been measured from various places. We need to verify where it keeps coming from.
Sample taken 7/20/2012
217 km from Fukushima plant
Iodine 131 : 25 Bq/Kg
Sample taken 7/18/2012
219 km from Fukushima plant
Iodine 131 : 13 Bq/Kg |
- Canadian Military Participation First World War – links to a specific section of a Wikipedia article which provides a brief overview of race and recruitment in Canada.
- WWI racism: black, Asian and aboriginal volunteers faced discrimination – an article from The Star
Canadian First Nations and the First World War
- Aboriginal Soldiers and the First World War – A Library and Archives Canada page devoted to Aboriginal Soldiers in the First World War
- Native Soldiers – Foreign Battlefields – A Veteran’s Affairs Canada site devoted to Aboriginal Soldiers
- First Nations Soldiers – A Canadian War Museum entry
- Aboriginal People in the Canadian Military Chapter Five: The World Wars – hoted on the Canadian National Defense website
- Aboriginal contributions during the First World War – a series of pages about the enlistment and war experiences of Aboriginal Canadians – from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada
Chinese Canadians and the Chinese Labour Corps
- Chinese-Canadians in World War I – a Vancouver Public Library page.
- Chinese Labour Corps – Empress of Asia website.
- Veteran fighters for Canada and Chinese Canadian Citizenship – Victoria Chinese Canadian Veterans Association
- Chinese labourers sent secretly via Canada to Europe – an article about the Chinese Labour Corps and their trip
- Heroes Remembers — Chinese-Canadian Veterans – a Veteran’s Affairs Canada page with oral history links and information about individual veterans.
- The forgotten army of the first world war -South China Morning Post article with high res photos, maps, charts, and timelines
- Chinese Labour Corps 1917-1921 – a pdf document containing an article about the Chinese Labour Corps in France.
- Chinese recruited for war had secret passage through Canada – a CTV news piece regarding the travels of the Chinese Labour Corps across Canada.
- Japanese Canadian Soldiers of the First World War and the Fight to Win the Vote – from The Bulletin – a journal of the Japanese Canadian Community
- WW1 monument honoring Japanese-Canadian soldiers recalls racism in B.C. – Global News article.
- Japanese-Canadians fought for their country and acceptance – Vancouver Sun article
- First World War Japanese-Canadians honoured with refurbished Stanley Park monument – a CBC news article
- Canada’s Black Battalion : No. 2 Construction, 1916-1920– a link to an electronic book about Canada’s No. 2 Construction Battalion.
- Moving Mountains: The No. 2 Construction Battalion and African Canadian Experience During the First World War – a link to an e-book.
- Black Canadians in Uniform: A Proud Tradition – Veterans Affairs Canada page with links to a history page, oral history recordings, and photographs.
- No. 2 Construction Battalion – a wikipedia entry
- Pamphlet Commemorating the No. 2 Construction Battalion – a 9 page pdf hosted on the Nova Scotia Legion website.
- No. 2 Construction Battalion Documents – a web page containing excerpts from various communiques such as a “Memorandum on the enlistment of Negroes in Canadian Expeditionary Force
- Buckam Singh and Sikh Canadians in the First World War – an entry in the Canadian Encyclopedia
- Sikh Canadians in the First World War – a very brief article regarding the participation of Sikh’s in the Canadian Expeditionary Force
- Sikhism in Canada – World War One – links to a subsection in a Wikipedia page.
- A Call to Flanders: Sikhs and the Great War exhibit – an article about a museum exhibit detailing the Sikh experience in First World War Exhibit |
Sydney, Australia – A new study performed by researchers from the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre, discovered more than 1,000 molecular changes in individuals’ experiment while exercising. According to their findings, it is possible to develop an exercise pill that will potentially provide the benefits of working out. The research was published in Cell Metabolism.
“Exercise is the most powerful therapy for many human diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders,” David James, lead author of the study said in a statement. “However, for many people, exercise isn’t a viable treatment option. This means it is essential we find ways of developing drugs that mimic the benefits of exercise.”
In order to determine molecular changes in people, the Australian researchers evaluated several human skeletal muscle biopsies from four different males that were untrained but healthy, they analyzed them by following a 10 minutes of high intensity exercise. The researchers used a particular technique that let them analyze a process named “protein phosphorylation.”
Dr. Benjamin Parkir found that short, intensive exercise, develops more than 1000 molecular changes in the human body. Most of the changes they discovered have not been previously linked with the act of exercising. Additionally, the team worked in collaboration with researchers from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.
“Exercise produces an extremely complex, cascading set of responses within the human muscle. It plays an essential role in controlling energy metabolism and insulin sensitivity,” said co-author Dr. Nolan Hoffman, as University of Sydney reported.
This is the first research that determines exactly what happens with the human muscles while exercising. In the past, scientists have suspected that exercise causes a complicated series of changes in the muscles, but they have not been able to identify which were those changes.
The new data provided will help scientists develop a drug that will hopefully enhance the true beneficial changes caused by exercise. The exercise pill will have to take into account multiple actions.
“Most traditional drugs target individual molecules. With this exercise blueprint, we have proven that any drug that mimics exercises will need to target multiple molecules and possibly even pathways, which are a combination of molecules working together,” Professor James stated. “We believe this is the key to unlocking the riddle of drug treatments to mimic exercise. Our data clearly show the complexity of the response: it is not one thing, but rather, the drug will have to target multiple things. Our research has provided the roadmap to figure this out,” he added.
Source: University of Sydney |
Your Weekly Electronic Gardening Guide
Practical Horticulture for Busy People.
About This Plant...
Genus and species:Foeniculum vulgare
Height and width:48-80 inches high; 36 inches wide
Location and soil:sun; moist, well-drained soil
Uses:young leaves and stems in salads and vegetables; egg recipes; bulbs can be cooked as a vegetable; dried seeds flavor desserts, pickles, baked goods, candy
Time needed to reach transplant size:4-6 weeks
When to transplant to garden:after last spring frost
When to sow outdoors:after last spring frost
Other Sowing Guidelines...
Approx. germination time:
Days to maturity:90 days
Spacing between plants:10-12 inches
Spacing between rows:36 inches
Harvest:pick fresh leaves and stems as needed; store by chopping foliage and placing in ice cube trays, filling trays with water, and freezing; for seeds, cut flower heads, let dry, then shake seeds out and store in an airtight jar
Growing tips:plants may need support, especially when in flower |
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