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In an analysis that included data from 16 trials performed over the last 45 years, among patients with pulmonary embolism, receipt of therapy to dissolve the blood clot (thrombolysis) was associated with lower rates of death, but increased risks of major bleeding and intracranial hemorrhage, according to a study in the June 18 issue of JAMA. The authors note that these findings may not apply to patients with low-risk pulmonary embolism.1
Pulmonary embolism (PE; a blockage of the main artery of the lung or one of its branches) is an important cause of illness and death, with more than 100,000 U.S. cases annually and as many as 25 percent of patients experiencing sudden death. Pulmonary embolism is also associated with an increased risk of death for up to 3 months after the initial event. Thrombolytic therapy may be beneficial in the treatment of some patients with PE, but to date, no analysis has had adequate statistical power to determine whether this therapy is associated with improved survival, compared with conventional anticoagulation, according to background information in the article.
Saurav Chatterjee, M.D., of St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center of the Mount Sinai Health System, New York, and colleagues performed a meta-analysis of 16 randomized clinical trials (n = 2,115 patients) of thrombolytic therapy for PE. Two hundred ten patients (9.9 percent) had low-risk PE, 71 percent had intermediate-risk PE, 1.5 percent had high-risk PE; risk could not be classified in 18 percent.
The researchers found that thrombolytic therapy for PE was associated with a 47 percent lower odds of death; there was 2.2 percent mortality in the thrombolytic therapy group and 3.9 percent mortality in the anticoagulant group at an average duration of follow-up of 82 days. Thrombolytic therapy was associated with a 2.7 times greater risk of major bleeding compared with anticoagulant therapy; there was a 9.2 percent rate of major bleeding in the thrombolytic therapy group and a 3.4 percent rate in the anticoagulation group. Major bleeding was not significantly increased in patients 65 years and younger.
Thrombolysis was associated with a greater intracranial hemorrhage rate (1.5 percent vs 0.2 percent) but also lower risk of recurrent PE (1.2 percent vs 3.0 percent).
In intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism trials, thrombolysis was associated with lower mortality and more major bleeding events.
“Risk stratification models for bleeding in all patients, but especially the elderly, are warranted to identify the individuals at the highest risk of hemorrhagic complications with thrombolytic therapy. Future research should also be directed toward concomitant [accompanying] use of other medications, especially the ‘novel oral anticoagulants’ in conjunction with thrombolytics in patients with hemodynamically stable PE,” the authors write.
“The meta-analysis by Chatterjee et al raises new questions,” writes Joshua A. Beckman, M.D., of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, in an accompanying editorial.2
“For example, should thrombolytic therapy in intermediate-risk patients older than 65 years be avoided? While the risk of bleeding is increased in older patients, the point estimate for mortality is similar to that in younger patients. Risk stratification for bleeding may favor use of thrombolysis in patients older than 65 years. Second, would the net clinical benefit be better with consistent use of catheter-based thrombolysis using lower doses of fibrinolytic agents for significant pulmonary artery thrombus [blood clot] reduction? Additional clinical trials are needed to guide optimal use of thrombolytic therapy in patients with PE.” |
With flu rates increasing across the region the Health Protection Agency (HPA) North West is advising people on what they can do to protect themselves and others from infection on the run up to Christmas.
“We’re seeing increases in flu in most parts of the region, but particularly in Liverpool, Wirral and parts of Cheshire," warns Dr. Catherine Quigley, Regional Epidemiologist with HPA North West.
“This is a highly infectious viral illness for which there is no treatment, other than rest and the replacement of fluids. Most people who are otherwise fit and healthy will recover quite naturally from a bout of flu.
“However, flu can be serious for older people and for those whose immune systems are suppressed by illness or treatment. I can’t stress enough how important it is for these vulnerable patients to protect themselves by having a flu jab. If they haven’t been vaccinated already, it’s not too late.”
Dr. Quigley stressed that healthcare workers should be vaccinated against flu.
“The advice to people suffering from flu, heavy colds or other viral infections is to rest at home and take lots of drinks. Flu is spread by droplets in the air and on surfaces, so care should be taken to cover the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing and hands must be washed thoroughly after contact with mucus, after going to the toilet and before eating,” Dr. Quigley said.
“There is no benefit in people with flu, flu-like symptoms or heavy colds visiting their GP surgeries or hospital Accident and Emergency Units where they might pass on infection to other more vulnerable patients. If in doubt they should arrange a telephone consultation with the family doctor or phone NHS Direct, the 24-hour health information service.”
The warning about flu comes hot on the heels of requests from North West Ambulance Services to think twice about using emergency call numbers if your situation is not life threatening as staff are performing 'near miracles' to keep the service going. The Telegraph reports pressure has been particularly bad in London, the North West and the West Midlands but the whole of the NHS in England is under pressure according to experts.
• The NHS Direct number is 0845 4647. |
In a nutshell
EG Bowen was head of the team that tackled and solved the problems of how to operate radar inside an aeroplane. Before this, radar was operated entirely on the ground and required equipment that filled a small house. Now all that traffic police need to check road speed is a radar gun.
In 1935 Bowen joined a small team of researchers who were studying a new development, only later called radar, which became extremely important in defending Britain in the Second World War. Nine years later he moved to Australia, where he was responsible for two especially important developments:
- The construction of a huge radiotelescope in Parkes, New South Wales
- A remarkable effort to improve rainfall. Just the job for a native of wet Wales!
RADIO DETECTION AND RANGING
We're familiar with films that show radar screens where the sweeping arm shows where ships and other objects are. The sweeping arm on the screen links with the rotating antenna, which you can see on ships, transmitting the radio waves.
The basic principle is like an echo. If you shout near a wall or under a bridge the sound of the shout (a pulse of sound waves) reflects from the wall and you'll hear the shout again as an echo. In radar systems the 'shout' is a pulse of radio waves of short wavelength, which is sent out by equipment called the transmitter. The 'wall' is any object (plane, ship, land) that reflects the radio waves. The 'echo' is a pulse of radio waves which is 'heard' by equipment called the detector.
The outgoing and returning pulses are displayed as 'blips' on a screen. If you know the wavelength of the outgoing pulse, the speed of radio waves in air and the time interval between transmission and detection (out and back), it's possible to work out how far away (the range) the reflecting object is.
Today's radar is vital for planes, ships and submarines to be able to navigate safely, especially when visibility's bad. |
Before a workout do you:
(a)Take a leisurely stroll on the treadmill.
(b) Do a couple of arm circles plus a half-hearted quad stretch for good measure.
(c) Launch straight into your workout and hope for the best!
WARM UP. You know you should do it, but do you know why?
Warming up and cooling down are an essential part of any workout. An effective warm-up will prepare your body and mind for physical exertion and reduce your chance of injury by:
- building heat in the body
- lubricating the joints
- sending oxygenated blood to the major muscle groups
- gradually increasing the heart rate.
So now you know why it’s important to warm up but what’s the best way to do it and for how long?
Before you begin to generate heat and get the heart rate up, spend a few minutes mobilising the key joints. These are my favourites:
- Wrists – Rotate your wrists in large circles in both directions.
- Elbows – Extend your arms out to the side at shoulder height, palms facing up. Hinging at the elbow, bring your fingers towards your head as if doing a bicep curl. Repeat.
- Shoulders – Start with your hands by your side, palms facing in. Keeping your arms shoulder width or wider, raise your arms overhead. Repeat. Next, bring your hands out in front of you at chest height, palms facing. Take your arms out to the side, opening the chest. Return to the start and repeat, trying to extend your range of motion with each repetition.
- Thoracic spine (upper back) – Extend your arms out to the side at shoulder height, palms facing down. Bend your elbows so thumbs touch the chest. Keeping the elbows high, rotate your head and torso to one side and look over your shoulder. Come back to centre and rotate to the other side. Allow the hips and knees to move with you.
- Hips – Rotate your hips in large circles like you’re doing the hula! Do this in both directions.
- Ankles – Standing on one leg, circle your ankle in both directions. Repeat on the opposite side.
I recommend about 10 reps (on each side).
Next, complete five to ten minutes of moderate-intensity cardio (aim for 5-7 on a scale 1-10). A sports-specific warm-up is best. For example, if I’m planning on going for a long run, I’ll start with a five-minute jog at an easy pace.
That’s all well and good if you know what activity you’re going to be doing… but what if you don’t know what form of torture your PT has in store for you?
Depending on where you are and what you feel like, you can warm up with or without equipment.
How to warm up with equipment
In the gym, the rowing machine offers the best bang for your buck, with the stationary bike a close second. Personally, I think you should give the treadmill a wide berth and the reasons why are best explained by biomechanist and natural movement advocate Katy Bowman (check out this podcast or this blog post).
How to warm up without equipment
If you don’t have access to a cardio machine, try:
- five to ten minutes of jogging at an easy pace (make sure you get those arms pumping!)
- five minutes of skipping plus some plyometric exercises such as squat jumps, burpees or star jumps.
Finish with some dynamic stretches and you’re all set. Dynamic stretches are movements that are slowly controlled through a full range of motion, such as swinging one leg forward and backwards, then side to side; circling the arms in one direction and then the other. |
Assistive Technology Laws
By: Family Center on Technology and Disability
Understanding the Law & Assistive Technology
There is a wide range of assistive technology (AT) services and devices to which a child may be entitled. It is important for families to understand how Federal laws affect their child's right to AT. Provided below are brief summaries of laws that impact the provision of assistive technology and special education services.
Federal laws are amended regularly. Therefore, it is important to keep up to date on these changes. Website addresses have been identified below for government offices and other organizations that provide current, in-depth information on laws that affect a child's access to AT.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Public Law 101-336 [42 USC 12101]
The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, state and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications. The law has four sections, or "Titles". Title I addresses employment, saying that any employer who has 15 or more employees must offer "equal opportunity" to employment-related activities. Title II applies to state and local governments, and insists that people with disabilities be given equal access to public education, employment, transportation, recreation, health care, and other areas under their control. Title III addresses public accommodations that may be provided by private companies, including private schools, restaurants, stores, hotels, doctors' offices, etc. Title IV addresses assistive technology specifically, as it requires that telephone companies provide the necessary services to allow people who are deaf or hearing impaired to use telecommunications devices.
For more information about the Americans with Disabilities Act, you can go to the following websites:
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was initially passed in 1975 as P.L. 94-142. That law, known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, or the EHA, guaranteed that eligible children and youth with disabilities would have a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) available to them, designed to meet their unique educational needs. P.L. 94-142 has been amended many times since passing in 1975, most recently in 2004.
For more information about IDEA, you can visit the following website:
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
29 U.S.C. § 794d
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires that all electronic and information technologies developed and used by any Federal government agency must be accessible to people with disabilities. This includes websites, video and audio tapes, electronic books, televised programs, and other such media. Individuals with disabilities may still have to use special hardware and/or software to access the resources. Section 508 does not apply to the private sector or to organizations that receive Federal funds.
More information about Section 508 can be found at:
Assistive Technology Act of 1998
Public Law 105-394 [29 USC 2201]
The Assistive Technology Act, also known as the "Tech Act" provides funds to states to support three types of programs:
- the establishment of assistive technology (AT) demonstration centers, information centers, equipment loan facilities, referral services, and other consumer-oriented programs;
- protection and advocacy services to help people with disabilities and their families, as they attempt to access the services for which they are eligible;
- Federal/state programs to provide low interest loans and other alternative financing options to help people with disabilities purchase needed assistive technology.
For a list of state projects funded under the Tech Act, visit the Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs website.
Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act Amendments of 1998
Public Law 105-332 Section 1 (b) [20 USC 2302]
Schools are required to integrate academic, vocational and technical training, increase the use of technology, provide professional development opportunities to staff, develop and implement evaluations of program quality, expand and modernize quality programs, and link secondary and post-secondary vocational education. Additionally, states must submit an annual report on how special populations, including persons living with disabilities, engaged in vocational education are faring relative to the states' performance goals.
Fair Housing Act Amendments of 1988
Public Law 100-430 [42 USC 3604]
This legislation addresses non-discrimination issues for potential tenants with disabilities. It is unlawful to deny housing to a renter/buyer because of a disability that the person may have. Owners must also make reasonable exceptions to their policies to accommodate people with disabilities (i.e. seeing eye dogs). Tenants are also allowed to make reasonable access-related modifications to the property if necessary.
The Hearing Aid Compatibility Act of 1988
Public Law 100-394 [47 USC 610 (b)]
This law requires that all telephone equipment manufactured or imported for use in the United States after August 1989 be compatible with hearing aids.
The Television Decoder Circuitry Act of 1990, Section 3
Public Law 101-431 [47 USC 303 (u)].
The deaf and hearing impaired should have access to information and entertainment via television medium to the fullest extent possible through technology. This law requires that new televisions with at least a 13-inch screen must have the built-in capacity to display closed-captioned TV transmissions.
Telecommunications Act of 1996 Title I
Public Law 104-104 [47 USC 255]
Requires that telecommunications equipment and services be accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities.
Public Law 104-104 [47 USC 613]
Discusses rules on closed captions and video descriptions of video programming.
Federal Government Procurement of Accessible Information Technology
Public Law 105-220 section 408 [29 USC 794 (d)]
Individuals with disabilities cannot be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance or under any program or activity conducted by any Executive agency or by the United States Postal Service.
Workforce Investment Act of 1998
Public Law 105-220 [29 USC 701]
In the vocational rehabilitation process, this law defines technology and its use in job planning, acquisition and retention of people with disabilities.
Family Center on Technology and Disability (2010) |
The difference between a preface, foreword, and introduction
What is the difference between a preface, a foreword, and an introduction? There is considerable confusion about the difference between the three, and judging from what the Chicago Manual of Style says, I mixed the two up myself in my history of the NIH Clinical Center, where an editor made my Introduction a Foreword, which I then changed to a Preface. It should have remained an Introduction.
Words into Type succinctly characterizes the differences between a preface and intro: "A preface or foreword deals with the genesis, purpose, limitations, and scope of the book and may include acknowledgments of indebtedness; an introduction deals with the subject of the book, supplementing and introducing the text and indicating a point of view to be adopted by the reader. The introduction usually forms a part of the text [and the text numbering system]; the preface does not."
The foreword, says the Chicago Manual of Style, is usually written by someone other than the author or editor, usually someone eminent (to lend credibility to the book), and although the title page may say "Foreword by X," if the foreword is only one or two pages (which is normal), the name of the foreword writer normally appears at the end of the foreword. (The title or affiliation of the author of the foreword may also appear there.) For details on positioning of these elements, and what kind of type to use, refer to one of those two manuals, if your publisher doesn't handle the formatting.
ORDER OF FRONT MATTER
The normal order of parts of the book:
Half title, or "bastard title" (title only, on otherwise blank page)
Book card (or card page, listing previous works by author, or books in same series)
Copyright notice (with other publishing notices)
Table of contents (labeled "Contents")
(List of) illustrations
(List of) tables
Foreword (by another person)
Acknowledgments (if not part of preface, or if not at back of book)
[list of abbreviations, timeline]
Second half title (optional)
Page numbers for the front matter, up to the introduction, are small Roman numerals (x, xi, xii, etc.). Some include the introduction in that numbering system, if it is prefatory in nature (about the writing of the book). If it is more like part of the text (essentially Chapter 1), start the regular page numbering with the introduction.
ORDER OF BACK MATTER (not all of these are required!)
(List of) Contributors (perhaps with brief biographical sketches)
Colophon (optional, including facts of production, font, etc.--rarely used now)
The epigraph (brief quotation or saying), according to Words into Type, may appear on the title page or on the back of the dedication or may replace the second half-title or be on the back of it, facing the text. To me it makes sense that it be near the text.
What are the purposes of a preface/intro? Here are some purposes members mentioned at a meeting of the Washington Biography Group:
• To talk about how you came to write the book, especially if that will help draw the reader into the book. Perhaps best in the preface.
• To sell the book to the potential reader/buyer (lure them, hook them, make them want to read more). In the case of Ruth Selig writing about the death of her twin, providing the personal details up front would be important, for example).
• To answer the question: why this book? why now? why this person? why by this author?
• To talk about how you got the information — what your main sources were (and how they differ from other books on the subject, if this is book #189 on the Kennedys, for example)
• To provide a framework for what's to follow — the hooks on which to hang the pegs of story details
• To provide, in brief, your main argument or point of view about the subject. The alternative is to not express your position clearly up front but instead to weave it into the fabric of the biography so that the reader has to read the book to find it. Critics may object to this. My impression is that you want to suggest your conclusions or viewpoint clearly up front but express them more fully and strongly in the concluding chapter, if there are conclusions to be made. What you want to draw your reader in with is the story -- tell them just enough to hook them, make them curious, and keep them reading.
What about prologues? Linda Lear wrote a prologue (a term from dramaturgy) to start her biography of Rachel Carson. A prologue starts the action and is PART of the action, though it could take place in the middle of the action — it often focuses on a pivotal moment. If you have a prologue, you must also have an epilogue, says WBG's guru, Marc Pachter.
Some people feel nobody reads the introduction; some people believe it's important because it’s the first thing people look at. Obviously it should be done well, if the latter is true even some of the time, but some people do skip it. Personally, I think it's important that everything in the book be interesting, because you never know where the reader will start, and you even want the ending to be good, so they leave feeling satisfied and you get good word of mouth. I tend to put acknowledgments at the back but try to make them interesting, to give them content. I am sometimes overruled, because others feel the acknowledgments should be up front, where you are making it clear who helped you, and to show your gratitude.
Forewords, Prefaces, and Introductions: Where to Begin? (Carol Saller, Lingua Franca, Chronicle of Higher Education 4-5-12) offers further insights. Academic writers: check out helpful tips in the comments section!
NOTE ON SPELLING: A lot of people misspell foreword as foreward or even forward! It is a "word" be"fore" the book itself. The foreword is usually written by someone other than the author.
OTHER USEFUL MATERIAL ON HOW TO MAKE A BOOK (AND LABEL THE PARTS CORRECTLY):
• Forewords, Prefaces, and Introductions: Where to Begin? (Carol Saller, Lingua Franca, Chronicle of Higher Education 4-5-12) offers further insights. Academic writers: check out helpful tips in the comments section!
• Joel Friedlander's Unabridged List of the Parts of a Book, one of many great resources on a wonderful page of articles by The Book Designer (he's clearly far more than that).
• Every non-fiction book needs an index: Here’s why (Alan Rinzler's blog, The Book Deal: An Inside View of Publishing)
• Editors, How Much Is an Index Worth to You? (American Society of Indexers)
• Authors, How Much Is an Index Worth to You? (American Society of Indexers)
• How to number the pages of the front matter (SPAN's answers to self-publishers' frequently asked questions (FAQ)
• How to Make a Book: The Interior and Body of a Book (Creative Minds Press)
• Linchpindex: The missing index for Seth Godin's "Linchpin" (a quirky online index for Seth Godin's book Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
• On Wikipedia see preface, foreword, and introduction.
"Even when they have found the right story, some writers simply fail to make its relevance clear from the beginning. Unused to writing introductory chapters, journalists often neglect them, plunging into the narrative in a hurry to get on with it or out of a fear of being boring. But a good introduction whets readers’ appetites partly by showing us both why this story is going to entertain us, and why it’s meaningful. Likewise, I sometimes receive manuscripts that end abruptly without a proper conclusion. A dramatic climax, even an epilogue, is not the same as a conclusion that helps the reader look back at how far he has come and reminds him of the importance of that journey. It’s not obligatory, but it’s a terrific tool for sending your reader off charged with excitement about your book – and eager to tell other readers about it."
~ Peter Ginna, from When journalists become authors: a few cautionary tips (Nieman Storyboard 12-15-11)
If this page was helpful, you may also be interested in
• Writers and Editors (a sister site with links to tremendous resources for writers, editors, and those who hire or read them)
• Books for writers and editors
• Resources for editors and publishing professionals
• Style, grammar, and diction (links to very helpful specialized websites)
• Agents and book proposals
• Publishing and e-publishing
• Self-Publishing and Print on Demand (POD)
• Collaboration and ghostwriting
• Freelancing, telecommuting, contracting
• Copyright, fair use, work for hire, and other rights issues
• So, You Want to Write a Book!~ (by Sarah Wernick)
Books, articles, and more
Writing or telling life stories
Dancing, food, good books, and other diversions
Medical mysteries, patient stories, and practical links
Dying, mourning, and other inevitable events
Girls and science |
Archived from the original PDF on 11 March Sigmund About: Gays basic theory of human sexuality was different from that of Ellis. Even you are regularly caught on the defensive with your words apologizingas a term conceded About: Gays day is not acceptable the next.
Retrieved 5 September Crisis centers in larger cities and information sites on the Internet have arisen to help youth and adults.
Church House Publishing. Will homosexuals attend churches for the purpose of asking pastors to perform a wedding and then when they are refused, they sue? But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
Do some research on communist Russia and its persecution of dissenters in the s. David C. NYU Press. About: Gays men buried About: Gays and made great lamentation over him. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, About: Gays him to come and heal his servant.
As a result, their confidence and successes have pumped up their bravado so much that they even oppress those who oppose homosexualitya fact blatantly ignored by the double-standard-liberal-media. This is not an issue of arrogance or judgmentalism.
Many will be emboldened to move forward and push their About: Gays on the populace, just as the homosexual community has done. For their women exchanged About: Gays relations for those that are contrary to nature; About: Gays the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
Also, homosexuality undermines the basic family unit of husband and wife which is the God-ordained means of procreation. This is clearly seen by contrasting these verses with Lev.
February 27, Retrieved 10 February The earliest Western documents in the form of literary works, art objects, and mythographic materials concerning same-sex relationships are derived from ancient Greece. |
Preservation of detrital shocked minerals derived from the 1.85 Ga Sudbury impact structure in modern alluvium and Holocene glacial deposits
MetadataShow full item record
Detrital shocked minerals can provide valua ble residual records of eroded impact structures. Recent studies have reported shocked minerals in modern alluvium in a subtropical climate from the deeply eroded 2.02 Ga Vredefort Dome impact basin in South Africa. To evaluate the detrital shocked mineral record at a large impact structure in a temperate setting with a Holocene glacial erosional history, we investigated 4000 detrital zircons and 20,000 quartz grains at the lesseroded 1.85 Ga Sudbury Basin in Ontario, Canada, for the presence of shocked sand grains. Modern alluvium from rivers within and outside the basin, and Holocene glaciofl uvial sands (eskers and outwash deltas ) across the basin were investigated for shocked minerals. Shocked zircon and/or quartz were found in all modern rivers and most Holocene glacial deposits within, but not outside, the basin. Petrography and scanning electron microscopy (SEM; back scattered electron [BSE]; cathodoluminescence [CL]) imaging and analysis (energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy [EDS], electron backscatter diffraction [EBSD]) were used to document shock microstructures. Of the total detrital zircons surveyed, 3% (118/3978) were identifi ed as shocked; Holocene samples contained higher average percentages of shocked zircon (63/1361, or 4.6%, with a high of 29%) compared to modern alluvium (55/2617, or 2.1%, with a high of 6%). EBSD analysis revealed a range of shock microstructures, including planar fractures, deformation microtwins, and crystal plastic deformation. At Sudbury, detrital shocked quartz is rare compared to zircon; only 15 grains ( 0.08%) were identifi ed, all with decorated planar deformation features (PDFs). These results demonstrate that a detrital shocked mineral record exists at a large impact basin that is in a "youthful" stage of erosion, despite its age. In addition to modern alluvium, our results also identify glaciofluvial eskers and deltas as reservoirs for detrital shocked minerals; glacial episodes thus enhance the dispersal and preservation of shocked detritus in sedimentary systems. Despite physical differences, the observation that the two largest Precambrian impact basins continue to contribute detrital shocked minerals 2 b.y. after impact suggests that a shocked mineral record of impacts on early Earth should reside in Precambrian siliciclastic rocks. ©2014 Geological Society of America.
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
Fluvial transport of impact evidence from cratonic interior to passive margin: Vredefort-derived shocked zircon on the Atlantic coast of South AfricaMontalvo, S.; Cavosie, Aaron; Erickson, T.; Talavera, C. (2017)Meteorite impacts produce shocked minerals in target rocks that record diagnostic high-pressure deformation microstructures unique to hypervelocity processes. When impact craters erode, detrital shocked minerals can be ...
The Rietputs Formation in South Africa: A Pleistocene Fluvial Archive of Meteorite Impact Unique to the Kaapvaal CratonCavosie, Aaron; Erickson, T.; Montalvo, P.; Prado, D.; Cintron, N.; Gibbon, R. (2018)Reconstructing the terrestrial impact cratering record is a fundamental goal of planetary science. However, erosion, burial, and deformation can obscure or destroy impact records. A sedimentary record of impact is provided ...
Identification and provenance determination of distally transported, Vredefort-derived shocked minerals in the Vaal River, South Africa using SEM and SHRIMP-RG techniquesErickson, T.; Cavosie, Aaron; Moser, D.; Barker, I.; Radovan, H.; Wooden, J. (2013)The record of meteorite impacts on Earth is incomplete due to the destruction of impact craters by erosion and burial. Shocked minerals residing in sediments may help further document the impact record. To evaluate the ... |
Knowing More About Diamond Grinding Wheels
It is important for you to view here and know how diamond wheels are being classified.
Diamond wheels are usually classified based on the grit size, bond, concentration, and shape. The diamond wheels are used in different abrasive and grinding machining operations. Grinding machines are consequently using diamond grinding wheels. You should know the importance of using the right grinding wheel in any grinding or machining process.
The diamond grinding wheels are one of the most used grinding wheels today. There are several types of diamond grinding wheels such as the electroplated, metal, vitrified, and resin. The resin wheels are the most common type of diamond grinding wheel. The resin wheels are mostly used in production applications and tool room. While the metal types and vitrified are the newer types of grinding wheels and are used in certain applications. These diamond grinding wheels are usually rare and very expensive. Aside from that, these types of diamond grinding wheels are usually ordered items and custom made. While the electro-plated diamond grinding wheels, on the other hand, are usually found in low demanding abrasive grinding like that for plastics and cut-off wheels.
It is important for you to be aware of the various types of diamond wheels grinding and their purpose because each kind of diamond grinding wheels can only be used in certain applications. Take note that if you are not using the right type of diamond grinding wheel, you will not have an effective grinding operation. That is why before you will be starting any grinding operation, it is important for you to know the type of material that will be used and what type of diamond grinding wheels you need to use, just simply read more now.
You should keep in mind that diamond grinding wheels are being used in different materials and processes. But you should know that the diamond grinding wheels are strictly used in carbides. But there are now special diamond grinding wheels that are produced by some manufacturers that can be used in both steels and carbides.
There are actually three kinds of diamond grinding wheels that can be found in the market today. These are the CBN or cubic boron nitride, synthetic diamond, and the alumina-zirconia diamond grinding wheels. The hardest type is the synthetic diamond while the alumina-zircona is the softest type of diamond grinding wheels. There are important factors to consider every time you will be choosing a certain type of diamond grinding wheels.
You should first know the hardness of the item that you will be grinding. Next is to take a look at the nomenclature plate on the grinding equipment. Lastly, you need to know if the grinding will be dry or wet. Click this website so you will find online that will help you know more about these diamond grinding wheels. |
Access to responsible finance is an important tool for strengthening the economic security of poor and low-income families. Access to non-financial goods—like clean energy products—are also critical for improving health and wellbeing, increasing productivity and alleviating poverty.
BrightLife, a social enterprise by FINCA, pairs access to finance with access to energy to unlock productivity and wellbeing for the poor. It is also building pathways to financial inclusion for the unbanked.
Challenges of Off-Grid Living
Globally, nearly 1 billion people have no electricity. In Uganda, 73 percent of the population is without access. People are forced to burn kerosene, wood and charcoal to meet their lighting and energy needs. These inefficient fuels lead to indoor air pollution that causes 2.6 million premature deaths worldwide each year, plus threats like house fires and burns.
Off-grid living also stifles productivity, hinders earning potential and increases household energy expenditures. Nearly 300 million kids cannot study after sunset, leaving them academically disadvantaged. Countless businesses are forced to shutter at sundown, reducing available working hours. And poorer households reliant on traditional fuels spend a relatively larger share of their total expenditure on energy.
All together, these factors perpetuate a vicious cycle of poverty. Together, we can change this.
Harnessing Entrepreneurship to Drive Uptake of Clean Energy Products
Today, there are innovative, entrepreneurial solutions to poverty that aim to bring basic services to poor families and their communities. The key becomes how to provide access to quality and affordable products to markets deemed difficult to reach (rural) and uneconomical to serve (low-income).
Recognizing the power of the FINCA global microfinance network, we saw that we had a role to play in accelerating solutions. This led FINCA to establish BrightLife, a social enterprise in Uganda that provides last-mile distribution and end-user financing for products that create healthier and safer homes, increase productivity, reduce household expenses and provide additional income-generating opportunities.
How BrightLife Serves Poor and Off-Grid Customers
BrightLife brings clean energy products to poor and low-income communities by:
- Leveraging the connection with FINCA Uganda, a local microfinance institution, to build customer trust.
- Promoting awareness and education of clean energy products among off-grid and underserved populations.
- Supporting access to affordable, life-changing products through or pay-as-you-go (PAYGo) financing, or monthly payment plans.
- Distributing high-quality clean energy products that are backed by warranties down to the last mile.
- Providing client training on product use and maintenance, including after-sales support.
- Conducting market research on clients’ product experience to share with manufacturers as part of research and development.
BrightLife Products that are Changing Lives
BrightLife partners with innovative manufacturers to bring life-enhancing products to market at the lowest possible cost. Customers tell us they perceive positive impacts to their family’s health, safety and productivity, which they attribute to their BrightLife products. The current product lineup includes:
Solar lanterns are small and portable lights that may be hand-held, hung or placed on a table top. BrightLife offers a solar lantern that provides 72 hours of high-power light after a single day of charge. Another model even includes two USB ports for charging mobile phones. BrightLife customers tell us they use these in their businesses to extend the working day, thanks to the products’ small, portable design.
Solar Home Systems
A range of solar lighting and power systems are available to BrightLife customers. Solar home systems offer three or more lights and charge mobile phones. Some models include a radio and even a TV. Additional lights and appliances may be added over time without the need to purchase a new system.
For increased productivity, BrightLife customers can add solar-powered appliances to the system they already own. Appliances will soon expand beyond TVs to include water pumps, maize grinders and ice-makers. Each of these appliances is designed to be income-generating, which will offset product costs within the first year.
BrightLife offers modern and innovative firewood and charcoal cookstoves. These products cuts toxic emissions by up to 90 percent and reduces fuel use by 50 percent or more. One clean cookstove in particular uses the heat from cooking to generate enough energy to charge a mobile phone or power an LED light.
Do you live in Uganda and wish to purchase BrightLife’s clean energy products?
If so, please visit BrightLifeUganda.com.
Building a Bridge to Financial Inclusion
BrightLife is closely integrated with FINCA’s microfinance work. By using customer payment histories from PAYGo, BrightLife can build credit profiles for unbanked populations. This allows BrightLife to link its customers to a broader set of financial products and services at FINCA Uganda. In doing so, we are building a bridge between energy access and financial inclusion.
BrightLife’s Commitment to Consumer Protection
BrightLife has committed to the GOGLA Consumer Protection Code’s six principles of business practice. This demonstrates our willingness as an organization to provide consumer protection and practice high standards as a business, but our code of conduct has not yet been measured or certified. Throughout 2019 we will be working with GOGLA to measure, demonstrate and improve our practice ahead of formal recognition by 2020. Further information can be found on the GOGLA website.
Partner with BrightLife
BrightLife represents a unique, exciting opportunity to drive lasting social impact. FINCA is looking for forward thinking partners committed to market-based solutions to poverty to make significant financial contributions for BrightLife. Your support will help subsidize product cost, fund product training, and enable product and network expansion.
Contact BrightLife Today
SVP, Business Development and External Relations
+1 (202) 971-4627 |
Calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and sodium are generally considered the major essential minerals. Minerals that the body needs, in less quantity, include copper, iron, manganese and zinc. An essential mineral is generally defined as a vital chemical element that the body cannot itself produce and is not provided by other essential nutrients. In this guide, we’ll provide information on which minerals you can easily obtain by eating a healthy diet, and the ones you might want to supplement to meet the recommended daily allowance (RDA).
On the Earth, calcium is the fifth most abundant element. It is classified on the periodic table as an alkaline Earth metal. For the body, calcium is an electrolyte of paramount importance. Dr. William Sears, the author of “The Family Nutrition Book,” wrote, “Just as lime is necessary for strong concrete, calcium is needed for strong bones. Calcium is continually deposited into multiplying bone cells, like the cement that holds together the particles of stone and sand in a chunk of concrete.”
Aside from the formation and support of strong teeth and bones, calcium is particularly crucial for the health of the body’s circulatory system, nervous system, muscle growth, development and sustenance.
How can I get the recommended amount of calcium? The recommended daily amount of calcium is different for each age group and station in life. Based on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) standards, senior citizens, pregnant and lactating women require a higher amount of calcium — up to 2,000 milligrams — while average weight, middle-aged adults may need as little as 1,000 mg each day to meet the minimum RDA.
If you eat dairy products a few times each day, it’s fairly easy to meet the minimum standard. One serving of yogurt will net you around 400 mg of calcium. You’ll get similar amounts from a generous helping of cheese. If you aren’t into dairy products, a cup of calcium-fortified orange juice contains around 300 mg of calcium. And a serving of almond milk comes in at 200 mg.
Another consideration with calcium is how to keep what you have and use it. If you drink a lot of coffee, strong tea or soft drinks, the calcium you consume will be eliminated quickly without being absorbed into the body for efficient use.
Calcium supplements — take or skip? If you know you’re not getting all of the calcium you need from your diet, or if you consume caffeine daily, swing by the local natural foods store and speak with the staff about their most bioavailable calcium supplements.
As a general rule, Dr. Sears recommends calcium carbonate because it contains a higher percentage of usable calcium for the body. Dr. Sears also recommends taking a calcium supplement with meals twice a day, rather than one large dose each day. The body can absorb usable calcium better in small doses and with food. He says, “If a higher dose calcium tablet is a better buy, break it in half.”
Another essential mineral in the electrolyte category is potassium. The human body needs potassium to help balance and control blood pressure. According to the United States National Library of Medicine, your body also needs potassium to build protein and muscle, break down and use carbohydrates, control the electrical activity of the heart, maintain normal body growth and control the acid-base balance within the body.
How can I get the recommended amount of potassium? The NIH states that average healthy adults need 4.7 grams of potassium each day. A few excellent sources of potassium include most dried fruits, avocados, beans and salmon.
Potassium supplements — take or skip? If your idea of getting some extra potassium is a banana in the morning, then you might need a supplement. A medium-sized banana contains slightly more than 400 mg of potassium. While most people do get some potassium in their diets, it takes some serious intention to get all of the recommended 4.7 grams of the mineral each day from food sources. According to Medical News Today, less than 2 percent of people in the U.S. consume enough potassium.
If you have healthy kidneys, it’s wise to consider taking a potassium supplement each day. However, it’s advisable to consult with your medical professional before beginning potassium supplementation. Too much potassium can be particularly dangerous for people with kidneys that aren’t fully functional.
Another mineral that’s both an electrolyte and an alkaline Earth metal like calcium is magnesium. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. Among other functions, magnesium strengthens our immune systems, helps us maintain muscle and nerve functions, regulates our blood sugar levels and keeps the heart beating steadily. Recent studies indicate that dietary magnesium can also help alleviate migraine headaches, prevent adult-onset diabetes and promote good mental health.
How can I get the recommended amount of magnesium? Most adult males need 400 to 420 mg of magnesium each day. Women need less — between 310 and 320 mg per day. Dietary magnesium can be found in pumpkin seeds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, cocoa powder, dark leafy greens — particularly cooked spinach — and avocados. One big bonus: you can get 16 percent of your magnesium needs by indulging in a 1-ounce square of very dark chocolate. Get the remaining 84 percent of magnesium your body needs by eating at least one big salad each day, topped with seeds and avocado slices.
Magnesium supplements — take or skip? Unless your doctor specifically recommends it, skip magnesium supplements. It’s easy to get too much magnesium from supplements. Too much can be toxic. Nutrition expert, Michelle Fisk wrote, “Magnesium also competes with other minerals for absorption into your body, such as calcium. So, too much magnesium can cause a deficiency in other minerals.”
Phosphorus is an electrolyte mineral necessary for all kinds of vital bodily functions. We need phosphorus to contract and move the muscles in our bodies. Phosphorus also aids in the building and strengthening of bones and teeth in our bodies. Phosphorus is the mineral responsible for the production of DNA. Additionally, it helps the body to grow and repair tissue cells.
How can I get the recommended amount of phosphorus? Eating meat or fish regularly will help you get enough dietary phosphorus. Eggs, beans and dairy products also contain high levels of phosphorus.
Phosphorus supplements — take or skip? Because it’s fairly easy to obtain optimal levels of phosphorus through diet alone, most people should skip phosphorus supplements. However, certain medications, such as insulin, antacids, ACE inhibitors and corticosteroids can cause a phosphorus deficiency. If you take the above medications, you may want to consult with a doctor to have your phosphorus levels tested.
Sodium is an essential electrolyte mineral that’s necessary for nerve and muscle operation. It is also needed to help balance blood pressure and regulate the fluid in our cells.
How can I get the recommended amount of sodium? It’s far more common for people to consume too much sodium than not enough. Sodium is found in most of the foods we consume — even fruits and vegetables. Processed and packaged foods tend to have the most sodium. Salad dressings, sauces and soups also have loads of sodium.
Sodium supplements — take or skip? Hyponatremia is the medical name for sodium deficiency. It’s a very serious condition that can eventually affect the normal functions of the brain. Those prone to hyponatremia are older adults, people taking antidepressant medications, people with kidney disease and folks who use diuretics.
Fortunately, most of us can skip sodium supplements. However, if your doctor finds that you are sodium deficient, electrolyte drinks may help bring your levels back to normal. Similarly, just adding table salt to your meals will help.
Looking to build up your biceps? Iron helps the body provide connective tissue to support those big guns while you flex. For your red blood cells to carry oxygen all throughout the body, you need iron. For your body to manufacture certain hormones, you need iron. Without this essential trace element, our bodies would cease to function.
How can I get the recommended amount of iron? Egg yolks, beef or pork liver, red meat and dark-meat poultry are all excellent sources of iron. On the vegetarian side, add chickpeas or hummus to your diet. Chickpeas are a fantastic source of iron. Likewise, breakfast cereals, bars and granola are often loaded with iron. Another easy way to increase your iron intake is to cook your food in cast-iron pans.
Even though iron is a nutrient that’s often added to many packaged foods these days, iron deficiency is still quite common in the western world. Why? One reason is that many people enjoy an iron-fortified breakfast along with a large cup of coffee or strong tea. Caffeine blocks the body’s natural ability to absorb iron and other essential nutrients. If you’re planning to get iron through the diet alone, make sure you don’t drink caffeinated beverages with your meals. Experts recommend separating caffeine from foods high in iron by at least an hour.
Iron supplements — take or skip? Some people need more iron than others. For instance, women who are of child-bearing age and regularly menstruating need more iron than most men. Nonetheless, you’ll need to have a complete blood count (CBC) test performed to determine the iron levels in your blood. We don’t recommend taking an iron supplement unless you’re sure you need one.
Considered an essential trace element for the human body, copper is needed in very small amounts. For babies in utero, copper is required for general human development. For adults, copper works alongside iron, which is another essential trace element, to help manufacture and transport red blood cells throughout the body. Copper is also essential for a properly functioning immune system.
How can I get the recommended amount of copper? Good news — you don’t have to grind pennies into your morning smoothie to get the recommended daily amount of copper. If you regularly eat oysters, sunflower seeds, avocados, black pepper, Brazil nuts and green olives, you’re way ahead of the game. Blackstrap molasses also contains copper, among other essential nutrients.
Copper supplements — take or skip? It’s fairly rare to have a severe copper deficiency. However, people who neglect themselves may be lacking in the metal. Heavy alcohol drinkers are at high risk for a copper deficiency as are pregnant and nursing mothers if they aren’t eating well. Another group that may have depleted copper stores are those taking zinc or iron supplements. Both zinc and iron can inhibit the absorption of dietary copper.
Because it’s easy to get toxic levels of copper from supplements, we don’t advise taking a copper supplement unless you’re directed by a trusted health care practitioner. Speak with your doctor about supplementing if you have the aforementioned lifestyle or health issues that may put you at risk for copper deficiency.
A trace mineral important for regulating blood sugar, calcium absorption and carbohydrate metabolism, manganese is critical to the skeletal formation of the human body.
How can I get the recommended amount of manganese? Pumpkin seeds are high in manganese. Also, whole grain bread is generally a good source. Tofu, lima beans and cooked spinach also help you get all the daily manganese you need.
Manganese supplements — take or skip? Skip this one if you have a varied diet and are not suffering from a rare manganese deficiency.
The NIH states that zinc is “required for the catalytic activity of approximately 100 enzymes and it plays a role in immune function, protein synthesis, wound healing, DNA synthesis and cell division.” Zinc also helps us to taste and smell.
How can I get the recommended amount of Zinc? Oysters are incredibly high in zinc. Even just a half serving of oysters will net you twice the recommended daily amount of zinc as well as several other important nutrients and minerals. Other foods rich in zinc include beef, crab, lobster and most fortified breakfast cereals. Beans and dark meat chicken also contain some zinc.
Zinc supplements — take or skip? While most children and adults get adequate amounts of zinc from a healthy and varied diet, zinc deficiency is a risk for individuals with alcoholic tendencies or certain digestive diseases. Vegetarians and vegans often have trouble getting enough dietary zinc as well. Some studies have also shown that older adults are more likely than younger people to be deficient in zinc. Careful supplementation is recommended for those with limited diets or a known deficiency. As with most minerals, supplementation should be done thoughtfully and with the advice of your health care practitioner.
Food vs. supplements
By and large, it’s better to get your minerals from whole food sources when it’s possible. A healthy, varied diet contains so much more than just minerals and can help your body process and use the essential nutrients more effectively than swallowing a pill. When you have the choice between a tray full of mineral-rich seafood and a zinc supplement, pick the seafood!
A note on mineral supplementation and safety
Essential minerals are extremely important to the body. However, in excess, many of these nutrients can be toxic. We recommend visiting your doctor or independent lab for a complete blood panel prior to any mineral supplementation plan. Always keep mineral supplements well out of the reach of children and pets.
Almond milk, blue diamond unsweetened nutrition facts & calories. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/custom/278488/2
Fisk, M. (2017). Reasons not to take magnesium supplements. Retrieved from https://www.livestrong.com/article/253202-reasons-not-to-take-magnesium-supplements/
Functions and food sources of some common minerals. (2011). Retrieved from https://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Minerals/Functions-and-Food-Sources-of-Common-Minerals.aspx
Martel, J. (2017). Low blood sodium hyponatremia. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/hyponatremia
Sears, W. (n.d.). Why do you need calcium? Retrieved from https://www.askdrsears.com/topics/feeding-eating/family-nutrition/calcium/why-do-you-need-calcium
Sullivan, D. (2015). Phosphorus in your diet. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/phosphorus-in-diet
The effect of caffeine on vitamin absorption. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/vitamins-minerals/the-effect-of-caffeine-on-vitamin-absorption.html
Ware, M. (2018). Everything you need to know about potassium. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/287212.php
Wax, E. (2017). Magnesium in diet. Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002423.htm
Whitbread, D. (n.d.). Top 10 foods highest in potassium. Retrieved from https://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-potassium.php
Zinc fact sheet for health professionals. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/ |
A few years ago my husband and I went to visit the ‘Sagrada Familia’, in Barcelona. Designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi, and begun in 1882, it is as famous for being unfinished as its magnificent architecture.
Consecrated despite being unfinished, it is intended as a place for people to go and praise, pray, learn and reflect. Gaudi himself said, “La Sagrada Família is made by the people and is mirrored in them. It is a work in the hands of God and the will of the people.”
The Spanish word for ‘church’ is iglesia, derived from the Greek word ἐκκλησία (ekklesia). Like the English term ‘church’, iglesia is used to describe both a place of Christian worship and the community of people who meet there.
However, for the earliest Christians, ‘church’ was never about buildings. They met in each other’s homes (Col 4.15; Philemon 2) to break bread, pray and worship together. Each day they would go about their daily lives, telling others about what they were learning and experiencing as followers of Jesus (Acts 2.41-47). They were κυριακός (kuriakos) – meaning they belonged to God – the term from which ‘kirk’ (Scottish) and ‘church’ (English) are derived. And if the book of Acts (2.47) and Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians (1.6-10) are accurate in their depiction of how their example impacted on their wider communities, as a way of life it was irresistible.
These ekklesiae (plural of ekklesia), as the churches were known, were not only irresistible in the way they demonstrated love, generosity and grace. They were radical too. The term ekklesia, literally translated, means ‘the called-out’. In Jesus’ time it was a term routinely used for an elected civic body in the Roman Empire. By adopting it for their own use, the earliest Jesus-followers were demonstrating that they were already operating as organised groups. More notably, they adopted an egalitarian structure which was, at that time, totally counter-cultural. There was no distinction between slaves and free citizens, women were as likely as men to lead the churches, and Jewish believers had parity with Gentiles (non-Jews). Most importantly and radically of all, they refused to acknowledge the Roman Emperor as a god – and that was what really marked them out and set them apart from others.
I dearly wish we had two words for ‘church’ – one for buildings and one for communities – but we don’t. The Sagrada Familia teaches us that there is nothing wrong with the awe-striking magnificence of an iglesia/church – after all, our ability to appreciate such beauty is a gift from God. But there is more to ‘church’ than draw-droppingly beautiful buildings. As Christians we are called to ‘be’ church – shaping our lives as Jesus taught and the early disciples demonstrated: to love God with a passion, and to live in community with an attitude of generosity and grace that others just won’t be able to resist.
To read about a theology of church based on love click here. |
The ears are one of our five sense organs but most of us take very little care of them. And a lot of us are gradually losing our hearing owing to neglect, misuse and wilful damage. The inability to hear properly and the consequent misinterpretation of what is heard can lead to misunderstandings with friends and social isolation. It can also be dangerous, as motor horns, bells, sirens and even warnings shouted may be missed.
Some babies are born deaf as an isolated defect or part of a complex plethora of congenital defects and syndromes. Sometimes the mother contracts measles, mumps or chicken pox during the first few months of pregnancy and deafness occurs in the baby as a result.
Hearing should be checked soon after birth. Some babies can hear, but develop post-lingual (after speech develops) hearing loss. Minor hearing loss can begin by age 20, with difficulty in hearing whispers and soft speech. By the time one reaches 65, 30 per cent have significant hearing loss while 50 per cent are quite deaf by the time they cross 75. Age related gradual degenerative deafness is called presbycusis.
The ear consists of the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear. Sound waves enter through the outer ear and cause vibrations at the eardrum. Three small bones of the middle ear amplify these vibrations as they pass to the inner ear, which contains a fluid-filled snail shaped structure called cochlea. Sound waves make the tiny hairs attached to the nerve cells in the cochlea move in different directions. This transforms the sound waves into electrical signals that are transmitted to the brain.
Continuous exposure to loud sound can damage the fine hair on the nerve cells, leading to progressive loss of hearing. This can be occupational in people who work with loud machinery. It is becoming common in teenagers who use “in ear” earphones to listen to loud music prolonged periods. Even soft piano music should not be listened to for more than two hours at a stretch.
Difficulty in hearing can also occur because of the external ear canal being blocked with wax. This can also lead to severe ear ache. It can be tackled with wax dissolving eardrops. A physician can clean it out. Ear buds tend to push hard wax further inwards, blocking the canal further. Pins and other sharp objects should never be inserted into the ear as they can damage the eardrum.
The middle ear is prone to viral and bacterial infections. Fluid and pus can collect, causing temporary hearing loss. Viral infections are unavoidable but immunisation is available against H. Influenzae and pneumococcus, the two common bacteria that cause ear infections in childhood. These injections are not part of the free national immunisation schedule; they are classified as “optional” vaccines and have to be paid for.
If left untreated, middle ear infections can result in hearing loss. The infection can spread outwards damaging the eardrum or inwards causing brain fever and meningitis. It can also damage the nerves conducting sounds to the brain.
Childhood infections such as measles, mumps and chicken pox could cause deafness as a complication. This too is preventable with immunisation. Vaccinations for all these diseases should be completed by the age of two.
Hearing loss can develop because of a defect either in the conduction pathways or in the nerve cells. It can also be a side effect of medication such as chloroquine, quinine and aspirin as well as antibiotics like gentamicin and kanamycin.
A sudden blow to the head, or a poke with a sharp object can also rupture the eardrum. Sudden loud noises can have the same effect. In war zones, there are “epidemics” of deafness where large numbers of the population cannot hear. Children are particularly vulnerable.
Once hearing loss has set in it should be evaluated professionally to assess the severity, whether one or both ears are affected and if it is reversible and curable.
Small holes in the eardrum can heal spontaneously or with medication. Larger holes require surgical repair, with skin grafts. In permanent hearing loss, a hearing aid should be considered, particularly in older individuals. Hearing aids vary in price, size and usability. The individual has to be fitted with the aid that suits him best. Cochlear implant surgery is also an effective but expensive solution.
Tips to preserve hearing:
• If occupational exposure to loud noise is inevitable, use ear mufflers.
• Turn TV and music volumes down.
• Do not place foreign objects in the ear.
• Children should be immunised against measles, mumps, German measles, chicken pox, H. influenza and pneumococcus.
• Women should complete their immunisation schedule before marriage.
Ménière’s disease is a disorder of the inner ear that can affect hearing and balance to a varying degree. It is characterized by episodes of vertigo — a sensation of a spinning motion — along with fluctuating hearing loss, ringing in the ear (tinnitus), and sometimes a feeling of fullness or pressure in your ear. In most cases, Meniere’s disease affects only one ear. CLICK TO SEE THE PICTURE
People in their 40s and 50s are more likely than people in other age groups to develop Meniere’s disease, but it can occur in anyone, even children. click to see the picture
Although Meniere’s disease is considered a chronic condition, there are various treatment strategies that can help relieve symptoms and minimize the disease’s long-term impact on your life.
It is named after the French physician Prosper Ménière, who, in an article published in 1861, first reported that vertigo was caused by inner ear disorders. The condition affects people differently; it can range in intensity from being a mild annoyance to a chronic, lifelong disability
The symptoms of Ménière’s are variable; not all sufferers experience the same symptoms. However, so-called “classic Ménière’s” is considered to have the following four symptoms: CLICK TO SEE THE POICTURE
*Periodic episodes of rotary vertigo or dizziness.
*Fluctuating, progressive, unilateral (in one ear) or bilateral (in both ears) hearing loss, usually in lower frequencies.
*Unilateral or bilateral tinnitus.
*A sensation of fullness or pressure in one or both ears.
Ménière’s often begins with one symptom, and gradually progresses. However, not all symptoms must be present for a doctor to make a diagnosis of the disease. Several symptoms at once is more conclusive than different symptoms at separate times.
Attacks of rotational vertigo can be severe, incapacitating, and unpredictable and can last anywhere from minutes to hours, but generally no longer than 24 hours. For some sufferers however, prolonged attacks can occur, lasting from several days to several weeks, often causing the sufferer to be severely incapacitated. This combines with an increase in volume of tinnitus and temporary, albeit significant, hearing loss. Hearing may improve after an attack, but often becomes progressively worse. Nausea, vomiting, and sweating sometimes accompany vertigo, but are symptoms of vertigo, and not of Ménière’s.
Some sufferers experience what are informally known as “drop attacks”—a sudden, severe attack of dizziness or vertigo that causes the sufferer, if not seated, to fall without warning. Drop attacks are likely to occur later in the disease, but can occur at any time. Patients may also experience the feeling of being pushed or pulled. Some patients may find it impossible to get up for some time, until the attack passes or medication takes effect.
In addition to hearing loss, sounds can appear tinny or distorted, and patients can experience unusual sensitivity to noises.
Some sufferers also experience nystagmus, or uncontrollable rhythmical and jerky eye movements, usually in the horizontal plane, reflecting the essential role of non-visual balance in coordinating eye movements
There is an increased prevalence of migraine in patients with Ménière’s disease. As well, migraine leads to a greater susceptibility of developing Ménière’s disease. The distinction between migraine-associated vertigo and Ménière’s is that migraine-associated vertigo may last for more than 24 hours
Ménière’s disease is idiopathic, but it is believed to be linked to endolymphatic hydrops, an excess of fluid in the inner ear.
he inner ear is a cluster of connected passages and cavities called a labyrinth. The outside of the inner ear is made of bone (bony labyrinth). Inside is a soft structure of membrane (membranous labyrinth) that’s a slightly smaller, similarly shaped version of the bony labyrinth. The membranous labyrinth contains a fluid (endolymph) and is lined with hair-like sensors that respond to movement of the fluid. …
In order for all of the sensors in the inner ear to function properly, the fluid needs to retain a certain volume, pressure and chemical composition. Factors that alter the properties of inner ear fluid may help cause Meniere’s disease. Scientists have proposed a number of potential causes or triggers, including:
*Improper fluid drainage, perhaps because of a blockage or anatomic abnormality
Because no single cause has been identified, it’s likely that Meniere’s disease is caused by a combination of factors.
The unpredictable episodes of vertigo are usually the most debilitating problem of Meniere’s disease. The episodes often force a person to lie down for several hours and lose time from work or leisure activities, and they can cause emotional stress.
Vertigo can also increase your risk of:
*Accidents while driving a car or operating heavy machinery
*Depression or anxiety in dealing with the disease
*Permanent hearing loss
Doctors establish a diagnosis with complaints and medical history. However, a detailed otolaryngological examination, audiometry and head MRI scan should be performed to exclude a vestibular schwannoma or superior canal dehiscence which would cause similar symptoms. There is no definitive test for Ménière’s, it is only diagnosed when all other causes have been ruled out. If any cause had been discovered, this would eliminate Ménière’s disease, as by its very definition, as an exclusively idiopathic disease, it has no known causes.
Because Ménière’s cannot be cured, treatments focus more on addressing symptoms. In extreme cases, it is necessary to destroy vestibular hair cells with the antibiotic streptomycin or to remove the affected labyrinth surgically in order to relieve severe vertigo. Patients are sometimes treated by the insertion of a shunt that diverts excess endolymph directly to the cerebrospinal fluid, a procedure that is not always effective. Typical remedies to improve symptoms may include:
*Antihistamines considered antiemetics such as meclozine and dimenhydrinate
*Antiemetic drugs such as trimethobenzamide.
*Antivertigo/antianxiety drugs such as betahistine and diazepam.
*Herbal remedies such as ginger root
Sufferers tend to have high stress and anxiety due to the unpredictable nature of the disease. Healthy ways to combat this stress can include aromatherapy, yoga, T’ai chi., and meditation.
If symptoms do not improve with typical treatment, more permanent surgery is considered. Unfortunately, because the inner ear deals with both balance and hearing, few surgeries guarantee no hearing loss.
Nondestructive surgeries include those which do not actively remove any functionality, but rather aim to improve the way the ear works.
Intratympanic steroid treatments involve injecting steroids (commonly dexamethasone) into the middle ear in order to reduce inflammation and alter inner ear circulation.
Surgery to decompress the endolymphatic sac has shown to be effective for temporary relief from symptoms. Most patients see a decrease in vertigo occurrence, while their hearing may be unaffected. This treatment, however, does not address the long-term course of vertigo in Ménière’s disease. Danish studies even link this surgery to a very strong placebo effect, and that very little difference occurred in a 9-year followup, but could not deny the efficacy of the treatment
Destructive surgeries are irreversible, and involve removing entire functionality of most, if not all, of the affected ear.
The inner ear itself can be surgically removed via labyrinthectomy. Hearing is always completely lost in the affected ear with this operation. Alternatively, a chemical labyrinthectomy, in which a drug (such as gentamicin) that “kills” the vestibular apparatus is injected into the middle ear can accomplish the same results while retaining hearing.
Alternatively, surgeons can cut the nerve to the balance portion of the inner ear in a vestibular neurectomy. Hearing is often mostly preserved, however the surgery involves cutting open into the lining of the brain, and a hospital stay of a few days for monitoring would be required.
Vertigo (and the associated nausea and vomiting) typically accompany the recovery from destructive surgeries as the brain learns to compensate
Physiotherapists also have a role in the management of Meniere’s disease. In vestibular rehabilitation, physiotherapists use interventions aimed at stabilizing gaze, reducing dizziness and increasing postural balance within the context of activities of daily living. After a vestibular assessment is conducted, the physiotherapist tailors the treatment plan to the needs of that specific patient.
The central nervous system (CNS) can be re-trained because of its plasticity, or alterability, as well as its repetitious pathways. During vestibular rehabilitation, physiotherapists take advantage of this characteristic of the CNS by provoking symptoms of dizziness or unsteadiness with head movements while allowing the visual, somatosensory and vestibular systems to interpret the information. This leads to a continuous decrease in symptoms.
Although a significant amount of research has been done regarding vestibular rehabilitation in other disorders, substantially less has been done specifically on Meniere’s disease. However, vestibular physiotherapy is currently accepted as part of best practices in the management of this condition
Ménière’s disease usually starts confined to one ear, but it often extends to involve both ears over time. The number of patients who end up with bilaterial Ménière’s is debated, with ranges spanning from 17% to 75%.
Some Ménière’s disease sufferers, in severe cases, may end up losing their jobs, and will be on disability until the disease burns out. However, a majority (60-80%) of sufferers will not need permanent disability and will recover with or without medical help.
Hearing loss usually fluctuates in the beginning stages and becomes more permanent in later stages, although hearing aids and cochlear implants can help remedy damage. Tinnitus can be unpredictable, but patients usually get used to it over time.
Ménière’s disease, being unpredictable, has a variable prognosis. Attacks could come more frequently and more severely, less frequently and less severely, and anywhere in between. However, Ménière’s is known to “burn out” when vestibular function has been destroyed to a stage where vertigo attacks cease.
Studies done on both right and left ear sufferers show that patients with their right ear affected tend to do significantly worse in cognitive performance. General intelligence was not hindered, and it was concluded that declining performance was related to how long the patient had been suffering from the disease
Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose
The labyrinth is a group of interconnected canals chambers located in the inner ear. It is made up of the cochlea and the semicircular canals. The cochlea is involved in transmitting sounds to the brain. The semicircular canals send information to the brain about the head’s position and how it is moving. The brain uses this information to maintain balance. Labyrinthitis is caused by the inflammation of the labyrinth. Its most frequent symptom is vertigo ( dizziness ), because the information that the semicircular canals send to the brain about the position of the head is affected. click & see the pictures
The labyrinth is a system of narrow fluid-filled channels in the inner ear, which is involved in the detection of body movement, helping to control balance and posture.
In addition to balance control problems, a labyrinthitis patient may encounter hearing loss and tinnitus. Labyrinthitis is usually caused by a virus, but it can also arise from bacterial infection, head injury, extreme stress, an allergy or as a reaction to a particular medication. Both bacterial and viral labyrinthitis can cause permanent hearing loss, although this is rare.
Labyrinthitis is rare and is more likely to occur after middle ear infections, meningitis , or upper respiratory infection. It may also occur after trauma, because of a tumor, or after the ingesting of toxic substances. It is thought to be more common in females than in males.
•These symptoms often are provoked or made worse by moving your head, sitting up, rolling over, or looking upward.
•Symptoms may last for days or even weeks depending on the cause and severity.
*Symptoms may come back, so be careful about driving, working at heights, or operating heavy machinery for at least 1 week from the time the symptoms end.
*Rarely, the condition may last all your life, as with Meniere’s disease. This condition usually involves tinnitus and hearing loss with the vertigo. In rare cases it can be debilitating.
Many times, you cannot determine the cause of labyrinthitis. Often, the condition follows a viral illness such as a cold or the flu. Viruses, or your body’s immune response to them, may cause inflammation that results in labyrinthitis.
Other potential causes are these:
•Trauma or injury to your head or ear
•Bacterial infections: If found in nearby structures such as your middle ear, such infections may cause the following:
*Fluid to collect in the labyrinth (serous labyrinthitis)
*Fluid to directly invade the labyrinth, causing pus-producing (suppurative) labyrinthitis
•A benign tumor of the middle ear
•Certain medications taken in high doses
*Some IV antibiotics
*Phenytoin (Dilantin) at toxic levels
•Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: With this condition, small stones, or calcified particles, break off within the vestibule and bounce around. The particles trigger nerve impulses that the brain interprets as movement.
•More serious causes of vertigo can mimic labyrinthitis, but these occur rarely.
*Tumors at the base of the brain
*Strokes or insufficient blood supply to the brainstem or the nerves surrounding the labyrinth
Diagnosis of labyrinthitis is based on a combination of the individual’s symptoms and history, especially a history of a recent upper respiratory infection. The doctor will test the child’s hearing and order a laboratory culture to identify the organism if the patient has a discharge.
If there is no history of a recent infection, the doctor will order tests such as a commuted topography (CT) scan or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan to help rule out other possible causes of vertigo, such as tumors. If it is believed a bacterium is causing the labyrinthitis, blood tests may be done, or any fluid draining from the ear may be analyzed to help determine what type of bacteria is present.
Labyrinthitis, or inner ear infection, causes the labyrinth area of the ear to become inflamed. (Illustration by GGS Information Services.) Recovery:
Recovery from acute labyrinthine inflammation generally takes from one to six weeks; however, it is not uncommon for residual symptoms (dysequilibrium and/or dizziness) to last for many months or even years if permanent damage occurs.
Recovery from a permanently damaged inner ear typically follows three phases:
1.An acute period, which may include severe vertigo and vomiting
2.approximately two weeks of sub-acute symptoms and rapid recovery
3.finally a period of chronic compensation[clarification needed] which may last for months or years.
Labyrinthitis and anxiety:
Chronic anxiety is a common side effect of labyrinthitis which can produce tremors, heart palpitations, panic attacks, derealization and depression. Often a panic attack is one of the first symptoms to occur as labyrinthitis begins. While dizziness can occur from extreme anxiety, labyrinthitis itself can precipitate a panic disorder. Three models have been proposed to explain the relationship between vestibular dysfunction and panic disorder:
*Psychosomatic model: vestibular dysfunction which occurs as a result of anxiety.
*Somatopsychic model: panic disorder triggered by misinterpreted internal stimuli (e.g., stimuli from vestibular dysfunction), that are interpreted as signifying imminent physical danger. Heightened sensitivity to vestibular sensations leads to increased anxiety and, through conditioning, drives the development of panic disorder.
*Network alarm theory: panic which involves noradrenergic, serotonergic, and other connected neuronal systems. According to this theory, panic can be triggered by stimuli that set off a false alarm via afferents to the locus ceruleus, which then triggers the neuronal network. This network is thought to mediate anxiety and includes limbic, midbrain and prefrontal areas. Vestibular dysfunction in the setting of increased locus ceruleus sensitivity may be a potential trigger. Treatment:
Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) is a highly effective way to substantially reduce or eliminate residual dizziness from labyrinthitis. VRT works by causing the brain to use already existing neural mechanisms for adaptation, plasticity, and compensation.
Rehabilitation strategies most commonly used are: *Gaze stability exercises – moving the head from side to side while fixated on a stationary object (aimed to restore the Vestibulo-ocular reflex) An advanced progression of this exercise would be walking in a straight line while looking side to side by turning the head.
*Habituation exercises – movements designed to provoke symptoms and subsequently reduce the negative vestibular response upon repetition. Examples of these include Brandt-Daroff exercises.
*Functional retraining – including postural control, relaxation, and balance training.
These exercises function by challenging the vestibular system. Progression occurs by increasing the amplitude of the head or focal point movements, increasing the speed of movement, and combining movements such as walking and head turning.
One study found that patients who believed their illness was out of their control showed the slowest progression to full recovery, long after the initial vestibular injury had healed. The study revealed that the patient who compensated well was one who, at the psychological level, was not afraid of the symptoms and had some positive control over them. Notably, a reduction in negative beliefs over time was greater in those patients treated with rehabilitation than in those untreated. “Of utmost importance, baseline beliefs were the only significant predictor of change in handicap at 6 months followup.”
Prochlorperazine is commonly prescribed to help alleviate the symptoms of vertigo and nausea.
Because anxiety interferes with the balance compensation process, it is important to treat an anxiety disorder and/or depression as soon as possible to allow the brain to compensate for any vestibular damage. Acute anxiety can be treated in the short term with benzodiazepines such as diazepam (Valium); however, long-term use is not recommended because of the addictive nature of benzodiazepines and the interference they may cause with vestibular compensation and adaptive plasticity. Benzodiazepines and any other form of mind or mood altering addictive drug should not be used on patients with addictive history.
Most people who have labyrinthitis recover completely, although it often takes five to six weeks for the vertigo to disappear entirely and the individual’s hearing to return to normal. In a few cases, the hearing loss may be permanent. Permanent hearing loss is more common in cases of labyrinthitis that are caused by bacteria. For some individuals, episodes of dizziness may still occur months after the main episode is over.
The most effective preventive strategy includes prompt treatment of middle ear infections, as well as monitoring of patients with mumps, measles, influenza, or colds for signs of dizziness or hearing problems.
Labyrinthitis generally resolves by itself; however, in some cases permanent hearing loss can result. Labyrinthitis may cause repeated episodes of vertigo even after the main symptoms have gone away. If the episodes occur when the head is moved suddenly, this can make it difficult for a child to engage in some physical activities or sports .
Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose Resources:
Kabuki syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by unusual facial features, skeletal abnormalities, and intellectual impairment. Abnormalities in different organ systems can also be present, but vary from individual to individual. There is no cure for Kabuki syndrome, and treatment centers on the specific abnormalities, as well as on strategies to improve the overall functioning and quality of life of the affected person.Kabuki syndrome appears to be found equally in males and females.
Scientific research conducted over the past two decades suggests that Kabuki syndrome may be associated with a change in the genetic material. However, it is still not known precisely what this genetic change may be and how this change in the genetic material alters growth and development in the womb to cause Kabuki syndrome.
In Japan, it has been estimated that about one in 32,000 babies is born with Kabuki syndrome (which could mean about 50 cases a year in the UK). Although originally reported in Japan, cases have now been described around the world.
It was discovered and described in 1981 by two Japanese groups, led by the scientists Niikawa and Kuroki (hence the name). It is named Kabuki Syndrome because of the facial resemblance of affected individuals with white Kabuki makeup, a Japanese traditional theatrical form. On the Kabuki Syndrome listserv, children with this syndrome are called Kabuki Kids, or KKs.
People with the syndrome have an unusual facial appearance, characterised by large eyes, long and thick eyelashes and arched eyebrows.
Infants usually have normal birth weight, but most will not grow as quickly as expected. Delay in speech and language development is very common. Many infants also have problems feeding.
Kabuki syndrome is very complex and there are many other manifestations.
The cause is unknown – a genetic abnormality is suspected but has not yet been identified.It’s likely that if a gene is involved it’s a rare and random mutation that occurs sporadically.
Inheritance is thought to be autosomal dominant or X-linked recessive; several chromosomal abnormalities have been found, but none of them appear to be specific to Kabuki Syndrome. In August 2010, a study found that two thirds of the cases have a loss-of-function mutation in the MLL2 gene, which is coding for a histone methyltransferase; it can participate in epigenetic programming, and is thought to contribute to developmental processes.
The diagnosis of Kabuki syndrome relies on physical exam by a physician familiar with the condition and by radiographic evaluation, such as the use of x rays or ultrasound to define abnormal or missing structures that are consistent with the criteria for the condition (as described above). A person can be diagnosed with Kabuki syndrome if they possess characteristics consistent with the five different groups of cardinal symptoms: typical face, skin-surface abnormalities, skeletal abnormalities, mild to moderate mental retardation, and short stature.
Although a diagnosis may be made as a newborn, most often the features do not become fully evident until early childhood. There is no laboratory blood or genetic test that can be used to identify people with Kabuki syndrome.
There is no cure for Kabuki syndrome. Treatment of the syndrome is variable and centers on correcting the different manifestations of the condition and on strategies to improve the overall functioning and quality of life of the affected individual.
For children with heart defects, surgical repair is often necessary. This may take place shortly after birth if the heart abnormality is life threatening, but often physicians will prefer to attempt a repair once the child has grown older and the heart is more mature. For children who experience seizures, lifelong treatment with anti-seizure medications is often necessary.
Children with Kabuki syndrome often have difficulties feeding, either because of mouth abnormalities or because of poor digestion. In some cases, a tube that enters into the stomach is surgically placed in the abdomen, and specially designed nutritional liquids are administered through the tube directly into the stomach.
People with Kabuki syndrome are at higher risk for a variety of infections, most often involving the ears and the lungs. In cases such as these, antibiotics are given to treat the infection, and occasionally brief hospital stays are necessary. Most children recover from these infections with proper treatment.
Nearly half of people affected by Kabuki syndrome have some degree of hearing loss. In these individuals, formal hearing testing is recommended to determine if they might benefit from a hearing-aid. A hearing aid is a small mechanical device that sits behind the ear and amplifies sound into the ear of the affected individual. Occasionally, hearing loss in individuals with Kabuki syndrome is severe, approaching total hearing loss. In these cases, early and formal education using American Sign Language as well as involvement with the hearing-impaired community, schools, and enrichment programs is appropriate.
Children with Kabuki syndrome should be seen regularly by a team of health care professionals, including a primary care provider, medical geneticist familiar with the condition, gastroenterologist, and neurologist. After growth development is advanced enough (usually late adolescence or early adulthood), consultation with a reconstructive surgeon may be of use to repair physical abnormalities that are particularly debilitating.
During early development and progressing into young adulthood, children with Kabuki syndrome should be educated and trained in behavioral and mechanical methods to adapt to any disabilities. This program is usually initiated and overseen by a team of health care professionals including a pediatrician, physical therapist, and occupational therapist. A counselor specially trained to deal with issues of disabilities in children is often helpful is assessing problem areas and encouraging healthy development of self-esteem. Support groups and community organizations for people with disabilities often prove useful to the affected individuals and their families, and specially equipped enrichment programs should be sought. Further, because many children with Kabuki syndrome have poor speech development, a consultation and regular session with a speech therapist is appropriate.
The abilities of children with Kabuki syndrome vary greatly. Most children with the condition have a mild to moderate intellectual impairment. Some children will be able to follow a regular education curriculum, while others will require adaptations or modifications to their schoolwork. Many older children may learn to read at a functional level.
The prognosis of children with Kabuki syndrome depends on the severity of the symptoms and the extent to which the appropriate treatments are available. Most of the medical issues regarding heart, kidney or intestinal abnormalities arise early in the child’s life and are improved with medical treatment. Since Kabuki syndrome was discovered relatively recently, very little is known regarding the average life span of individuals affected with the condition, however, present data on Kabuki syndrome does not point to a shortened life span.
Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose
Definition: Goldenhar syndrome is a rare congenital defect characterized by incomplete development of the ear, nose, soft palate, lip, and mandible. It is associated with anomalous development of the first branchial arch and second branchial arch. Common clinical manifestations include limbal dermoids, preauricular skin tags, and strabismus.It is a highly complex combination of malformations which leaves babies with an underdeveloped face.
The term is sometimes used interchangeably with hemifacial microsomia, although this definition is usually reserved for cases without internal organ/verterbrae disruption.
Goldenhar syndrome was first described by Dr. Maurice Goldenhar in 1952.
It affects between 1/3500 to 1/26000 live births in the UK
Chief markers of Goldenhar syndrome are incomplete development of the ear, nose, soft palate, lip, and mandible on usually one side of the body. Additionally, some patients will have growing issues with internal organs, especially heart, kidneys, and lungs. Typically, the organ will either not be present on one side or will be underdeveloped. Note that whilst it is more usual for there to be problems on only one side, it has been known for defects to occur bilaterally (approximate incidence 10% of confirmed GS cases).
The main features of the condition affect the ear, which may not have developed at all. This combines with underdevelopment of the jaw and cheek on the same side of the face. When these are the only problems it is normally referred to as hemi-facial microsomia and sometimes the condition stops there. But when associated with other abnormalities, particularly affecting the vertebrae in the neck it is referred to as Goldenhar Syndrome, or ‘oculoauricular dysplasia’. Dental problems are common due to the difference between both sides of the face and the jaw bones.
Goldenhar children very occasionally have been known to have heart and kidney abnormalities.
Most individuals with the syndrome are of normal intelligence although learning difficulties can occur in about 13% of cases. However there are usually language problems as a result of deafness and there may be speech and swallowing problems.
Many babies with Goldenhar Syndrome have poor weight gain in the first year or two of life as a result of their dental abnormalities.
The cause of Goldenhar syndrome is largely unknown. However, it is thought to be multifactorial, although there may be a genetic component, which would account for certain familial patterns. It has been suggested that there is a branchial arch development issue late in the first trimester.
An increase in Goldenhar syndrome in the children of Gulf War veterans has been suggested but the difference was shown to be statistically insignificant
There is not a genetic test that can diagnose Goldenhar syndrome. The diagnosis is made when an individual has the common symptoms associated with the condition. The diagnosis is made by a physician.
Once a child is diagnosed with Goldenhar syndrome, additional tests should be performed. A hearing evaluation is necessary to determine if there is hearing loss. If hearing loss is evident, the child should be referred to a hearing specialist. Speech therapy may also be helpful. X rays of the spine are recommended to determine if there are vertebral problems, and the severity. Individuals with Goldenhar syndrome should also be regularly evaluated for scoliosis. Renal ultrasounds and ultrasounds of the heart may also be recommended, due to the increased risk for birth defects in these areas. A doctor would make this recommendation. Finally, individuals with Goldenhar syndrome should be evaluated by an eye doctor (ophthalmologist).
Surgery may be required to correct the birth defects seen in Goldenhar syndrome. Surgery to correct the facial birth defects can improve appearance and function.
It is necessary to help the child to develop e.g. jaw distraction/bone grafts, occular dermoid debulking, repairing cleft palate/lip, repairing heart malformations, spinal surgery. Hearing aids placed in one or both ears.
Some patients with Goldenhar syndrome will require assistance as they grow by means of hearing aids or glasses.
The prognosis for individuals with Goldenhar syndrome is very good. These individuals typically have a normal life span and normal intelligence.
There has been progress in identifying the condition through pre-natal scanning and it is thought the risk of having another affected child is small.
Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose. |
B16_#157 // period, end of sentence // Berney Kimberley
The Sarangbang as culture sanctuary, defined as the mens room, often contains a separate study; the Sarangchae, forbidden to women as they aren’t to be educated. It is the place in which men cultivate and exchange their knowledge.
This gendered organisation is found in most societies through history. For some anthropologists, patriarchy and menstruations are deeply intertwined. In fact, the first signs of patriarchy were found in the Neolithic era and relies on the fact that men control their bodies, and women don’t. The fact that she loses her blood is understood as lack of control over her own body. This idea leads to a toxic assumption that she is made to suffer herself, to submit. On the contrary, as man is believed to control his erections, his emotions, his body, he is able to govern, to dominate. It is from that same time that periods are associated with impurity. As a result, while menstruating, women are excluded from religious and cultural activities as well as school. Those who menstruate cannot access the Sarangbang, cannot access knowledge. To this day, many girls cannot afford or access sanitary pads and are forced to turn to unhealthy alternatives.
As a symbol of woman empowerment and gender equality, the modern Sarangbang should be an inclusive space for discussions and shelter cheap sanitary pad machines for young girls to recycle their waste into hygienic pads for free. To keep learning, to keep moving towards equality.
Kimberley Berney has studied at The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) |
Knowledge or perception of a situation or fact
Offense/defense and move with a purpose
Awareness is the CENTER of the pyramid. The heart beat. The reason for being. As with the cornerstones, skills that must be in place or the pyramid will collapse, so is awareness at the center of EVERYTHING. The structure may not fall without this center piece but it will not survive long without keen awareness, the beating of the competitive heart.
As of this writing in early 2019, Basics now has 103 program graduates who have played or are playing college basketball—11 at the Division 1 level. That number will likely double over the next few years. We build competitive habits, and in many respects it starts with AWARENESS.
One of the primary reasons why we have so many kids at these highest levels is we TEACH AWARENESS. Awareness is a skill, a skill so CENRAL TO THE GAME, this explains why this block resides DEAD CENTER in the pyramid. In fact, every single skill requires awareness , SHARP AWARENESS, for that player to excel.
The lists that follow are NOT all inclusive. Defining the game though required awareness and skills and trying then to compile the skills players should be aware of would take an HOUR!!. These are examples for coaches, parents and administrators in understanding what an appropriate level of awareness looks like in these 3 categories of players.
- Beginning players–Be AWARE who you are guarding, point to that player “MY MAN!”, don’t let that player beat you down the floor, When you PASS the ball, CUT HARD, either to the basket OR away from the ball, move to OPEN SPACE, not just to the ball, be aware who you are guarding and GUARD that player.
- Intermediate players–on DEFENSE: Below the line (positioning), be aware of an opponents strengths/weaknesses, anticipate their movements especially CUTS and try to impede their progress on the court. OFFENSE: Space the floor, sharp cuts to space, setting proper screens, being aware of good shot selection, no standing around, crash the offensive glass and then SPRINT the court
- Advanced players–Be aware and Honest with yourself about your skill/condition. Understand and take advantage of matchups, be aware of the game’s inherent imperfectability and be kind to yourself when you fail. DEFENSE: Jump to the ball, stab and recover, take charges, ALWAYS be aware of HELPING your team mates, TALK, TALK, TALK OFFENSE: Use of screens, Set up defender, different kinds of cuts, timing on cuts, fakes, passes, etc. Being aware of MATCH UPS and then taking advantage of any mis-matches, be aware of the CLOCK and understand time management
Basics does NOT SUBSCRIBE to the current model of travel, competition and CONSTANT play as youngsters develop in any sport. We know that emphasizing skills and school and appropriate adult modeling for these kids MUST COME FIRST. If you are interested in learning the Basics methodology for your program, your school district or your child, you are encouraged to explore the web site, the Pyramid of Skill, or to CALL or EMAIL with any questions. 616 402-1600 [email protected] Thank you |
The Link Between ADHD and Eating Disordersby Eileen Bailey Health Writer
Girls with ADHD may have a higher risk of developing eating disorders according to a study completed at the University of Virginia. Researchers believe that because ADHD goes undiagnosed in girls more frequently than in boys, depression and other problems may develop. One of those is self-esteem issues and dissatisfaction with body image. Impulsive behaviors can lead to binge eating and bulimia (purging oneself after eating large amounts of food).
There are a number of theories on what may cause the link between ADHD and eating disorders:
Eating disorders and impulse control
Dr. Patricia Quinn, Director of the National Center for Girls and Women with AD/HD, explains that both ADHD and eating disorders share the characteristics of lack of impulse control/self-regulation, depression and low self-esteem. Eating disorders may occur, according to Dr. Quinn, because "people eat for many reasons other than physiological hunger, including boredom, excitement, anger, sadness, food availability, reward and stress relief. Surrounded by highly desirable food, it may be difficult to say 'no' to the impulse to eat. " It is easy to understand how ADHD might put someone at a disadvantage, since difficulties with impulse control are a central defining attribute of ADHD. Individuals with ADHD tend to be dominated by the moment, reactive, and only later, regretful of their lack of foresight."
ADHD symptoms may contribute to eating disorders
Another explanation is offered by Dr. Carolyn Dukarm in her book Pieces of a Puzzle: The Link Between Eating Disorders and ADD. Dr. Dukarm explains that healthy eating habits require planning and organization, both areas of weakness for those with ADHD. In addition, many people with ADHD skip meals because of being distracted or hyperfocus. Their hunger then becomes so intense they overeat. Unhealthy eating habits become routine.
Self-medicating with food
Self-medicating is often associated with illegal drugs and alcohol, however, it can occur with any behaviors, including gambling, sexual addiction, over-spending and eating. Many people use food for comfort, to help ease the pain of stress, or to calm themselves. Eating certain foods may make you feel better, temporarily but, according to Wendy Richardson, often ends up causing other problems. In the article entitled The Link Between ADHD and Eating Disorders, Richardson explains that those with ADHD may crave foods high in sugars and carbohydrates because of the effect of these foods on their brain - raising levels of serotonin. However, as with many drugs, you need to consume more and more to get the same effect causing overeating.
Treatment for ADHD and eating disorders
As with any coexisting condition, an accurate diagnosis is the first step. When either the ADHD or the eating disorder goes undiagnosed, treatment only targets part of the problem. For example, if you are treated for an eating disorder without treating the underlying impulsivity or hyperactivity, then those factors continue and will make recovery that much harder. Dr. Quinn suggests a treatment plan that includes nutrition education, cognitive behavior therapy, ADHD medications and nutritional supplements. Other experts believe that including an antidepressant medication is helpful if there is underlying depression. |
“War, however tragic, is often a source of architectural invention,” writes Farès el-Dahdah.
“Beirut’s recent civil warfare produced many such inventions,” he suggests. “Black drapes, eight stories high and hung across urban interstices shielded pedestrians from the deadly trajectory of a sniper’s view so as to veil one fighting camp from another. Shipping containers were filled with sand and arranged as divisive labyrinths along frontlines… Entering a building became an oblique experience as one was forced to slither sideways behind oil barrels filled with concrete. War is inevitably linked with architectural experience…”
[Image: From Wonder Beirut, 1997-2004, by Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige].
According to architect Rodolphe el-Khoury in an article for Alphabet City #6, “In Beirut’s centre-city, where the busiest and densest structures once stood, now lies an empty field… a tabula rasa at the very heart of the city. This cleared ground has no discernible physical differentiation: all traces of streets and building masses are now erased. Also obliterated are the property lines, zoning envelopes and other invisible but no less ‘real’ demarcations which customarily determine or reflect urban morphologies.”
The larger, urban-geographic effects of war are well-described in this article by Katja Simons: “In the years of war, Beirut was divided along ideological and religious lines. A new mental map of the city emerged. The city was renamed East and West Beirut and was divided by the Green Line of demarcation… Self-sufficient sub-centers developed in different parts of the city, preventing civic interaction throughout Beirut. People fled the city and moved to safer places at the periphery. Shop owners and businesses followed, moving to the coastal areas north of the city where new suburban commercial centers mushroomed.”
A new geography of investment soon followed; and, beyond the bombs, Beirut’s infrastructure was transformed.
These internal erasures also affected the city’s natural coastline. The port of Beirut, for instance, served as a dumping ground for rubbish, as disposal of waste by other means was too dangerous. A moving coastline of garbage slowly infilled the sea.
[Image: By Gustafson Porter].
“The shoreline of Beirut has continuously evolved throughout history,” a landscape proposal by Gustafson Porter explains. In that proposal, Beirut’s “lost city coastline has become the inspiration for the creation of a series of new urban spaces.”
[Images: By Gustafson Porter].
“Within the historic context of the evolving shoreline, Gustafson Porter has suggested a new line… revealing elements of the changing historical coastline and acting as a connective spine. On the ground it is marked by a continuous line of white limestone that is accompanied by a wide pedestrian promenade lined by an avenue of distinctive palms (Roystonia regia).” (Download their PDF for more).
[Image: By Gustafson Porter].
What’s interesting here is the idea of building a new coastline, internal to the city. Framing that as a walk, an urban unit, and then leading people along this imagined shore. A new outside, inside.
All the old Devonian coastlines of Manhattan recreated for a day by a series of guided walks. You can download an MP3; it tells you how deep the water was at the corner of Front and John. Where reefs once grew. Marking those with white limestone: here was the sea…
BLDGBLOG Presents: The Paleo-Coastal Walkway, a new guide to the lost seas of Manhattan.
[Image: Bernard Khoury, Checkpoints, 1994].
In any case, Lebanese architect Bernard Khoury seems to view war as architecture pursued by other means. (Or perhaps vice versa).
Khoury, for instance, directly confronts the architecture of military control in a series of sci-fi urban checkpoints: “Our proposal plans for high-tech retractable and inhabitable structures that include monitoring systems. While at rest, the checkpoints are dissimulated below the tarmac, they are brought back above the surface when their operators are on duty. The checkpoints establish new roadmaps, they create another battlefield through which the whole territory is linked. The public transits through the selected points in the city, moves into the matrix to be referenced, crosschecked.”
[Image: Bernard Khoury, B018, 1998].
Khoury’s most famous work, however, is the Beiruti nightclub, B018, which melds an urban, post-war bunker aesthetic with the world of hydraulic disco: “The project is built below ground. Its façade is pressed into the ground to avoid the over exposure of a mass that could act as a rhetorical monument. The building is embedded in a circular concrete disc slightly above tarmac level. At rest, it is almost invisible. It comes to life in the late hours of the night when its articulated roof structure constructed in heavy metal retracts hydraulically. The opening of the roof exposes the club to the world above and reveals the cityscape as an urban backdrop to the patrons below.”
Checkpoints, bunkers, new walkways, moving coastlines, oblique forms of entry – architectural responses to urban warfare could take up a whole website of their own. It’s a theme I’ll return to.
For a bit more reading, meanwhile, check out this paper on war and anxiety, from the excellent Cabinet Magazine. |
For most of you, travelling the whole world is probably one of the biggest dreams you want to fulfill in your lifetime. There are lots of wonders in this planet which have already been discovered while others still remain a mystery to be unraveled. The Great Barrier Reef, which stretches more than 1, 400 miles, is among these natural wonders of the world found in Australia.
The Great Barrier Reef is basically the biggest coral reef system composed of more than 2,000 individual reefs and 900 islands. Soft and hard coral decorate the barrier which serves as the natural habitat of tons of precious species such as the amazingly rare and colorful fish and 6 out of the 7 species of threatened marine turtles.
Sadly, recent reports revealed that the Great Barrier Reef, which is a fragile empire according to the National Geographic, has suffered this year from the worst case scenario of coral bleaching ever recorded. In fact, a scientific study estimated that around 93% of the reef showed signs of bleaching, primarily as the result of the much dreaded but extremely felt climate change.
Just like The Galapagos Islands, Australia is facing a perilous situation on the most tragic area of hospitality industry, none other than last-chance tourism.
A few months back, the government of Australia was successful in quelling information about the reef’s unhealthy and delicate state in the fear that this will drive away their tourism industry which is estimated to bring in $5.2 billion annually.
Journal of Sustainable Tourism’s survey discovered that about 70% of visitors to The Great Barrier Reef expressed their desire of seeing the reef before it is gone. This has been cited as the main reason why they travel to the World Heritage-listed site that expands 3000 kilometers off the Queensland coast.
Since March this year, the country’s domestic visitors reached 33.5% which hit a record number of visitors because of a weakening economy. This is what makes it more cost effective to travel to the place right now.
Although it is easy to guess that tourism activities such as diving, snorkeling and others can pollute and further damage the reef, the truth is that the effects of tourism actually happen to be very positive.
While tourists cause some limited physical damages, there is nothing in comparison to the impacts of bleaching, cyclones and crown of thorns starfish. With the increased value of Great Barrier Reef tourism, it will be easier to justify the investment of the government in the management of the reef.
Having said this, it seems that the biggest and most crucial threats to the Great Barrier Reef are climate change and coral bleaching as a result. Coral bleaching takes place the moment the coral gets stressed by the increased water temperatures or pollution which can cause it to expel living algae it house and become stark white.
Coral will be able to survive these bleaching events. However, if it remains bleached for a longer time and if the event has higher intensity, it is more likely for death to take place. The coral death toll in the most affected central and northern sections of the reef is estimated at 35% as of this moment.
So, while you still have the time, book your trip to the Great Barrier Reef right away before it’s too late. |
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What is Java?
What is Java?
Java, a software platform and computer programming language, is one of the most pervasive technologies in the modern world.
Java is commonly used to refer to the Java platform, a set of tools allowing for easy cross-platform application development, as well as the Java programming language, which is a general-purpose programming language often used to develop programs for this platform.
The important thing about Java that differentiates it from many other technologies is that it is designed such that code written in Java can be run on any system that a Java virtual machine (JVM) can run on. This concept of write once, run anywhere was used as a slogan to promote Java’s cross-platform abilities. Java environments can be found on all sorts of devices, large and small, and therefore a Java developer has more flexibility when it comes to being able to treat code as agnostic to the system on which it runs.
The Java programming language itself is an object-oriented language, which is syntactically similar to C++. Unlike some other languages which came before it, which implemented classes but did not require their use, Java programs are always designed with an object-oriented design.
While the Java language and the Java virtual machine which runs Java code are closely paired, the two are separate. Code from other languages which is designed specifically for the JVM, like Groovy and Scala, can also run on the Java virtual machine.
What is Java used for?
Java can be found in all sorts of places, perhaps even in your pocket or on your wrist. Android, Linux-derived open source operating system powering millions of mobile devices around the world, uses the Java language along with its own special set of libraries as the basis for mobile applications built for its platform.
But even though Java isn’t as commonly found as the front-end for web applications these days, it is still a very popular language behind the scenes on many websites and web applications. Through the capabilities of Java Enterprise Edition and open source Java application servers like WildFly and Apache Tomcat, Java has a rich ecosystem of tools for powering and connecting massively scalable applications which keep some of the largest websites and business operations out there up and running.
Is Java open source?
The subject of Java licensing is a long and complicated story, but today, most major components of Java are available under open source licenses, and those which are not available under open licenses typically have drop-in replacements which are open.
Sun, the original developers of Java, placed much of Java under the GNU General Public License in 2006. Projects like IcedTea filled in the gaps for the portions of the Java Development Kit not available under an open license, meaning today, it is possible to run Java applications without using any proprietary code.
How to run a Java application
Since Java 9, the language has been moving toward a modular design. Many modern Java applications bundle a small Java module as part of the software itself. This means there are some applications you can run without even downloading Java.
This is by no means universal yet, however. To run many Java applications, you must have a Java runtime environment (JRE) installed. Because Java is open source, there isn't just one JRE, so you can choose the JRE that best suits your needs. Linux distributions typically provide an OpenJDK or IcedTea JRE. Windows users can download a JRE installer from Red Hat's Developer portal. MacOS (and Windows and Linux) users can also download JRE installers from OpenJDK.java.net or the Zulu community at Azul.
Because the JRE you install has been created specifically for your OS, any Java application can run on your computer. By installing Java, you provide your system with a layer (technically a Java virtual machine, or JVM) upon which any Java application can run.
How to program in Java
Java is an object-oriented, strongly typed language, and it's popular in nearly all industries—from financial to publishing to IT. Because it is natively cross-platform, its audience is vast. The basic programming courses at many universities start with Java because it enforces best practices (such as scoping and variable typing) that other languages, such as Python or Go, permit the programmer to mostly ignore. Java is popular and old enough that it has libraries for nearly any task, so even a beginner programmer has access to a rich set of ready-to-use methods.
If you're developing in Java, you must install a Java development kit (JDK). There are several to choose from, including OpenJDK and Zulu (a JDK includes a JRE, so you can run the applications you develop).
There are many entry points into getting to know Java. If you prefer a fun introduction, you can try Greenfoot, an interactive development environment (IDE) designed for Java education. Greenfoot helps a new coder create games and fun applications with an easy graphical interface.
A step up from Greenfoot is BlueJ, a Java IDE designed by King's College in London as a verbose and helpful IDE that highlights important elements of code as the user programs.
In the real world, Eclipse is one of the most popular and capable Java programming environments. It helps manage libraries, resolves mistakes and conflicts in your code, assists in debugging and packaging, and much more. For development teams, Eclipse Che provides a shared cloud-based workspace, ensuring that everyone on a project is using the same environment.
The future of Java
Java was originally developed and supported by Sun Microsystems and is now supported by Oracle. However, Java is open source and has a worldwide community invested in guiding its continued development and growth. The use cases for Java may change over the years, but its focus and mantra have persisted: write once, run anywhere.
Where can I learn more?
In addition to following the Java tag here on Opensource.com, here are some resources you might want to check out. |
Colon cancer is the type that forms in the tissues of the colon (the longest part of the large intestine). Rectal cancer forms in the tissues of the rectum (the last several inches of the large intestine closest to the anus).
In 2009 it is estimated that there were 106,100 new cases of colon cancer and 40,870 new cases of rectal cancer. The two combined led to almost 50,000 deaths last year.
According to Dr. Rao, the Gastroenterologist at Stones River Hospital, it is the fourth most common cancer in adults. But he adds that this cancer is almost completely preventable with appropriate screening.
Dr. Rao, who specializes in treating the Digestive System, sees patients at the Specialty Clinic at the hospital. One of the many things that he does is screen people for Colorectal Cancer.
Screening tests, like those performed by Dr. Rao, help your doctor find polyps or cancer before you may have symptoms. Finding and removing polyps may prevent colorectal cancer. Polyps are growths on the inner wall of the colon or rectum. They are common in people over age 50. Most are benign (not cancer) but some can become cancer. Finding and removing polyps may reduce the risk for colon cancer.
To find polyps or early colorectal cancer people in their 50's and older should be screened. People who are at higher-than-average risk should talk to their doctor about whether to have screening tests before age 50.
With a colonoscopy screening, your doctor examines inside the rectum and entire colon using a long, lighted tube called a colonoscope. Your doctor removes polyps that may be found. Any abnormal tissue may be biopsied and a pathologist checks the tissue for cancer cells using a microscope.
The choice of treatment of colorectal cancer depends mainly on the location of the tumor in the colon or rectum and the stage of the disease. Treatment may involve surgery, chemotherapy, biological therapy, or radiation therapy. Some people have a combination of treatments.
Research has shown that people with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop colorectal cancer. Studies have shown the following risk factors for colorectal cancer:
Age over 50: It is more likely to occur as people get older. More than 90% of people with this disease are diagnosed after age 50. The average age of diagnosis is 72.
Family history of colorectal cancer: Close relatives of a person with a history of colorectal cancer are more likely to develop this disease, especially if the relative had the cancer at a young age. If many close relatives have a history of colon cancer the risk is even greater.
Genetic alterations: Changes in certain genes increase the risk.
Personal history of cancer: A person who has already had colorectal cancer may develop it a second time. Also, women with a history of cancer of the ovary, uterus, or breast are at a higher risk.
Ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease: A person who has had a condition that causes inflammation of the colon for many years is at an increased risk.
Diet: Studies suggest that diets high in fat (especially animal fat) and low in calcium, folate, and fiber may increase the risk. Also, some studies suggest that people who eat a diet low in fruits and vegetables may have a higher risk.
Please talk to your doctor about your risk factors. For more information on how to schedule a colonoscopy screening with Dr. Rao please call the Specialty Clinic of Stones River Hospital. The phone number is 615 563-7216. |
Like any science, conservation science is changing as new theory and evidence is blended with the old. On this topic, I recently shared some perspective on how indigenous stewardship practices are relevant to re-thinking conservation practice for the 21st century. Here are my thoughts:
When I first learned the science of conservation biology as a student in the early 1990s, the emphasis was on getting people out of the equation. “Ideal nature,” the thing to be restored, did not include human beings. Conservation work was about protecting the land, removing all human impacts, and then leaving nature alone to return itself to its historic composition.
Leaving nature alone to heal itself, however, has not proved viable. Persistent stresses of the modern globalized landscape, including exotic invasive species that tend to dominate systems, the loss of top predators, and now climate change, have made it hard for species to survive in their historic locales. Now more than ever conservationists find themselves needing to intervene in ecosystems in order to sustain native plants and animals.
As I have written about elsewhere, this may seem like a crisis and a paradox: “natural” is both an absence of human influence, and simultaneously that which can only be maintained through human influence (see Heller and Hobbs 2014). But it ceases to be aparadox when we realize that this biodiversity that we seek to protect is itself the product of human interaction.
The work of Kat Anderson, and other ethnoecologists and anthropologists working around the world, is changing the way we understand biodiversity protection. Indigenous people have been intimately involved in shaping ecosystems. Through burning, pruning, tilling and seeding, they fostered the species they cared about and controlled the species that were not useful or would dominate if not tended. This Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) provides a different way to think about people in nature. Within this way of thinking, California Indians were a keystone species within California ecosystems and the disruption of these people and their relationships with other creatures has been part of what has driven biodiversity decline. Restoring people’s ability to play this role in ecological systems may be key to maintaining biodiversity in the modern landscape.
Today’s landscape is different than the historic landscape. The climate is changing rapidly because of greenhouse gas emissions. The density of people is hundreds to thousands of time greater than it was 500 years ago in California. Methods of stewardship have to look different, but they can be built on the types of relationships between humans and other creatures that were practiced by California Indians.
The practices the Amah Mutsun Land Trust (AMLT) is sharing provide a model of how to relate to the land adaptively, gently, and with humility. They provide a model that will be useful to foster native biodiversity with an open mind and open heart through the rapid change of the 21st century. TEK provides a model for developing a practice that can bring more people into conservation work and help to bridge the divide between nature and human (or, also, culture) that drives many of our environmental and social challenges. I appreciate the opportunity to work with the AMLT to re-learn these relationships, adapt them to the modern landscape, and integrate them into conventional conservation practice.
Stay tuned for more of Nicole’s blogs that will explore new thinking in conservation stewardship and some of the work that POST is engaging in to refine our stewardship work in order to best support the survival of local flora and fauna.
To learn more about the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and their work implementing the traditional ecological knowledge of their ancestors read this recent article by Mary Ellen Hannibal via Bay Nature Magazine.
Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) protects open space on the Peninsula and in the South Bay for the benefit of all. Since its founding in 1977, POST has been responsible for saving more than 80,000 acres as permanently protected land in San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. Learn more |
June 29, 2016
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Raindrop Near Vision Inlay, a device implanted in the cornea (the clear, front surface) of one eye to improve near vision in certain patients with presbyopia. It is the second FDA-approved implantable corneal device for correction of near vision in patients who have not had cataract surgery and the first implantable device that changes the shape of the cornea to achieve improved vision.
Presbyopia is the loss of the ability to change the focusing power of the eye, resulting in diminished near vision. The focusing power of the eye decreases in nearly all adults over the course of their lifetime. It usually occurs in the fourth or fifth decade of life due to normal aging.
The Raindrop Near Vision Inlay is a clear device made of a hydrogel material and resembles a tiny contact lens smaller than the eye of a needle.
It is indicated for use in patients 41 to 65 years old who, in addition to not having had cataract surgery, are unable to focus clearly on near objects or small print and need reading glasses with +1.50 to +2.50 diopters of power—but do not need glasses or contacts for clear distance vision.
To insert the device, an eye surgeon uses a laser to create a flap in the cornea of the patient’s non-dominant eye, implants the device into the opening, and puts the flap back in place.
The inlay provides a steeper surface that can help the eye focus on near objects or print.
The natural lens of the eye typically performs this function by changing shape, but in patients with presbyopia the lens becomes hardened and ineffective at focusing on close-up objects, which causes poor near vision. By reshaping the curvature of the cornea, the inlay corrects the refractive error that results in near vision problems.
The safety and effectiveness of the Raindrop Near Vision Inlay were studied in a clinical trial of 373 subjects implanted with the device. Two years after implantation, 92 percent of patients included in the analysis (336 out of 364) were able to see with 20/40 vision or better at near distances with the inlay-implanted eye.
The Raindrop Near Vision Inlay implantation may cause or worsen problems with glare, halos, foreign body sensation and pain.
There is a risk of developing infection, inflammation, a new dry eye condition or exacerbation of an existing dry eye condition, retinal detachment, or a decrease in distance vision.
The device may cause complications of the cornea, such as corneal scarring, swelling, inflammation, thinning, clouding or melting.
The device may cause certain tissue in the eye to grow into the cornea (epithelial ingrowth), causing clouding. Some patients may require a second surgery to remove or replace the inlay.
The Raindrop Near Vision Inlay is not recommended for patients who:
- have severe dry eye or an active eye infection or inflammation;
- exhibit signs of corneal disease characterized by general thinning and cone-shaped protrusion in the center of the cornea (keratoconus);
- have abnormal features of the outer part of the eye (cornea) to be implanted;
- have certain autoimmune or connective tissue diseases;
- do not have enough corneal thickness to withstand the procedure;
- have a recent herpes eye infection or problems resulting from a previous infection or have uncontrolled glaucoma or uncontrolled diabetes.
The Raindrop Near Vision Inlay is manufactured by Revision Optics, Inc. of Lake Forest, California. |
Easy-to-read medicine information about tenofovir – what it is, how to take it safely and possible side effects.
|Type of medicine||Also called|
What is tenofovir?
Tenofovir is used to treat long-term hepatitis B infection. It is called an antiviral medicine. Tenofovir works by stopping the hepatitis B virus from multiplying and in this way reduces the amount of the virus in your body. It is used for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B and HIV infection and for pregnant women who have chronic hepatitis B.
Tenofovir is not a cure for hepatitis B. It does not prevent the spread of the virus to others through sexual contact or blood or body fluid contamination, such as sharing used needles. Read more about chronic hepatitis B.
In New Zealand tenofovir is available as tablets (245 mg).
Tenofovir is also available in combination with other medicines to control HIV, eg, Truvada (tenofovir + emtricitabine) and Atripla (tenofovir + emtricitabine + efavirenz).
Dose of tenofovir
- The usual dose of tenofovir is 245 mg (1 tablet) once a day.
- Your doctor will advise you how long to take tenofovir for.
- Always take your tenofovir exactly as your doctor has told you. The pharmacy label on your medicine will tell you how much to take, how often to take it and any special instructions.
How to take tenofovir
- Swallow your tenofovir tablet whole with a glass of water.
- Tenofovir is best taken with food.
- Try taking your dose about the same time each day.
- Limit or avoid alcohol while taking tenofovir. Alcohol may worsen liver problems.
- If you forget to take your dose, take it as soon as you remember. But, if it is nearly time for your next dose, take your next dose at the usual time. Do not take double the dose.
- Keep taking your tenofovir for the full time it has been prescribed, even if you feel well.
- You will need regular blood tests while taking tenofovir to check how well the medicine is working for you and to make sure your kidneys are working well.
Precautions – before starting tenofovir
- Are you pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding?
- Do you have problems with your kidneys?
- Do you have HIV infection?
- Are you taking any other medicines? This includes any medicines you buy without a prescription, such as herbal and complementary medicines.
If so, it’s important that you tell your doctor or pharmacist before you start tenofovir. Sometimes a medicine isn’t suitable for a person with certain conditions, or it can only be used with extra care.
Possible side effects from taking tenofovir
Like all medicines, tenofovir can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them. Often side effects improve as your body gets used to the new medicine.
Tenofovir can very rarely cause a condition called lactic acidosis. You are at highest risk if you have severe liver or kidney problems. Contact your doctor immediately if you are being sick (vomiting) or feel very unwell, have muscle cramps or become unusually tired, or if you feel short of breath and your breathing becomes faster than normal – these are the signs of lactic acidosis.
|Side effects||What should I do?|
Learn more about tenofovir
The following links have more information on tenofovir.
- Tenofovir disoproxil New Zealand Formulary
- Hepatitis B: treatments now available for primary care BPAC, NZ, 2018 |
2o6 The Book of Indoor and Outdoor Games
At the last word all squat down, and if the one in the centre of the ring can catch one of the others before the squatting position is taken that one must then take his olace.
Two players hold their joined hands up as high as they can to form an arch, which represents the bridge. Each has previously chosen some object, which he or she is supposed to represent—a rose or a lily, a pearl or a diamond, and the train of children pass under, holding on to each other's skirts and jackets, singing—
Suddenly, the bridge falls, and the arms enclose a prisoner, who is detained until he or she makes a choice between the lily or the rose, the pearl or diamond, and then takes a stand behind the player whose device is chosen. When all have made their choice, a tug-of-war ensues.
HERE WE GO ROUND THE MULBERRY BUSH
This is adapted for very little folk—as a ring game, probably played by their ancestors to remote generations. The children join hands, dance around and sing—- |
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has abandoned an ambitious timeline to clean up the Chesapeake Bay watershed in the state after local governments asked for more time to implement costly Bay cleanup methods. O'Malley has sought to place Maryland at the forefront of the multistate cleanup effort spearheaded by the Environmental Protection Agency, which established "pollution diets" designed to restore the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem over the next 15 years.Sadly, the people who tend to push the hardest for environmental advances tend to be the ones that downplay the need for economic health. If you look around the world, it's the well off countries that can afford the luxury of stringent environmental controls. All things being equal, people would rather live in a nice world than in a shitty world. However, all things are not equal, and wealthy, healthy economies permit people to pursue ecological happiness.
But Maryland's plans to accomplish the EPA's goals by 2020, five years ahead of the federal government's deadline, were set aside after local governments asked for extra time to establish ways to meet the diet.
"In reality, 2020 was probably very optimistic," said Jenn Aoisa, Maryland senior scientist for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. "Whether it was impossible, who knows? But given the realities of the economic climate that we're in, and given the realities of some of the challenges we've seen, maybe 2020 was overly optimistic." |
The 2nd grade class is starting to learn the difference between fiction and non-fiction books. Most of the students already know that non-fiction books are “real” and fiction books are “make believe”. The question is how can they tell which type it is just by looking at the book? You have all heard the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover”. It couldn’t be more true than when you are trying to decipher a fiction book from a non-fiction book. Can you tell which of the following books are fiction and which are non-fiction?
You might be surprised at the books that are actually fiction and the ones that are truly non-fiction. When you are in a library the easiest way to tell is to look at the call number. A call number is the label on the spine of the book that provides you with the location or “address” of the book. It tells you where the book lives on the library’s shelves. But, because library books are organized by type of book, the call number also tells you what kind of book it is. Not all libraries are the same but most of them use the Dewey Decimal System to label non-fiction books and some sort of locator symbol to label fiction books. Here is how the St. Philip’s library works.
Fiction has one of the three locator symbols: FIC, E or YA
Non-fiction has one of the following: Number, REF or B
And they all stand for something
E: easy reader
YA: young adult
Number: example 509.893
So what are the books I posted above?
Call number: 598 STE (non-fiction because of the Dewey number)
“In a simple yet informative language, award-winning children’s science writer Melissa Stewart introduces readers to some of the ways human action or inaction can affect bird populations. More than just a book about birds, A Place For Birds will open readers’ minds to a wide range of environmental issues.”
Call number: 598 ARN (non-fiction because of the Dewey number)
“Birds:Nature’s Magnificent Flying Machines looks at how feathers, body structure, and wings vary from bird to bird. Readers will learn the mechanics of bird flight from takeoff to landing and discover how wing types meet the survival needs of each species.”
Call number: E PEN (fiction because of the E for easy reader)
Ming-Li a Chinese girl is devastated to hear her country’s leader had call sparrows the enemy of the farmers and soon announce a great “sparrow war” to banish them from China. While her village gathered to rid itself of sparrows Ming-Li vows to save the sparrow’s, one by one, no matter the consequences.
This tale is based on the true story of Chairman Mao Tse-Tung’s war on sparrows in 1958. Yet Ming-Li is a made up character as are her actions making the book a work of fiction. In reality the sparrow population in China was decimated in three days leading to a growth in the locust population that ended up contributing to a famine that killed between thirty to forty million Chinese over the next three years. |
After its founding in July 1921, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had only 57 members and little influence, but by 2005 the CCP had 70.8 million members and controlled all political, governmental, and military organs. Although political reform was not one of the Four Modernizations promulgated so earnestly after 1978, the CCP has allowed greater participation by nonparty members in economic and social developments. Within the party, the CCP practices what it calls “democratic centralism,” which, in effect, means that the minority follows the decisions of the majority, each level follows the directives of the next highest level, and all follow the lead of the party’s center. Constitutionally, the CCP’s national congress is the party’s highest body.
It is convened every five years, usually prior to the National People’s Congress. However, to operate, it elects a Central Committee, which in turn elects (or approves) the members of the Political Bureau and that organ’s even more elite Standing Committee. The current Central Committee has 198 members and 158 alternate members. The Political Bureau has 24 members and one alternate member, and its Standing Committee has nine members, including Hu Jintao, who became CCP general secretary in November 2002, succeeding Jiang Zemin. Of its 66.4 million members, 16.6 percent are women, only 6.1 percent members of minority nationalities, and 23.1 percent under age 35. Unlike the largely peasant, worker, and military veteran party of the past, 29.2 percent are high-school graduates, 17.8 percent of CCP members have undergraduate degrees, and 0.5 percent have graduate degrees.
When Mao led the party from 1935 to his death in 1976, he held the position of CCP chairman. His immediate and short-term successor Hua Guofeng also held the title of chairman, as did Hua’s successor when he took office in 1981, Hu Yaobang, who held the title for a short time until the position was then abolished at the CCP Twelfth Party Congress in September 1982, endowing the general secretary as the most powerful position in the party.
Deng Xiaoping, despite being the paramount leader in China in the post-Mao era, never held the top party or state positions. Instead, he allowed more junior leaders to hold these positions. When Deng’s longestterm successor, Jiang Zemin, retired in stages between 2002 and 2004, he appeared to have assumed a similar behind-the-throne position of influence.
Day-to-day management of the CCP is carried out by a central secretariat and various functional departments: the International Liaison Department, United Front Work Department, Organization Department, Propaganda Department, and Party Central Academy. Party secretaries are found at all levels of government and the military and in industries, academia, and other parts of society. In 2004 the CCP reported more than 3.3 million party branches throughout the nation. Its main organs are the daily newspaper Renmin Ribao (People’s Daily) and the semimonthly theoretical journal Qiu Shi (Seeking Truth, formerly titled Hongqi, or Red Flag).
China also has titular “democratic” parties that were loyal to the CCP in the pre-1949 period and continue to function within the structure of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), namely, the China Association for Promoting Democracy, China Democratic League, China Democratic National Construction Association, China Zhigongdang (Party for Public Interest), Chinese Peasants’ and Workers’ Democratic Party, Jiusan (September Third—a reference to the date of the defeat of Japan in 1945) Society, Guomindang Revolutionary Committee, and Taiwan Self-Government League.
An independent opposition party, the China Democracy Party, has been banned since 1998 and its leaders arrested. |
Size: 1 1/2 inch
Color: Reddish brown
Where found: Food prep areas
Potential treatment: Interior
At an inch and a half long, the American cockroach is the largest species of cockroach known to infest homes and buildings. These pests have large reddish-brown wings and light markings on their thorax.
Sometimes referred to as a water bug, the American cockroach tends to live in damp, humid areas, but does not choose to enter water and does not actually live in water. Their attraction to sewers is believed to be the reason for the mistaken reference.
They are frequently found in places where food is prepared, but the American cockroach is more likely to be seen outdoors than other species. It also is more likely to be seen during the daytime, while other species are generally nocturnal.
Their populations can grow quickly, as they eat virtually anything and they are excellent scavengers. They have shown a special attraction to alcoholic beverages, especially beer, and they can be aggressive in their behavior.
The American cockroach prefers areas that are warm and damp for hiding and laying eggs. Their egg capsules are typically deposited in warm protected areas.
A female mates only once to produce several egg capsules, each containing about 13 eggs. Nymphs do not reach maturity for about 600 days, and an adult lives for up to 15 months. |
Printable Mixed Sudoku – printable mixed sudoku, An exciting interest that exercise routines your mind and offers you a feeling of achievement – that is an ideal explanation from the figures puzzle fad from Japan known as sudoku. This excellent mind activity is entertaining to try out, and you can now get it done. Enjoying may also support postpone dementia by educating your mind to imagine in a completely new way.
Printable Mixed Sudoku
You have possibly noticed a sudoku inside your community paper. It is a puzzle that workouts the human brain by obtaining anyone to believe rationally concerning how to location figures in containers inside a grid. The aim of sudoku will not be to recurring any amounts whilst you are filling up inside the grid. The process is finding out which quantity suits which box. The sudoku grid has 9 containers; in each and every box are smaller sized containers who have 9 pieces every. Some of the squares will curently have amounts within them.
What exactly is a Sudoku?
Sudoku is really a plausible puzzle activity, in the beginning developed in puzzle textbooks then offered in numerous magazines around the world. Lots of people are delay by going to a grid with figures inside, however the puzzle will not need any arithmetic in any way – just deduction and common sense.
Sudoku is a straightforward to find out reason-structured amount position puzzle. The saying Sudoku is quick for Su-ji wa dokushin ni kagiru which implies “the figures has to be one”.
The beginnings in the Sudoku puzzle happen to be in the Swiss. Leonhard Euler developed “carré latin” within the 18h century which is a lot like a Sudoku puzzle but without having the further constraint about the belongings in person territories. The very first genuine Sudoku was printed in 1979 and was introduced by Howard Garns, an United States designer. Real life broad reputation were only available in Japan in 1986 right after it was actually printed and because of the label Sudoku by Nikoli.
Rules and Terms : A Sudoku puzzle includes 81 cellular material that happen to be split up into 9 posts, lines and areas. The work is already to put the amounts from 1 to 9 in the unfilled tissues in a manner that in just about every row, line and 3×3 location every quantity shows up just once. A Sudoku has a minimum of 17 presented phone numbers but typically you will find 22 to 30. Printable Mixed Sudoku
Printable Mixed Sudoku
Printable Sudoku Medium Difficulty | Etsy | Printable Mixed Sudoku
Printable Easy Sudoku | Math Worksheets | Math Worksheets, Free | Printable Mixed Sudoku
Printable Large Print Classic Sudoku Puzzles 120 Puzzles | Etsy | Printable Mixed Sudoku
Easy Shapes Sudoku For Kindergarteners | Sudoku Activity Worksheets | Printable Mixed Sudoku Uploaded by Lamont N. Nelson on Monday, May 6th, 2019 in category Printable Sudoku Free.
Here we have another image Printable Large Print Classic Sudoku Puzzles 120 Puzzles | Etsy | Printable Mixed Sudoku featured under Easy Shapes Sudoku For Kindergarteners | Sudoku Activity Worksheets | Printable Mixed Sudoku. We hope you enjoyed it and if you want to download the pictures in high quality, simply right click the image and choose "Save As". Thanks for reading Easy Shapes Sudoku For Kindergarteners | Sudoku Activity Worksheets | Printable Mixed Sudoku. |
Flu Season is Here - Are You Ready?
This season, a sickness is coming to take over your community. It starts with one and it spreads to thousands. It makes you weak and takes over your body. You can catch it from your family, your friends or a total stranger. There is a way to stop this sickness, but it requires action.
So perhaps that was a tiny bit dramatic, but one sentiment does ring true – it is time for your annual flu shot, and the flu is serious business. This year's flu shot will protect against three strains of the flu including H1N1. Make sure to talk to your doctor about what's right for you and your family. Then remember these tips during flu season:
• Drink plenty of water.
• Eat a healthy diet and take a Vitamin C supplement.
• Sneeze and cough into tissues or your shirt sleeve — not your hands.
• Avoid touching your nose, mouth and eyes.
• Always keep your hands washed and sanitized.
• If you are sick, stay home and limit direct contact with others. |
New research has confirmed the results of a 2015 study led by scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
By Mike Gaworecki
This map of the Earth shows surface temperature trends between 1950 and 2014. (Map: Wikimedia Commons)
New research has confirmed the results of a 2015 study led by scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that showed there has been no “pause” in global warming.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change first noted, in 2013, that, according to the data available at the time, the pace at which global temperatures were rising appeared to have slowed down starting around 1998. The “global warming pause” quickly became a favorite talking point of climate deniers and anyone else looking to forestall action on climate change, which they see as too costly.
Then, in a paper published in Science in June of 2015, a group of scientists led by Thomas Karl, director of NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina, detailed the results of their analysis that corrected for various sources of bias in the data on global surface temperatures, showing in the process that global warming had not gone on hiatus after all.
The NOAA study concluded that the problem was largely in how ocean surface temperatures were being calculated. Ocean temperatures had actually risen 0.12 degrees Celsius (about 0.22 degrees Fahrenheit) per decade over the past 19 years, the NOAA scientists determined, not 0.07 degrees Celsius (about 0.13 degrees Fahrenheit), as had been previously estimated. “These results do not support the notion of a ‘slowdown’ in the increase of global surface temperature,” Karl and his co-authors wrote.
Climate deniers were not convinced, however. Among them was Republican Congressman Lamar Smith (R-Texas), chair of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, who subpoenaed communications between the NOAA scientists in an attempt to prove that they had rushed their research into publication in order to bolster the Obama administration’s climate policies.
But new research published in the journal Science Advances confirms NOAA’s findings about ocean warming over the past two decades.
Zeke Hausfather of the University of California–Berkeley led a team that evaluated the NOAA results published in 2015 and explored the reasons why the new NOAA records showed more warming over the past two decades than other measurements, such as those taken by the United Kingdom’s Hadley Centre.
There were two causes of the cool bias in previous estimates of ocean temperatures, Hausfather says: they failed to adjust for the transition in measurements from ships to buoys that has occurred in recent years, and they didn’t account for how a shift toward bigger ships and deeper hulls in the global shipping fleet over the last two decades affected temperature measurements.
Both NOAA and Hadley are composite records, Hausfather explains: “They try to take data from lots of different types of instruments and combine them into a single long-term record. The challenge with this is that it creates uncertainties and judgment calls about how best to account for and correct changes in instruments (like the changing composition of the shipping fleet) or the change from one instrument to another (e.g. ships to buoy-based measurements).”
Hausfather and team took an entirely different approach to evaluating the data on ocean surface temperatures. “Luckily, over the past 15 years we have a wealth of new ocean measurements to work with to see which record is correct,” he says. “In our paper we create three separate ‘instrumentally homogenous’ temperature records (that is, records produced solely from one type of instrument) using floating buoys, satellite radiometers, and Argo floats. These instrumentally homogenous records don’t require any adjustments for changing measurement type, as they all use the same type of measurements.”
The researchers found that all three of the instrumentally homogenous records they compiled agreed with NOAA’s 2015 estimates of ocean warming, demonstrated a strong cool bias post-2003 in the old NOAA record, and showed a more modest though still significant cool bias in the Hadley record.
“Our results were nearly identical to those of NOAA despite using three independent data sets (buoys, satellite radiometers, and Argo floats), two of which (satellites and Argo) are not used at all by NOAA or other groups in their composite records,” Hausfather says.
Here’s Hausfather explaining why past estimates underestimated ocean warming and how he was able to prove definitively that “NOAA scientists weren’t cooking the books”:
With Republicans like Smith now in control of both houses of the United States Congress and a Republican president who has called global warming a hoax perpetrated by China and vowed to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement as soon as possible, there’s not likely to be a pause in attempts to defeat or delay American climate action any time soon.
But, given his independent confirmation of NOAA’s new estimates of ocean warming, Hausfather said that the idea that there was a pause in the rate at which global temperatures are rising is no longer defensible: “Regarding the apparent hiatus in warming, the combined impacts of fixing biases in the temperature record (as our paper discusses) and three record warm years (2014, 2015, and 2016) should firmly put to rest the idea that global warming has stopped.”
This story originally appeared at the website of global conservation news service Mongabay.com. Get updates on their stories delivered to your inbox, or follow @Mongabay on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. |
Oliver Sacks: Although personally music has been very important to me from before I can remember. As a physician it only hit me really in the 1960s, and that was when I found myself at a hospital in the Bronx seeing the frozen post-encephalitic patients whom I later wrote about in Awakenings. These were people with very profound Parkinsonism, so profound that sometimes they would stay absolutely motionless for hours on end and could not initiate any movement or speech or indeed thought, although one learned that later, but so much so, “What’s going on with these people?” “Are they there?” “Is there anyone at home?” And it was originally the nurses and people who knew of these patients well who said they could be transformed by music. If there’s music, these people could dance, they could sing, they could talk, they can do things, they can think, they can become almost normal while music is there.
And then I saw this for myself, and I was stupefied. I don’t know what term to use. And 40 years later I find it astounding and it needs to be seen as someone for whom music—someone for whom movement is unimaginable suddenly able to move. But it strictly goes with the music, and when the music stop, they stop. So music therapy for these Parkinsonian patients was my first experience as a physician, and I wondered what sort of music was involved or any music could do so. It didn’t have to be familiar music or loved music. It doesn’t sometimes have to be a conscious attention to the music. But obviously the rhythm and the beat and pulse of music was very important. And this would spontaneously and almost automatically I think allow people to move. So the good music had a strong rhythm, not overwhelming but a strong rhythm. But obviously I think if people like the music, so much the better.
Interviewer: And what have you found out about or what do you believe is going on in the brain that creates this effect?
Oliver Sacks: Well, this reminds me of the way in which all of us want to keep time and tap time, and how children spontaneously start to dance or keep time to music they hear or imagine. And that seems to be a very strong human attribute to have motor responses, movements synchronized with the pulse of music, the sounds. And uniquely in the human brain, at least uniquely among mammals, one finds connections between the auditory parts of the brain and what’s called the dorsal pre-motor cortex, some of the motor parts. And it seems to be this conjunction of auditory and motor, which is so crucial for all of us in responding to music, but especially if you have something like Parkinson’s. So I think that’s one of the very important thing whether the shape of the melody and the life of the music. Kant the philosopher called the music the quickening art. And music seems inherently alive and to give a feeling of life and emotion and ongoing, and of a journey, a sort of trajectory. And I suspect important all of these could be important as well. It’s just not the rhythm. Everything in music carries one along. |
How Many Tomato Plants In A 4×4 Raised Bed
Adding soil to your already lush garden. Home Uncategorized how many tomato plants in a 4×4 raised bed.
I have tomato plants eggplant and string bean plants all about 8-9 inches in heights.
How many tomato plants in a 4×4 raised bed. TIPS FOR GROWING TOMATOES IN A 4 8 RAISED BED In any vegetable garden tomatoes are an important part. Their yield is slow and steady and almost the whole season unlike the determinate variety which gives only one but large harvest. Use a spade to mix components well.
You simply want full healthy happy plants. With the soil loosened to a depth of about 24 inches root growth is not inhibited by close spacing. I build a 4×4 raised bed but Im afraid I overcrowded my veggies and they are growing bigger everyday day.
Most tomatoes require at least 4 square feet to grow. The four tomatoes are planted near each corner while four herbs are planted along the center of each side. For instance in a 44 raised bed you can get as much as six plants.
How Many Tomato Plants In A 4×4 Raised Bed. In my doube-dug raised beds I plant about 15 tomato plants 18 spacing in a space that size. Some raised bed or mound gardening is in your plans.
Deeply rooted plants to be planted in the raised bed will need to penetrate the soil below. December 2019 For a 4×4 raised bed it is safe to say that 5 plants are best for the optimal growth of plants without any measurement. Tomatoes gardening Click To Tweet.
Also to know is how many tomato plants can I plant in a 4×4 raised bed. Unless you garden on a toxc waste Superfund site it is almost never necessary to replace your soil with. At 13-inch centers 2304 square inches 169 square inches 136 or 14.
You can grow an awesome garden this year by filling. On the other hand in a 48 raised bed you get as much as eight tomatoes. One near each corner and one in the middle should give your indeterminates plenty of room to grow and.
You can find many sites thatll tell you that you can space tomatoes as close as 24 inches 6 to 9 plants in a 4 X 4 but mine always come out stunted when I do that. When you grow a garden in a raised garden bed the purpose of the bed is to condense your growing area to a point that you can reach all plants without having to step into the growing area. How many plants are too crowdy in a raised bed.
Based on this estimate you can grow 4 to 5 tomato plants on a 44 raised garden bed one in the middle and one on each corner of the bed. So with determinate tomatoes you get more vegetables in your raised bed. How many tomato plants in a 4×4 raised bed.
Tomato Plants In A 4×4 Raised Bed. 300lbs of them from just four plants to be exact. Id go with five.
Grow Huge Tomatoes in Nevada. Here you will see 9 plants per 4 x 4 bed only. Create an outline of the raised bed with the edging material or even flour from the kitchen.
Raised beds httpamznto2cf4xKL are far more effective for growing tomatoes than grow-bags in a polytunnel. I dont think I have much of a choice because my zuchinni and cucumber leaves. The numbers in the table above may not be 100 accurate because vegetable consumption varies by family and the amount of yield for each plant is affected by many.
Is is safe for me to move them to a different bed. Were giving you a step-by-step guide for growing this manythis lushtomatoes in our stubborn Nevada climate. So with determinate tomatoes you get more vegetables in your raised bed.
The reason for this dimension is that an average persons arm can reach at least. However factors such as the tomato variety also determine how to space the tomato plants. 48 raised garden 36 raised garden.
My soil is amended with good compost to achieve consistantly high yields in a small area. The bed should be at least 12 deep to give the roots room to grow and. Httpbitly30JADHE—–How Many Tomato Plants In A 44 Raised BedDeterminate Variety Of TomatoesThes.
One may also ask how many plants can you plant in a raised bed. Calculate the estimated volume of soil needed for the project by measuring the length times the width times the depth of the raised bed. At 12-inch centers 2304 square inches 144 square inches 16 plants.
I am building a bigger raised bed and moving some of the plants to it. You can easily grow a single tomato plant in a 4 square feet area this calculation shows that you can easily grow eight plants in a 4 8 raised bed. The numbers in the table above may not be 100 accurate because vegetable consumption varies by family and the amount of yield for each plant is affected by many factors including soil.
By on August 29 2020 0 Like. A 44 raised bed is 16 square feet in size. One in each corner of the raised bed and one in the center.
You can find many sites thatll tell you that you can space tomatoes as close as 24 inches 6 to 9 plants in a 4 X 4 but mine always come out stunted when I do that. Thats why great raised gardens always have one dimension of 4ft or less. Tomatoes bush beans and peppers take up more space in your small garden due to the size of the grown plants but they still work. |
Ethics across boundaries
The conversation at the congress ‘Could a robot be honest?’ was about worldwide digital companies like Facebook, Google, Airbnb and WhatsApp. We tried to answer the question why these companies send in an army of expensive lawyers in case a national government is asking a critical question. The answer was astonishingly simple! These companies don’t have ethics. The only ‘ethics’ is to earn money. This might not be true for the company’ founders, but it is true for their managers. They sell a brilliant idea. The workspace is worldwide and therefore they don’t feel connected with the values and culture of a country or its citizens. Only financial damage influences a company’s policy. But even in that case a company like Facebook takes incomprehensible decisions, like the removal of a ‘nude’ printed on a famous painting. Or they refuse a face affected by fire inviting people to donate money. These companies never provide accountability. Policymakers wrap themselves into anonymity. It’s only about growing. That’s why they send lawyers. Globalization of power over information makes good governance and integrity difficult. How do you maintain good national governance when nobody takes it to the heart or feels connected to it?
At the same congress a philosopher formulated an answer with the help of Plato (2500 B.C.). Plato asked the question: How can life be good for the other and me? This question brings you back to yourself. Technology is the logics of techniques, but it remains only a means. Thinking asks a more profound question to the objective: What quality of society do we want? The mentioned companies evade this question. Offering the means, they refuse to reflect on the consequences and whether their products contribute to our social happiness. For example: The unbridled information on social media seems a good means, but could be very harmful for users and society.
Unlimited freedom for companies causes excesses. It is the government’s duty to define rules and oblige companies to contribute to a good society. Values and norms also apply for global information bastions. However, legislation is not adapted to new circumstances. For example, companies play off countries against each other with dubious tax deals eroding the principle of equal treatment. The company pays 0,05 %; a small bakery 42%. The new reality of irresponsible global firms asks new questions about maintaining good governance. What can governments do? First off, they can sharply monitor whether the companies obey the legislation also applying to citizens. Secondly they can put these firms into juridical defence and not leave the initiative back to them. Thirdly, they can underline our common values within the EU and UN in order to keep the companies’ interests within the ethical norms. Even if we cannot make the robot ethical, then certainly the creators and merchants. |
Large number of repetitive elements in the draft genome assembly of Dipteryx alata (Fabaceae)
Dipteryx alata (Fabaceae), locally known as Baru, is a non-model, native tree species endemic to the Brazilian Savanna (Cerrado), with economic potential due to its use as food, medicine, animal forage, lumber, and in recovery of degraded areas and landscaping. Although D. alata is recognized as an important Brazilian resource, currently there is no genomic information for this species. We generated 22 Gb raw reads from the genomes of D. alata trees using the Illumina MiSeq platform. These were assembled in 275,707 nuclear genomic sequences (N50 = 1598 bp) with a total of 355 Mb, which corresponds to 44% of the whole genome. We detected 21,981 microsatellite regions, of which 49.3% were dinucleotides and 42.7% trinucleotides. We found 421,701 transposable elements (TEs) in 39.29% of the sequences. Long terminal repeat retrotransposons were the most abundant TEs. This is one of the first genomic scale studies for a native Cerrado species. The results can be used for the development of molecular markers for studies on evolution, population genetics and conservation of D. alata. |
A 1919 Austrian postcard depicting the "stab-in-the-back" legend, which
blamed Jews for Germany's defeat in World War I.
Click on this text to watch "ADOLF HITLER-THE GREATEST STORY NEVER TOLD" ...Full 6 hours Documentary
Click on this text to watch: Hitler's Prophecy (Alerta Judiada Int. 2)
WHY WERE THE GERMANS SO ANGRY ?
“The victor will never be asked if he told the truth.”
well aware of the political upheavals in
Czarist Russia lead by Jewish communists led by the
likes of German
born Karl Marx and Frederich Engels,
plus Marxist Communists Vladimir Lenin and Leon
Trotsky. Germans were very
aware of Jewish-Marxist
activists in Germany, such as Rosa Luxemburg, who
were union organizers at a time
when unions were
considered detrimental to the economic health of the
The various union strikes during World War I were
blamed as the root cause of Germany’s
German munitions manufacturing strike of 1918 was
seen by Adolph Hitler as THE root cause of
defeat and he considered German Jewish-Marxist-
Communists like Luxemburg, Karl Liebknect, Eduard
Bernstein and Paul Levi to be traitors of the worst sort.
Many Germans were incensed that Jewish leftist pacifists
and Jewish communists had pressured the German
leadership into surrendering with German troops still in
advantageous positions on the battlefield during World
War I. And to agree to the ridiculously unfair Treaty
Versailles, which contained 440 clauses (of which 414
were punitive), was also seen as subversive cowardice
that had further eviscerated the vanquished German
nation. This notion became known as the “Stab in
During the German Weimar Republic
era, from 1919 to
1933, Germans suffered from massive unemployment
(33%) and suicide was a plague (270,000
the Weimar government). Hyper-inflation and actual
starvation occurred, while many Jewish
Germans lived in
relative comfort. Outside Jewish money bought German
property and businesses for a pittance. German Jews in
business, and politics exploited the German
cheap labor, easily manipulated voting blocks, and
German Jews accounted for less than 2% of the
population in 1933 (505,000
out of 67,000,000). But they
owned or controlled more than 50% of the media and
70% of the judges within
the judicial system. Jewish
banksters and speculators totally controlled German
banking and industry and
caused catastrophic bank
collapses between 1870 and 1920. Jews were over-
represented in the movie, theater, art
industries, who introduced the German populace to moral
and cultural decadence. Homo sexuality,
sadomasochism and other perversions were foisted upon
Germans as being “natural and acceptable.”
...Sound at all familiar?
Many German activist free-thinkers strongly resented the
powerful and detrimental
influence of Jews on the
German economy, politics, culture, domestic and foreign
policy, judicial system,
media, entertainment, publishing,
etc. The many Jewish-German communist organizations
such as the Spartakusbund
(Spartacus League) and the
International Jewish Labor Bund were singled out as
being the cause of Germany’s
social and economic ills.
And it was certainly noticed that when Philip
Scheidemann declared Germany a republic on
November 9, 1918
(and himself as the first Chancellor of
the Weimar Republic), that a Jew passing as a Lutheran,
became Vice-Chancellor. This was
considered a Jewish over-reach by German-Christian
The Haskalah movement, inspired by Jewish-German
philosopher Moses Mendelssohn (1729-1786), is firmly
entrenched in history as the “Jewish Enlightenment”
Europe and was born and rooted in Germany. The
Haskalah movement is today considered the time when
European Jews pressed for better integration into
European society and marked the beginning of wider
with the non-Jewish secular world. But
many Germans, and Europeans in general, regarded the
simply a Jewish re-establishment of
influence on politics, media, commerce and social order
after the reactive
Jewish expulsions such as the Spanish
Alhambra Decree of 1492 (The Inquisition), the German
expulsion of 1510 and
1551, the Austrian expulsion of
1421, the Papal States expulsion of 1595 and so on.
Some German activists, who considered themselves to be
loyal patriots, determined to do something
Jewish cronyism and their exploiting of the German
homeland. They became determined to throw
bonds of the hated Versailles Treaty. They became
determined to re-establish German territorial rights and
Germany’s rightful place as the cornerstone of European
On November 9 th , 1923 Adolph Hitler and his fellow
National Socialist German Workers Party
(Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, abbreviated NSDAP) members,
along with WW I hero General rich Ludendorff and other heads of the Kampfbund
staged an attempted take-over of the
government beginning in the largest beer hall in Munich,
This event became known as the
Beer Hall Putsch. The Bavarian state police nipped the
coup in the bud killing
sixteen NSDAP members while
suffering the loss of four policemen in the process.
BTW: The term "NAZI"
was created by an influential German Marxist Jew,
Konrad Heiden (aka:
Klaus Bredon), to ridicule the NSDAP in Germany.
Hitler was arrested along with fellow conspirators such as
future NSDAP kingpins Hermann
Goering and Rudolf
Hess, and was imprisoned.
Of course the NSDAP eventually gained ultimate legal
power in Germany
through the ballot box.
The German (and
Austrian) backlash against Jewish
influence and ownership officially began on
November 9 th , 1938 when
NSDAP Sturmabteilung or
“storm troopers”, or “brown shirts,” along with German
burned over 1,000 synagogues, destroyed over
7,000 Jewish businesses and killed at least ninety one Jews.
Tens of thousands of Jews were arrested
incarcerated. This date became known as Kristallnacht
(Crystal Night) or “Night of Broken Glass;”
to all the broken glass littering the streets in front of
Jewish business whose windows had
This backlash against Jews in Germany was directed at
full-Jews, not to be confused with so called “Milchlinge”
or partial Jews. The distinction made
was: four Jewish
grandparents made you a full-Jew, two Jewish
grandparents made you a half-Jew and one
grandparent made you a quarter-Jew. In the early days of
the Third Reich there were 100,000 Milchlinge
in the Wehrmacht (German Army) including twenty-two Generals.
The German Navy had seven admirals who were
and received the “Aryan Pass.” Even
Hermann Goering’s Luftwaffe (German Air Force)
three top commanders with partial Jewish
heritage. After the fall of France in 1940 all Milchlinge
purged from the military and by the autumn of 1941
all full-Jews were being deported from Germany to
in Eastern Europe; and from there to labor
“Night of the Long Knives” (Nacht der langen
Messer) was another earlier political purge between
30th and July 2 nd , 1934. It was perpetrated by the NSDAP
upon non-Jewish political enemies on the liberal-left and
of the NSDAP party. Many of those killed
were Hitler’s initial backers, the Sturmabteilung (or
Brown Shirts), that had become obsolete to
the NSDAP as they were fiercely independent and were
by the established rank and file German military
as being little else but street fighting thugs.
George Strasser, who led the left-wing faction of the
NSDAP Party called the Strasserist,
was murdered; as well
as far right anti-NSDAP members such as former Chancellor Kurt
von Schleicher who
had suppressed Hitler’s Beer Hall
Putsch in 1923.This purge was probably the most
in Hitler’s consolidation of power, but
is largely overshadowed in American history books by
such as the Beer Hall Putsch and Kristallnacht.
The German situation improved almost immediately after
Hitler’s rise to
power such as full employment. Health,
fitness and nutrition became a priority, especially for
Care and financial support was given to
expectant mothers. The autobahn road system was begun.
Volkswagen (people’s car) went into
production in 1937. There was a cleansing of the
media in general of sexual abomination
and decadent advocacy. Pornographic and communist
books were literally burned
in public bonfires (and there
is the reason for the much denigrated NAZI book
burning). The army was rebuilt
and armed. Crime was
largely eliminated. Class distinctions were purposely
blurred and equal rights were
restored to all citizens.
Hitler was looked upon as a savior
and may have gone
down in history as such had he died of assassination,
accident, or natural causes before 1939.
He was even ime magazine’s Man of the Year for 1938 ...!
Incidentally, the Berlin Wall is considered to have
commenced coming down on November 9 th ,
1989... making November 9 th (Schicksalstag-Fateful day)
date in German history on 5 major counts.
"Herrenvolk" in German means "masters in ones own house" or "masters in ones
not "master race" as the Jews would
have you believe.
It's an example of the extent of manipulation and propaganda.
Again... The term "NAZI" was created
by a Marxist called Konrad Heiden (Jewish),
to ridicule the German national
which was the nightmare of the international bankers.
The term "Racism" was created also by
a Marxist called Leon Trotsky (Jewish),
used ONLY on Europeans who dare
to protect their culture and traditions
from the corruption by those
same Jews controlling education and media.
The Stated Platform of the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP)
The following Twenty-Five Points were abstracted and
from the 17th edition of Gottfried Feder’s
pamphlet, "Das Programm der NSDAP und seine
Grundgedanken" (Munich, 1930).
The Twenty-Five Points
of the Political Platform of the
National Socialist German Workers Party (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei,
abbreviated NSDAP) first came to
light on February 25th, 1920 during a Munich
(beer hall) meeting.
After a general meeting of NSDAP members for discussion of the Twenty-
Five Points on May 22nd, 1920,
it was resolved that “this
program is unalterable.” This did not imply that every
stand unchanged or that any efforts to extend
or develop the program were to be prohibited; but it did
that the principals and basic ideas contained in the
stated Principals were not to be tampered with:
1) We demand the union of all Germans, on the basis of
the right of self-determination
of peoples, to form a Great Germany.
2) We demand the rights for the
German people in its
dealings with other nations, and abolition of the Treaty of
Versailles and St. Germain.
[The overwhelming majority
of the points made in the Versailles Treaty
3) We demand land and territory for
the nourishment of
our people and for settling our surplus population. [Tracts
of German land were ceded
to other countries after WWI
such as regions ceded to Poland. The Sudetenland region
was predominately German in the first
place; not to mention Austria that voted 99.73% in favor
the Reich and joyously cheered the German
Wehrmacht as it entered Austria in March of 1938
The Germans wanted it all back].
4) None but members of the nation may
be citizens of
the State. None but those of German blood, whatever
their creed, may be members of the nation.
therefore, may be a member of the nation.
who is not a citizen of the state may live in
Germany only as a guest and must be regarded as being
to Alien Laws.
6) The right of voting on the leadership and laws of the
State is to be enjoyed by the citizens of the State alone.
We demand, therefore, that all official positions,
whatever kind, whether in the Reich, the provinces, or
the small communities, shall be held by citizens
State alone. We oppose the corrupt parliamentary custom
of filling posts merely with a view to party
considerations, and without reference to character or
7) We demand that the State shall make it its first duty to
promote industry and livelihood of the citizens
state. If it is not possible to nourish the entire population
of the State, foreign nationals must be excluded from the
8) All further non-German immigration must be
prevented. We demand that all non-Germans who entered
Germany subsequently to August 2, 1914, shall be
required forthwith to depart from the Reich.
9) All citizens of the State shall possess equal rights and
10) It must be the first duty of every citizen of the State
to perform mental
or physical work. The activities of the
individual must not clash with the interests of the whole,
must proceed within the framework of the
community and must be for the general good.
We Demand Therefore:
11) Abolition of incomes unearned by work.
BREAKING OF THE THRALLDOM OF
[Thralldom is the condition of being
enslaved; or servitude]
In view of the enormous sacrifice of life and
property demanded of a nation by every war, personal
through war must be regarded as a crime
against the nation. We demand therefore, the total
of all war profits.
13) We demand the nationalization of all
which have hitherto been amalgamated into trusts.
We demand that there shall be profit sharing in the
We demand a generous development of provision for
demand the creation and maintenance of a
healthy middle class, immediate communalization of the
stores, and their lease at a low rate to
small traders, and that the most careful consideration
shown to all small traders in purveying to the
State, the provinces, or smaller communities.
17) We demand a land reform suitable to our national
requirements, the passing of
a law for the confiscation
without compensation of land for communal purposes,
the abolition of interest on land
prohibition of all speculation in land. [Regarding Point
17: On April 13, 1928, Adolph Hitler
made the following
explanation... “Because of the mendacious
interpretations on the part of our opponents
of Point 17 of
the program of the NSDAP, the following explanation is
necessary: Since the NSDAP is fundamentally
the principal of private property, it is obvious that the
expression ‘confiscation without
merely to the creation of possible legal means of
confiscating when necessary,
land illegally acquired, or
not administered in accordance with the national welfare.
It is therefore directed
in the first instance against the
Jewish companies which speculate in land.”]
18) We demand ruthless war upon all those whose
activities are injurious to the common interest.
criminals against the Nation, usurers, profiteers, etc.,
must be punished with death, whatever their
We demand that the Roman law, which serves the
materialistic world order, shall be replaced by German
20) With the aim of opening to every capable and
German the possibility of higher education
and consequent advancement to leading positions, the
consider a thorough reconstruction of our
national system of education. The curriculum of all
establishments must be brought into line with
the requirements of practical life and teach pupils to
the idea of the State. We demand the
education of specially gifted children of poor parents,
whatever their class
or occupation, at the expense of the
21) The State must apply
itself to raising the standard of
health in the nation by protecting mothers and infants,
prohibiting child labor,
and increasing bodily efficiency
by legal obligatory gymnastics and sports, and by
extensive support of
clubs engaged in physical training of
demand the abolition of mercenary troops and
the formation of a national army.
23) We demand legal warfare against conspicuous
political lies and their dissemination in the press. In
to facilitate the creation of a German national press we
demand that: (a) all editors, and their
newspapers employing the German language must be
members of the nation; (b) special permission
State shall be necessary before non-German newspapers
may appear (these need not necessarily be
printed in the
German language); (c) non-Germans shall be prohibited
by law from participating financially in or influencing
German newspapers, and the penalty for contravention
shall be suppression of any such newspaper, and the
immediate deportation of the non-German involved. It
must be forbidden to publish newspapers that are
damaging to the national welfare. We demand the legal
prosecution of all tendencies in art and literature which
exert a destructive influence on our national life
closing of institutions which militate against the above-
24) We demand liberty for all religious denominations in
the State, so far
as they are not a danger to it and do not
militate against the moral and ethical feelings of the
race. The Party, as such, stands for positive
Christianity, but does not bind itself in the matter of
to any particular confession. It combats the Jewish-
materialist spirit within and without us, and is convinced
that our nation can achieve permanent recovery from
within only on the principal: THE COMMON
BEFORE SELF INTEREST.
25) That all the foregoing may be realized
the creation of a strong, central national authority;
unconditional authority of the central
over the entire Reich and its organizations in general; and
the formation of diets and vocational
chambers for the
purpose of executing the general laws promulgated by
the Reich in the various states of
the confederation. The
leaders of the Party swear to proceed regardless of
consequences – if necessary
at the sacrifice of their lives
– toward the fulfillment of the foregoing Points.
So... The two cornerstones of the NSDAP agenda,
BREAKING OF THE THRALLDOM OF
INTEREST (the kernel of National Socialism)
COMMON INTEREST BEFORE SELF INTEREST
(the spirit of
the program) were purposely printed in bold
capital lettering in the original Twenty-Five Points.
Americans presently pay exorbitant interest rates
tantamount to usury.
Web of Deceit: The
Jewish Puppet Masters Behind World War II
Edited by Lasha
It was these three powerful individuals, the winners of WWII, who decided
to carve up the world between them by manufacturing pretexts for a catastrophic world war that would claim 60-80
million lives, roughly 3 per cent of the world’s population, and reduce Germany to a wasteland of rubble. Behind
them, lurking in the shadows, stood their Jewish Puppet Masters, egging them on and telling them exactly what
they had to do.
Here are the highly
toxic and politically incorrect views of four key diplomats who were close to the events leading up to World War
II. Ponder them carefully and ask yourselves: Could they all have been mistaken?
Joseph P. Kennedy, US Ambassador to Britain
during the years immediately preceding World War II, was the father of the famous American Kennedy dynasty. James
Forrestal, the first US Secretary of Defense (1947-1949), quotes him as saying “Chamberlain [the British
Prime Minister] stated that America and the world Jews had forced England into the war.” (The Forrestal
Diaries, Cassell 1952, p.129).
Count Jerzy Potocki, the Polish Ambassador in Washington, in a report to the Polish Foreign Office in
January 1939, is quoted approvingly by the highly respected British military historian Major-General JFC Fuller.
Concerning public opinion in America, Count Potocki says:
Above all, propaganda here is entirely
in Jewish hands. Their propaganda is so effective that people have no real knowledge of the true state of affairs
is interesting to observe that in this carefully thought-out campaign no reference at all is made to Soviet Russia.
If that country is mentioned, it is referred to in a friendly manner and people are given the impression that Soviet
Russia is part of the democratic group of countries.
Jewry was able not only to establish a dangerous centre in the
New World for the dissemination of hatred and enmity, but it also succeeded in dividing the world into two warlike
camps. President Roosevelt has been given the power to create huge reserves in armaments for a future war which
the Jews are deliberately heading for.”
JFC Fuller, The Decisive Battles of the Western World, vol 3, pp 372-374.
Hugh Wilson, the American
Ambassador in Berlin until 1938, the year before the war broke out, found anti-Semitism in Germany “understandable.”
This was because before the advent of the Nazis “the stage, the press, medicine and law were crowded with
Jews. Among the few with money to splurge, a high proportion were Jews. The leaders of the Bolshevist movement
in Russia, a movement desperately feared in Germany, were Jews. One could feel the spreading resentment and hatred.”
— Hugh Wilson, American diplomat, quoted in Leonard Mosley, Lindbergh, Hodder, 1976.
Sir Nevile Henderson, British Ambassador in
Berlin “said further that the hostile attitude [toward Germany] in Great Britain was the work of Jews, which
was what Hitler thought himself.” (AJP Taylor, The Origins of the Second World War, Penguin 1987,
Is this negative attitude toward international
Jewry attributable to a groundless antisemitism—to a hatred of Jews for no valid or justifiable reason? A
knowledge of the economic background to the war is necessary for a fuller understanding of this complex question.
At the end of
the First World War, Germany was essentially tricked into paying massive reparations to France and other economic
competitors and former belligerent countries by the terms of the iniquitous Treaty of Versailles, thanks to the
meddling of liberal American President Woodrow Wilson, himself acting under Jewish advice. [See Paul Johnson, A
History of the Modern World (1983), p.24; and H. Nicholson, Peacemaking, 1919 (1933),
Germany was declared to be solely responsible for the Great War of 1914-1918 in spite of the fact that
“Germany did not plot a European war, did not want one, and made genuine efforts, though too belated, to
avert one.” (Professor Sydney B. Fay, The Origins of the World War (Vol. 2, p. 552).
As a result of
these massive enforced financial reparations made by the Versailles Treaty, by 1923 the situation in Germany became
desperate. Inflation on an astronomical scale became the only way out for the government. Printing presses were
engaged to print money around the clock. (See this picture). In 1921 the exchange rate was 75 marks to the dollar; by 1924, it had become roughly 5 trillion marks
to the dollar. This virtually destroyed the German middle classes, reducing any bank savings to a virtual zero.
(See Arthur Koestler, The God that Failed, p. 28).
According to distinguished British historian Sir Arthur Bryant:
It was the Jews with their international affiliations
and their hereditary flair for finance who were best able to seize such opportunities. They did so with such effect
that, even in November 1938, after five years of anti-Semitic legislation and persecution, they still owned, according
to the Times correspondent in Berlin, something like A THIRD OF THE PROPERTY IN THE REICH. Most
of it came into their hands during the hyperinflation.
To those who had
lost their all, this bewildering transfer seemed a monstrous injustice.
prolonged sufferings THEY HAD NOW BEEN DEPRIVED OF THEIR LAST POSSESSIONS. THEY SAW THEM PASS INTO THE HANDS
OF STRANGERS, many of whom had not shared their sacrifices and WHO CARED LITTLE OR NOTHING FOR THEIR
NATIONAL STANDARDS AND TRADITIONS.
The Jews obtained a wonderful
ascendancy in politics, business and the learned professions in spite of constituting LESS THAN ONE PERCENT
OF THE POPULATION.
The banks, including the Reichsbank and the
big private banks, were practically controlled by them. So were the publishing trade, the cinema, the theatres
and a large part of the press—all the normal means, in fact, by which public opinion in a civilized country
is formed. The largest newspaper combine in the country, with a daily circulation of four millions, was a Jewish monopoly.
EVERY YEAR IT BECAME HARDER AND HARDER FOR A GENTILE TO GAIN OR KEEP A FOOTHOLD IN ANY
At this time it was not the ‘Aryans’
who exercised racial discrimination. It was a discrimination that operated without violence. It was exercised
by a minority against a majority. There was no persecution, only elimination. It was the contrast between
the wealth enjoyed—and lavishly displayed—by aliens of cosmopolitan tastes, and the poverty and misery
of native Germans, that has made anti-Semitism so dangerous and ugly a force in the new Europe.
Beggars on horseback are seldom popular, least of all with those whom they have just thrown out
of the saddle.
— Sir Arthur Bryant, Unfinished Victory,
1940 pp. 136-144, emphasis added.
caption to a famous anti-Semitic German cartoon headed sarcastically “The Land of Freedom”, referring
to Germany under the Jewish heel, has a caption in German that translates as: “When one is ruled by the Jews,
freedom is only an empty dream.” (See the 1939 cartoon here).
— § —
Strangely enough, a book unexpectedly published
by Princeton University Press in 1984, Sarah Gordon’s Hitler, Germans and the “Jewish Question”,
essentially confirms what Sir Arthur Bryant says above. Sarah Gordon, incidentally, is Jewish, so this is a rare
example of a Jew actually admitting that anti-Semitism could have a rational basis:
“Jews were never a large percentage of the total German
population; at no time did they exceed 1% of the population during the years 1871-1933.
Jews were over-represented in business, commerce, and public and private service. They were especially
visible in private banking in Berlin, which in 1923 had 150 private Jewish banks, as opposed to only 11 private
non-Jewish banks. They owned 41% of iron and scrap iron firms and 57% of other metal businesses. Jews were very
active in the stock market, particularly in Berlin, where in 1928 they comprised 80% of the leading members of
the stock exchange.
By 1933, when the Nazis began eliminating Jews
from prominent positions, 85% of the brokers on the Berlin Stock exchange were dismissed because of their “race”.
At least a quarter of full professors and instructors at German universities had Jewish origins. In 1905-6 Jewish
students comprised 25% of the law and medical students. In 1931, 50% of the 234 theatre directors in Germany were
Jewish, and in Berlin the number was 80%.
In 1929 it was estimated
that the per capita income of Jews in Berlin was twice that of other Berlin residents.”
Arthur Koestler, also Jewish, confirms
the Jewish over-involvement in German publishing:
“Ullstein’s was a kind of super-trust; the largest organization of its kind in Europe, and probably
in the world. They published four daily papers in Berlin alone, among these the venerable Vossische Zeitung,
founded in the eighteenth century, and the BZ am Mittag, an evening paper. Apart from these, Ullstein’s
published more than a dozen weekly and monthly periodicals, ran their own news service, their own travel agency,
and were one of the leading book publishers. The firm was owned by the brothers Ullstein: they were five, like
the original Rothschild brothers, and like them also, they were Jews.”
God that Failed (1950), ed. R.H.S. Crossman, p. 31.
Edgar Mowrer, Berlin correspondent for the Chicago Daily News,
wrote an anti-German tract called “Germany Puts the Clock Back”, published as a Penguin Special and
reprinted five times between December 1937 and April 1938. He notes alarmingly:
“In the all-important administration
of Prussia, any number of strategic positions came into the hands of Hebrews.
A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION BETWEEN THREE JEWS IN MINISTERIAL OFFICES
COULD RESULT IN THE SUSPENSION OF ANY PERIODICAL OR NEWSPAPER IN THE STATE.
The Jews came in Germany to play in politics and administration
that same considerable part that they had previously won by open competition in business, trade, banking, the
Press, the arts, the sciences and the intellectual and cultural life of the country. And thereby the impression
was strengthened that Germany, a country with a mission of its own, had fallen into the hands of foreigners.
No one who lived through the period
from 1919 to 1926 is likely to forget the sexual promiscuity that prevailed. Throughout a town like Berlin, hotels
and pensions made vast fortunes by letting rooms by the hour or day to baggageless, unregistered guests. Hundreds
of cabarets, pleasure resorts and the like served for purposes of getting acquainted and acquiring the proper
(“Germany Puts The Clock Back”,
pp. 153-4, emphasis added)
Sir Arthur Bryant, already quote above, describes throngs of child prostitutes outside the doors of the
great Berlin hotels and restaurants. He adds “Most of them—the night clubs and vice resorts—were
owned and managed by Jews. And it was the Jews among the promoters of this trade who were remembered in after
years.” (pp. 144-5).
of the night clubs and vice resorts were owned and managed by Jews.” — St Arthur Bryant, British
† “It’s disgusting how the Jews are taking everything by storm. Even the
Rome of Seutonius has never known such orgies as the pervert balls of Berlin.” — Jewish German
writer Stefan Zweig.
† “The decay of moral values in all areas of life—the
period of deepest German degradation—coincided exactly with the height of Jewish power in Germany.” —
Dr Friedrich Karl Wiehe, German historian, in Germany and the Jewish Question.
added by LD)
— § —
Reed, Chief Central European correspondent before WWII for the London Times, was profoundly anti-German
and anti-Hitler. But nevertheless he reported:
watched the Brown Shirts going from shop to shop with paint pots and daubing on the window panes the word “Jew”
in dripping red letters. The Kurfürstendamm was to me a revelation. I knew that Jews were prominent in business
life, but I did not know that they almost monopolized important branches of it.
Germany had one Jew to one hundred gentiles, said the statistics; but the fashionable Kurfürstendamm,
according to the dripping red legends, had about one gentile shop to ninety-nine Jewish ones.
— Douglas Reed, Insanity Fair (1938) p. 152-3, emphasis added.
In Reed’s book Disgrace Abounding (1939), he
“In the Berlin (of the pre-Hitler
years) most of the theatres were Jewish-owned or Jewish-leased, most of the leading film and stage actors were
Jews, the plays performed were often by German, Austrian or Hungarian Jews and were staged by Jewish film producers,
applauded by Jewish dramatic critics in Jewish newspapers…
Jews are not cleverer than the Gentiles, if by clever you mean good at their jobs. They ruthlessly exploit the
common feeling of Jews, first to get a foothold in a particular trade or calling, then to squeeze the non-Jews
out of it. It is not true that Jews are better journalists than Gentiles. They held all the posts on those Berlin papers
because the proprietors and editors were Jewish.”
Disgrace Abounding, 1939, pp. 238-9).
Jewish writer Edwin Black gives a similar picture. “In Berlin alone,” he states, “about
75 percent of the attorneys and nearly as many of the doctors were Jewish.” (The Transfer Agreement (1984),
“I watched the Brown Shirts going from
shop to shop with paint pots and daubing on the window panes the word JEW in dripping red letters.” —
Douglas Reed, 1938. Note that 99 out of 100 shops in the High Street were owned by Jews, and yet Jews made
up less than one percent of the population.
To cap it all, Jews were perceived as dangerous enemies of Germany
after Samuel Untermeyer, the leader of the World Jewish Economic Federation, declared war on Germany on August
6, 1933. (See Edwin Black, The Transfer Agreement: the Untold Story of the Secret Pact between the Third
Reich and Palestine (1984), pp. 272-277). According to Black, “The one man who most embodied the
potential death blow to Germany was Samuel Untermeyer” (p. 369).
This was the culmination of a worldwide
boycott of German goods led by international Jewish organizations.
The London Daily Express on March 24,
1933 carried the headline “Judea Declares War on Germany”. The boycott was particularly motivated
by the German imposition of the Nuremberg Laws, which ironically were similar in intent and content to the Jewish
cultural exclusivism practiced so visibly in present-day Israel. At a single stroke, this headline disproves
the lie that Germany initiated World War II. International Jewry is here clearly seen declaring war on Germany
as early as 1933. It would take the Jews another six years to cajole their Anglo-American stooges to go to war
on their behalf.
Next time you hear anyone claim falsely that “Germany started World War Two”, send them a copy
of this headline picture from The Daily Express, dated March 24, 1933:
Hitler saw the tremendous danger posed to Germany by Communism. He appreciated the desperate need to eliminate
this threat, a fact that earned him the immense hatred and animosity of the Jewish organisations and the media
and politicians of the west which they could influence. After all, according to the Jewish writer Chaim Bermant,
although Jews formed less than five percent of Russia’s population, they formed more than fifty percent
of its revolutionaries. According to the Jewish writer Chaim Bermant in his book The Jews (1977,
must be added that most of the leading revolutionaries who convulsed Europe in the final decades of the last
century and the first decades of this one, stemmed from prosperous Jewish families.. They were perhaps typified
by the father of revolution, Karl Marx. Thus when, after the chaos of World War I, revolutions broke out all over
Europe, Jews were everywhere at the helm: Trotsky, Sverdlov, Kamenev and Zinoviev in Russia; Bela Kun in Hungary;
Kurt Eisner in Bavaria; and, most improbable of all, Rosa Luxemburg in Berlin.
To many outside observers, the Russian revolution looked like a Jewish conspiracy, especially
when it was followed by Jewish-led revolutionary outbreaks in much of central Europe. The leadership of the Bolshevik
Party had a preponderance of Jews. Of the seven members of the Politburo, the inner cabinet of the country, four,
Trotsky (Bronstein), Zinoviev (Radomsky), Kamenev (Rosenfeld) and Sverdlov, were Jews.”
Other authors agree with this assessment , including Jewish historian
Sarah Gordon, already cited once above:
There has been a tendency to circumvent or simply ignore the significant role of Jewish
intellectuals in the German Communist Party, and thereby seriously neglect one of the genuine and objective reasons
for increased anti-Semitism during and after World War 1….
prominence of Jews in the revolution and early Weimar Republic is indisputable, and this was a very serious contributing
cause for increased anti-Semitism in post-war years.
is clear then that the stereotype of Jews as socialists and communists led many Germans to distrust the Jewish
minority as a whole and to brand Jews as enemies of the German nation.”
— Sarah Gordon, Hitler, Germans and the ‘Jewish Question’, Princeton University Press
(1984), p 23. (Emphasis added)
Martin Bernal in Back Athena (vol 1), pp.367-387 reinforces the above:
“The second paroxysm of strong anti-Semitism
came after the critical role of Jews in International Communism and the Russian Revolution and during the economic
crises of the 1920s and 30s. Anti-Semitism intensified throughout Europe and North America following the perceived
and actual centrality of Jews in the Russian Revolution.. Such feelings were not restricted to Germany, or to vulgar
extremists like the Nazis. All over Northern Europe and North America, anti-Semitism became the norm in ‘nice
society’, and ‘nice society’ included the universities.”
Is it any wonder that Hitler, along with millions of others all over
Europe, should join the growing ranks of the anti-Semites?
It is clear that the Jews were almost universally hated, not because
they Jews, but because of their obnoxiously pushy behavior and the fact that they were in the forefront of dangerous
revolutionaries dedicated to the downfall of their host countries. You cannot move into someone else’s house
and take it over and expect to be loved by your victims.
— § —
Hitler came to power in Germany with two main
aims, the rectification of the unjust provisions of the Versailles Treaty and the destruction of the Soviet/ Communist
threat to Germany. Strangely enough, contrary to the mythology created by those who had an opposing ethnic agenda,
he had no plans or desire for a larger war of conquest. Professor AJP Taylor proved this in his book The
Origins of the Second World War, much to the annoyance of the professional court historians. Taylor says:
“The state of German armament in 1939 gives the decisive proof that Hitler was not contemplating general war,
and probably not intending war at all” (p.267). And again: “Even in 1939 the German army was not equipped
for a prolonged war; in 1940 the German land forces were inferior to the French in everything except leadership”
British historian Basil Liddell Hart confirms this assessment. He writes: “Britain and France declared
war on Germany, not the other way around. Hitler wanted peace with Britain, as the German generals admitted. (Basil
Liddell Hart, The Other Side of the Hill, 1948, Pan Books 1983).
David Irving wraps it all up in the foreword
to his book The Warpath (1978) where he refers to “the discovery that at no time did
this man (Hitler) pose or intend a real threat to Britain or the Empire.”
I think all this proves, beyond any shadow of
doubt, that the chief aggressors in World War II were the Anglo-Americans—as indeed they were arguably the
chief aggressors in World War I and most of the wars that have plagued the world during the 20th century and up
to the present time. As for the moneyed international Jews, these were demonstrably the Puppet Masters jerking
the strings of the three great leaders of the Western World—Churchhill, Roosevelt and Stalin—who went
to war at their behest and on their behalf.
It is not without significance that each of the legendary figures mentioned above
has been accused at some time or other of enjoying exceptionally strong Jewish connections.
Of one thing we can be reasonably sure: whenever
there is a major new war or revolution being planned which requires heavy financial backing—the Russian Revolution
is a perfect example—the hidden hand of international Jewry is almost certain to be behind it. Partout
où il y a de l’argent, il y a des Juifs, said Montesquieu. — “Wherever there is
money, there you will find the Jew.”
And wherever there is war, the most profitable money spinning activity known to man, there
also you are likely to find the Eternal Jew—Der Ewige Jude—counting his gold coins over a mound of corpses.
attempts to resolve the unrest within Danzig and the stolen ‘Polish Corridor‘
The 1939 August 28 headline
of the New York Times, confirmed that Hitler sought to avoid war, it read; “BERLIN THINKS DOOR IS LEFT OPEN TO PEACEFUL
Hitler’s supposed ludicrous suggestion to resolve the issue, was to hold a Referendum, for
the people to decide their own status.
Danzig was formerly part of Germany
before the so-called ‘Peace Treaty’ of Versailles annexed it to Polands’ ownership as a purported
‘Free City’ under the League of Nations.
Along with its surrounding German area of East Prussia, Danzig
was also isolated from the German mainland by the harsh post-World War I Treaty. The new territory that now belonged to
Poland, cut right through the Prussian/Pomeranian region of Germany, to the Baltic Sea. Over night, through no choice of
their own, millions of Germans were converted to a disarmed ethnic minority in the new-Poland, at the behest of several
political ‘Diplomats’ in an obscure Train-Car far away in France.
Hitler proposes that the people
living in Danzig and the “Corridor” be permitted to vote in a referendum to decide whether they would return
to being German citizens again, or remain a disarmed German minority forced to be part of Poland, where they had been continually
attacked since the 1919 ‘Peace Treaty’ – that is, those who had not been expelled from their homes that
Hitler proposed, that if the region was returned to German sovereignty, Poland would be given a 1 mile wide
access path to the Baltic Sea, so that it would not be landlocked.
Poland apparently considered Hitler’s
solution, however, with the ongoing political manipulations, Poland is urged by Franklin.D Roosevelt to not make any deals
with Germany. Germans stranded in the stolen ‘corridor’ and the “free city” of Danzig were
abused and denied their right of self-determination. There, they were continually being subjected to beatings, imprisonment
(for as little as speaking German) and bestial attacks by Jewish Partisans, Polish Officers and Bolshevik NKVD Operatives.
1939, one full week before Germany crosses the border, German refugees from the annexed German territory of new-Poland,
tell of their personal experiences after escaping to safety in the camps on the German side of the border. It was reported
in this German weekly news-reel (original in German with English subtitles).
When it became apparent to Hitler that
Poland would not permit a referendum for the people, he then proposes another solution… International control of
the former German regions.
This sensible offer was also ignored and the internationalists continued to use foolish
Poland as the provocative bait to ignite an international bloodbath, now known as World War II… or what the profiteers
like to call, “The Good War.”
August 25, 1939, Britain and Poland agree to a Military Alliance
The ‘Polish-British Common Defense
Pact’ contained promises of military assistance in the event that either country was attacked by any other
“European Country.” This built upon a previous agreement (March 1939) between the two countries and
also France, by specifically committing to military assistance in the event of an invasion… although the French commitment
was never ratified prior to the regional conflict, only AFTER ‘France Declared War on Germany’ (a retroactive
enactment), making France the aggressor state when it invaded Germany. (see here)
With this agreement in
place, the powerful Zionist-Internationalist forces within the UK, had now trapped the reluctant Prime Minister, Neville
Chamberlain, as well as the willing (and illegal) France and Poland into military action, or at least international ‘Declarations
of War’. All that was left to do was for Polish-Jewish border Guerilla’s to continue deliberately provoking
Germany into action to get the ball rolling… However, assisting Poland was never their intention. (see here)
Also on that
same day, August 25 1939, a draft is written for a reactionary ‘Declaration of War’ for HRH King George
VI to address the world.
the 3rd of September 1939, King George VI read the famous ‘Kings Speech’ addressing the British nation
and the world. The speech that began with, “In this grave hour, perhaps the most fateful in our history …”
was to inform the world that Germany had allegedly invaded a sovereign nation, that the world was at war due to
this military attack and the Allies of the world should unite steadfastly against this purportedly – Surprise
Aggression – of a common enemy to all peaceful peoples… However, the draft of this speech is dated the
25th of August, 1939 – a week before Germany entered the Corridor to liberate the German people and 9 days before the
King delivered the speech. This indicates that Britain had plans to ‘Declare War on Germany’
before the Wehrmacht entered new-Poland to liberate the German people… thus, Britain’s ‘Declaration’
was not a reactionary response to a surprise invasion. Further, the typed document, which was actually the second draft
of the speech, was retained by civil servant Harold Vale Rhodes, who had previously written a first attempt (date unknown).
In a penciled note in the left-hand margin, Mr Rhodes criticised the length of some of the sentences in the second draft
and hinted that his should be used.
It would appear his advice was followed – the final speech read to the nation
by the King on September 3 contained shorter, more concise sentences.
The early draft accused Germany of being a bully
who wanted to dominate the world by brute force and stressed that, we are fighting for the principles of freedom and justice…
“Brute Force of a Bully” – if it could be considered such – had not even occurred at the
time the speech was drafted.
HRH King George VI delivers the final draft of the speech
One of the tens of
thousands of Ethnic German victims of Jewish Partisan attacks
The “Brute Force of Bullies” the
Empire turned a blind eye to.
August 30, 1939 – Poland Mobilises
Poland mobilises her army strategically for the German frontier.
According to International Law, any mobilisation of a country’s army, is equal to a ‘Declaration of War’
on a neighboring country especially without consultation. The Official Declaration came midnight that same date. [See: the German White Book]
August 31, 1939.
The Gleiwitz (and other) Border Attacks – Jewish-Polish Guerilla’s attack German Radio Station
strength, but naively believing that France and the UK would now be forced to back them, Polish-Jewish terrorists cross
the border and attack a German radio station in Silesia, Germany. It was only the latest in a string of deliberate border
instigations against Germany.
“Poles” then broadcast a message (in Polish) urging others to take up arms and start attacking Germans. German
police quickly arrived and retake the station, killing one of the Red terrorists. Jewish Red terrorists, their Polish government
protectors and their Globalist-Zionist masters, have picked a fight with Germany!
Modern ‘Court Historians’ claim that the Gleiwitz incident was staged by
Germans dressed as Polish terrorists. A theory that ignores the outrageous and repeated pattern of provocations directed
at Hitler’s Germany ever since 1933, the numerous border incidents, the attacks on the Volksdeutsche since 1919 and
also Hitler’s repeated sincere attempts to negotiate a fair resolution to the Corridor and Danzig atrocities.
Witnesses who lived on the border attested
to the repeated attacks by Polish Jews since 1919
A German Customs Official said it was so bad on the border, they were
armed and also had grenades in their office ready for the frequent attacks.
Farmers confirm their live-stock were often
stolen by Polish terrorists.
Another told of his niece being raped by a Polish Jew who crossed the border. He said
they had caught the man and still held a copy of the death order signed by Heydrich, in which he ordered the man put to
These are only a very small
few of many, many stories told by German civilians, who witnessed these border incursions just like had happened between
One thing many people fail to recognise is that Poland openly attacked Germany right after World War I (during
Germany’s Civil War, between alien Communist elements and German Nationals), which led to multiple border battles.
Once Hitler started pressing Poland to work out
a solution to the corridor, the attacks increased again… And one thing that should be clear, is that Germany did not
fabricate these attacks.
quotes of related importance:
“Poland wants war with Germany and Germany will not be able to avoid it even
if she wants to.”
∼ Polish Marshal Rydz-Smigly, as reported in the Daily Mail, August 6th, 1939.
“It will be the Polish army that will
invade Germany on the first day of war.”
∼ Juliusz Łukasiewicz, Polish Ambassador in Paris, August
On September 2nd 1939
a delegate of the Labour Party met with the British Foreign Minister Halifax in the lobby of Parliament.
you still have hope?” he asked. “If you mean hope for war,” answered Halifax, “then
your hope will be fulfilled tomorrow.” – “God be thanked!” replied the representative
of the British Labour Party.
(Professor Michael Freund)
“In April, 1939, (four months before the outbreak of war) Ambassador William
C. Bullitt, whom I had known for twenty years, called me to the American Embassy in Paris. The American Ambassador told
me that war had been decided upon. He did not say, nor did I ask, by whom. He let me infer it. … When I said that
in the end Germany would be driven into the arms of Soviet Russia and Bolshevism, the Ambassador replied: “What of
it? There will not be enough Germans left when the war is over to be worth Bolshevising.”
(Karl von Wiegand,
April, 23rd, 1944, Chicago Herald American)
“I emphasized that the defeat of Germany and
Japan and their elimination from world trade would give Britain a tremendous opportunity to swell her foreign commerce in
both volume and profit.”
∼ Samuel Untermeyer, The Public Years, p.347.
“Germany is too strong. We must destroy her.”
∼ Winston Churchill, Nov. 1936
“The war was not just a matter of the elimination of Fascism in Germany, but rather of obtaining German
∼ Winston Churchill. March, 1946.
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain told US Ambassador to Britain, Joseph P. Kennedy
(father of future US President John F. Kennedy), that “it was America and world Jews who had forced Britain into
war against Hitler.”
asked Joe Kennedy (US Ambassador in London) about his talks with Roosevelt and Neville Chamberlain in 1938. He said
it had been Chamberlains belief in 1939 that Great Britain has nothing in its hands to fight and therefore wouldn’t
dare to go to war against Hitler… Neither the French nor the English would have made Poland a motive for war if they
hadn’t been continuously spurred on by Washington… America and the World-Jewry have driven England to war.”
~ US defence minister J. Forrestal 27.12.1945 in his diary (The Forrestal Diaries, New York, 1951, S. 121 ff)
“When the National Socialists and their
friends cry or whisper that this [the war] is brought about by Jews, they are perfectly right.”
(The Jewish magazine ‘Sentinel of Chicago’, October 8, 1940)
“We are not denying and are not afraid
to confess that this war is our war and that ‘it is waged’ for Jewry… Stronger than all fronts together
is our front, that of Jewry. We are not only giving this war our financial support on which the entire war production is
based, we are not only providing our full propaganda power which is the moral energy that keeps this war going. The guarantee
of victory is predominantly based on weakening the enemy forces, on destroying them in their own country, within the resistance.
And we are the Trojan horses in the enemy’s fortress.”
~ Chaim Weizmann, President of the World Jewish Congress, Head of the Jewish Agency and
later, 1st President of Israel, in a Speech on December 3, 1942, in New York.
“Britain was taking advantage of the situation to go to war against Germany
because the Reich had become too strong and had upset the European balance.”
(Ralph F. Keeling, Institute
of American Economics)
millions of Jews living in America, England, France, North Africa and South, not forgetting Palestine, have decided to carry
on the war in Germany to the very end. It is to be a war of extermination.”
Jewish newspaper, ‘Central Blad Voor Israeliten’ in Nederlands (13 September 1939)
“In no country has the
historical blackout been more intense and effective than in Great Britain. Here it has been ingeniously christened The Iron
Curtain of Discreet Silence. Virtually nothing has been written to reveal the truth about British responsibility for the
Second World War and its disastrous results.”
∼Harry Elmer Barnes. American Historian
“The last thing Hitler wanted was to
produce another great war.” ∼ Sir. Basil Liddell Hart
“Hitler doesn’t want war but he will be forced to it, and in fact soon.
England has the final say like in 1914.”
~ Zionist Emil Ludwig Cohn, “Annalen”
“Although Hitler may want to prevent this war, which can devour him, in the last moment, he will
be forced to war anyway.”
~ Emil Ludwig Cohn (1938)
“In this hour
I feel it to be my duty before my own conscience to appeal once more to reason and common sense in Great Britain as much
as elsewhere. I consider myself in a position to make this appeal, since I am not the vanquished, begging favors, but the
victor speaking in the name of reason. I can see no reason why this war must go on. I am grieved to think of the sacrifices
which it will claim. I would like to avert them.”
Adolf Hitler, July, 1940 – ‘Last Appeal to Reason’
“We entered the war of our own free will, without ourselves being directly assaulted.”
∼ Winston Churchill, Guild Hall Speech, July 1943.
“I believe now that
Hitler and the German people did not want war. But we declared war on Germany, intent on destroying it, in accordance with
our principle of balance of power, and we were encouraged by the ‘Americans’ around Roosevelt. We ignored Hitler’s
pleadings not to enter into war. Now we are forced to realize that Hitler was right.”
– Attorney General,
Sir. Hartley Shawcross, March,16th, 1984
(Who were the so-called ‘Americans’ around Roosevelt? See here)
Hitler has to make a choice
Knowing that with the ‘British-Polish Common Defense Pact’ (built
upon a previous agreement with France) in place; and that no one in any of the international institutions sought to do anything
about the atrocities continually committed against ethnic Germans in the Corridor and, he had exhausted all other diplomatic
avenues, that any German mobilisation in the corridor, would be technically subject to aggression from Britain and France
– although not necessary and definitely not legally where France was concerned.
The increasing attacks on Germans in new-Poland, saw large waves of
refugees flocking across the border to escape. Trains were being loaded to full capacity day and night, while others loaded
what they could onto carts and walked… however, the attacks continued – some made it, some did not.
If Hitler mobilised the Wehrmacht (German Army), the attacks might increase, with the possibility of a British-French
aggression as well… but if he did nothing, the attacks would continue until the potential toward ultimate extinction
of the German minority within the Corridor, would result… The barbarous massacres had to be stopped!
His intended approach was to make the rescue of
the German minority hard and brief, to have the problem over within the shortest time frame possible, in attempt to avoid
any prolonged hostilities.
has taken all he could from Poland against the Volksdeutsche in the ‘Corridor’ and German Forces advance eastward
September 1st, the
Polish Army, Red Terrorist Partisans and NKVD retreat from the German-New Poland border.
September 3rd, the attacks against Germans in Poland continue. Over
national radio it was repeatedly announced, “Carry out order no. 55 – Carry out order no. 55” (in
In the town of Bromberg on one day alone, 5,500 German Men, Women and Children were hunted down the streets,
in their homes and were shot, tortured, beaten, raped, women had their breasts cut off, men were castrated, eviscerated,
crucified, bludgeoned, hacked, mutilated and those who could not flee, were scorched in their burning homes… or both.
September 3rd, the world press shrieks in horror
over German aggression; and Britain together with France [officially] ‘Declare War on Germany’… the massacre of ethnic Germans was conveniently ignored.
We will not forget them – “Never Forget” – May they be at peace
“Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the
The castration of uncircumcised
men, was common practice
by Jewish Terrorists right across
Europe, especially in
Jewish Bolshevik Russia and in their
Gulag Death Camps
Three of the Jewish Partisan
Terrorists, who were Sentenced for the Bestial Slaughter
the innocent Danzig German Minority, within the stolen new-Polish Corridor
Jewish Partisan neighbours were all over
Europe, who did not take prisoners
or spare civilians. Many
of these Jewish Bolshevik Militia’s were killed in battle
summarily executed after capture, not because they were Jewish, but because
they were savage and murderous, non-uniformed, combatant, Red Guerilla Terrorists.
These summary executions
were legal and warranted within the articles of the
Geneva Conventions’ Laws of War –
Germany was signatory to.
Hitler speaks of the atrocities committed against
Germans in the annexed territory
17, 1939 – The Jewish Soviets invade Poland from the East… Allies and Western Media remain silent
With the Polish army being routed by the advancing Germans in the west,
Stalin cleverly decides to break the Soviet-Polish Non Aggression Pact of 1932. Poland is stabbed in the back as Soviet
forces pour in from the east. The advancing Red Bolsheviks, occupy the East, take prisoners and carry out massacres…
the most famous being the Katyn Forest Massacre of an estimated 15,000 – 22,000 Polish officers, dignitaries and other
intellectuals… blamed on Germans, of course.
Seven German men hung for this Jewish Bolshevik crime and another
three were sentenced to twenty years in the Jewish Gulag death camp system, never to be seen again – yet another result
of Nuremberg’s Show Trial of purported justice.
One of the mass graves of Ethnic Poles found in the
Katyn Forrest, committed by Jewish Bolshevik NKVD
Other than the pre-Versailles German areas which Germany would reclaim, the Jewish
Soviets took all of Poland. In a shocking double-standard, the anti-German Jewish press, FDR, France & the UK remain,
not surprisingly, silent about this brutal Soviet aggression against Poland, despite the military assistance Britain and
France had assured Poland of, in the event of an invasion by a European Country.
Poland appeals to Britain for help, citing the Poland-British Defense Pact signed only a few weeks earlier! The
Polish ambassador in London contacts the British Foreign Office pursuing clause 1(b) of the agreement, which concerned an
“aggression by a European power” on Poland, stating it should apply to the Soviet invasion also. The
UK Foreign Secretary, Lord Halifax, responds with hostility stating that it was “Britain’s decision whether
to declare war on the Soviet Union!”
It was apparent that
the Allies did not care about Poland or to honour any contractual agreement. They only used its foolish ultra-nationalist
leader to instigate Hitler, so that they could have their war to destroy Germany and ultimately, all of Europe. The horror
that Poland would suffer under Soviet occupation was apparently Poland’s problem, not Britain’s.
September 19, 1939, Germany has defeated Poland – Germany and Western
Prussia are reunited with Germany again
Within a few
weeks, the German-Polish Regional Conflict is already over. Hitler receives a hero’s welcome upon his arrival
in liberated Danzig. Hitler addresses the Danzig crowd;
power on earth would have borne this condition as long as Germany. I do not know what England would have said about a similar
peace solution (Versailles) at its expense or how America or France would have accepted it?
I attempted to find a tolerable solution – even for this problem. I submitted this attempt to the Polish rulers in
the form of verbal proposals… You know these proposals. They were more than moderate. I do not know what mental condition
the Polish Government was in when it refused these proposals.
As an answer, Poland
gave the order for the first mobilization. Thereupon wild terror was initiated, and my request to the Polish Foreign Minister
to visit me in Berlin once more to discuss these questions was refused. Instead of going to Berlin, he went to London.”
Hitler is greeted with open arms in liberated Danzig
October 1939 – May 1940… Hitler pleads for peace with France and Britain
The German-Polish ‘Regional Conflict’ had ended quickly, in fact, within less than
3 weeks, as Hitler had hoped. There was nothing to which the All-lies could do to help their Polish puppet. The conflict
was over, the German minority within the Corridor were liberated from the atrocities and no further action was sought by
Germany – except for the offer to repair the various damage done to the region during the conflict. The French actually
invaded Germany on September 7th, advancing 8 km before stopping (apparently the Defence Pact to protect Poland
could be achieved by invading Germany, when the Wehrmacht were in new-Poland?), while the Bolsheviks had positioned themselves
in the east. The quiet period between the end of the German-Polish regional conflict until May 1940, was dubbed by a US
“The Phony War.”
During this time, Hitler pleads for the Allies to withdraw their war declarations. Towards France he declares:
“I have always expressed to France my desire to
bury forever our ancient enmity and bring together these two nations, both of which have such glorious pasts.”
To the British, Hitler says:
“I have devoted no less effort to the achievement of Anglo-German friendship. At no time
and in no place have I ever acted contrary to British interests….Why should this war in the West be fought?”
Hitler’s pleas for peace are ignored as the Glorious Allies amass
600,000 troops in Northern France. Plans are openly discussed to advance eastward upon Germany, via Belgium and Holland,
as well as establishing operations in Norway and Denmark, with or without their consent… their “Declarations
of Neutrality” meant nothing to the war mongers.
final appeal for unconditional peace, a speech aired across Europe from the Reichstag (German Parliament), was printed
in English and aerial dropped over London, in hope of by-passing British propaganda, to ensure the people received his message
The British response to Hitlers olive
branch, was mockery and ignorance to any thought of peace… While Hitler dropped Leaflets, Churchill dropped bombs.
With all of Poland’s bravado and threatening war cries
to instigate hostilities for an international blood-bath, where did that leave Poland?
In the end … Poland,
for whose liberty the West had supposedly gone to war for, ended up with none at all. On the contrary, she was destroyed,
with her Polish leaders slaughtered and the entire nation handed over to Stalin, along with the whole of Eastern Europe,
including a part of Germany.
Even so, there are some people in the West who continue to believe that the West won
the Second World War. Stalin and Jewish Bolshevism became the absolute conquerors of a vast empire hostile to the West, which
had been created with the help OF the West. For all that, Stalin especially, was able to preserve his reputation as naive
and trusting in helping the Western actions, while Hitler went down in history as the ultimate aggressor…
Nothing could be further from the truth!
Excerpt from Hitler’s Danzig speech:
“…I do not intend to speak about the injustices
of Versailles. Perhaps the worst thing in the lives of the nations is not so much the injustice, but the senselessness,
the folly, and the utter stupidity with which in those days a peace was imposed upon the world, that completely disregarded
all historical, economic, national and political facts. Regulations were arrived at which actually force one to doubt whether
the men who perpetrated them were really in their right mind. Devoid of all knowledge of the historical development of these
districts, devoid even of all economic understanding, these people juggled about with Europe, tore States apart, divided
up countries, suppressed and handed over nations, destroyed culture.
This land, too, was a victim of that madness and the Polish State itself a product of this folly.
What Germany had to sacrifice for this Polish State the world probably does not know. One thing only I should like to declare
here: The development of all the territories which were at that time incorporated into Poland is entirely due to German
energy, German industry, and German creative work. They owe their cultural importance exclusively to the German nation.
At that time the pretext for rending more than a whole
province from the Reich and for allocating it to this new Polish State was that it was a matter of racial necessity. Actually
the plebiscite held at a later date showed in every case that nobody really had any desire to be incorporated in this Polish
State. This same Poland which owes its existence to the supreme sacrifice of countless German regiments, expanded, without
regard for reason or economic considerations, at the expense of territory in which Germans had settled centuries ago…”
Hitler’s full Speech at Danzig
Hate and murder toward Germans had been taught to Poles for centuries
Katyn Forest Massacre – a “Who done it?” Jews or Germans? from the US National Archives.
‘Polish Atrocities Against the German Minority in Poland’ Published by Order of the Foreign Office, Berlin 1940 – Based on Documented Evidence – 299 pg Report (Warning:
Further reading from Justice4Germans
Hundred Years of War against Germany
1895 to 1995
By Steffen Werner
In August 1895, a series of articles began in the British weekly The Saturday Review, which called
for the annihilation of Germany and whose disastrous greed for German plunder still reverberates to the present day.
With the Second Reich, a German state came into being which was rapidly creating a modern economy which
imperiled the economic predominance of Great Britain. Coal and steel were the two indicators by which national economies
were measured prior to the First World War. The production of raw materials in Germany grew by 334% in the quarter-century
before the First World War, from 4 million to 17.8 million tons, while the figures for Great Britain rose from 7.7 to 9
million, therefore an increase of 17%. During the same period the mining of coal in Germany increased from 76.2 to 255.8
million tons (240%) but in Britain only 60%, to 240 million tons. Germany's foreign trade was reaching proportions alarming
to Great Britain. An investigation by the English Parliament in 1885 noted that the Germans produced more cheaply and their
products were geared to the preferences of their buyers. Knowledge of languages, tirelessness and flexibility were considered
to be the merits of the German commercial travelers. A trademark law was passed in England as a counter-measure, which prescribed
that German products be marked "Made in Germany," yet the British middlemen and consumers nevertheless still often
preferred the German goods, on which account the obligatory mark was modified to "Foreign made."
That this new development was no accident was discovered by Paul Valéry in a British
commissioned work from the year 1896, in which the reasons for this new development would be raised to a dogma:
"One learns that the military victories through
which this [German] nation established itself are small when compared with the economic triumphs which it has already
wrested; already their many markets in the world are more tightly held than the territories which it owes to its army [...]
one grasps that Germany has turned to industry and trade as it once did to its military: with level-headedness and resolve.
One senses that it is omitting no means. If one wishes to explain this new [...] greatness, then one should call
to mind: constant hard work, most precise investigation of the sources of wealth and unrelenting manufacturing of the means
for producing it; exact topography of the favorable sites and most convenient connecting routes; and above all, perfect obedience,
a subordination of all motives under a sort of simple, exclusive, powerful thought - which is strategic in form, economic
in purpose, scientific in its profound design and its realm of authority. Thus does the totality of the German enterprises
have its impact upon us."
The European upper classes saw their indolent life imperiled by this upswing of the German economy. They were living,
according to Max Scheler, in a Paradise:
"For our Eastern neighbors there was more dreaming, plotting, feeling, praying,
and quiet submission to the yoke of fate, but also the drinking of schnapps, strolling romantically through life, careless
and illicit coarse enjoyment [...] For the English, it was easy to buy and sell, according to the old way, accustomed
to winning, and in the manner of old grand merchants, proud of the old proven types of goods, without adapting to the needs
of customers in the world market [...] it was also, however, to enjoy life in sports, wagering, gaming, country
life, traveling, to end the week's work on Friday evening and to go to the sports stadium [...] - but to do all
this with a matter-of-fact feeling, grounded in the situation and geography of the island, of having been divinely chosen
to be Lord of the Sea [...] not as a member of Europe, but as a power equal to all of Europe, indeed, a power which
was a match for the entire world, equal to guiding the nations outside of Europe, of leading them and of being their political
arbiter. And the same paradise meant for France: increasing financial wealth with few children, pensions after 20-30 years
of work, great colonial empire, time and idle leisure for luxury, intellect, outward appearances, adventures full of sensuality
with beautiful women."
The terror which the
German power of achievement set loose in these European upper classes, was captured by Max Scheler in the parable:
"There [...] appeared on their every horizon [...] the image
of a new, strange archangel, the face [...] as severe and iron-like as the old one of the myth, but otherwise quite
different [...] He bore the stamp of a plain workman, with good, tough fists, he was a man who labored and kept
working, on and on, according to the inner testimonial of his own convictions, not in order to outdo or for the sake of
some sort of renown, and not for enjoyment apart from or after the work, nor in order to contemplate and admire the beauty
of the world in that spare time following work, but quietly and slowly, immersed in his labor, yet with a terror-exciting
steadiness, exactitude and punctuality when seen from the outside, and wholly lost within himself and his task, he worked,
worked on and kept working - and this the world was least able to grasp - out of pure joy in boundless work in itself -
without goal, without purpose, without end. What will become of us, what shall happen to us - felt the nations [...]
How shall we exist, faced by these new masses? Shall we change ourselves, seeking to emulate him? No and again no! We
cannot obey this new demand! But we do not want it and shall not do it!"
1895 these upper classes, beginning with Great Britain, formed a War Party against Germany which is still at work today
and which will be documented by citations from the years 1895 to 1994.
Delendam, Delendam, Delendam!
The Saturday Review of 24 August 1895:
"OUR TRUE FOREIGN POLICY.
[...] As we have before pointed out, the dominant
fact of the situation with regard to our foreign policy is the steadfast enmity of France. We can call this enmity unreasonable
or untimely, but its existence is not to be doubted. Some papers, therefore, recommend that England should at once join
the Triple Alliance; that Lord Salisbury should promise the German Emperor assistance and support in case of any attack made
upon the estates or interests of the Allies in Europe, on condition that the Allies should support England in case of any
aggression upon her territories in other parts of the world. For various reasons this policy, although eminently safe, does
not altogether please us. First of all, we English have always made war hitherto upon our rivals in trade
and commerce; and our chief rival in trade and commerce to-day is not France but Germany. In
case of a war with Germany, we should stand to win much and lose nothing; whereas, in case of a war with
France, no matter what the issue might be, we stand to lose heavily."
The Saturday Review of 1 February 1896:
"A Biological View of our Foreign Policy by
The record of the past
history of life upon the catch has made us familiar with one phase in the drama of evolution. For countless generations a
number of species may have been struggling on tolerably equal terms, now one, now the other, securing some little advantage,
when suddenly a turn in the kaleidoscope of the world gives one of them an advantage of real moment. The lucky species multiplies
rapidly; it spreads over the land and the seas, its rivals perishing before it or being driven into the most inhospitable
The great nations of
the earth are local varieties, species in the making. It is not necessary that there should be anatomical distinctions among
them; although, indeed, the English, Germans, French, Russians and Americans, Chinese and Japanese, have each their distinct
groups of average characters. [...]
world is rapidly approaching the epoch of these last wars, of wars which cannot end in
peace with honour, of wars whose spectre cannot be laid by the pale ghost of arbitration. The facts are
patent. Feeble races are being wiped off the earth, and the few great, incipient species arm themselves against each other.
England, as the greatest of these - greatest in geographical distribution, greatest to expansive force,
greatest in race-pride - has avoided for centuries the only dangerous kind of war. Now, with the whole earth occupied and
the movements of expansion continuing, she will have to fight to the death against successive rivals. [...]
Of European nations, Germany is most alike
to England. In racial characters, in religious and scientific thought, in sentiments and aptitudes, the Germans, by their
resemblances to the English, are marked out as our natural rivals. In all parts of the earth, in every pursuit, in commerce,
in manufacturing, in exploiting other races, the English and the Germans jostle each other. Germany is
a growing nation; expanding far beyond her territorial limit, she is bound to secure new foothold or to perish in the attempt.
[...] Were every German to be wiped out to-morrow, there is no English trade, no
English pursuit that would not immediately expand. Were every Englishman to be wiped out tomorrow, the
Germans would gain in proportion. Here is the first great racial struggle of the future: here are two growing nations pressing
against each other, man to man all over the world. One or the other has to go; one or the other will go.
The biological view
of foreign policy is plain. First, federate our colonies and prevent geographical isolation turning the Anglo-Saxon race
against itself. Second, be ready to fight Germany, as Germania est delenda [Germany
must be destroyed]; third, be ready to fight America when the time comes. Lastly,
engage in no wasting tears against peoples from whom we have nothing to fear."
The Saturday Review of 11 September 1897:
"England and Germany
Prince Bismarck has long recognised what at length
the people of England are beginning to understand - that in Europe there are two great, irreconcilable,
opposing forces, two great nations who would make the whole world their province, and who would levy from it the tribute
of commerce. England, with her long history of successful aggression, with her marvellous conviction
that in pursuing her own interests she is spreading light among nations dwelling in darkness, and Germany, bone of
the same bone, blood of the same blood, with a lesser will-force, but, perhaps, with a keener intelligence, compete
in every, corner of the globe. In the Transvaal, at the Cape, in Central Africa, in India and the East, in the islands of
the Southern sea, and in the fair North-West, wherever - and where has it not ? - the flag has followed the Bible and trade
has followed the flag, there the German bagman is struggling with he English peddler. Is there a mine to exploit,
a railway to build, a native to convert from breadfruit to tinned meat, from temperance to trade gin, the German and the
Englishman are struggling to be first. [That's in the mind of these Englishmen -cy] A million petty disputes
build up the greatest cause of war the world has ever seen. If Germany were extinguished to-morrow, the
day after to-morrow there is not an Englishman in the world who would not be the richer. Nations have fought for years over
a city or a right of succession; must they not fight for two hundred million pounds of commerce?
Secret speech of Winston S. Churchill in March 1936 in the Lower House:
"For four hundred years the
foreign policy of England has been to oppose the strongest, most aggressive, most dominating Power on the Continent
[...]. Faced by Philip II of Spain, against Louis XIV under William III and Marlborough, against Napoleon, against
William II of Germany, it would have been easy and must have been very tempting to join with the stronger and share the
fruits of his conquest. However, we always took the harder course, joined with the less strong Powers, made
a combination among them, and thus defeated and frustrated the Continental military tyrant whoever he was, whatever nation
he led. Thus we preserved the liberties of Europe [...].
Observe that the policy of England takes no account of which nation
it is that seeks the overlordship of Europe. The question is not whether it is Spain, or the French Monarchy, or the French
Empire, or the German Empire, or the Hitler régime. It has nothing to do with rulers or nations; it is concerned
solely with whoever is the strongest or the potentially dominating tyrant. Therefore, we should not be afraid of being accused
of being pro-French or anti-German. If the circumstances were reversed, we could equally be pro-German and anti-French. It
is a law of public policy which we are following, and not a mere expedient dictated by accidental circumstances, or likes
and dislikes, or any other sentiment.
The question, therefore, arises which is today the Power in Europe which is the strongest, and which seeks in
a dangerous and oppressive sense to dominate. Today, for this year, probably for part of 1937, the French Army is the strongest
in Europe. But no one is afraid of France. Everyone knows that France wants to be let alone, and that with
her it is only a case of self-preservation. Everyone knows that the French are peaceful and overhung by fear. [...]
Germany, on the other hand, fears no one.
She is arming in a manner which has never been seen in German history. She is led by a handful of triumphant desperadoes.
The money is running short, discontents are arising beneath these despotic rulers. Very
soon they will have to choose, on the one hand, between economic and financial collapse or internal upheaval, and on the
other, a war which could have no other object, and which, if successful, can have no other result, than a Germanised Europe
under Nazi control. Therefore, it seems to me that all the old conditions present themselves again, and that
our national salvation depends upon our gathering once again all the forces of Europe to contain, to restrain, and if necessary
to frustrate, German domination. For, believe me, if any of those other Powers, Spain, Louis XIV, Napoleon, Kaiser
Wilhelm II, had with our aid become the absolute masters of Europe, they could have despoiled us, reduced us to insignificance
and penury on the morrow of their victory."
Carl J. Burkhardt [Swiss diplomat] of a conversation on 15 August 1938 with the Polish foreign minister [Jozef] Beck:
"The Poles are waiting in apparent calm. Beck,
during our nocturnal journey, made me privy to his plans to some extent. Furthermore, he is playing his double-game. It
is no German game, as many French and the Polish opposition believe. It is a game in which the greatest profit is hoped
for Poland, a profit which is supposed to come out of a final and unavoidable German catastrophe. For
this reason, the Germans are being encouraged in their wrong actions, and in Danzig they are enjoying letting the extremists
triumph while at the same time they repeatedly stress adherence to the outer form of the treaties. One day there will be
a reckoning, interest and compound interest will be demanded. Already now, by collaborating in this way with the National
Socialists, they have succeeded in creating a solidarity of aversion toward any revision of the treaties in the whole West,
in France, England and America. [...] That was entirely different in 1932. At that time Western opinion in the great
democracies for the most part supported the German minorities. People got excited over badly drawn borders, over isolated
provinces. Thanks to the excessive methods of Nazism, all of that has ended, and now in Warsaw they are
hoping not only for the unconditional integration of Danzig into the Polish state territory, but for much more, for all of
East Prussia, for Silesia, even for Pomerania. In the year 1933 they still spoke in Warsaw of Polish Pomerania,
but now they say 'our Pomerania.' Beck makes a purely Polish policy, ultimately an anti-German policy, a
policy of only a seeming Polish-German détente, since the occupation of the Rhineland and the French passivity at
the occasion of this event. But they are making efforts to encourage the Germans quite methodically in their errors."
Note of Eduard Benesch [Czechoslovakia President] of August 23/24, 1939, in London:
"It was a properly tough tactic, to
drive Hitler to war."
Report of Friedrich
Grimm [German constitutional lawyer] concerning a visit in May 1945:
"In May 1945, a few days after the collapse,
I had a memorable discussion with an important representative of the opposing side. He introduced himself to me as a university
professor of his nation who wished to talk with me about the historical foundations of the war. It was a conversation on
an elevated level that we were having. Suddenly, he broke off and pointed to the leaflets which were lying on the table in
front of me, with which we were flooded in the first days after the surrender and which were mainly concerned with the concentration
camp atrocities. 'What do you say to that?' he asked me. I replied: 'Oradour and Buchenwald? You're beating a dead horse
with me. I am an attorney and condemn injustice wherever I meet it, but most of all when it occurs on our side. Nonetheless,
I know how to make a distinction between facts and the political usage made of them. I know what atrocity propaganda
is. After the First World War, I read all publications of your experts concerning these questions, the writings
of the Northcliff bureau, the book 'From War to Peace' of the French finance minister Klotz, in which he describes how the
fairy tales about the hacked-off children's hands were invented, and what use was made of them, the enlightening writings
of the magazine Crapouillot, which compares the atrocity propaganda of 1870 with that of 1914/1918, and finally the classic
book by Ponsonby: 'Falsehood in Wartime.' In it, it is revealed that in the previous war they already had magazines
in which artificial mountains of corpses were arranged by means of a photo montage with dolls. These pictures were distributed.
In doing so, the captions were left blank. They were later inserted telephonically by propaganda headquarters according to
need.' My visitor exploded: 'I see I've come across an expert. Now I also want to say who I am. I am no university
professor. I am from the headquarters of which you have spoken. For months I have been conducting what you have correctly
described: atrocity propaganda - and with it we have won the total victory.' I replied: 'I know and now you must stop!'
He responded: 'No, now we are just properly beginning! We will continue this atrocity propaganda, we will increase
it until no one will have a good word to say about the Germans any longer, until any of the sympathy you have had in other
countries will have been destroyed, and until the Germans themselves will have fallen into such confusion that they no longer
know what they are doing!' I ended the conversation: 'Then you will be taking a great responsibility upon yourself!'"
The British magazine Sunday Correspondent on September 17, 1989, for the fiftieth
anniversary of the start of the Second World War and of the reunification marking it:
"We must now be honest about the German question,
as uncomfortable as it may be for the Germans, for our international partners and even ourselves [...] The
question remains, in essence, the same. Not how do we prevent German tanks from rolling over the Oder or
the Marne, but how Europe will deal with a people whose number, talent, and efficiency is allowing it to
become our regional super-power. We did not enter the war in 1939 in order to save Germany
from Hitler or the Jews from Auschwitz or the Continent from Fascism. As in 1914, we entered the war for the no less noble
reason that we were not able to accept a German predominance in Europe."
Lech Walesa [Polish President] in an interview with the Dutch newspaper Elsevier of April 7, 1990:
"I do not shrink even from making a declaration
which makes me unpopular in Germany. If the Germans destabilize Europe anew in one way or another, one should no
longer resort to a division, but rather simply eradicate the nation from the map. The East and the West possess
the necessary advanced technologies to carry out this sentence."
Henry Kissinger in the Welt am Sonntag of November 13, 1994:
"President Clinton's idea of the USA and Germany as Partners in Leadership was not exactly very wise [...]
Actually, this notion drives everyone to the barricades, for in the final analysis two world wars were
waged in order to prevent just that, a dominant role of Germany."
* * *
The citations imply that all the wars, revolutions, persecutions and expulsions of the 20th century were
matter-of-factly initiated by rationally planning nations or were tolerated, for the sake of power and money. In view of
the apocalyptic terror and horror resulting from these undertakings, a clear analysis appears more practical than moral
For the British upper class - and their international partners
- war is an entirely normal activity. The British pragmatically ask: How did our forebears hold it? What was their
advantage? Did they not, for four hundred years, wage war against their main rival or the strongest continental power? One
weighs, like a merchant: is it advantageous to wage war against France, can Austria hurt us? What will war against Germany
bring us? 250 million pounds = 5 million marks per year? The security of our predominance? Must we fight against the USA
The thought of whether a war is morally defensible does not even occur! For
it is, in any case, "tough" to drive someone to war. For war becomes a game, a double-game. For one places snares
by quite methodically encouraging the opponent in his errors. In this 'game,' the 'greatest profit' entices. "Take
inside Germany whatever you like": that's how one buys allies; for oneself, one takes money. Is it not better that the
other, the enemy, totally disappears? Does he not destabilize the situation, imperil the loot, if he has recovered?
Is it not better to exterminate the Germans at once? Is it not smarter to eradicate Germany from the map? Germania
esse delendam! One has the advanced technologies - by which the neutron bomb is probably meant: the Germans would be dead
and the loot intact.
For there is no honorable peace permitted. For the
atrocity propaganda is to be continued and increased until no one will any longer have a good word to say about the enemy.
The enemy becomes Evil in himself. The objection of Friedrich Grimm, which generally applies to such actions: "Then
they will take a great responsibility upon themselves" - fails here. Responsibility toward the enemy does not exist
and guilt not at all. Guilt, in this system, is merely a question of power. God isn't needed here, there is no God permitted!
"Thou shalt not kill" devolved into meaningless chatter. Man puts himself in God's place.
sponsors embracing such ideas are: a high British politician, Navy Minister of the First World War and Prime Minister of
the Second World War; a former Czech state President; a Polish foreign minister of the year 1938; a Polish President of
1990; and a former American Secretary of State.
The continuity with which these
ideas are pursued from 1895 to 1994 is alarming, and the matter-of-fact attitude with which not only the ideas, but also
their acceptance, are still presumed in 1989 by a probably broad public of a British weekly paper. Baffled, with Kissinger,
that here it is no longer preventing a German predominance, which is discussed, since even the thought of a Germany as partner
of the USA is pronounced dangerous.
The Tough Kernel
The authors of the three anonymous articles quoted in the beginning
are partly known. Concerning the author of the first article of August 24, 1895: "The Proper Foreign Policy for Us
English," Hans Grimm, who in 1895 was in Great Britain as a young businessman, learned this about his host:
"And it happened by chance that my boss, who himself belonged to the English Conservative Party, had been unexpectedly
informed that that essay of August 24, 1895, on English foreign policy had originated from a quite definite faction
in the English Foreign Office, directed by the half-German, Sir Eyre Crowe." (Shown right)
Behind the biologist, the author of the article of February 1, 1896: "A Biological
Perspective on our English Foreign Policy by a Biologist," is concealed Sir P. Chalmers Mitchell, Professor of Astronomy
and Biology at Oxford, as Hans Grimm likewise discovered. According to Grimm, Mitchell was a Captain in the British General Staff from 1916 to 1919 and had connections to Crowe.
Information about the group around Crowe is given in a diary note of October 12, 1918, of First Lieutenant
C. Repinton, in which he writes that Crowe, Mallet, and Tyrell will be going as negotiators from the Foreign Office to the
planned peace conference. Moreover, he maintains:
"They joined the F.O. between 1885 and 1893, and, with Carnock
and Bertie, were the head and front of the anti-German party all along, vexed at our surrenders to Germany and persuaded
that Germany planed our ruin. Between them they made the German peril the central feature of our foreign policy."
There is still one more to be counted as belonging to this circle of the F.O., whose significance
for the outbreak of the First World War can hardly be overestimated: Sir Edward Grey.
Edward Grey became parliamentary Under-Secretary under Lord Rosebery, who took over the Foreign Office. In 1895 Rosebery
is voted out and Grey loses his office. Grey writes that these years were "very important" for his life.
To these experiences clearly belongs also the world-view
that England must oppose Germany and turn to France. In his memoirs, couched in a very vague diplomatic language, we read:
"In light of after-events, the whole policy of these years from 1896 to 1904
may be criticized as having played into the hands of Germany."
is expressed by Grey in this manner:
"We relied on German support i and we received
it; but we never could be sure when some price for that support might not be extracted."
The England of Grey wanted to remain the sole master of the world and not share the power with
anyone, most certainly not Germany. This is the basic thought, which runs through Grey's memoirs, and his joy when
the British policy of 1904 draws closer to France expresses itself effusively in comparison with his otherwise dry text:
"The real cause for satisfaction was that the
exasperating friction with France was to end, and that the menace of war with France had disappeared. The gloomy clouds
were gone, the sky was clear, and the sun shone warmly. Ill-will, dislike, hate, whether the object of them be a person
or a nation, are a perpetual discomfort; they come between us and all that is beautiful and happy; they put out the sun.
If the object be a nation with whom our interests are in contact, they poison the atmosphere of international affairs. This
had been so between Great Britain and France. [...] That was all to be changed; it was to become positively pleasant,
where we had seen before only what was repellant; to understand and to be understood where before there had been misrepresentation
and misconstruction; to have friends instead of enemies - this, when it happens, is one of the great pleasures of life."
Of course, the price for this was "perpetual discomfort," "poison,"
"misrepresentation," and "misconstruction" in the relationship to Germany, but that did apparently not
let anything come between Grey and "all that is beautiful and happy." In Grey's eyes, France was no longer a match
for England, whereas Germany was about to outperform England economically. In 1905, Grey took over the Foreign Office
and subsequently surrounded himself with the gentlemen from the anti-German circle of the Foreign Office. Crowe, Mallet,
Tyrell, and Bertie all reached key positions and collaborated closely with Grey. Carnock is the only one about
whom I did not find anything. Bertie had already previously been ambassador in Paris and in future formed one of the pillars
of the new British policy. According to Margaret Bovari, the ambassadors of the most important European nations were exchanged under Grey, but the
Parisian embassy, with Sir F. Bertie, remained unchanged, and "it emerges from the private letters between him and
Grey that close relations and an excellent accord must have prevailed between the two men." From 1905 to 1906, Louis
Mallet was Private Secretary to Grey, and from 1906 to 1907, he was Senior Clerk in the Foreign Office. From 1907-1913, he
was Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and diplomat in Constantinople between 1913 and 1914. Margaret Boveri sees
the influence of Mallet upon Grey as having been "considerable" and numbers him "amongst the most zealous
advocates of English-Russian friendship. Still more pronounced with him than this tendency is the anti-German attitude."
William Tyrell was Senior Clerk in the Foreign Office from 1907 to 1918 and from 1907 to 1915 he was Private Secretary to
In his memoirs, Grey especially emphasized Tyrell and writes in reference to him:
"The public little or no means of knowing how
much it owes in public service to special gifts and qualities in individual civil servants in high positions in the Department
of State. In each case, where such qualities exist, a man renders service peculiarly his own, besides taking an able part
in the conduct of business in the Department. [...] I had the occasion, in office to know the great value of Tyrell's
public service; but the thing that is prize is our friendship, that began in the Foreign Office, and has continued uninterrupted
and intimate after official ties ceased."
finally became Senior Clerk in the Foreign Office in 1906 and was Assistant Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
from 1912 to 1920. His role in the British policy toward Germany cannot be overestimated. For Hermann Lutz, expert in the investigatory
committee of the Reichstag for the war-guilt question, Eyre Crowe is "the Evil Spirit of the Foreign Office.", and Margaret Boveri confirms this:
"Although we [...] must assess his
direct influence upon the daily decisions in the Foreign Office as small [because of his relatively low position; due
to his German mother he presumably climbed only slowly], his fixed stance was however surely of enormous effect upon
the shaping of the atmosphere which prevailed in the Western Department and from which policy was made."
It should be briefly remarked - this will be developed later - that from a subordinate
position, as expert on Germany, Crowe decisively influenced official policy several times. Edward Grey himself gives Crowe
prominent mention in his memoirs:
"It has been a great satisfaction since I left
office to see great knowledge, ability and unsurpassed devotion to the public service recognized in the promotion of Sir
Eyre Crowe to be head of the Foreign Office."
And he added
as a footnote:
"Since these words were written the public
service of the country has suffered an irreparable loss in the death of Sir Eyre Crowe."
Under Grey, the anti-German circles which were behind the Saturday
Review article of 1895, thereby ascended to key positions.
Grey knew portions
of the pattern of thinking there and approved indirectly. Thus, Grey recorded a conversation of 28 April 1908 with Clemenceau
and considered it to be so important that he included it as one of the few documents in his memoirs. There we read:
"M. Clemenceau had some conversation with me
at the Foreign Office this morning.
He dwelt with great emphasis upon the certainty
that we should have to intervene on the continent of Europe against any power which attained a position of domination there,
just as we had had to do in the time of Napoleon.
He said we ought to be prepared
for this. [...] He felt this to be most important. The fate of Napoleon had been decided not at Trafalgar but at
Waterloo. And so it would have to be again, in the case of any Power which attempted to dominate the continent."
Clemenceau is consciously making use of those modes of thought from the Saturday Review
articles in order to drive England into war against Germany, and Grey responds in such a way that not only are these modes
of thought familiar to him, but he is also influenced by them. This is also shown by a quotation from Grey, which is found
in Margaret Boveri:
"The Germans are not clear about the fact that
England always has gotten into opposition to or has intentionally proceeded against any power which establishes a hegemony
By his conduct, Grey deceived
many Germans about his anti-German attitude, and not only diplomats but also scientists, to the extent that caused Hans
Rothfels to derisively refer to the remark of a Prussian artillery lieutenant concerning Napoleon:
"A kindhearted fellow, but stupid, stupid."
As a contributor to The Saturday Review in the years from 1895 to 1897, G.B. Shaw
was of course familiar with the anti-German development and surely knew the authors of the articles agitating against Germany.
He tried to warn the German ambassador Lichnowsky in London about Grey and his policy. He laid out a proposal to Lichnowsky.
"He rejected it without reflecting for a moment.
It was inappropriate [he said], because Sir Edward Grey was one of the greatest living statesmen, moreover the most
sincere friend of Germany. I could [...] not raise my hands to heaven and, with Huss, cry out: Sancta simplicitas
[holy simpleton]! Besides, it was of course Lichnowsky, not I, who was going to the stake. [...] It was not my
task to enlighten the Duke about the fact that he was walking straight into a trap."
A trap so thorough in construction that Shaw writes concerning the British wire-pullers on the occasion
of the outbreak of the First World War:
"They felt in this important hour, as though
England was lost if but a single traitor in their midst let out into the world a tiny kernel of truth about anything."
From 1905 onward, the Foreign Office begins systematically to construct a front
with Russia and France against Germany. This development is proven on the basis of the public documents from the
German side after the lost war. Crowe, but not only he, worked systematically against Germany through numerous papers,
but above all through his memorandum of January 1, 1907, in which he claimed that Germany was striving for world rule and wanted to secretly attack England. In
a counter-expert opinion, Sanderson, Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs from 1894 to 1906, dismissed
the worst distortions in Crowe's memorandum. Grey passed the paper on only to his like-minded comrades; otherwise it went
It would lead us too far afield to present all the lies, distortions, misrepresentations
and ploys with which Grey, Crowe, and Company prepared the way for a war against Germany. They have been thoroughly
explored to the last detail in many investigations in Germany.
G.B. Shaw has reduced the First World War to this nullity:
"The present destruction of the German military power is [...] a completely regular operation of
British foreign policy, which was executed according to plan with all the resolve, patience, cunning and power which we
in England are accustomed to use, and with overwhelming success. But likewise also, however, with the amazing
English talent of veiling from oneself what one is doing. The Englishman never knows what the 'Foreign Office'
is up to; [...] An instinct tells him that it is better for him [...] not to know."
The whole text is rife with such quotations and others, which describe the techniques
and partly the motive of British imperialism. Concerning the key role of Grey and his methods, one more citation:
"Grey was not ruined over his mistakes; rather, for him the fact became fatal that
the necessity of feeding the British public a children's fairy-tale about the nature and causes of the war made
it impossible for him to highlight his triumph; for this was of a kind which he himself had described as machiavellian."
There is also a solid fact, which proves that Shaw knew exactly what he was talking about,
that he knew the fundamental ideas of Grey. In 1912, he made a public proposal for how the peace could be kept; that is what
he had also laid out to Lichnowsky:
"In order to avoid war, England would have
to strengthen its army as guardian over the balance of powers and officially and unambiguously declare that in the event
of a German attack on France, it will throw its sword onto the scales in favor of the latter. But on the other hand, it
would have to give its assurance that it will defend Germany in the event the latter is attacked by Russia or France or by
According to all that is known
today, the First World War of 1914 would not have happened. Germany would have been able to calmly put up with the parade
from Russia toward its borders!
As is well known, Rome and Carthage fought three wars, Great Britain
and Germany, so far, only two! Since Germany has been reunified and Communism has collapsed, as a result of which German
assistance against the Soviet Union is no longer needed, this Carthage Syndrome surfaced again. Kissinger and Walesa, whose
greed for loot is immeasurable, were cited. But there are still other texts without aggressive background, which give reason
On March 12, 1948, a few days after the downfall in the CSR and the subsequent suicide
of Jan Masaryk, the Chief Prosecutor for Great Britain at the Nuremberg war crime trials, Sir Hartley Shawcross,
stated according to the London Times:
"Believe me, three years ago, two years ago, I was violently pro-Russian, on the
extreme left of my party." [...]
"Step by step I have been forced more and more
to the conclusion that the aims of Communism in Europe are sinister and deadly aims.
prosecuted the Nazis in Nuremberg. With my Russian colleagues I condemned Nazi aggression and Nazi terror.[]I feel shame and humiliation now to see under a different name the same aims pursued, the same technique
followed, without check."
The international edition
of the U.S. magazine Newsweek wrote on May 8, 1995, the 50th anniversary of the unconditional surrender
of the German Armed Forces:
"The chiefs of state who are assembling this
week for the solemn remembrance of the end of the Second World War, will formally dedicate themselves to the theme of reconciliation.
The winners of the year 1945 showed toward the losers an unusual degree of generosity, as they had not done after the First
World War - with disastrous consequences. However, the state which first brought about this reconciliation will not be taking
part in the gathering. It is the Soviet Union, whose ideological menace caused the victorious Western powers to put Germany
and Japan on their feet again in the framework of a free-market economy and political democracy. More closely considered,
this war did not end even in 1945. Those who were waging war merely found themselves in new systems of alliances, and with
modified tactics. The end did not come until 1990-91, when Germany was reunified and the Soviet Union imploded. According
to this general view of the chronology, it can be said that the war lasted seventy-five years. The Kaiser and Hitler lost
and Germany has won."
And the German government?
A small episode proves that those who govern there know much better than the governed what is going on globally. When then
British Prime Minister John Major, in his address in Berlin for the 50th anniversary of the war's end, spoke of the
second Thirty Years War from 1914-1945:
years ago Europe saw the end of the 30 Years War, 1914 to 1945. The slaughter in the trenches, the destruction of
cities and the oppression of citizens: all these left a Europe in ruins just as the other 30 Years War did three centuries
The Bulletin of the German government
(No. 38, May 12, 1995) falsified the text of the speech into:
"Vor fünfzig Jahren erlebte Europa das Ende der dreißig Jahre, die nicht einen, sondern zwei
Weltkriege beeinhaltet hatten. Das Gemetzel in den Schützengräben, die Zerstörung der Städte und die
Unterdrückung der Bürger hinterließen ein Europa in Trümmern, gerade, wie es einige Jahrhunderte zuvor
der Dreißigjährige Krieg getan hatten."
"Fifty years ago, Europe experienced the end of the thirty years which encompassed not one, but two world
wars. The slaughter in the trenches, the destruction of cities and the oppression of citizens left behind a Europe in ruins,
just as the Thirty Years War had done some centuries before."
weeks after the speech, the British embassy sent the upper text with the clear formulation "the other 30 Years War"!
By the will of the German Federal Government, the fact that Major sees the
First and Second World War as parts of a single event, was not allowed to become publicly known in Germany.
Berthold Brecht once wrote warningly, with an eye on Germany:
"Great Carthage waged three wars. It was still
powerful after the first, still inhabitable after the second. After the third, it could no longer be found."
After the First World War, a foreign diplomat expressed to Churchill:
"In the twenty years of my residency there,
I was witness to a profound and total revolution in England, even as the French Revolution was. The ruling classes in your
country have been almost completely robbed of their political power and, to a large extent, their prosperity and property
as well; and all this [...] without the loss of a single human life."
The European upper classes, the idle ones of Scheler and Shaw, who wanted to be "clever"
as they went out of their way to start a war, they have paid! Anastasia, the wife of the Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevitch
- who, in 1914 after a murder in Sarajevo, is supposed to have called out triumphantly to Poincaré: "War will
break out. Nothing more will remain of Austria [...] Germany will be destroyed!" - lost everything!
In 1947, after the Second World War, India, the Crown of the British
Empire, became independent. Egypt freed itself from Great Britain and subsequently Great Britain had to cede the Suez Canal.
In 1957 the Gold Coast became the first independent state of Black Africa, after which a large number of colonies followed.
Churchill had yet to learn what Shaw knew: that the world for which one exchanged one's soul, had its own way of melting
in one's hands. Not even the First, and most certainly not the Second World War, Great Britain was able to win by its own
resources! From a position as master of the world, Great Britain was relegated to insignificance, and the descent
seems not to have come to an end yet. New powers are arising. Their influence, by means of the modern terrorist
techniques of war and the unhesitating way with which they are used, can easily grow to extreme proportions. They are staking
claims and creating new centers of conflict. They threaten to unite the Islamic powers and Fundamentalism. A new war against
Germany would propel their power into the stratosphere. It is to be feared that powerful groups will continue not to see
that the world of today is much larger than the White man's world.
In any case, the analogy
of Rome = Great Britain and Carthage = Germany is false. For Carthage was the commercial and sea power and Rome the land
power of antiquity! Brecht was a master of language, but had no head for politics. His history would tell a different story
today: Great Britain won two wars. It was still powerful after the first, still inhabitable after the second. Does anyone
seriously believe that Great Britain could dare to wage yet a third war against Germany?
Source: The Revisionist 1(4) (2003), pp. 373-385. |
No, latitude doesn't follow gravity (as @mkennedy notes, it follows the
normal to the ellipsoid).
And, no, gravity doesn't follow your hyperbolic curve (nor a straight
The simplest model for gravity of the earth which accounts for its
ellipsoidal shape and its rotation is "normal gravity". (And the
formulas for normal gravity are conveniently expressed in terms of
ellipsoidal coordinates.) Unfortunately, the Wikipedia articles on this
gravity and normal
are deficient in that the height variation is treated only
approximately. (I haven't yet had the energy to fix this!) However, I
have written up some detailed notes on normal gravity
Here's the figure from those notes showing the field lines (green) and
level surfaces (blue) for an exaggerated model of the earth:
The red curve is the surface of the ellipsoid. Normal gravity
is only uniquely defined outside the ellipsoid because the gravity inside the
ellipsoid depends on the mass distribution (which is not specified in
the derivation of normal gravity). In this figure, normal gravity has
been extended inside the ellipsoid assuming that the mass is all
concentrated on a disc on the equatorial plane.
By the way, falling bodies don't follow field lines. Because this is
a rotating system, Coriolis forces come into play. In addition the
bodies interia will cause the body to deviate from a curved field line.
The field lines follow hyperbolas if the ellipsoid is not rotating.
Two possible mass distributions which then result
in a constant gravitational potential on the reference ellipsoid (i.e.,
which satisfy the conditions for normal gravity) are:
All the mass is sandwiched uniformly between the ellipsoid and a
slightly smaller similar ellipsoid. In this case the potential is
constant inside the ellipsoid. Such an ellipsoidal shell is called a
A massive circular disk of radius E, where E2 =
a2 - b2, with mass distribution proportional
to 1/sqrt(E2 - R2), for radius R < E.
This is the limiting case of the homoeoid.
If a < b (the ellipsoid is prolate), the disk is replaced by a
massive rod with uniform mass distribution.
Details are given in my
A uniform mass distribution is a possible solution to the problem of
normal gravity. This is the so-called
In this case the flattening is given by the rotation (instead of being
independently specified). In this case, the level surfaces inside the
ellipsoid are concentric similar ellipsoids and the field lines all
terminate at the center of the ellipsoid. (The field outside the
ellipsoid is normal gravity, of course.) Here are the level surfaces
(blue) and field lines (green) inside the ellipsoid for f = 1/5: |
Concrete barriers are being designed as alternatives to conventional systems used as landfill liners. The concretes are made from mineral wastes and are expected to be cheaper and more effective than current systems. To predict the performance of the barriers, transport modeling is used. The processes of advection, diffusion, and adsorption are included in the model. Laboratory experiments have been carried out to determine the properties of the concrete mixtures and large site trials have been carried out to test the model using the material parameters obtained. Confidence limits for the results have been obtained by running the model with successive data sets representing extreme values of the input data. The observed results from the site trials generally fall within the expected limits, but there are some notable exceptions. It is concluded that transport modeling of real landfills is not an exact science.
|Journal||ACI Materials Journal|
|Publication status||Published - 2006|
Bibliographical noteThe full-text of this article links through to the author’s own website. It is not permissible to hold a full-text copy directly in this repository at the publisher’s request. |
Three Creeks Dam
Three Creeks Dam is a 91-foot high, zoned earth fill dam designed and constructed by the Utah Division of Water Resources in the late 1940’s. Since its first filling numerous downstream seepage collection features were needed. In addition to embankment seepage, Phase II studies identified high uplift pore pressures in the downstream foundation along with liquefiable foundation materials suggesting stability risks under near full operation and earthquake loading. We provided geotechnical design services associated with rehabilitation including:
- Field and Laboratory Studies
- Seismic Hazard Assessments – a detailed deterministic study along with earthquake response analyses was performed to develop a design site response spectra and peak ground accelerations.
- Geotechnical Analysis – static, seismic, and rapid drawdown stability analyses; liquefaction analyses, filter/drain design and piping analyses, fuse plug design
- Design and construction of:
- a) foundation relief wells and toe drain collection system to reduce uplift pore pressures;
- b) downstream stability berm to increase embankment stability during a seismic event;
- c) downstream drainage blankets capture embankment seepage and reduce piping risks;
- d) fuse-plug spillway and soil-nail-wall to spillway to address critical flood scenario. |
In astronomy, an apsis, plural apsides (IPA: /apsɪdɪːz/) is the point of greatest or least distance of the elliptical orbit of an astronomical object from its center of attraction, which is generally the center of mass of the system.
The point of closest approach is called the periapsis or pericentre and the point of farthest excursion is called the apoapsis (Greek από, from, which becomes απ before a vowel, and αφ before rough breathing), apocentre or apapsis (the latter term, although etymologically more correct, is much less used). A straight line drawn through the periapsis and apoapsis is the line of apsides. This is the major axis of the ellipse, the line through the longest part of the ellipse.
Similar words are used to identify the body being orbited. The most common are perigee and apogee, referring to orbits around the Earth, and perihelion and aphelion, referring to orbits around the Sun (Greek ‘ήλιος hēlios sun). During the Apollo program, the terms pericynthion and apocynthion were used when referring to the moon. |
“I’ve always had weird eating habits. I craved and ate mud, talcum powder and chalk as a baby. I remember eating toothpaste, soap, chalky paint (the walls in my mom’s office were the unfortunate victim), charcoal, wool, and garden soil until my early teens. I did grow out of most of them in time but the talcum powder, which I started eating again during my pregnancy!
I understand that this isn’t a “Me-too” thing, but dear doctor, please treat us both!”
(A troubled mother of a toddler, who visited my clinic a couple of months back for a solution to her son savoring sand and garden soil, revealed her own helplessness at the temptation.)
The term “pica” is Latin for the word “Magpie” which is a bird known for its unusual and indiscriminate eating behaviors.
Pica is an eating disorder in which people have unusual cravings and actually ingest substances that are largely inedible and have no nutritional value such as dirt, clay, paper, soap, flaking paint, nails, etc. Other less common items may include glue, hair, cigarette buts, ashes, or even feces.
It can occur in children, adolescents and adults alike. While babies may explore the taste of non-food items and tend to put many a things into their mouth till they are about 18-24 months (a naturally inquisitive normal developmental tendency, they eventually would outgrow with time and age) and usually no harm is done, however, in a kid with Pica, this curiosity would lead to a compulsion to ingest these inedible items.
Such kinds of stuff are known to house bountiful of harmful bacteria, viruses, worms, and other parasites, but no matter how hard you try to explain, the warning will fall on deaf ears. A child with pica may start putting things in the mouth when no one is looking. You are worried to the core about toxins and bacteria affecting your kid, whilst your child relishes the taste.
Pica disorder can vary in the severity of items craved!
Ranging from ice (pagophagia); hair, wool, and other fibers (trichophagia); wood or it’s derivates such as glue, paper, toilet roll, cigarette buts, coal (xylophagia); starch from raw potatoes or rice (amylophagia); drywall or paint; chalk; ash, dirt, soil, clay (geophagia); dust (coniophagia); lead (plumbophagia); mucus or boogers (mucophagia) to sharp objects (acuphagia); metal (metallophagia); stones (lithophagia); glass (hyalophagia); feces (coprophagia); urine (urophagia); emetophagia (vomit) or hematophagia (Vampirism) (blood) amongst others.
What causes pica?
Pica can be a sign of a developmental, behavioral, cultural, nutritional or mental health issue.
It is estimated that 10% to 30% of kids ages one through six are likely to develop this eating disorder. On a few occasions, pregnant women too can crave strange, non-food items. This could be due to –
- mineral deficiency – calcium, iron or zinc (celiac disease or hookworm can sometimes cause this as well)
- an acquired taste for the item
- intellectual and developmental disability – autism, mental retardation, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or childhood schizophrenia
- brain injury
- attention-seeking behavior
- maternal deprivation, poverty, or neglect
What can Pica do?
Pica symptoms depend entirely upon the nonfood item consumed.
Eating inedible stuff such as hair, sand, stones or bird dropping may lead to gastrointestinal problems. There is an increased risk of such stuff causing intestinal blockage or perforation calling for a surgical emergency. Ingesting stones can, in addition, give tooth injuries. Nowadays, the soil is chemically contaminated, sprayed with insecticides and pesticides, loaded with bacteria even those from manure and sewage along with pet feces and worms. It may lead to parasitic infestations, various infections, and even food poisoning. Continuous ingestion may lead to constipation, abdominal pain, vomiting, loss of appetite and diarrhea.
Depending on the surroundings (proximity to factories), the soil may also contain heavy metals such as lead and arsenic. Lead is also found in paint and wood polishes commonly used in the household. Consuming large quantities of lead can damage the nervous system of young children. Arsenic can make kids more vulnerable to develop cancer. Eating dirt and sand can also lead to iron deficiency.
How is pica diagnosed?
A person with pica would repeatedly eat nonfood items, even if they make him/her sick. If you have done all you can to prevent pica and it is still a problem for your child, then it is time to seek a professional’s help. A quick diagnosis is imperative for timely intervention before it leads to more serious physical and emotional problems.
DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition) Criterion for Pica
Eating of non-nutritive inedible substances:
- must persist for longer than one month
- at an age considered developmentally inappropriate
- must not be part of a culturally sanctioned practice
If the eating behavior occurs exclusively during the course of a mental disorder (e.g., intellectual disability, pervasive developmental disorder, schizophrenia), it is sufficiently severe to warrant independent clinical attention.
To get to the cause or to ascertain the resultant harm done, your physician may advise for your child
a. blood tests to look for toxins like lead in blood and also check your child’s calcium, iron and zinc levels.
b. X-ray to identify what was eaten and detect blockages in the intestines if any.
c. urine and stool test.
Treatment for Pica
Treatment for pica will address several areas viz. your child’s illness from having eaten nonfood items such as constipation, diarrhea, ulcer, intestinal tear, infection, or any combination of illnesses. If your child doesn’t have enough iron, calcium or zinc levels, vitamin supplements and dietary recommendations would be necessary.
Another focus of treatment will address the underlying cause of your child’s pica diagnosis. Your physician will discuss your child’s home environment, educate you as a parent, and refer your child to a behavioral or mental health specialist if needed.
It works not only upon the symptoms caused by the ingestion of nonfood items but also helps to correct the basic cause of pica. The Homoeopathic chest is full of a number of medicines that take care of this behavioral tendency and prevent its recurrence. There are specific medicines for specific cravings that hit the tendency right away.
Alumina – Unnatural craving for dry non-food items like charcoal, chalk or tea-grounds with an aversion to meat and disagreement of potatoes.
Bryonia – For a general disgust for food, however a great desire for wine and drinks that are acidic, coffee, and indigestible substances.
Calcium Carbonicum – Bitter, metallic taste with no appetite. Craving chalk, coal, pencils, eggs, sweets & wine. Aversion to boiled stuff. Milk disagrees inducing nausea and acid regurgitation.
Calcium Phosphoricum – Desire for lime, slate, pencils, earth, chalk, clay, etc. with weak digestion.
Cicuta Virosa – Craves unnatural foods, particularly coal. Worm infestations.
Lac Felinum – Craves eating paper with little appetite & bloating after eating.
Nitricum Acidum – Craving for chalk, earth, lime, and other indigestible substances, fatty foods and herring. Nausea. Cannot digest milk.
Nux vomica – Desires stimulants, fatty foods, and chalk.
Silicea – Perfect for obstinate and headstrong kids with delayed milestones who crave lime, sand, raw foods.
- Teach your children what is and is not safe to eat.
- Pay close attention to your child’s eating habits and explain the consequence of eating non-food items.
- Keep away pencil, eraser, crayons, paper, coins, and such other small items from your kid.
- Make sure there are no chipped paints within the range of your kid.
- If you have potted plants, perch them high up on the wall, away from your child’s reach.
- Throw away pebbles, pet poop, stray leaves from your verandah and backyard. Eliminating the objects from the vicinity of the child to prevent him from coming across them is a smart move.
- If you have a garden, consider fencing it with a gate and make sure you are around your kid whilst he plays outside.
- It’s best to supervise or play with your kids in the garden or if you have a separate sand play area. Infants can get choked by gritty sand.
- Keep pet food away from your child’s reach, it has been known to cause salmonella infections.
- Encourage your kids to wash their hands and mouth after playing with the dirt.
Give a balanced diet to your child with an increased proportion of calcium, iron, and zinc. These can be obtained from meat (esp. red meat), liver, eggs, seafood, grains, cereals, legumes, and dairy products. Your physician may prescribe supplements.
For some children, alleviating pica behaviors can be a relatively easy process, while for others it may take a professional working with your child through more advanced techniques. Most of them outgrow pica as they get older. However, high-risk populations, i.e. children and adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities may need continued monitoring of their behavior and environment.
In the end, there’s nothing to panic over. It’s just a developmental phase and a reminder that your kid needs your attention and love! It is important to remember to have patience with the process and continue to be positive. Always encourage your child, no matter which treatment route is taken. |
This week we showed a real world case exploring the rename() method, even though we showed a didactic example some weeks ago.
The example was little bit different.
In this post we will show the second option about how can cause problem to a system.
So, what happens inside, why can it cause problems to the system?
Look at the latest articles about rename:
- Hacking with rename part 1;
- The real case using method rename;
- PHP Documentation rename();
- How you can protect your rename method;
In essence, rename() takes two parameters, the first with old name and the second with new name.
In the last example, we showed injection in the first parameter and now we will show a injection example in second parameter.
The example is simple:
$_GET['newName'] = 'index.php';
<?php $oldName = 'imageOldName.jpg'; rename( $oldName, $_GET['newName'] );
In the practice the system will delete the old file and create a new with the new name with the content of the old file.
What’s the problem?
If file exists with the same name, the new file will override the last one.
What do you can do with that?
We can override system files or important images, such as logos, for example or generate files that didn’t exist before and with that new file cause new reactions in the server like .htaccess ( file of server configuration ) of index.htm like the real example in last post.
$_GET[‘newName’] = ‘../../index.php’;
<?php $oldName = 'imageOldName.jpg'; rename( $oldName, $_GET['newName'] ); //Line override index.php ?>
The system will override the index.php with content of the old image and the system will be stopped. =)
Look the vídeo with simple action:
And the real problem:
In next week, a new subject or another real world case?
See you folks. |
Looks like we're not the only pale blue dot in the solar system. A newly released image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows us that from way up high, our Curiosity rover is nothing more than a lonely, itty bitty blue speck amidst a sea of red.
Captured on June 27, 2013, the scene depicts the entirety of Curiosity's original landing site all the way over to the "Glenelg" area, where it spent the first half of 2013 working diligently away. Considering the scale of the photo, the total area of scorched land at the Bradbury Landing site (identifiable by its two bluish scour marks) is pretty incredible.
From this pont on, Curiosity will embark on a 9-month journey southward, towards the lower layers of Mount Sharp. So judging by the track marks and considering the relatively short distance it's traveled so far, Curiosity ain't seen nothing yet. [NASA]
Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona |
A Guide to the Antonio López de Santa Anna Papers, 1822-1866
Antonio López de Santa Anna Pérez de Lebrón (1794-1876), soldier and five-time president of Mexico, was born into a middle class family in Jalapa, Vera Cruz, Mexico. From an early age Santa Anna served in the military, where he fought under the command of Joaquín de Arredondo, served in Texas against the Gutiérrez-Magee expedition, built Indian villages, and was promoted to brevet captain, 1820, and brevet lieutenant colonel, 1821. Additionally in 1821 Santa Anna joined Agustín de Iturbide’s rebel forces and was promoted to brigadier general. Just one year later, however, Santa Anna left Iturbide, citing personal reasons, and announced his Plan of Casa Mata, calling for the abolition of the Mexican monarchy in favor of a republic.
Santa Anna served as military governor of Yucatán and governor of Vera Cruz. In 1829 he led a successful campaign against the Spanish invasion of Tampico. He was elected president of Mexico in 1833. In 1835 Santa Anna led an army north to disperse the Texas Revolution. He was captured by Sam Houston’s army in April and sent to Washington, D.C., but soon returned to Mexico. He again served as president of Mexico, 1839, before acting as dictator, 1841-1845. Eventually he was overthrown and exiled to Havana, Cuba.
For over a decade Santa Anna attempted to return to Mexico, first through negotiations with President James Polk, and then scheming with the French. After being arrested and returned to exile, Santa Anna traveled between Cuba, Nassau, and the Dominican Republic and wrote his memoirs from 1867 to 1874. He was finally allowed back into Mexico in 1874, where he lived a quiet life in Mexico City until his death, two years later.
Source: Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "Santa Anna, Antonio López de," http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/SS/fsa29.html (accessed July 28, 2010).
The Antonio López de Santa Anna Papers, 1822-1866, include letters, field orders, a signature, an article, a mortgage bond, commissions, and an oil painting of Santa Anna. The papers contain a translated letter giving an account of the Battle of the Alamo, a commission in Spanish of Carlos Hernández, and a proclamation of veteran rank issued by Santa Anna to Rafael María de los Ríos, Lieutenant in the Fifth Company of the First Active Batallion of Mexico. Additionally, the papers include a letter from Santa Anna to Señor Don Jose Maria de la Garza from General headquarters in San Luid Potosí, acknowledging a report of enemy troop movements and requesting to be kept informed of any new developments. The field orders are a copy and translation of Santa Anna’s San Jacinto field orders, April 22, 1836. Furthermore, the collection contains a facsimile of a letter from Santa Anna to Vicente Filisola, 1836; a certificate of commission signed by Santa Anna and given to an officer in the Mexican Militia, 1852-1853; and a mortgage bond from Santa Anna to Henry G. Norton and Virgil Whitcomb, trustees, 1866. The undated oil painting of Santa Anna was created by R. S. Vasquez, and depicts Santa Anna pointing over his shoulder to the Alamo, which is on fire. Also included in the papers is a typescript and translation of Francisco de Paula Alvarez’s derogatory account of Santa Anna’s career up to 1822, written after Santa Anna’s advocacy of a Republican government and renunciation of Emperor Iturbide’s government.
The collection is open for research.
Antonio López de Santa Anna Papers, 1822-1866, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
This collection was processed by Chester Kielman, July 1964. Subsequent revisions were made by Patti Woolery-Price, September 1991 and Deborah Bloys, March 1994.
Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light project, 2009-2011.
Detailed Description of the Papers |
Infusion or Potion
What is an infusion or potion? They’re the result of soaking herbs in hot water to bring out their properties. Human beings have healed themselves through herbs since prehistoric times. I suggest the book, The New Healing Herbs: The Essential Guide to More Than 125 of Nature’s Most Potent Herbal Remedies by Michael Castleman.
Warning: only use herbs that you are certain to be food grade. Talk to your doctor before using any herb. Why? Herbs by themselves can cause harmful effects. For example, chamomile can cause uterine contractions which may lead to miscarriage, so pregnant women are advised to avoid chamomile!
Furthermore, herbs can mix with each other or with medications in harmful ways. You need accurate information before you ingest any herbs. Find credible professionals who have expertise with alternative medicine because a number of western medicine doctors do not have great knowledge in this area.
The simplest example of an infusion, brew or potion is tea. We drink teas, but not all potions or brews are meant to be ingested.
Second warning: Never make a potion with poisonous plants!
After you have done some research and consulted a doctor and have chosen a safe herb, you can make a tea. Heat water to almost a boil and add selected herbs into a ceramic container, like a cup.
Pour the water over herbs and place a cover to steep the brew. The cover keeps most of the steam in and this helps keep the essential oils in your potion. Then let the portion steep for about 5 to 10 minutes. Strain the mixture. We have been talking about tea; however, you can use brews for other uses. For example, you can use brews to cleanse spaces by asperging areas or by washing the floors and other surfaces with it. You may anoint things like sachets, talismans and amulets. Herbs may be used for a ritual bath. Once again, be sure the plants are safe for whatever use.
You can also use the sun to make potions. Take a clear jar and fill it with water and your herb mixture. Next place it in direct sunlight for six hours or so and then use.
You can use potions . . .
- for drinking in a tea (when appropriate)
- to wash your floors or wipe furniture.
- to augment your bath water for when you rest and soak. |
Yerba Mate May Help Fight Colon Cancer
A new study conducted at the University of Illinois shows that the compounds in yerba mate tea have the ability to essentially make colon cancer cells self-destruct. In addition to inducing cell death in colon cancer cells, the study also showed that yerba mate reduced important markers of inflammation, which is significant as inflammation can trigger the steps of cancer progression. Yerba mate has long been consumed in South America for its medicinal properties, and now this study is bringing them to light.
Could preventing colon cancer be as simple as developing a taste for yerba mate tea? In a recent University of Illinois study, scientists showed that human colon cancer cells die when they are exposed to the approximate number of bioactive compounds present in one cup of this brew, which has long been consumed in South America for its medicinal properties.
“The caffeine derivatives in mate tea not only induced death in human colon cancer cells, they also reduced important markers of inflammation,” said Elvira de Mejia, a U of I associate professor of food chemistry and food toxicology.
That’s important because inflammation can trigger the steps of cancer progression, she said.
In the in vitro study, de Mejia and former graduate student Sirima Puangpraphant isolated, purified, and then treated human colon cancer cells with caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) derivatives from mate tea. As the scientists increased the CQA concentration, cancer cells died as a result of apoptosis.
“Put simply, the cancer cell self-destructs because its DNA has been damaged,” she said.
The ability to induce apoptosis, or cell death, is a promising tactic for therapeutic interventions in all types of cancer, she said.
Share the knowledge!
Article updated on: February 7th, 2012 |
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vandal can mean several things:
- The Vandals were a German tribe during the migration period (a time when groups of people moved around) in Europe.
- Vandal is also what a person that does vandalism is called
- Specifically on Wikipedia, it is someone who vandalizes pages.
|This disambiguation page lists articles with similar titles.
If a link brought you here, you can go back and fix it so it goes straight to the right page. |
The geology of Central Arizona is rich and varied. On this trip, we studied many different landforms that might not be unique to Earth, including volcanoes and erosional features.
The Superstition Mountains just east of Phoenix are a complex set of eruption calderas. Topics in this area were volcano explosion mechanics, pyroclastic and flow deposits, mechanics of caldera collapse, chemistry and origin of magmas, and igneous emplacement mechanisms. Other igneous highlights included stops at the Catalina Granite Pluton (Tortolita Mtns) and the Payson Ophiolite (former ocean crust pushed up onto the continent).
The more prominent erisional features on this trip were river terraces, which exhibited themselves along Campbell Avenue, the Canada del Oro wash, and in the fabled Tonto Basin. We also discussed the geology of the region between the Colorado Plateau and the Basin and Range (sometimes called the "transition zona") and the Precambrian and cenozoic rocks of the central area.
While Jeff tries to explain to Val where we are, Andy, Mark, Barb, and Jen recover from their close encounter with a rattlesnake.
|Doug goes nuts at the Burger King after the death march.|
Back to the field trip page
Back to the LPL Home Page |
In 2010, over 900 million cases of diet coke were sold in the United States alone. This of course does not include all the other diet soda brands and all the other countries the pop is shipped to around the globe. However, what it adds up to is a lot of diet soda consumption. If you like to indulge in diet soda on a regular basis you might want to keep reading; a new study says you could be putting yourself at a higher risk for heart attack.
Researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and at Columbia University Medical Centre in New York determined that drinking diet soft drinks on a daily basis might increase your chances of heart attack, stroke and even vascular death.
Just over 2,500 people took part in the study which was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. Those who drank diet soda daily were 43 per cent more likely to experience a vascular episode than those who didn’t consume diet pop. People who drank one a month or 6 every week did not seem to increase their risk.
The findings have sparked a lot of controversy. Beverage companies and even some nutritional experts argue that it may show a correlation between diet soda and vascular issues, but the study does not explain how or why this happens. The American Beverage Association points out that for year’s medical organizations have in fact been pushing the consumption of diet soda over regular soda as a weight management tool for people who are already at a high risk for vascular problems, heart attack or stroke.
The team of researchers at the University Of Miami Miller School of Medicine don’t dispute the fact that there are unanswered questions. They say they realize their study is not conclusive and more probing is needed to determine exactly why the body is responding to the diet soda the way it is. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, part of the problem with diet soda is that it can stimulate the craving for other sweet tasting food. This leads many diet pop drinkers to eat sugary food, gain weight and then place themselves in a category of higher risk for vascular disease. Researchers at Harvard say there is also some debate that diet drinks with artificial sweetener, uncouple sweetness and energy thus confusing the human brain. The brain responds to sweetness by wanting to eat more, followed by signals to slow down and stop eating. The argument is that artificial sweeteners confuse these feedback loops that involve the brain, stomach, nerves and hormones. If and when this happens it could confuse the body about how many calories are being taken in. Obesity can raise the risk of a heart attack and potentially a stroke, too.
This is not the first time that diet soda has been linked to potential heart attacks and stroke. Back in 2007 a study was conducted in Boston that focused on diet soda consumption and it came to a conclusion similar to the Miami/New York findings. It showed an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, a group of factors that boost the chance of having a heart attack, stroke or diabetes. The study looked at 9,000 individuals; both women and men of middle age. The incidence of vascular problems was increased substantially.
Thanks to modern living almost everything you consume has a toxic edge. Drinking water, processed foods, drugs, even the air you breathe contains chemicals that could end up in your liver and damage it. This can lead to health issues like poor digestion, body aches, weakness, poor skin and even a foggy brain.
The good news is, with a little help, your liver can heal itself. To see how you can help protect and nourish your liver, Click Here.
This study seemed to point at weight gain as a factor. Study subjects who drank one or more sodas a day; regular or diet, had a 31 per cent higher risk of becoming obese, a 30 per cent increased risk of adding on belly fat, and a 25 per cent higher risk of developing high blood sugar.
Here in Canada soft drink consumption appears to be declining; however we are still drinking well over 80 litres each per year. Given the latest study on diet soda consumption, and the unanswered questions, doctors and scientists are pushing for more research so that one day they can better guide consumers with the hopes of heart attack risk declines in years to come. |
BORDERS ARE INSIGNIFICANT IF WE CAN SURPASS OUR LIMITS (B1 LOWER SECONDARY; NEW AND ALL TEACHERS) SATURDAY 2.25-3.10PM
No matter how many countries’ borders you cross, you find people struggling to live a normal life, raise their children, provide them with a better start for the future; defying prejudices, racial or gender stereotypes, poverty, and even war. Laughter, suffering, ups and downs… numerous grey areas in between are woven into our life patterns.
Applying critical thinking, together with language activities, can make our students aware of issues to be addressed, initiate a lifelong interest for the world around us, and help our students not only acquire language skills in a meaningful way. It can also allow them to become responsible members of their communities.
Tijana Nesic Ristic: “Being a teacher for more than 25 years I have explored various methods working with students age 3 to seniors, individuals and groups. In 2003 I started my own English language studio. Majority of my students are teenagers and young adults preparing for Cambridge English exams (usually B2-C2) but there are also primary and preschool students doing courses with stress on the CLIL approach.
“Teacher training presents a relatively new chapter in my career, which has been tremendously encouraged and supported by ELTA of Serbia.
“I passionately believe that a teacher has a moral duty not only to teach his/her subject but to try to be a role model in an attempt to ignite curiosity and thirst for never-ending learning in (young) students as well as to be brave enough to tackle a variety of issues and raise awareness.” [email protected]; http://www.playschoolenglish.com/; http://elta.org.rs/ |
Access to steady supplies of clean water is getting more and more difficult in the developing world, especially as demand skyrockets. In response, many countries have turned to the sea for potable fluids but existing reverse osmosis plants rely on complicated processes that are expensive and energy-intensive to operate. Good thing, engineers at Lockheed Martin have just announced a newly-developed salt filter that could reduce desalinization energy costs by 99 percent.
The Reverse Osmosis process works on a simple principle: molecules within a liquid will flow across a semipermeable membrane from areas of higher concentration to lower until both sides reach an equilibrium. But that same membrane can act as a filter for large molecules and ions if outside pressure is applied to one side of the system. For desalinization, the process typically employs a sheet of thin-film composite (TFC) membrane which is made from an active thin-film layer of polyimide stacked on a porous layer of polysulfone. The problem with these membranes is that their thickness requires the presence of large amounts of pressure (and energy) to press water through them.
Lockheed Martin's Perforene, on the other hand, is made from single atom-thick sheets of graphene. Because the sheets are so thin, water flows through them far more easily than through a conventional TFC. Filters made through the Perforene process would incorporate filtering holes just 100 nm in diameter—large enough to let water molecules through but small enough to capture dissolved salts. It looks a bit like chicken wire when viewed under a microscope, John Stetson, the Lockheed engineer credited with its invention, told Reuters. But ounce for ounce, its 1000 times stronger than steel.
"It's 500 times thinner than the best filter on the market today and a thousand times stronger," Stetson explained to Reuters. "The energy that's required and the pressure that's required to filter salt is approximately 100 times less."
Lockheed is reportedly already ramping up production efforts for the filters—and trying to find a way to keep them from tearing—though there are no announced plans on when they'd hit the market. Tomorrow isn't soon enough. [Reuters via MetaFilter - Wikipedia - Image: Shutterstock/Lightspring] |
Wikimedia CommonsIt takes a lot to provide for 7 billion humans.
Mankind is destroying rainforests, draining marshes and drilling into mountains to provide timber, water, coal and other resources.
Some of this destruction has been captured in before and after satellite photos.
In Rondônia, one of the most deforested Amazon regions, they captured roads and clearings replacing forest over the last decade.
Before a Soviet Union irrigation project in the 1960s, the Aral Sea was the world's fourth largest lake. During the 2005 to 2009 drought, the lake continued to dry up and was polluted by pesticides and fertilizer.
A twenty-five year time-series of coal mining in West Virginia shows the surrounding "valley fills," streams filled with excess rock from the mountaintop removal. Scientists concluded that this mining process has "pervasive and irreversible" consequences.
Images also show the spread of illegal logging into the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico, where millions of Monarch butterflies spend the winter on just twelve mountaintops. |
Ibotenic acid, indoles, muscimol, gyromitrin, amanitin, phalloidin, psilocybin, or psilocyn.
Mushrooms including Amantia phalloides (death angel), A. virosa (destroying angel), A. muscaria (fly agaric), some Boletus spp., Chlorophyllum molybdites (backyard mushrooms), some Clitocybe spp., Cortinarius spp., Galerina spp., Gyromita spp. (false morels), Inocybe spp., and some Psilocybe spp. ('magic mushroom').
The kind of toxin in mushrooms vary with species. Some cause CNS effects including hallucinations, hyperactivity, and coma. Others damage the liver, heart, or kidneys causing death. Clinical signs usually occur within 6-8 hours following ingestion. Mushrooms grow in the wild in most areas, and pets need to be closely supervised to prevent ingestion, if access to the mushrooms cannot be prevented.
Varies with the species of the mushroom.
Abdominal pain, ataxia, coma, depression, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hallucinations, hyperthermia, tearing, urination, drooling, defecation, seizures, liver failure, kidney failure, and death.
Induce vomiting if the patient is alert. Seek veterinary attention.
General treatment: The induction of vomiting may be continued, gastric lavage performed, and activated charcoal administered.
Supportive treatment: The animal will be monitored and treated for seizures and hyperthermia. The liver and kidney function will also be monitored and treated as needed.
Specific treatment: Unavailable.
Varies with the species ingested, the toxic effects, and the amount ingested. |
Most patients who had been hospitalized with Covid-19 still suffered a variety of symptoms — including fatigue and sleep difficulties — six months after infection, a Chinese study has found.
The study of more than 1,700 patients treated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the original epicenter of the pandemic, shows 76% suffered at least one symptom months after they were discharged from the hospital.
The findings indicate that even people who recover from Covid-19 could suffer long-lasting health impacts from their bout with the coronavirus, which has infected more than 90 million people worldwide.
The study, the largest of its kind yet carried out, published Friday in the medical journal The Lancet. It found that fatigue and sleep difficulties were the most common post-Covid-19 symptoms, occurring in 63% and 26% of the patients, respectively, six months after the onset of their initial diagnosis.
The disease could also have long-lasting psychological complications, with anxiety or depression reported among 23% of the patients, the study found.
Patients who were more severely ill tended to have continued evidence of lung damage on X-rays, according to the researchers.
“Because Covid-19 is such a new disease, we are only beginning to understand some of its long-term effects on patients’ health,” Dr. Bin Cao of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital and Capital Medical University, who led the study team, said in a statement.
“Our analysis indicates that most patients continue to live with at least some of the effects of the virus after leaving the hospital, and highlights a need for post-discharge care, particularly for those who experience severe infections. Our work also underscores the importance of conducting longer follow-up studies in larger populations in order to understand the full spectrum of effects that Covid-19 can have on people,” the statement said.
Covid’s Long-Term Health Effects
Scientists around the world are studying the long-lasting effects of the virus, commonly referred to as “long Covid” symptoms.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists fatigue, shortness of breath, cough, joint pain, and chest pain as the most commonly reported long-term symptoms. Others, such as difficulty with thinking and concentration — known as “brain fog,” depression, and headache, are also reported among coronavirus long-haulers.
“While most persons with Covid-19 recover and return to normal health, some patients can have symptoms that can last for weeks or even months after recovery from acute illness. Even people who are not hospitalized and who have a mild illness can experience persistent or late symptoms,” the US CDC says.
A study published in the British Medical Journal in August found that around 10% of patients had a prolonged illness from Covid-19 lasting more than 12 weeks.
But the Chinese study is the largest, with the longest follow-up duration, to investigate the long-term impact on discharged patients, according to its authors.
Wuhan’s Jinyintan Hospital is the world’s first medical facility designated for treating Covid-19 patients.
The patients of the study, with a median age of 57, were all discharged between January 7 and May 29, 2020, from Wuhan’s Jinyintan Hospital, a designated Covid-19 facility that treated the world’s first known people to contract the disease from December 2019.
In total, the study included 70% of all discharged Covid-19 patients in that period, after excluding those who died, who were unable to participate due to severe mental or physical conditions, and who declined to participate.
All participants were interviewed with a series of questionnaires for evaluation of symptoms. They also underwent physical examinations, a six-minute walking test, and blood tests, the study said.
Unexpectedly, 13% of patients who did not appear to have acute kidney injury while hospitalized exhibited signs of kidney malfunction.
However, a team of researchers at the Institute of Pharmacological Research in Bergamo, Italy, who were not involved in the study, wrote in an accompanying commentary in The Lancet that the findings “must be interpreted with caution” as there were limits to the way it was measured.”
However, the findings on fatigue, sleep difficulties, and anxiety or depression fit in with previous research following patients who had a related coronavirus that caused severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and 2004, according to Chinese researchers.
A follow-up study of SARS survivors showed 40% of patients had chronic fatigue symptoms more than three years after infection, the researchers said.
Another study showed that 38% of SARS survivors had evidence of lung damage 15 years later, the researchers at the Institute of Pharmacological Research noted in their commentary. |
Bullying is a widespread and serious problem across our nation. It's what happens when someone repeatedly hurts or threatens another person on purpose. Bullying comes in many forms-name-calling, leaving people out, spreading rumors or physically hurting someone. And it can happen in person, in writing, online, on cell phones, in school, on the bus, at home, or anywhere. It is not a normal rite of passage, it has serious consequences and it's NOT acceptable.
Hueneme ESD is firmly committed to providing all students with a safe and supportive learning environment. Every child is entitled to feel safe in the classroom, in the hallway and on playgrounds and buses. Bullying, verbal harassment, and cyber-bullying interfere with a student's ability to learn. All of us, teachers, administrators, students and parents, must work together to eliminate unacceptable bullying and harassing behavior. Together we can make our schools safe places to learn, grow and thrive.
Many of our counselors are teaching about bullying in classrooms this month. Students should report incidences of bullying to their teacher, counselor or principal. Sometimes students feel more comfortable talking to their parents or guardians about bullying situations, it is important this information is communicated to the school. Both Blackstock and Green Junior High Schools have a bully reporting link on their websites. This allows a student who feels unsafe, or knows someone who feels unsafe to report it. The student can leave their name or report anonymously.
We owe and must provide every student the opportunity to learn and grow in a safe and nurturing environment. |
When observing animals, you can make surethat they are extremely sophisticated hunters. In one of our previous materials, we talked about the trick with which bats are able to detect even those insects that can disguise themselves as foliage and tree bark. Now it is time to talk about the method of hunting humpback whales for schooling flocks. Working as a team, they form a cunning trap from air bubbles and allow each other to absorb a huge amount of food. Researchers from the US state of Hawaii managed to shoot a humpback whale hunt on video - this is truly an amazing sight.
Unlike blue whales, which are mostlyfeed on plankton, humpback whales like to eat schooling fish. Moreover, they eat exclusively in strictly allotted periods for this, in order to gain more subcutaneous fat and not to starve during migrations and wintering. During hunger strikes, they lose up to 30% of their weight, so it is extremely important for them to absorb a lot of tiny fish at a time. To feed themselves, they have to act together.
How do whales eat?
Two humpback whales can participate in the hunt. One of them swims under a school of tiny fish and begins to swim in a spiral, while exhaling air. Fish are surrounded by many bubbles and begin to pile up at the surface. There they are practically in a hopeless position, so the second humpback whale can only swim through a school of fish with an open mouth. Subsequently, the whales change roles and a trap of bubbles forms an already fed individual.
Did you know that predatory whales turn over ships and kill people?
In the 20th century, huge humpback whales risked becomingan endangered species, but in 1985 hunting for them was prohibited. After taking such measures, the population of water giants began to recover, but in the past five years, scientists have again begun to notice a decrease in their number. Perhaps the reason for the new decline in the humpback whale population is climate change, but scientists cannot yet confirm this theory. Finding out the reasons at the moment, researchers from the University of Hawaii in Manoa are engaged in, and it was they who managed to photograph the whale hunt on video.
You can read other science and technology news in our Telegram chat.
To remove the mesmerizing cameras, they usedtwo types of shooting. Firstly, they armed themselves with a drone flying above the water surface. Secondly, they previously mounted underwater cameras on the bodies of whales in order to observe the “first-person” process. You can watch the whale hunt in the video below, and see the study details on the news website of the University of Hawaii.
It is noteworthy that a similar hunting strategynot only humpback whales use it, but also other underwater inhabitants. For example, bottlenose dolphins from the genus Tursiops can collectively raise sediment from the bottom and form a similar trap. Flocking fish also fall into it, which as a result cannot spread apart and become easy prey for other dolphins. Of course, the dolphin that created the trap also does not remain hungry - relatives help him eat in the same way. |
Diarrhea is usually a scenario that has stricken all of us at one time or but an additional. Persons now of any age, from infants over the aged, from all walks of day to day living, in the impoverished to the most wealthy cara mengatasi diare, have had to take care of exactly what is in all probability almost certainly quite possibly the most unpleasant and inconvenient predicament just about all of these will ever working experience. But getting a few minutes to know what diarrhea is, and what its provides about are, will permit you in controlling it.
The whole planet Total wellbeing Firm defines diarrhea for the reason that ailment of getting 3 or maybe additional free or liquid bowel actions each day. However it really is not life-threatening to most grownups within the formulated world, diarrhea is amongst the foremost reasons behind loss of lifestyle amid infants, and in the acquiring surroundings. It originates within the bowels and will have anybody with the amount of money of will bring about. Most likely by far the most repeated results in are bacterial infections by microbes or parasitic organisms, although diarrhea may also be introduced on by most cancers, meals allergy symptoms, really serious diseases together with the intestines such as irritable bowel syndrome, and as currently being a factor consequence of individual medications.
There are 3 types of diarrhea: osmotic, secretory, and exudative. Osmotic diarrhea achievements together with the drawing of drinking water in into the bowel. This will come about any time a compound just isn’t really properly absorbed in for the process. Secretory diarrhea happens when the human system by itself is releasing an irregular amount of money of h2o in the bowel. This will likely be brought on by infections or medication. Previous but not minimum, exudative diarrhea is generally a symptom if a significant an infection, and usually takes location when there may be definitely blood and pus current in stool.
Diarrhea that is not part from the chronic issue is generally very best addressed merely by producing it feasible for it to operate its system. The majority of people only abilities indicators and indications to secure a highest of two or a couple of days. If ready is not going to be a probability, there are actually a lot of over-the-counter solutions that may consider care of diarrhea, like Pepto-Bismol and Immodium A-D. However you end up choosing to deal with your circumstance, it is actually of utmost great importance to consume fluids day after day. Drinking water, juice, tea, and hen broth are all superb options, and may be taken regularly in compact portions to be able to minimize dehydration.
When in the whilst diarrhea could possibly be an indicator of the far more major problem you’re not mindful about. In the function your diarrhea persists for more time than the usual couple occasions, or if it is accompanied by other indicators or indicators like significant stomach suffering, discolored urine, or problems, call your physician appropriate absent, primarily simply because you could potentially have everything a great deal more to bother with than the usual basic circumstance of diarrhea. |
By T. Sabaratnam
Tamil youths had been radicalized by the late 1960s. Language is a matter that touches the heart of every Tamil. They are proud of the antiquity and richness of their language, and linguistic nationalism is part of the psyche of every Tamil. When, in 1956, the Bandaranaike Government enacted the Sinhala Only Act, Tamils were enraged. They were hurt the Sinhala leaders went back on their earlier promise of parity of status for the Sinhala and Tamil languages.
The Federal Party decision to perform satyagraha (non-violent protest) at Galle Face Green opposite the Parliament building evoked a sympathetic response among the Tamil people. The satyagraha held on 5 June 1956 was disturbed by organized Sinhala hooligans. The Federal Party then took the opposition to the Sinhala Only Act to the Tamil people. The TULF organized the “Thirumalai Yatra (March to Trincomalle) in April 1957, which was followed by a 3-day convention. The Convention placed a 4-point demand before the government and gave the Government one year to implement the demands. The demands were:
1.The establishment of an autonomous Tamil state or States on a linguistic basis within a federal union of Ceylon.
2. The restoration of the Tamil Language to its rightful place, enjoying absolute parity of status with Sinhalese as the official language of this country,
3. The restoration of the citizenship and franchise rights of the Tamil workers in the plantation districts by the repeal of the present citizenship laws, and
4. The immediate cessation of all policies of colonizing the traditionally Tamil-speaking areas with Sinhalese people.
Bandaranaike agreed to talk with the leaders of the Federal Party and to work out a solution. Regarding the language issue, it was agreed to work out an adjustment without abandoning the two parties’ respective positions: Sinhala Only by Bandaranaike and parity of status by Chelvanayakam. The agreement worked out was the recognition of Tamil as a national language and that the administration of the Northern and the Eastern Provinces would be done in Tamil.
That agreement was not honoured. Neither was the agreement of 1965 in which Dudley Senanayake promised to make Tamil the Language of Administration and of Record in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. Senanayake’s undertaking to enable Tamil-speaking persons to transact business in Tamil throughout the island was also not honoured.
Safety and Security
Tamils as a whole, and youths in particular, had lost faith in the Sinhala leadership by 1968 when the Federal Party quit Dudley Senanayake’s government in disgust. By then Sinhala leaders had unleashed the armed might of the state and the strength of the unruly mob to silence non-violent protest by the Tamils. The mob attack on the satyagrahis at Galle Face was followed by attacks on Tamil officers and cultivators in the Gal Oya scheme. Two years later, in May 1958, there was widespread attacks on Tamils. These attacks started at Polonnaruwa where Sinhala colonists from the Padaviya Colonization Scheme attacked the Batticoloa- Colombo train. Attacks spread to Anuradhapura, Colombo and then to the hill country. Tamils were attacked, their homes burnt, children were thrown into boiling tar barrels, many were chased out with barely the clothes they were wearing to the refugee camps and many refugees were then sent by trains and ships to the north and east.
The Bandaranaike government, intent on pacifying the Sinhalese, detained Federal Party leaders from 4 June 1958 to 4 September 1958, accusing them of instigating the riots. Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s government again detained Federal Party leaders nearly three years later on 17 April 1961 charging them with trying to establish a separate state. Addressing the nation that night on radio, Sirimavo Bandaranaike said:
Since last week the Federal Party has opened, what they call, a postal service and formed a police force. They have also established land kachcheries to allot crown land to their supporters. It will thus be clear that the Federal Party leaders had challenged the lawfully established government of the country with the view to establish a separate state.
Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s key ministers, Felix R. Dias Bandaranaike and C. P. de Silva, who had obtained Thanthai Chelva’s assistance to defeat the Dudley Senanayake government in March 1960, won the election in July 1960 and started to implement the Sinhala Only in the Tamil provinces from 1 January 1961. The Federal Party launched a satyagraha campaign on 20 February opposite the Jaffna Kachcheri (Secretariat). This satyagraha grew into a People’s Protest. The people blocked the gates of the secretariat preventing administration in Sinhala.
On 30 March the government airlifted a naval unit to Jaffna (the first airlift in Sri Lanka’s history) to cordon off the secretariat, but that exercise failed as the people used the by-lanes and private compounds to go to the secretariat. The Federal Party retaliated for the deployment of the naval unit by extending the campaign to Vavuniya, Mannar, Trincomalle and Batticoloa secretariats.
Making use of the growing support it received from the people, the Federal Party leaders decided to court arrest by breaking selected laws. They inaugurated the Thamil Arasu Postal Service on April 14. Thanthai Chelva, functioning as the Postmaster General, sold thousands of stamps. The next day, April 16, the Federal Party inaugurated the Thamil Arasu Land Kachcheri in which applications for the allotment of state land were received.
The government reacted to the Federal Party expanding the satyagraha into a civil disobedience movement. It declared a state of emergency and made use of the army to break up the satyagraha movement. It arrested the leaders and the youth leaders involved in organizational work. The satyagraha, though subdued, had unleashed among the Tamil people the desire for freedom and had brought Tamil youth into conflict with the armed forces.
The Breaking Point
The 1961 satyagraha was a turning point in Sri Lanka’s Sinhala –Tamil relations. It made the Tamils politically conscious and active. It drew the youths and the students, who had been mere spectators, into becoming participants. From then on the youth started questioning their leaders, pressing for action. The failure of Thanthai Chelva’s experiment at cooperation during Dudley Senanayake’s National Government made the youth assertive.
The Sirimavo Bandaranaike government that succeeded Dudley Senanayake in 1970 marked the breaking point. This government touched the sore point in Tamil mind – higher education and employment. The requirement that knowledge of Sinhala language was essential for state employment almost completely barred the Tamils from an area that had been their priority. Then Bandaranaike introduced language-wise standardization for university entrance.
Interference in education not only estranged Tamil youths from the Sinhalese, it also alienated them from their own leaders, who failed to understand immediately the impact of standardization. The Federal Party, from its inception, had been the agent of Tamil government servants and Tamil teachers, who made use of the party to safeguard their interests. The Action Committee of the party raised the question of standardization as only one of the six acts of government that affected the Tamil people. Angered youths decided not to rely on their leaders and formed the Tamil Manavar Peravai (Tamil Students League) to agitate for solutions to their problems. This league was headed by Ponnuthurai Sathyaseelan. Pirapaharan, Sivakumaran and Sri Sabaratnam were important members. Later the league was converted into the Tamil Elaignar Peravai (Tamil Youth League).
The Thamil Manavar Peravai was involved in agitating against the 1972 constitution along with its anti-standardization efforts. The United Front, comprising the SLFP, Lanka Sama Samaja Party and the Communist Party, which won the 1970 election, set up a constituent assembly consisting the members of parliament to draft and enact a new constitution. The Federal Party presented a model constitution to the constituent assembly. Article 1 of the FP’s model constitution said Sri Lanka should be a federal state comprising a central government and five autonomous states. The five states proposed were: a state comprising the western and southern provinces; a state comprising the north-central and north-western provinces; a state comprising Uva, Sabaragamiva and Central Provinces; a state comprising the northern province and the districts of Trincomalle and Batticoloa of the eastern province and a state comprising the south-eastern district of Amparai.
The constituent assembly did not even consider the Federal Party’s suggestions. Instead, it adopted the following basic resolution: “The Republic of Sri Lanka shall be a unitary state.” The assembly also adopted the resolution that Sinhala would be the only official language and Buddhism would be accorded the pride of place amongst the country’s religions. Tamil youths, now vociferous, demanded that the Federal Party quit the constituent assembly and the Federal Party bowed to their demand. Thanthai Chelva called the 1972 constitution “a charter of slavery.”
The 1972 constitution started the movement towards the demand for a separate Tamil state. On 14 May 1972, eight days before the proclamation of the constitution, Tamil parties formed the Tamil United Front (TUF) comprising the Federal Party, All Ceylon Tamil Congress, the Ceylon Workers Congress, the Eelath Thamilar Ootumai Munnani, the All Ceylon Tamil Conference and some Tamil trade unions. The TUF organized a massive protest against the new constitution on 22 May 1972. The youths took the protest to the villages. Village level demonstrations and meetings were held, the national flag was burnt and bonfires made of the copies of the new constitution.
Thanthai Chelva resigned his seat in parliament to give the government an opportunity to test the reaction of the Tamil people to the new constitution. The government postponed the by-election for his seat until 1975.
The government retaliated against the protests about the new constitution by arresting over 70 youth leaders. That brought the police and the armed forces into direct confrontation with the youths. As the impact of standardization began to be felt among the students, they became ever more strident in their protests. They started telling the people that the path of cooperation and non-violent protest have failed. Armed struggle, as in Bangladesh and the violent revolt by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) in southern Sri Lanka, was considered the only possible option. Secret armed groups sprang up. One of these armed groups was Pirapaharan’s Tamil New Tigers (TNT).
The 1974 January Tamil Research Conference Massacre infuriated the youth, especially Sivakumaran. The youths were wild with anger. They charged the government with engineering the police attack. Youths organized a series of protests. Sivakumaran was determined to take revenge. His target was Posts and Telecommunications Minister C. Kumarasuriyar, Jaffna Mayor Alfred Duraiapph and ASP Chandrasekera, the Sinhala police officer held responsible for the deaths of civilians at the conference. Sivakumaran committed suicide by swallowing the cyanide capsule he was wearing when he was trapped while trying to rob the Kopay branch of the People’s Bank on 4 June 1974. His death created an emotional environment in Jaffna.
The massive victory Thanthai Chelva won in the Kankesanthurai by-election held on 6 February 1975 generated an intense movement towards separation. In his victory speech Thanthai Chelva declared:
Throughout the ages, the Sinhalese and the Tamils in this country lived as distinct sovereign people until they were brought under foreign domination. We have for the last 25 years made every effort to secure our political rights on the basis of equality with the Sinhalese in a united Ceylon. It is a regretable fact that successive Sinhalese governments have used the power that flows from independence to deny us our fundamental rights and reduce us to the position of a subject people. I wish to announce to my people and the country that I consider the verdict at the election as a mandate that the Tamil Eelam nation should exercise the sovereignty already vested in the Tamil people and become free. On behalf of the Tamil United Front, I give you my solemn assurance that we will carry out our mandate.
Youths raised a victory cry. “Tamil Eelam and nothing else,” they chorused. Some pricked their index finger with a pin and applied the blood on Thanthai Chelva’s forehead (the traditional Iratha Thilagam) indicating their preparedness for any sacrifice, setting the stage for the historic Vaddukoddai Resolution. On 5 May 1976, nine days before the adoption of the Vaddukoddai resolution, 21-year old Pirapaharan, thamby as he was known then, transformed his TNT into a well-knit guerrilla outfit and renamed it the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), pledging to make the Vaddukoddai Resolution a reality.
The Tamil United Front held its first annual convention at Pannakam in the Vaddukoddai electorate on 14 May 1976. Youths, especially those who had secretly set up militant groups, participated in full strength. They were there to ensure the adoption of the historic resolution that called for the establishment of a separate state for the Tamil people and the conversion of the Tamil United Front into a liberation organization called the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF).
The resolution was moved by Thanthai Chelva and seconded by M. Sivasithamparam of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress. The full text of the resolution is given in Annexure-1. The resolution proclaimed;
The first National Convention of the Tamil United Front meeting at Pannakam (Vaddukoddai Constituency) on the 14th day of May, 1976, hereby declares that the Tamils of Ceylon, by virtue of their great language, their religions, their separate culture and heritage, their history of independent existence as a separate state over a distinct territory for several centuries till they were conquered by the armed might of the European invaders and above all by their will to exist as a separate entity ruling themselves in their own territory, are a nation distinct and apart from the Sinhalese and this Convention announces to the world that the Republican Constitution of 1972 has made the Tamils a slave nation ruled by the new colonial masters, the Sinhalese, who are using the power they have wrongly usurped to deprive the Tamil Nation of its territory, language citizenship, economic life, and opportunities for employment and education, thereby destroying all the attributes of nationhood of the Tamil people… This convention resolves that restoration and reconstitution of the Free, Sovereign, Secular, Socialist State of TAMIL EELAM, based on the right of self determination inherent to every nation, has become inevitable in order to safeguard the very existence of the Tamil Nation in this Country.
In my third book, The Murder of a Moderate, I told the story of how the moderates were marginalized, through their own faults and through the strategies of Sinhala chauvinism. Appapillai Amirthalingam took over TULF leadership after Thanthai Chelva died on 5 April 1977 and his first task was to face the election of 1977 July.
The TULF decided to make use of the election to obtain the endorsement of the people for the Vaddukoddai Resolution and to get their mandate for the elected representatives to constitute themselves into a National Assembly of Tamil Eelam for the purpose of drafting and implementing a constitution. The relevant paragraph read:
Tamil speaking representatives who get elected through the vote will also form themselves into a National Assembly of Tamil Eelam which will draft a constitution for a state of Eelam to establish the independence of Tamil Eelam by bringing the constitution into operation either by peaceful means or by direct action or struggle.
People gave the TULF the required mandate, electing 17 of their candidates with massive majorities. In his electorate of Kankesanthurai, Amirthalingam polled 31,155 votes to his opponent’s 5322. In a moving victory speech, Amirthalingam announced that the people had given his party the mandate it asked for and vowed:
From now onwards there is no looking back. We will march forward to achieve the goal of Eelam.
After the election Amirthalingam went back on his word. The TULF parliamentary group forgot entirely its promise to form itself into a National Assembly of Tamil Eelam and to draft a constitution for a state of Eelam. Instead, the parliamentary group that met at Vavuniya decided to accept the post of the Leader of the Opposition and to function in Parliament as a responsible opposition. The TULF attended the Sri Lankan parliament on 4 August 1877 and Amirthalingam occupied the seat of the Leader of the Opposition. He seconded the name of Ananthatissa de Alwis for the post of speaker, proposed by the Leader of the House R. Premadasa. Congratulating the Speaker on his unanimous election Amirthalingam said:
The TULF would fulfill its obligations in terms of the conventions of the House and would cooperate with the Chair.
The TULF attended the ceremonial opening of the Parliament, breaking its 20-year boycott and made a patient effort to build an amicable relationship with the government. That brought about a cleavage between Amirthalingam and Tamil youths, whose darling he was during 1970-1977, the period he was out of Parliament. Youths adored him as their Thalapathi, meaning General. President Jayewardene took all possible steps to widen this cleavage. He provided Amirthalingam with an official residence, a car, security and other facilities and responded favourably to most TULF personal requests.
Amirthalingam took further steps to strengthen the bond between the TULF and the Government; the TULF attended parliamentary committee meetings, it attended monthly meetings with the cabinet to sort out the problems of the Tamils, and in June 1981 it contested the District Development Council elections and captured all the ten seats in the Jaffna District Development Council, polling 263,369 votes against the UNP’s 23,302 and the Tamil Congress’s 21,682. But the TULF’s hold on the Tamil people vanished during the local government election of 18 May 1983.
In that election the Tamil people changed their loyalty from the TULF to the LTTE and obeyed the LTTE’s command to boycott the election. In Jaffna 86% of the voters kept away. In Chavakachcheri 85%, in Point Pedro 99% and in Pirapaharan’s birthplace, Valvettithurai, 98% of the voters kept away. The local government members elected by the few who voted at the election obeyed the LTTE order not to attend the inaugural meetings of the Councils fixed for June 16. Only the Point Pedro Town Council met that day.
Amirthalingam admitted that the people had discarded the TULF and chosen a new leadership. He told the Daily News:
We were reduced to a position that we could not reply to the Tiger charge that the District Development Councils have failed. We had nothing concrete to show the people other than the empty shells of the Development Councils.
Youths warned the TULF and Amirthalingam that they were not honouring the mandate that the people had given them. They were also warned that they were being taken for a ride by Jayewardene. Young people repeatedly reminded the TULF leaders of their obligation with posters, whenever Amirthalingam visited Jaffna, which read: “What has happened to the Mandate. When is the National Assembly of Tamil Eelam meeting?” They also stepped up their attacks on the police and the army.
Jayewardene aided the estrangement of the Tamil moderate leadership – Amirthalingam and the TULF – from the Tamil people by refusing to strengthen them by granting the District Development Councils any basic legislating and taxing powers. Jayewardene and his advisors resorted to the strategy of weakening the TULF in the hope that the Tamil agitation for a separate state would wither away. They organized the Cyril Mathew group to unleash a virulent propaganda against Amirthalingam, who was accused of being the brain behind the militant groups. A no-confidence motion was moved against him, the Leader of the Opposition, a first in the parliamentary history of the world. He was accused of being a traitor by government members. They said he should be publicly torn to pieces, the worst punishment Sinhala kings of yore imposed on traitors.
Jayewardene and his strategists unleashed two mob attacks on Tamils – in 1977 on Sri Lankan Tamils and in 1979 on Indian Tamils – to carry forward their scheme of weakening the Tamils. The same strategy with added severity was implemented 1983 and thereafter. That phase, indicated briefly in the The Murder of a Moderate, will form the first part of the biography, Pirapaharan.
Pirapaharan’s mission is to attain the objective of the Vaddukoddai Resolution – “a State of Tamil Eelam… to safeguard the very existence of the Tamil nation in Sri Lanka.” The Tamil people gave the required mandate to the TULF in 1977 to draft a seperate constitution and bring it into operation “either by peaceful means or by direct action or struggle.”
The TULF failed to honour that mandate. The TULF demonstrated that “peaceful means” had totally failed as a method for obtaining Tamil rights. The failure of Thanthai Chelva’s experiments at negotiations and cooperation has demonstrated that non-violent “direct action or struggle,” too, would not succeed. Pirapaharan thus chose the only other option available; armed rebellion.
The events that forced him to come to that conclusion, his attempts at organizing an urban guerrilla group, the hardships he underwent during that process, his failures and successes, his achievement in converting a guerrilla group into a conventional army, his building of a suicide force, the establishment of a powerful naval unit, the organization of a police force, a judicial system and an efficient administrative network are all unparalleled achievements in the history of revolutions in the world.
In writing my fourth biography, Pirapaharan. I am fully aware of the difficulties I will have to face. Writing the first three biographies was relatively easy. I had known Thondaman, Chelvanayakam and Amirthalingam since 1957. I maintained close contact with them until their deaths. I moved closely with them and covered most of the important events in their lives. I had regular meetings with them and discussed the events that affected their lives and times. I have never met Pirapaharan, nor any of his top assistants. As a Lake House staffer, I have read more the army handouts and covered innumerable defence ministry press briefings – a definite disqualification to write about Pirapaharan, the most wanted man in Sri Lanka.
However, I posses a qualification which no other biographer of Pirapaharan can claim. I have moved very closely with the Tamil moderate leadership. More importantly, I have also moved closely with the main Sinhala actors involved in the ethnic conflict – Cyril Mathew, Lalith Athulathmudali, Gamini Dissanayake, Ranjan Wijeratne, Ranasinghe Premadasa, Prof. G. L. Peiris, among others. I have also moved intimately with three Indian envoys who influenced Indian Sri Lankan policy – G, K, Chatwaal, J, N. Dixit and L. Mehotra.
The idea of writing this book was born in 1996, soon after I launched the book on Amirthalingam. I called on Neelan Tiruchelvam to thank him for attending the launch. He suggested that I should next write about Pirapaharan. I was bewildered. “He is going to take our struggle to a conclusion,” Neelan prophesized. From Neelan’s office at Kinsey Terrace I went to Kumar Ponnambalam’s Queen’s Road home. He endorsed Neelan’s suggestion. He promised to give me the necessary help.
I am aware that this is a sensitive project. My professional training has taught me to be impassionate, objective, balanced. Facts are sacred and sacred they will be in this narrative. If there are any inaccuracy and inadequacy, I take responsibility. I will correct them whenever they are pointed out. I hope my attempt will prompt better, fully authentic biographies on Pirapaharan, a genius of our time.
Unanimously adopted at the First National Convention of the
TAMIL UNITED LIBERATION FRONT
held at Vaddukoddai
on May 14, 1976
Whereas, throughout the centuries from the dawn of history, the Sinhalese and Tamil nations have divided between themselves the possession of Ceylon, the Sinhalese inhabiting the interior of the country in its Southern and Western parts from the river Walawe to that of Chilaw and the Tamils possessing the Northern and Eastern districts; And,
Whereas, the Tamil Kingdom was overthrown in war and conquered by the Portuguese in 1619, and from them by the Dutch and the British in turn, independent of the Sinhalese Kingdoms; And,
Whereas, the British Colonists, who ruled the territories of the Sinhalese and Tamil Kingdoms separately, joined under compulsion the territories of the Sinhalese and the Tamil Kingdoms for purposes of administrative convenience on the recommendation of the Colebrooke Commission in 1833; And,
Whereas, the Tamil Leaders were in the forefront of the Freedom movement to rid Ceylon of colonial bondage which ultimately led to the grant of independence to Ceylon in 1948; And,
Whereas, the foregoing facts of history were completely overlooked, and power over the entire country was transferred to the Sinhalese nation on the basis of a numerical majority, thereby reducing the Tamil nation to the position of subject people; And,
Whereas, successive Sinhalese governments since independence have always encouraged and fostered the aggressive nationalism of the Sinhalese people and have used their political power to the detriment of the Tamils by-
(a) Depriving one half of the Tamil people of their citizenship and franchise rights thereby reducing Tamil representation in Parliament,
(b) Making serious inroads into the territories of the former Tamil Kingdom by a system of planned and state-aided Sinhalese colonization and large scale regularization of recently encouraged Sinhalese encroachments, calculated to make the Tamils a minority in their own homeland,
(c) Making Sinhala the only official language throughout Ceylon thereby placing the stamp of inferiority on the Tamils and the Tamil Language,
(d) Giving the foremost place to Buddhism under the Republican constitution thereby reducing the Hindus, Christians, and Muslims to second class status in this Country,
(e) Denying to the Tamils equality of opportunity in the spheres of employment, education, land alienation and economic life in general and starving Tamil areas of large scale industries and development schemes thereby seriously endangering their very existence in Ceylon,
(f) Systematically cutting them off from the main-stream of Tamil cultures in South India while denying them opportunities of developing their language and culture in Ceylon, thereby working inexorably towards the cultural genocide of the Tamils,
(g) Permitting and unleashing communal violence and intimidation against the Tamil speaking people as happened in Amparai and Colombo in 1956; all over the country in 1958; army reign of terror in the Northern and Eastern Provinces in 1961; police violence at the International Tamil Research Conference in 1974 resulting in the death of nine persons in Jaffna; police and communal violence against Tamil speaking Muslims at Puttalam and various other parts of Ceylon in 1976 – all these calculated to instill terror in the minds of the Tamil speaking people, thereby breaking their spirit and the will to resist injustices heaped on them,
(h) By terrorizing, torturing, and imprisoning Tamil youths without trial for long periods on the flimsiest grounds,
(i) Capping it all by imposing on the Tamil Nation a constitution drafted, under conditions of emergency without opportunities for free discussion, by a Constituent Assembly elected on the basis of the Soulbury Constitution distorted by the Citizenship laws resulting in weightage in representation to the Sinhalese majority, thereby depriving the Tamils of even the remnants of safeguards they had under the earlier constitution, And,
Whereas, all attempts by the various Tamil political parties to win their rights, by co-operating with the governments, by parliamentary and extra-parliamentary agitations, by entering into pacts and understandings with successive Prime Ministers, in order to achieve the bare minimum of political rights consistent with the self-respect of the Tamil people have proved to be futile; And,
Whereas, the efforts of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress to ensure non-domination of the minorities by the majority by the adoption of a scheme of balanced representation in a Unitary Constitution have failed and even the meagre safeguards provided in article 29 of the Soulbury Constitution against discriminatory legislation have been removed by the Republican Constitution; And,
Whereas, the proposals submitted to the Constituent Assembly by the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kadchi for maintaining the unity of the country while preserving the integrity of the Tamil people by the establishment of an autonomous Tamil State within the framework of a Federal Republic of Ceylon were summarily and totally rejected without even the courtesy of a consideration of its merits; And,
Whereas, the amendments to the basic resolutions, intended to ensure the minimum of safeguards to the Tamil people moved on the basis of the nine point demands formulated at the conference of all Tamil Political parties at Valvettithurai on 7th February 1971 and by individual parties and Tamil members of Parliament including those now in the government party, were rejected in toto by the government and Constituent Assembly; And,
Whereas, even amendments to the draft proposals relating to language, religion, and fundamental-rights including one calculated to ensure that at least the provisions of the Tamil Language (Special Provisions) Regulations of 1956 be included in the Constitution, were defeated, resulting in the boycott of the Constituent Assembly by a large majority of the Tamil members of Parliament; And,
Whereas, the Tamil United Liberation Front, after rejecting the Republican Constitution adopted on the 22nd of May, 1972, presented a six point demand to the Prime Minister and the Government on 25th June, 1972, and gave three months time within which the Government was called upon to take meaningful steps to amend the Constitution so as to meet the aspirations of the Tamil Nation on the basis of the six points, and informed the Government that if it failed to do so the Tamil United Liberation Front would launch a non-violent direct action against the Government in order to win the freedom and the rights of the Tamil Nation on the basis of the right of self-determination; And,
Whereas, this last attempt by the Tamil United Liberation Front to win Constitutional recognition of the rights of the Tamil Nation without jeopardizing the unity of the country was callously ignored by the Prime Minister and the Government; And,
Whereas, the opportunity provided by the Tamil United Liberation leader to vindicate the Government’s contention that their constitution had the backing of the Tamil people, by resigning from his membership of the National State Assembly and creating a by-election was deliberately put off for over two years in utter disregard of the democratic right of the Tamil voters of Kankesanthurai, and,
Whereas, in the by-election held on the 6th February 1975, the voters of Kankesanthurai by a preponderant majority not only rejected the Republican Constitution imposed on them by the Sinhalese Government, but also gave a mandate to Mr. S.J.V. Chelvanayakam, Q.C. and through him to the Tamil United Liberation Front for the restoration and reconstitution of the Free Sovereign, Secular, Socialist State of TAMIL EELAM.
The first National Convention of the Tamil United Liberation Front meeting at Pannakam (Vaddukoddai Constituency) on the 14th day of May, 1976, hereby declares that the Tamils of Ceylon by virtue of their great language, their religions, their separate culture and heritage, their history of independent existence as a separate state over a distinct territory for several centuries till they were conquered by the armed might of the European invaders and above all by their will to exist as a separate entity ruling themselves in their own territory, are a nation distinct and apart from Sinhalese and this Convention announces to the world that the Republican Constitution of 1972 has made the Tamils a slave nation ruled by the new colonial masters, the Sinhalese ,who are using the power they have wrongly usurped to deprive the Tamil Nation of its territory, language citizenship, economic life, opportunities of employment and education, thereby destroying all the attributes of nationhood of the Tamil people.
And, while taking note of the reservations in relation to its commitment to the setting up of a separated state of TAMIL EELAM expressed by the Ceylon Workers Congress as a Trade Union of the Plantation Workers, the majority of whom live and work outside the Northern and Eastern areas,
This convention resolves that restoration and reconstitution of the Free, Sovereign, Secular, Socialist State of TAMIL EELAM, based on the right of self determination inherent to every nation, has become inevitable in order to safeguard the very existence of the Tamil Nation in this Country.
This Convention further declares –
- that the State of TAMIL EELAM shall consist of the people of the Northern and Eastern provinces and shall also ensure full and equal rights of citizenship of the State of TAMIL EELAM to all Tamil speaking people living in any part of Ceylon and to Tamils of EELAM origin living in any part of the world who may opt for citizenship of TAMIL EELAM.
- that the constitution of TAMIL EELAM shall be based on the principle of democratic decentralization so as to ensure the non-domination of any religious or territorial community of TAMIL EELAM by any other section.
- that in the state of Tamil Eelam caste shall be abolished and the observance of the pernicious practice of untouchability or inequality of any type based on birth shall be totally eradicated and its observance in any form punished by law.
- that TAMIL EELAM shall be a secular state giving equal protection and assistance to all religions to which the people of the state may belong.
- that Tamil shall be the language of the State, but the rights of Sinhalese speaking minorities in Tamil Eelam to education and transaction of business in their language shall be protected on a reciprocal basis with the Tamil speaking minorities in the Sinhala State.
- that Tamil Eelam shall be a Socialist State wherein the exploitation of man by man shall be forbidden, the dignity of labor shall be recognized, the means of production and distribution shall be subject to public ownership and control while permitting private enterprise in these branches within limit prescribed by law, economic development shall be on the basis of socialist planning and there shall be a ceiling on the total wealth that any individual of family may acquire.
This Convention directs the Action Committee of the TAMIL UNITED LIBERATION FRONT to formulate a plan of action and launch without undue delay the struggle for winning the sovereignty and freedom of the Tamil Nation;
And this Convention calls upon the Tamil Nation in general and the Tamil youth in particular to come forward to throw themselves fully into the sacred fight for freedom and to flinch not till the goal of a sovereign state of TAMIL EELAM is reached. |
In this edition of Educational Research, three studies caught our watchful research eye:
David Bolden, Patrick Barmby, Stephanie Raine & Matthew Gardner
A benefit of eye-tracking technology is that it can show where children focus their attention. In the case of mathematical representations this is particularly important as it could be that children’s difficulties with a concept comes from the way they have represented maths in their mind. The study used nine Year 5 children and had each look at multiplication problems written on static slides. Eye-tracker technology recorded where children gazed, and for how long.
The results found that number line representations of problems were less successful than ‘picture repressentations’ – for example, showing ‘groups’ of objects. The ability of children to think multiplicatively about the slides was, however, still related to general mathematics attainment levels. So while showing ‘groups’ rather than number lines may help lower-attaining children, it does not necessarily level the playing-field.
Mayke Poesen-Vandeputte & Ides Nicaise
The authors’ theory is that knowing a school is ‘rich’ or ‘poor’ doesn’t tell you enough about the context of the school to adequately say whether children within it are ‘advantaged’ and ‘disadvantaged’.
Not based in England, this time the research instead looked at primary schools in Flanders. But the results are nevertheless thought-provoking for an English context as they take into account the complicated social, political and economic influences impacting on schools.
The study analysed 113 primary schools using broad survey data which then clustered schools together based on their similarity of different factors. The results showed that schools can be low, medium or high ‘resourced’ and that this can persist even when educational funding is recalibrated to target poorer areas.
Even if schools have extra finance they may nevertheless be culturally or socially ‘low-resource’ which still has an impact.
An Yang & Christina Salmivalli
Finland is all the rage in certain educational quarters, and this research piece shows how an anti-bullying programme in the country was found to be effective in reducing the prevalence of bullying.
The KiVa antibullying programme involves teacher training, monitoring and sharing of interventions with children. The sample in the study was of 23,520 participants, aged eight to 15 year olds, across 738 intervention classrooms and 647 control classrooms in 195 Finnish schools. Pre- and post- test data was taken for all groups. The odds of being a victim of bullying after the intervention year were a self-reported 1.51 times higher for a student in a control school compared to a student in an intervention school.
The programme is said to work because it focuses on two aspects of bullying. First, ‘universal actions’ which teaches all students through lessons, and secondly by tackling acute bullying cases. A large part of the programme is focused at changing the responses of those who witness bullying.
More information on the intervention is available at kivaprogram.net |
Types of Face Masks You Should Know About
The spread of Covid-19 is mainly initiated through respiratory droplets. So, wearing a face mask is important to prevent this first stage transmission. Droplets can travel as we talk, cough, shout, sneeze, and even when we sing. Thus, an affected person doing all these can transmit the infection.
Thus, masks are nothing but a simple barrier that prevents these droplets from traveling to another host. Once the nose and the mouth are covered snugly, these droplets get restricted and the spread is slowed down. However, there are different kinds of masks available in the market each serving a different purpose. For example, kid’s face masks that are designed keeping in mind the requirements of children and they also vary in size according to the shape of their face.
Here, you will get an idea of the variety of face masks that are available on the market so being a consumer you can make an informed decision based on the facts.
Types of Face masks
Some masks work better than others. The Kid’s reusable face masks are made of good quality materials and protect you from virus attack even after few washes. Similarly, there are a variety of other face masks available that serves a different purpose.
- Cloth Masks
Fabric face masks with two to three layers are considered most effective and allow easy breathability. These masks are often made from tightly woven cotton or cotton blends. Custom face masks made of fabric are quite popular in the market.
- Non-Medical and Disposable Masks
Disposable masks are single-use masks, which are often mistaken for medical or surgical masks. Disposable masks are a better option than reusable masks in situations where it is most likely to get dirty or wet. You also need to keep in mind that the disposable masks fit perfectly on your face without any gaps at the side. It must also cover your mouth and nose completely like a premium pleated shaped mask.
- Masks with Vents or Exhalation Valves
This is another kind of mask that is quite popular in the market but WHO does not recommend it as this type of mask might not prevent the spread of the virus. Due to the opening or valve on the mask, the respiratory droplets might escape and infect others. However, the effectiveness of these kinds of masks for the Covid-19 disease is still under research.
- Respirators and Surgical Masks
Respirators and surgical masks are meant for healthcare workers and doctors so using these masks is not recommended for the general public. The supplies of these masks to medical centers and hospitals are critical and so they must be reserved for the people who are serving the patients. Usages of these masks by the general public can cause shortages and bring life risks to medical professionals.
We, at Gubbacci USA, bring you a range of premium masks of high quality and standards. Pick from the variety of kids, adults, and custom face masks of your choice that is soft on your skin and made of breathable fabric, and perfect for everyday use |
Using the MLA and APA for Essay Format
Essay format is not only about content and organization, but also entails formatting the paper according to the specified documentation style. Different academic streams have different formatting styles. The Arts and Humanities follow the MLA (Modern Language Association) style while APA or (American Psychological Association) is more commonly used for the social sciences. Both MLA and APA have typical specifications with some common ground in between.
The MLA style: (i) in-text citations and (ii) Works Cited. The in-text citation has two parts signal phrase and parenthetical citation. The signal phrase introduces the quotation and helps establish a sources credibility. Example: (1) Shakespeare was a great playwright. OR (2) According to Bradley, the respected Shakespeare critic and scholar, Shakespeare was a great playwright. Notice how the first hangs in vacuum whereas the second creates immediate interest by referring to the sources credentials.
The parenthetical citation refers to the author and page number of the source in brackets at the end of the sentence. Example: Shakespeare was a great playwright (Bradley, 33). If you refer to the author in the signal phrase, the parenthetical citation will include only the page number. Notice how the period appears after the parenthetical citation, not at the end of the quote.
The Works Cited Page lists the sources used in the text in an alphabetical manner, beginning with last names of authors. In the absence of names, refer to the title of the text. The list should begin on a fresh page at the end of the document with each line (barring the first) of each entry indented.
Your last name and page number should appear on each page. The document should be double spaced and each fresh paragraph should be indented.
APA also has in-text citations and a list of sources, titled References at the end of the document. The in-text citation consists of the author’s last name along with the year of publication. If you refer to the author within the sentence, mention the year of publication in brackets immediately after the name. Example: According to XX (year of publication), symptoms of the paranoia could.
Where the author is not mentioned, refer to both author and year in the parenthetical citation. Here, you also refer to the page number preceded by the initial or (Author, Year, pp.).
The References list appears at the end of the document on a fresh page and is arranged alphabetically according to the authors last names. The list is double spaced and each part of the entries on this list is separated by a period and single space. Depending on what your instructor specifies, the list will use either hanging or paragraph indents.
The title page consists of a running head, the paper title, writer’s name, and institution name.
MLA and APA are the most commonly used essay format styles for school and college essays. For more details on these formatting styles, you could visit the official websites.
P.S. Please read the article about argumentative essay. |
List of heart diseases
Studies carried out and researches carried out by experts, have revealed that heart disease; They are one of the most worrying. The specialists consider them as the primary cause of the deaths that have occurred throughout the world.
Even though heart diseases, they are suffered by many people all over the planet, it is important to know that there are many possibilities of being controlled, prevented and even eradicated completely.
The main point is equally relevant to know what causes them and what would be the most obvious risk factors. In this sense the causes can be derived from; problems with patients with diabetes, high cholesterol levels, and disorders with blood pressure or high blood pressure.
On the other hand, the risk factors can be linked to inadequate nutrition, excessive consumption of caffeine, tobacco or alcohol, little physical activity or sport. And last but not often the family inheritance.
Based on this reasoning in the development of this article, systematized information is shared from a list of well-known heart diseases with the intention that they can know what to do and how to avoid them. These are:
Arrhythmia; it is one of the heart diseases that affects the functioning of the heart rhythm in the individual, very seldom is perceived by itself, because it feels like the heart stops and then beats again in a matter of seconds, in some cases it accelerates and feels fast, but others do not, even when they do not have a notorious symptom, there are cases that cause nausea or dizziness.
Heart attack or heart attack
This is one of the most dangerous and can be fatal because the flow of blood is hindered by the accumulated fat and by not recovering quickly the heart is left without activity, it dies slowly, causing the attack.
This pathology presents with an annoyance in some cases painful, which is perceived in the chest area and occurs because there is a blockage in the arteries that prevents the passage of oxygen and blood, which the heart needs for normal functioning, giving way to an angina.
Congestive heart failure
According to research done by a specialist, congestive heart failure is different from heart failure as such.
The first is an accumulation of fluid in the lungs and tissues that results from a weak pumping of blood in the heart. And in the second there is no presence of liquids.
Peripheral arterial disease
Commonly known as P.D.A is a disease that manifests when there is blockage in the arteries of the legs, preventing the passage of blood, this increases and accelerates the risk of brain and heart attacks.
Others are equally important; smetabolic syndrome, high blood pressure or triglycerides and fibrillation.
Maybe there are many more in the list but for now the most known or important ones have been mentioned. Without forgetting: blood pressure or high triglycerides, atrial fibrillation, among others. |
Could Steve be a clue to the polar ice caps melting? There are a few articles about it, this on is in the NY Times. I may have named it with an innocuous name, which would mean they didn’t want it discovered. Also, most of the pictures look like it’s coming from the earth, whereas the aurora borealis looks like a curtain.
Taken from the NY Times article –
Is it a wayward piece of the aurora borealis? Or maybe a plane’s contrail? A rarely seen strip of a proton aurora? Or is it a comet’s tail?
Dr. Donovan’s next step was to gather data on the phenomenon, which he did with help from Swarm, a constellation of satellites run by the European Space Agency.
In orbit about 250 miles from Earth’s surface, the three identical satellites measure “magnetic signals that stem from Earth’s core, mantle, crust and oceans, as well as from the ionosphere and magnetosphere,” according to the agency.
In July 2016, Swarm collected data on Steve’s location, temperature and velocity that complemented the careful documentation that the aurora chasers were delivering from the ground. |
Virtual reality field trips allow students to travel the world without leaving their classroom. At High Plains Community Schools, they’ve virtually walked on the moon.
Teacher Aaron Rohde uses Google Cardboard in his fifth grade classes. The device holds a smartphone and a viewfinder. Essentially, users attach the phone to their face. Compatible mobile apps allow virtual reality experiences.
“It’s like a virtual field trip,” Rohde said.
While transporting kids to another place, he says that it provides a “very inexpensive alternative to actually going on field trips.”
The technology allows Rohde to teach his students in depth about the Great Wall of China or Paris. “With how much these kids are around technology, they picked up on it pretty fast. There wasn’t a whole lot of instruction on my part,” Rohde said. “They kind of just took off with it.” |
So what does it imply for you to be familiar with new technology fads? It indicates knowing the latest and biggest in innovation. It suggests maintaining your ears open up for information of the most up to date as well as biggest in computer technology, expert system, computer technology, computer technology, computer vision, security systems, internet innovations, and also extra. It indicates understanding the advances in health care and medication, which is no small thing, due to the fact that advancements in those locations have a incredible effect on how we live and also the method we can live.
Take Artificial Knowledge. What is Artificial Intelligence? Artificial intelligence is a field of research study that studies just how computer systems can function far better than people at acknowledging information, breaking down language, processing data, creating new items, as well as more. If you take the overall scope of Artificial Intelligence, you'll understand that it's going to include several areas and also sub-disciplines, all of which are incredibly essential to the future of the world. Actually, as we look forward into the future it's going to be essential that all of us stay knowledgeable of every one of these cutting-edge modern technologies that will form our culture.
Among the most amazing as well as rapidly developing new innovation patterns that we can consider are the Cloud. The Cloud might very well be the next generation of IT, and also it already has a variety of different qualities that make it various than conventional computer. But what are a few of the attributes of the cloud? Well, let's discuss among them currently.
In regards to among the leading innovation trends influencing the world today, we have actually reached go to expert system. A machine discovering algorithm can be used to take unstructured information, such as image acknowledgment from an image or message, and then permit it to be categorized and developed right into a helpful piece of expertise. In order for such a system to function, it requires to be correctly trained and also it additionally needs to be enabled to make blunders, as it discovers. The major objective of artificial intelligence as well as artificial intelligence is to accomplish this objective in as least the most effective method feasible.
One more amazing new technology pattern that's rapidly acquiring energy around the globe is 5G. 5G is a term that describes a brand-new set of requirements that will certainly be introduced for the transfer of details on wireless networks. Primarily, it will change every one of the existing methods used today such as Wi-fi, EDGE, GSM, CDMA and also various other such modern technologies. Currently, the greatest downside of 5G is the truth that it will compel individuals to transform their mobile phone network plan selections. It will certainly be interesting to see how this turns out in the future, but it's safe to state that we might see a lot more modifications in the years ahead.
Another really appealing brand-new innovation pattern is referred to as the " experienced download." This is where you can download your extremely own computer, laptop computer or tablet computer to your phone or tablet, so you can use it from any kind of device that has an internet connection. This might appear fantastic, however what an " skilled download" will not do is offer your computer with any type of extra memory, so if you want to download anything else, such as songs or videos, you'll need to go online with your common tool. The real power of this new modern technology is that it provides IT pros another tool to make use of in the work environment: the capability to send out documents straight to a person's phone.
With the introduction of the iPad and Android tablet computers, the next greatest new innovation patterns for the residence are probably going to be in the area of artificial intelligence and intelligent assistants. As long as individuals agree to purchase training their unnaturally intelligent robot aides to do specific jobs, there truly isn't any individual that can stop them. Actually, as the modern technology progresses, extra occupations will certainly become obsolete as unnaturally intelligent makers take over most of the regular duties now being dealt with by skilled experts.
Purchasing a excellent RPA or robot, smart assistant software will certainly open up several brand-new career opportunities for certified individuals. Whether you have an interest in giving customer care via an answering service, information entrance support, or even something as basic as completing surveys, you'll be able to discover work with the ideal kind of education and learning and accreditation. If you take place to have an existing company, a good man-made knowledge profession guide can aid you make the transition right into using fabricated intelligence software. No matter your existing capability, a good expert system profession overview can help you find brand-new ways to make your service much more rewarding and effective.
If you're working in IT or monitoring, then you likely stay on par with every one of the latest technology patterns as they emerge. Certainly you may beware too, since you want to make certain that your business remains ahead of the contour. What precisely does that mean for you?
In today's competitive service globe, it's essential that you stay on top of brand-new innovation patterns to know which ones are mosting likely to be important in the future. This way, you'll be able to maximize the available possibilities. Plus it implies remaining on top of new tasks in the ever-changing field of expert system as well as robotics. And it also means maintaining your ears to the ground to ensure that you can discover what brand-new skills are needed to protect that safe work tomorrow.
A current article in HR Executive Online detailed some of the leading upcoming IT tasks of the future. Among them was machine learning, together with data analytics, consumer habits, increased reality, virtual reality and advanced innovations for manufacturing. Among the most fascinating patterns provided was "data-driven decision making." This recommends that companies will utilize huge data to drive not only product choices yet additionally solution decisions.
According to that exact same post, a number of organizations are currently leveraging expert system to raise performance as well as cut expenses. One fine example is the armed forces, which has actually been utilizing electronic field of battle software to assess fight scenarios as well as simplify procedures. As organizations remain to leverage this modern technology, there's no telling where it'll go next. One thing is for certain - there is definitely an edge to these kinds of computing solutions.
An additional among the brand-new modern technology fads anticipated in the next couple of years is expert system. Scientists have currently been helping several years on expert system as well as robotics. Now, they are closer than ever before to applying their concepts right into a genuine system. Professionals are expecting a full Expert system network by2021, meaning we might soon have the ability to see computer systems that can defeat human players at chess and also be able to factor and also procedure information. If you believe this is only feasible with modern computers, reconsider - semantic networks and also deep knowing are currently well under advancement and also being made use of by numerous services, including Google as well as Facebook.
New trends in automation also include technologies such as 5G, or Substantial Multiplayer Online Duty Playing Games. Gamers take part in large-scale fights and also teams fight for prominence online. Automation allows us to make use of large amounts of data to develop new strategies and test them against real-time situations. In fact, there are currently several companies generating income on their real-time techniques - applying 5G to manufacturing, durable goods and also even more.
The last one of the new innovation patterns is machine learning. Machine learning includes using large data sources as well as computers to process big amounts of details and make reasonings. It may sound complex, but research shows it is a lot easier to implement than the standard method and is now being used in everything from ecommerce websites to on the internet education and learning. There will be plenty of brand-new work produced in this field - consisting of researchers, programmers, testers and advertising specialists.
It's not just computer technology that is influenced by this brand-new technology pattern. Services will certainly require help in areas such as business development, sales and marketing, as well as customer care. That's since machine learning will certainly require services to train their workers to use it. However, professionals expect this won't be a major trouble as services adapt to meet the needs of their customers. Quickly, we'll see brand-new jobs in every location of manufacturing and also other businesses that was previously held by human beings.
Among the most fascinating topics in present conversations is new innovation patterns. New technology is always developing at such a fast speed, enabling faster adjustment as well as progression, resulting in an velocity of that adjustment, until it becomes almost exponential. This increasing adjustment is what makes brand-new technology such an fascinating subject. A lot of individuals are interested in studying and also modeling brand-new innovations. New modern technology fads can offer a basis for future research study.
Several of the feasible future modern technologies now under study include Virtual Reality, Expert System, Nanotechnology, Infotech, and also a new principle called 'edge computing'. Infotech patterns in the following few years may well focus on Virtual Reality, Expert System, and Nanotechnology. All these technologies are establishing at very fast lanes, with research study groups dedicated to every of these modern technologies. Some study groups also compete with each other attempting to establish the very best innovations.
Virtual reality is coming to be nearly a home term. Many Hollywood films are even being made regarding it. This innovation enables the customer to essentially walk a computer-generated setting, inside of a online world. This consists of graphics, seems, as well as also complete body matches! new technology 2020 of business are trying to take advantage of this edge computer concept.
An additional arising innovation fad in the following couple of years is increased fact. Increased reality is a blending of two modern technologies - specifically, computer system vision as well as the virtual reality. Computer vision refers to the science of producing a digital depiction of an object, which can be utilized for training, navigation, security, and picking up. On the other hand, the virtual reality is all about presenting digital photos of genuine items into a virtual world, which can be experienced, controlled, as well as watched through a variety of equipment tools such as safety glasses, display boards, projectors, displays, as well as mobile devices.
This next modern technology fad guarantees to be as large as social media and also as interesting as the internet. Facebook currently has hundreds of numerous individuals. The following logical step, then, would be for business to offer their own virtual platform for communication. Currently, that's only Facebook. Yet, due to its significant appeal, there will certainly be a day when every person has a tool that connects with that said social media.
Machine learning is an additional one of the many amazing and also brand-new patterns arising in the IT globe. Artificial intelligence involves a number of scientists using different tools as well as software program to assess huge sets of information and afterwards make use of that data to effectively choose. One example of this technology propensity is anticipating machine learning, which assesses big collections of disorganized information (such as email addresses) to provide very accurate predictions. An additional instance is big information analytics, which uses different analytical devices as well as machine learning formulas to gather and also assess real-time information regarding certain firms, products, as well as services.
An additional among the new innovation patterns in the IT globe is aesthetic software application. Software program engineers are searching for ways to create highly-customizable aesthetic solutions for a large range of various business needs. This consists of developing personalized avatars for Facebook, providing client service, developing web sites, and also interacting with a large number of consumers at the same time. As a matter of fact, it is estimated that more than 15 percent of all IT experts will experience a new work title pertaining to visual software, in the next two to 5 years.
One of the most interesting new modern technology patterns that we can anticipate in the next 5 years is artificial intelligence. AI represents fabricated smart systems, and also this describes computer system programs that can process details better than human beings can. This modern technology fad will assist computer software program designers produce much better remedies for typical issues, improve efficiency, as well as make the Net more available. By 2021, we can anticipate that artificial intelligence will be commonly made use of in every aspect of human society.
What do these arising innovations indicate for business globe? Well, every little thing! New technologies are below to remain. Among the most up to date trends to hit business globe is Artificial Intelligence.
What does that mean for you? It merely suggests staying on top of emerging technology fads. That indicates watching on the future - not just to understand what brand-new modern technologies will certainly be around following, however to recognize which details skills you'll need to understand to safeguard a good task in the future and exactly how to arrive. And all connections into this: thanks to the globe's interconnectedness, a lot of today's global IT neighborhood is actually resting at the edge of the next technical golden goose.
What patterns are you adhering to? Automation is among the fastest expanding trends in today's business globe. Firms all over the world are automating their service procedures and procedures. If you're associated with information analytics, one warm fad to watch on is artificial intelligence.
Machine learning is a huge scope. In the following 20 years, it's expected that a fully automated and wise production setting will certainly remain in location - where manufacturing facilities can automatically change components and materials to develop the perfect line of product. Human workers will certainly no more be required for anything however the "back bone" of these large factory automation systems, where they'll serve as "customers" for the business, managing the overall operation of factory production.
The number of new tasks created by machine learning alone is shocking. It is feasible that in the following decade, there will certainly be a significant amount of brand-new job openings caused by AI software. If you have a strong career strategy entailing Artificial Intelligence as well as software program design, then think about what opportunities exist in advance. Experts in the field forecast that in the following 4 to 5 years, there will be a nearly limitless demand for A.I. programmers as well as machine learning designers.
What trends are you seeing that could supply opportunities for your occupation? Services around the globe are frequently seeking out brand-new technologies to make use of to enhance their organizations. AI and also information analytics are simply 2 of the patterns we have actually become aware of for rather some time. In the following two to 5 years, there will likely be a variety of new companies requiring individuals with an proficiency in data analytics.
What fads are you seeing in the means data is refined and collected by businesses? Data scientific research has been a dominant force in the area of information technology for several years. As the demands for this option boost, it is predicted that business will begin searching for even more capable workers to execute this job. This can ultimately offer them with a significant competitive advantage over businesses that are not using side computer solutions.
Is your company currently leveraging artificial intelligence to boost its company procedures? Otherwise, then you require to begin today. There is no question that as expert system and data analytics become extra usual, there will be much more possibility for businesses to make the most of this new modern technology trends. By accepting a thorough method to expert system and also machine learning, businesses can guarantee their success today and tomorrow.
What brand-new innovation fads will be expected in the next 5 years? Trends in arising innovations like self-driving automobiles, internet tablet computers, driver support systems, and also boosted truth headings are all anticipated to become a lot more preferred. The most likely scenario is that these innovations will not come to be mainstream in their onset, yet they will certainly stay a niche through the 2020s. If you think about exactly how rapid these technologies are progressing, it is evident that it will be a while before they are widely adopted.
What do artificial intelligence and artificial intelligence share? These 2 innovations are quickly ending up being important parts of business process. Also in today's culture, there are a great deal of tasks that can be automated through the use of computer programs. Artificial intelligence utilizes monitored training and reinforcement; while artificial intelligence applies standard regulations of programming. Both of these methods can quicken the price at which tasks are completed, resulting in significant boosts in productivity for firms utilizing them.
What should a individual researching an expert system career guide understand? An professional download or robotic process automation tutorial should guide an private to identify whether this is a field that they may want to go after. If one researches the market of each innovation originally and later on pursues an commercial role, they might discover that an commercial task is a lot more useful than a solution work, particularly for those with a natural interest in computer systems or extremely skilled experts. After completing an curriculum for either machine learning or robotics, individuals need to be able to find job as a system manager, software application programmer, robot designer, or a robot systems technician.
Modern technology today is advancing at such a quick rate, allowing faster modification and also development, triggering an velocity of the rate of modification, until ultimately it will certainly become rapid. Nonetheless, it is not only innovation trends and leading innovations that are advancing, a lot extra has changed this year due to the episode of COVID-19 making IT experts understand that their role will certainly not remain the very same in the contactless world tomorrow. And also an IT expert in 2020-21 will constantly be finding out, unlearning and relearning (out of need if not need).
What does this mean for you? It implies remaining current with new innovation patterns. And also it suggests keeping your eyes on the future to understand which abilities you'll need to know to safeguard a safe job tomorrow and also also learn just how to get there. All acquiesce the worldwide pandemic, a lot of the international IT population is kicking back, working from home. As well as if you desire to maximize your time in your home, here are top 10 brand-new technology patterns you must expect and also make an effort at in 2021, and potentially safeguard among the work that will be produced by these brand-new modern technology trends.
1. Expert System (AI) as well as Artificial Intelligence
Expert system, or AI, has already obtained a lot of buzz in the past decade, but it remains to be among the new technology trends because of its noteworthy impacts on exactly how we live, work as well as play are just in the onset. AI is already known for its prevalence in picture and also speech recognition, navigating applications, smartphone personal assistants, ride-sharing apps and so much more.
Aside from that AI will be made use of additionally to analyze communications to figure out underlying connections as well as understandings, to help forecast demand for solutions like medical facilities enabling authorities to make better decisions concerning resource use, as well as to identify the altering patterns of customer practices by evaluating information in near real-time, driving revenues and boosting individualized experiences.
The AI market will certainly grow to a $190 billion industry by 2025 with worldwide spending on cognitive and AI systems reaching over $57 billion in 2021. With AI spreading its wings across industries, brand-new work will certainly be created in growth, shows, screening, assistance and maintenance, among others. On the other hand AI additionally uses some of the highest possible incomes today ranging from over $1,25,000 per year (machine learning engineer) to $145,000 per year (AI architect) - making it the leading brand-new innovation trend you must look out for!
Machine Learning the part of AI, is additionally being deployed in all type of markets, producing a big need for experienced specialists. Forrester anticipates AI, machine learning, as well as automation will certainly produce 9 percent of new U.S. jobs by 2025, jobs consisting of robot tracking specialists, data scientists, automation professionals, and also web content curators, making it an additional brand-new technology fad you need to remember too!
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2. Robotic Refine Automation (RPA).
Like AI and Machine Learning, Robotic Process Automation, or RPA, is another technology that is automating tasks. RPA is the use of software to automate service processes such as translating applications, refining purchases, managing information, as well as even responding to e-mails. RPA automates recurring jobs that people made use of to do.
Although Forrester Study estimates RPA automation will certainly intimidate the income of 230 million or more understanding employees, or about 9 percent of the international workforce, RPA is likewise creating new jobs while changing existing tasks. McKinsey locates that less than 5 percent of line of work can be entirely automated, but about 60 percent can be partly automated.
For you as an IT expert aiming to the future and also trying to comprehend brand-new innovation fads, RPA offers lots of career possibilities, consisting of developer, task manager, business analyst, option designer and consultant. And these work pay well. An RPA developer can make over 534K annually - making it the next technology trend you need to keep a watch on!
3. Side Computing.
Formerly a new technology fad to watch, cloud computer has actually come to be mainstream, with significant gamers AWS ( Amazon.com Internet Provider), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform controling the marketplace. The adoption of cloud computer is still expanding, as an increasing number of businesses move to a cloud service. Yet it's no longer the arising technology pattern. Side is.
As the amount of information organizations are dealing with continues to raise, they have recognized the drawbacks of cloud computer in some circumstances. Side computer is made to help fix several of those troubles as a way to bypass the latency triggered by cloud computer and also getting data to a datacenter for handling. It can exist "on the edge," if you will, closer to where computing needs to happen. Consequently, edge computing can be made use of to process time-sensitive data in remote places with limited or no connection to a central area. In those situations, edge computing can act like mini datacenters.
Edge computing will certainly raise as use the Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets increases. By 2022, the international side computing market is expected to reach $6.72 billion. And also this brand-new modern technology trend is just implied to expand and nothing less, developing different jobs, largely for software program engineers.
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4. Quantum Computer.
Following remarkable technology trend is quantum computing, which is a kind of computing that capitalizes on quantum sensations like superposition as well as quantum complication. This remarkable technology fad is likewise involved in avoiding the spread of the coronavirus, and also to create prospective injections, thanks to its ability to conveniently inquire, check, evaluate as well as act upon data, regardless of the source. One more area where quantum computing is finding applications is banking and also finance, to handle credit scores threat, for high frequency trading as well as scams detection.
Quantum computer systems are now a wide variety times faster than normal computer systems as well as huge brands like Splunk, Honeywell, Microsoft, AWS, Google as well as several others are currently involved in making technologies in the field of Quantum Computing. The earnings for the global quantum computing market are forecasted to surpass $2.5 billion by 2029. And also to make a mark in this new trending technology, you require to have experience with quantum technicians, direct algebra, likelihood, information theory, and also machine learning.
5. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality.
The following phenomenal modern technology trend - Virtual Reality ( Virtual Reality) and Enhanced Reality (AR), as well as Extended Truth ( Emergency Room). VR submerses the user in an setting while AR boosts their environment. Although this modern technology fad has primarily been made use of for video gaming so far, it has additionally been utilized for training, just like VirtualShip, a simulation software application used to educate U.S. Navy, Army and also Coastline Guard ship captains.
In 2021, we can anticipate these forms of innovations being further incorporated right into our lives. Usually working in tandem with some of the other brand-new technologies we've discussed in this listing, AR and Virtual Reality have massive capacity in training, amusement, education and learning, marketing, and also even recovery after an injury. Either could be utilized to train doctors to do surgery, offer gallery goers a deeper experience, enhance theme parks, and even enhance advertising, just like this Pepsi Max bus sanctuary.
Fun reality: 14 million AR as well as VR devices were marketed in 2019. The international AR as well as VR market is anticipated to grow to $209.2 billion by 2022, only producing more possibilities in the trending innovation, as well as welcoming even more experts ready for this game-changing field.
While some companies might look for optics as a skill-set, note that starting in Virtual Reality does not require a great deal of specialized knowledge - standard programming skills as well as a forward-thinking attitude can land a job; an additional reason why this new technology trend must make up to your listing of lookouts!
A lot of individuals believe of blockchain technology in relationship to cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, blockchain supplies safety and security that is helpful in numerous various other methods. In the most basic of terms, blockchain can be referred to as information you can only include in, not eliminate from or modification. The term "chain" due to the fact that you're making a chain of data. Not being able to change the previous blocks is what makes it so secure. Additionally, blockchains are consensus-driven, so no person entity can take control of the data. With blockchain, you don't need a relied on third-party to oversee or validate deals.
Numerous industries are entailing and also carrying out blockchain, and as using blockchain technology enhances, so too does the demand for skilled professionals. From a birds eye view, a blockchain developer concentrates on establishing and also applying design as well as remedies making use of blockchain modern technology. The average yearly wage of a blockchain designer is 469K.
If you are captivated by Blockchain as well as its applications and also intend to make your job in this trending technology, after that this is the correct time to start. To get involved in Blockchain, you require to have hands-on experience of shows languages, the basics of OOPS, level and also relational databases, data structures, web app development, and also networking.
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7. Internet of Things (IoT).
One more appealing new modern technology fad is IoT. Lots of "things" are currently being built with WiFi connectivity, implying they can be attached to the Internet-- as well as to every other. The Web of Points, or IoT. The Internet of Points is the future, and has actually already made it possible for devices, residence appliances, vehicles as well as far more to be connected to and exchange information over the Internet.
As customers, we're currently utilizing and benefitting from IoT. We can lock our doors from another location if we forget to when we leave for job and pre-heat our ovens on our method residence from work, all while tracking our physical fitness on our Fitbits. Nevertheless, services additionally have much to get currently and also in the future. The IoT can allow much better safety, performance as well as decision creating companies as data is collected and examined. It can make it possible for predictive upkeep, quicken healthcare, improve customer support, and also offer advantages we have not even pictured yet.
And we're only in the starting stages of this brand-new innovation trend: Forecasts recommend that by 2030 around 50 billion of these IoT gadgets will certainly be in use around the globe, producing a enormous internet of interconnected gadgets covering every little thing from smartphones to cooking area appliances. The worldwide costs on the Internet of Things (IoT) is forecast to reach 1.1 trillion UNITED STATE bucks in 2022. New innovations such as 5G is anticipated to drive market development in the coming years.
As well as if you want to step foot in this trending modern technology, you will have to find out about Information security, AI as well as artificial intelligence basics, networking, equipment interfacing, information analytics, automation, understanding of embedded systems, as well as should have gadget and also style expertise.
The following innovation fad that follows the IoT is 5G. Where 3G and 4G modern technologies have actually allowed us to search the web, make use of information driven services, boosted transmission capacities for streaming on Spotify or YouTube and so a lot more, 5G solutions are anticipated to revolutionize our lives. by making it possible for solutions that count on advanced technologies like AR and Virtual Reality, along with cloud based video gaming services like Google Stadia, NVidia GeForce Currently and also much more. It is anticipated to be made use of in manufacturing facilities, HD electronic cameras that help enhance safety as well as web traffic management, clever grid control and clever retail also.
Practically every telecom business like Verizon, Tmobile, Apple, Nokia Corp, QualComm, are now dealing with producing 5G applications. 5G solutions are expected to introduce worldwide in 2021 with greater than 50 drivers offering services in concerning 30 countries by the end of 2021, making it a brand-new innovation pattern you have to look out for, and likewise save a spot in.
9. Cyber Safety.
Cyber security may not appear like an emerging modern technology, considered that it has actually been around for some time, but it is developing equally as other technologies are. That remains in part due to the fact that threats are continuously brand-new. The malicious hackers who are attempting to illegally accessibility information are not mosting likely to give up whenever soon, as well as they will remain to discover ways to survive even the hardest security steps. It's likewise partially due to the fact that new modern technology is being adapted to improve security. As long as we have cyberpunks, cybersecurity will certainly remain a trending technology since it will constantly develop to prevent those cyberpunks.
As evidence of the strong requirement for cybersecurity professionals, the number of cybersecurity work is expanding three times faster than various other tech work. The need for proper cyber safety and security is so high that by 2021, $6 trillion will certainly be spent worldwide on cybersecurity.
You should note that nonetheless challenging the area is it likewise supplies rewarding six-figure incomes, as well as duties can vary from moral cyberpunk to protection designer to Chief Security Officer, providing a encouraging job course for somebody that intends to get into as well as stick to this evergreen trending modern technology.
Innovation will certainly remain to change lives significantly in the coming years. What are a few of the brand-new modern technology trends for2019? Expert system will be no different to the idea of AI, but it is a more recent and more exciting modern technology. AI research has actually been continuous for more than 60 years, and also several big names have currently begun using it in their everyday operations.
One of the a lot more exciting things about artificial intelligence is that it is not also near being ready for prime time. Scientists and programmers are still examining the maker discovering principle, attempting to ideal the procedure and also make it function. AI is essentially specified as a set of formulas, paired with information, which can effectively and also precisely analyze a circumstance, making wise assumptions as well as acting on those choices in the most effective possible way. In the context of auto technology this means that the system will certainly check the roadway ahead as well as decide whether to act on a sensor or not. It additionally means that it won't wait or reduce. With a lot riding on this brand-new innovation, you can anticipate that AI will be an incredibly essential enhancement to our world in the coming years.
An additional among the new technology trends for the future is virtual reality. This will certainly be defined as an environment in which individuals are involved in a electronic world, yet one in which they aren't physically existing. It is commonly approved that the future of production will involve 3D environments, in addition to augmented and virtual reality applications. We can look forward to this innovation in numerous applications, including enjoyment, education, as well as production.
Along with creating rich, vibrant digital experiences, another substantial fad in the future is artificial intelligence. This fad is likely to be much more pronounced as we move in the direction of the center of the following years. If you're not familiar, expert system describes using artificial intelligence strategies to solve issues. One of the most famous instance of this is deep knowing, which is presently being made use of by Google, Facebook, and also Amazon.com to instruct their makers exactly how to identify a phone number, speech, or picture.
Machine learning is simply one of the many new fads for the coming years. Various other prominent patterns consist of 5G smart phones, self-driving autos, and also cloud computing. There's likewise going to be a shift in the sorts of services we see included with the growth and also manufacture of brand-new technologies. Conventional companies will be required to adapt to new business models such as shopping, mobile interactions, cloud computer, and also social networks advertising and marketing. It's risk-free to claim that these 5 modern technologies will ultimately have a considerable effect on the type of businesses we end up having.
One of the most interesting things we can anticipate in the New Innovation Trends of 2021 is artificial intelligence. ai is the term utilized to describe artificial intelligence software that perseverance smart phones, computer systems, digital assistant tools, corporate video surveillance, and also much more. It's one point to think of the concept of an expert system program regulating one of your business's mobile phones. It's rather one more to in fact obtain your business' digital assistant out right into the real life and also find out that it's able to take orders, comply with leads, and also work together with people in a extremely efficient way.
Artificial intelligent software program will certainly remain to drive brand-new innovations onward in many different means. Just as in the past, there will be a transition from fully-automated systems to semi-automated systems that will remain to enhance over time. What we're already seeing is simply one example of the kinds of modern technologies being created. As the tech fads of the following five years to move toward one instructions or an additional, we'll unquestionably see various other modern technologies emerge that will transform the way we work.
Some of the most intriguing and also rapidly altering technologies will be around physical systems. We're already seeing this with quantum computer. Quantum computer handle exactly how info is processed with the use of fragments and also sub-atomic bits. In theory, we can literally send out details between stars in a issue of a couple of trillionths of seconds. New technologies trends in 2021 will certainly deal especially with the applications of quantum computer and also artificial intelligence.
New modern technologies always have an influence on society as well as organizations, which is why there are so many to choose from nowadays. There is no lack of amazing developments as well as new innovations that are making their way into houses, on services and in government. It has come to be more crucial than ever for businesses to make use of reducing edge modern technology to stay affordable, ingenious and also motivated in today's ever-changing service world. There are lots of newbies out there trying to make their mark on the market.
One of one of the most interesting new modern technology fads of the last decade is Expert system (AI), likewise known as computer system intelligence. The concept behind expert system is to develop software that can take human characteristics and use them to effectively find out about the world and after that utilize this expertise to do the exact same thing in a completely various way. Today, we see this principle made use of in several areas including computer technology, design as well as medication. AI makes use of systems such as software programs, databases as well as networks to accomplish its goals. In addition to all this, there are several brand-new technologies that were born from the science of AI.
One example of a advanced modern technology is the self-governing automobile. Self-driving cars and trucks get on the verge of replacing human vehicle drivers, and this fad will continue well into the future. As independent vehicles continue to enhance, they will likely change most human drivers in big cities. Other technologies include Internet surfing, electronic mail, message messaging, GENERAL PRACTITIONER navigation and also more. The opportunities are practically countless.
Another popular new technology is enhanced truth and also virtual reality. Augmented fact refers to the use of electronic info that has actually been electronically boosted. A individual might be seeing a actual place, however via the use of a handheld gadget, they are able to see not only the place however various other points linked with that place such as shops, dining establishments, parks as well as even more. This enables people to not only see the place yet do things that are connected with it. Several organizations are already using enhanced reality in order to boost efficiency, draw in brand-new clients as well as enhance sales.
Among the most amazing upcoming fads is personal profiling. Personal profiling includes celebration information concerning an private in order to predict numerous future events because individual's life. For instance, by using personal profiling, organizations can anticipate where a prospective client might go for a organization trip in the future. One more instance of individual profiling includes using GPS information protection systems and also on-line purchasing carts to secure staff members from unapproved accessibility to company data.
Virtual reality is another upcoming innovation trend. This is using computer-generated imagery (CGI) to develop an environment that looks like though it is located in a actual area. This innovation fad will likely remain to increase into the next years as well as beyond. A archetype of how this certain technology fad is helping organizations consists of the truth that numerous major firms are purchasing the development of VR headsets that will permit their employees to essentially go through any type of office complex.
Probably one of the most interesting of all the brand-new modern technology patterns is cloud computer and also its impact on the global workforce. Cloud computer will aid business conserve money by supplying accessibility to resources when it is needed most. Companies will no longer require to buy more storage devices, computers or servers to save delicate business info. Instead, these sources will be accessed via the Internet and utilized based on a business owner's requirements.
As formerly stated, there are numerous new innovation patterns expected to occur over the next a number of years. These include increased truth and also virtual reality, 3D video and image capture, and rpa automation. Virtual reality and also augmented fact will likely be preferred amongst customers as a result of the fact that they provide a means to actually obtain "in the picture" for a firm. Increased truth will allow individuals to use a computer display to virtually take a trip to a site or identify numerous things around them. Finally, 3D photo capture and also video clip capture will confirm to be unbelievably preferred amongst firms, personal individuals and the general public.
If you are in the technical advertising organization, after that you recognize the power of predicting brand-new innovation trends and exactly how to exploit those fads. What does this mean to you? It suggests remaining well ahead of the curve. It implies maintaining your ears open up for information concerning arising technologies and also discovering as long as feasible regarding each new innovation that arises.
You can profit from arising patterns in a variety of ways. You can do it by accepting a brand-new innovation that just came onto the marketplace. As an example, allow's say that there is a new digital modern technology that makes it very easy for individuals to create top quality 3D graphics from their own house. As soon as produced, individuals will be able to take full advantage of this incredible brand-new innovation by creating appealing, high quality graphics on their desktop computers and afterwards publishing them on a internet site. This brand-new pattern in digital media production has currently gotten on the market for a number of years as well as it will only continue to grow in appeal.
If you look at what is occurring in the globe of technology trends, you will rapidly realize that there are many fads that are not stable. Take into consideration simply how fast computer systems and also interaction technologies transform. Within the following two to 5 years, we will certainly see radical change in expert system. Will the following digital revolution featured a comparable quantum leap, or will we see something entirely various? One point is for certain, though - the future of innovation fads is constantly changing.
2 trends worth enjoying carefully consist of self-driving cars and also autonomous cars. In the coming years, self-driving cars and trucks will certainly decrease the mishap price because of their security functions and also no vehicle driver called for to stay within vision of the steering wheel. Self-governing automobiles will enable consumers to transact service while they are on vacation, while working from the resort or residence, or while merely waiting on the bus. As these 2 modern technologies advance, even more companies will understand the demand for added sources of gas and as a result will seek to implement them. One more trend well worth adhering to is internet-driven markets. Several small companies now exist online as well as if they can obtain a footing on one market, the entire company could be changed into a successful on the internet endeavor.
Cloud computer is among the most appealing new innovation fads currently being applied by modern technology companies around the world. By using high-speed web connections, cloud computing provides services with a inexpensive, data-accelerated variation of their traditional documents storage and also administration system. There is no limitation for data that can be stored in a cloud. Lots of tiny and medium-sized companies are taking advantage of this concept by giving access to their business information as well as solutions by means of their own cloud computing systems. One more area of application for this exciting trend remains in clinical imaging where an photo is captured with a camera, digitized, and then indexed to ensure that doctor can locate the needed information a lot quicker.
Another among the exciting brand-new technology patterns being executed by innovation firms is quantum computer. Quantum computing includes utilizing fragments at a molecular level to resolve issues at a sub-atomic degree. This method is still in the study phases and also for that reason has the potential to change numerous areas, including medication. Although quantum computer has the potential to supply the human race with substantial advancements in innovation, it is not expected to show up on the marketplace up until at least the end of the next years.
As aiding us comprehend the future of quantum computing, an skilled totally free download from the cloud job guide can assist you obtain started with your very own company applying this interesting brand-new technology pattern. The master cloud job overview supplies an simple entrance to the amazing world of quantum computer. Its Download and install Manager automatically updates you with the most up to date information and also blog posts on this amazing technology fad and its applications.
Finally, one other instance of an amazing, forthcoming, as well as quickly progressing trend is the combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and artificial intelligence. Similar to the former, the last refers to using large information analytics as well as the application of complicated formulas to make smart decisions concerning the proper actions for any offered set of information. Machine learning currently reveals encouraging pledge in a vast array of sectors and also services. To meet the growing needs of organizations and industries, professionals advise that you download the complimentary expert study from the cloud job overview to determine the most promising fads in this arising business location now.
Artificial Intelligence, or AI as it is likewise generally described, has actually gotten a great deal of interest in recent years, however it is still one of the fastest establishing brand-new innovation patterns because of its influential effects on just how we live, function as well as also play. It has actually been declared by analysts, business owners and futurists alike as the following technological era. The initial indications of AI were seen in games such as Space Invaders, but it had not been long prior to computer shows techniques were made use of to produce programs that might defeat the very best human players at chess, checkers and even poker. The possibilities for applications as well as utilizes for artificial intelligence are literally countless.
If you wish to start dealing with a innovation application right now, you must absolutely be taking a look at artificial intelligence. Some professionals even think that maybe the trick to the future of work, service and also entertainment. But there are some new modern technology fads that you may not have actually come across just yet. In order to identify these patterns you need to comprehend what's taking place in the world of expert system today.
Initially, we will take a look at what's known as the " side" computing realm. This is a extensive pattern which entails anything that has the capacity to take a feature that is routine as well as automated and make it far more complicated. Instances of this include machine learning, large data analytics and virtual reality modern technologies. Every one of these points have the prospective to promptly bring up new and also amazing means for services to run their operations. By obtaining the routine tasks which many companies execute daily, they can rather invest their time focusing on the most pressing needs of their business. If you recognize with the concept of "lean and indicate" then you already understand what edge computing is everything about.
Next we will take a look at what's known as the "neural netting" technology fad. This describes using expert system to not just aid companies with their current operations yet additionally help with predictive operations in the future. Scientists at numerous leading universities are currently working with creating innovation that enables computers to refine info far better. Companies like Google, Facebook as well as Microsoft are utilizing this innovation to boost their search formulas and to boost virtual reality programs.
By the end of the following years you will likely see many new technologies that were formerly considered to be myths come to be fact. Consider the breakthroughs being made in expert system. One very popular modern technology trend which has actually currently developed is called deep knowing. This refers to making use of computer systems for a range of different tasks including speech acknowledgment, computer vision and also even more.
A few years from now scientists forecast that we will certainly see the creation of what is called quantum computers. These devices will certainly be so effective that it will certainly be difficult for them to be contrasted to today's computer systems. Scientists believe that by the end of the following 2 to 5 years we will certainly see substantial progress made in quantum computer. Two things that will make these gadgets incredibly powerful is that they will times faster and they will certainly have the ability to collaborate with one another.
It is really fascinating to consider what impact quantum computer will have on the overall technological trends we observe today. Among the most vital points to keep in mind concerning this modern technology tendency is that it will certainly have an incredible effect on all markets. Scientific research and also industry experts all predict that as long as 10 even more years from now we will certainly have entirely new devices in our hands. In fact, a team of leading researchers just recently wrapped up that the speed at which we are proceeding with this technology is incredibly rapid. If you had the chance to review the subject at a current workshop you would discover that not only were professionals well-aware of what is coming in the future however they were likewise certain concerning the future of this innovation.
If you wish to seek some more brand-new innovation trends that are most likely to show up in the next couple of years you ought to certainly check into the location of quantum computer. Scientists think that over the next ten years we will be taking a look at incredibly powerful quantum computer systems. They will be able to save info in one form or another as well as they will additionally have the ability to transmit info making use of the tiniest of procedures. It is very intriguing to watch as this brand-new technology fads create and we obtain closer to the day when we have quantum computing on our phones.
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Renal artery stenosis is the narrowing of one or more arteries that carry blood to your kidneys (renal arteries).
Narrowing of the arteries prevents normal amounts of oxygen-rich blood from reaching your kidneys. Your kidneys need adequate blood flow to help filter waste products and remove excess fluids. Reduced blood flow may increase blood pressure in your whole body (systemic blood pressure) and injure kidney tissue.
Renal artery stenosis may cause no signs or symptoms until the condition reaches an advanced state. Most people with renal artery stenosis have no signs and symptoms. The condition may be discovered incidentally during testing for some other reason. Your doctor may also suspect a problem if you have:
- High blood pressure that begins suddenly
- High blood pressure that begins before age 30 or after age 55
As renal artery stenosis progresses, other signs and symptoms may include:
- High blood pressure that's difficult to treat
- A whooshing sound as blood flows through a narrowed vessel (bruit), which your doctor hears through a stethoscope placed over your kidneys
- Elevated protein levels in the urine or other signs of abnormal kidney function
- Worsening kidney function during treatment for high blood pressure
- Fluid overload and swelling in your body's tissues
- Treatment-resistant heart failure
When to seek medical advice
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any persistent signs or symptoms that worry you.
The two main causes of renal artery stenosis include:
- Atherosclerosis of the renal arteries. Atherosclerosis is the buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances (plaques) in and on your artery walls. As the deposits get larger, they can harden, reduce blood flow and cause scarring of the kidney. Eventually, narrowing of the artery can result. Most cases of renal artery stenosis occur because of atherosclerosis.
- Fibromuscular dysplasia. In fibromuscular dysplasia, the muscle in the artery wall grows abnormally. The renal artery can have narrow sections alternating with wider sections, giving a beadlike appearance in images of the artery. The renal artery can narrow so much that the kidney doesn't receive an adequate supply of blood and can become damaged. This can happen in one or both kidneys. Experts don't know what causes fibromuscular dysplasia, but the condition is more common in women and may be something that's present at birth (congenital).
Atherosclerosis and fibromuscular dysplasia can affect other arteries in your body as well as your kidney (renal) arteries and cause complications.
Rarely, renal artery stenosis results from other conditions such as inflammation of the blood vessels (vasculitis); a nervous system disorder that causes tumors to develop on nerve tissue (neurofibromatosis); or a growth that develops in your abdomen and presses on your kidneys' arteries (extrinsic compression).
Most cases of renal artery stenosis result from atherosclerosis. Risk factors for atherosclerosis of the renal arteries are the same as for atherosclerosis anywhere else in your body and include:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Smoking and other tobacco use
- A family history of early heart disease
- Lack of exercise
Possible complications of renal artery stenosis include:
- High blood pressure (renovascular hypertension)
- Kidney failure, requiring treatment with dialysis or a kidney transplant
- Fluid retention (edema) in your legs, causing swollen ankles or feet
- Shortness of breath due to sudden buildup of fluid in the lungs (flash pulmonary edema)
For renal artery stenosis, you may start by seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner. However, you may be referred to a doctor who specializes in conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels (cardiologist) or kidneys (nephrologist).
Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment as well as what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
To prepare for your appointment:
- Write down symptoms you have, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
- Make a list of all medications, vitamins and supplements that you take, including dosages.
- Be prepared to report key medical information to your doctor, including past or current smoking or use of other tobacco products.
- Ask a family member or friend to come along. Sometimes it can be difficult to remember all of the information provided to you during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
For renal artery stenosis, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- What's the most likely cause of my symptoms?
- Are there any other possible causes for my symptoms?
- What kinds of tests do I need? Do these tests require any special preparation?
- Is this condition temporary or long lasting?
- What treatments are available, and which do you recommend?
- What side effects can I expect from treatment?
- I have other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
- Do I need to follow any dietary restrictions? What about activity restrictions?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing for me?
- What's the appropriate level for my blood pressure? Is there anything I can do to help bring it down?
- Do you have any printed material that I can take with me? What websites do you recommend?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared, don't hesitate to ask other questions as they occur to you during your appointment.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions, such as:
- When did you first begin experiencing symptoms?
- Are you a current or past smoker, or do you use any other type of tobacco products?
- Does anything seem to improve or worsen your symptoms?
- Do you know your average blood pressure values?
- Have you had your kidney function measured?
- Does anyone in your family have a history of high blood pressure or kidney disease?
For diagnosis of renal artery stenosis, your doctor may start with:
- A physical exam that includes your doctor listening through a stethoscope over the kidney areas for sounds that may mean the artery to your kidney is narrowed
- A review of your medical history
- Blood and urine tests to check your kidney function
- Blood and urine tests to measure the levels of hormones that regulate blood pressure
Imaging tests commonly done to diagnose renal artery stenosis include:
- Doppler ultrasound. High-frequency sound waves help your doctor see the arteries and kidneys and check their function. This procedure also helps your doctor find blockages in the blood vessels.
- Computerized tomography (CT) scan. During a CT scan, an X-ray machine linked to a computer creates a detailed image that shows cross-sectional images of the renal arteries. You may receive a dye injection to show blood flow.
- Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). MRA uses radio waves and strong magnetic fields to produce detailed 3-D images of the renal arteries and kidneys. A dye injection into the arteries outlines blood vessels during imaging.
- Renal arteriography. This special type of X-ray exam helps your doctor check blood flow and find the blockage in the renal arteries. Before an X-ray is taken, your doctor injects a dye into the renal arteries through a long, thin tube (catheter) to outline the arteries and show blood flow more clearly. This test is often performed at the time of restoring the blood vessel opening with a stent.
Treatment for renal artery stenosis may involve lifestyle changes, medication or a procedure. Sometimes a combination of treatments is the best approach. Depending on your overall health and symptoms, observation may be all that you need.
If your blood pressure is moderately or severely elevated, you may need to make certain lifestyle changes, such as:
- Maintain a healthy weight or lose weight if you're overweight
- Eat healthy foods
- Limit salt in your diet
- Be physically active
- Reduce your stress levels
- Drink alcohol or caffeinated beverages in moderation, if at all
- Don't smoke
High blood pressure — even when mainly related to renal artery stenosis — often can be successfully treated with medications. Finding the right medication or combination of medications may require time and patience.
Some medications commonly used to treat high blood pressure associated with renal artery stenosis include:
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), which help relax your blood vessels and block the formation or effects of a natural body chemical called angiotensin II, which narrows blood vessels.
- Diuretics, also known as water pills, which help your body eliminate excess sodium and water.
- Beta blockers and alpha-beta blockers, which may have the effect of making your heart beat slowly and less forcefully or widening (dilating) your blood vessels, depending on which medication you use.
- Calcium channel blockers, which help relax blood vessels.
If atherosclerosis is the underlying cause of renal artery stenosis, your doctor may also recommend aspirin and a cholesterol-lowering medication. Which medications are best for you depends on your individual situation.
For certain people — for instance, those with uncontrolled high blood pressure and a complication such as pulmonary edema or worsening kidney function — a procedure may be recommended to restore blood flow through the renal artery and improve blood flow (perfusion) to the kidney.
Procedures to treat renal artery stenosis may include:
- Renal angioplasty and stenting. In this procedure, doctors open wider the narrowed renal artery and place a device inside your blood vessel that holds the walls of the vessel open and allows for better blood flow.
- Renal artery bypass surgery. During a bypass procedure, doctors graft a substitute blood vessel to the renal artery to make a new route for blood to reach your kidneys. Sometimes this means connecting the renal artery to a vessel from somewhere else, such as the liver or spleen.
- Renal endarterectomy. This procedure involves removing the buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances (plaques) from the renal artery and may be done during surgery to repair the aorta.
Recent results from clinical trials that compared renal angioplasty and stenting with medication alone didn't show a difference between the two treatment approaches on reducing high blood pressure and improving kidney function.
As a part of your treatment plan for renal artery stenosis, your doctor may recommend making certain lifestyle changes:
- Maintain a healthy weight. When your weight increases, so does your blood pressure. If you're overweight, even losing 10 pounds may help to lower your blood pressure.
- Restrict salt in your diet. Salt and salty foods cause your body to retain fluid. This may increase the volume of your blood and, in turn, increase your blood pressure.
- Be physically active. Being physically active on a regular basis may help you lose weight, lower your risk of heart disease, lower your cholesterol and lower your blood pressure. Check with your doctor before beginning an exercise program, especially if you have high blood pressure and haven't been active in the past.
- Reduce stress. Stress can increase your blood pressure temporarily. This increase varies, depending on your level of stress and how your body reacts to it.
- Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all. Too much alcohol may increase your blood pressure.
- Don't smoke. Tobacco injures blood vessel walls and speeds up the process of hardening of the arteries. If you smoke, ask your doctor to help you quit.
April 30, 2015
- Renal artery stenosis. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/RenalArteryStenosis/. Accessed March 5, 2015.
- Goldman L, et al. Vascular disorders of the kidney. In: Goldman's Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2012. http://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed March 3, 2015.
- Ferri FF. Renal artery stenosis. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2015: 5 Books in 1. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2015. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed March 3, 2015.
- Taal MW, et al. Renovascular hypertension and ischemic nephropathy. In: Brenner & Rector's The Kidney. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2012. http://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed March 5, 2015.
- Tafur-Soto JD, et al. Renal artery stenosis. Cardiology Clinics. 2015;33:59.
- Textor S. Treatment of unilateral atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed March 3, 2015.
- Textor S. Treatment of bilateral atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis or stenosis to a solitary functioning kidney. http://www.uptodate.com/home. March 3, 2015.
- AskMayoExpert. Renal artery angioplasty and stenting. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2014.
- Cooper CJ, et al. Stenting and medical therapy for atherosclerotic renal-artery stenosis. New England Journal of Medicine. 2014;370:13.
- Weight management and blood pressure. American Heart Association. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/PreventionTreatmentofHighBloodPressure/Weight-Management-and-Blood-Pressure_UCM_301884_Article.jsp. Accessed April 7, 2015.
- Sheps SG (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 8, 2015.
- Textor SC (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 8, 2015. |
As June (and all it brings with it) unfolds, minds start to wander, summer day dreaming begins and as a result students start to lose their focus with all the activities that are competing for their attention. This usually results in increased classroom management concerns as well as a significant drop in productivity. My plan at this time of the year is to keep my students as engaged as possible to the very last minute. This is accomplished in two ways. The first is that they become decision makers in what we are going to learn about. This can be done either as a class or as individual learning modules. The students will compose a question to which they will seek to answer. How do words travel from a studio over the radio so that we can hear them is an inquiry chosen by one of my students this year. The questions they create have to be approved and meet the criteria we have pre-established.
The length of this unit is about 3 weeks and will culminate with a classroom open house whereby the other students in the school will be able to visit our work over two days. The student must be at their site in order to share information they have uncovered and answer any questions their audience may have. Needless to say, this unit generates some of the best work of the year. For me as a teacher, it allows me that opportunity to witness (and assess) the transfer of a year’s work of academic focus in reading, writing and oral language.
The premise remains the same as I have used drama presentations, storytelling and musical performances to keep my students school focused and engaged until the last minute of school. I encourage you to share other ideas you have used or witnessed as end of the year units. |
According to a 2006 article by Losey and Vaughan, the services wild insects freely provide are worth at least 57 billion dollars annually.
These estimates are based on the services insects provide in:
1) Dung Burial: 0.38 billion/year
Several “dung beetles” from the superfamily Scarabaeoidea make a valuable resource out of our waste.
Picture from: http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dung_beetle
2) Pollination: $3.07 billion/year
Not only managed bees such as Apis mellifera (the western honey bees) pollinate important crops but wild bees also pollinate wild and domesticated flowers, helping to provide us with blueberries and apples.
Normia melanderi (the Alkali) visiting alfalfa
According to the USGS, native bees are estimated to pollinate up to 80% of the flowering plants in the world (http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/usgs_top_story/the-buzz-on-native-bees/)
Bumble bees (Bombus) are effective at pollinating tomato flowers, like the one pictured below.
3) Pest control: 4.49 billion/year
Insects also defend our gardens and farms from pests that, if unchecked, could munch our crops away.
A ladybug (Coccinillidae) feasting on an aphid, an insect that sucks the sap out of a wide variety of plants.
Alligator weed flea beetles (Agasicles hygrophila) keeping alligator weed, an invasive weed in most southern states of the USA, at bay.
4) Recreation: $49.96 billion/year
Hunting small mammals, bird-watching, and fishing are all popular hobbies. Many of these animals that are the object of these hobbies depend on insects for food. If insect populations, these birds, small mammals, and fish would most likely suffer along with them.
A trout preparing to swallow down a mayfly treat.
A favorite bird for bird-watchers the charismatic scarlet tanager (Piranga olivacea) is clutching a meal. They are primarily insectivores.
Not only are insects awesome in and of themselves, it is clear they have clear monetary value that many do not think of when looking at them crawling or flying about. |
Saudi Arabia (i/ˌsɔːdiːəˈreɪbiə/, i/ˌsaʊ-/), officially known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is an Arab state in Western Asia constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula. With a land area of approximately 2,150,000km2 (830,000sqmi), Saudi Arabia is geographically the second-largest state in the Arab world after Algeria. Saudi Arabia is bordered by Jordan and Iraq to the north, Kuwait to the northeast, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates to the east, Oman to the southeast, and Yemen to the south. It is the only nation with both a Red Sea coast and a Persian Gulf coast, and most of its terrain consists of arid inhospitable desert or barren landforms.
The area of modern-day Saudi Arabia formerly consisted of four distinct regions: Hejaz, Najd, and parts of Eastern Arabia (Al-Ahsa) and Southern Arabia ('Asir). The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by Ibn Saud. He united the four regions into a single state through a series of conquests beginning in 1902 with the capture of Riyadh, the ancestral home of his family, the House of Saud. The country has since been an absolute monarchy, effectively a hereditary dictatorship governed along Islamic lines. The ultra-conservative Wahhabism religious movement within Sunni Islam has been called "the predominant feature of Saudi culture", with its global spreading largely financed by the oil and gas trade. Saudi Arabia is sometimes called "the Land of the Two Holy Mosques" in reference to Al-Masjid al-Haram (in Mecca), and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (in Medina), the two holiest places in Islam. The Kingdom has a total population of 28.7 million, of which 20 million are Saudi nationals and 8 million are foreigners.
Established in 1964, the channel produces programmes focusing on cultural, political, and economic issues aimed at expatriates living in Saudi Arabia. Following its conversion to a 24-hour channel it expanded its broadcasting to Europe and North America in the middle of 2007 and now employs a large network of news correspondents based in the Middle East, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The law primarily uses the notion of the consumer in relation to consumer protection laws, and the definition of consumer is often restricted to living persons (i.e. not corporations or businesses) and excludes commercial users. A typical legal rationale for protecting the consumer is based on the notion of policing market failures and inefficiencies, such as inequalities of bargaining power between a consumer and a business. As of all potential voters are also consumers, consumer protection takes on a clear political significance.
The entire line runs under or near Sheppard Avenue East. All of its stations connect to surface TTC bus routes. All stations have elevators for wheelchair access, and public art; noteworthy examples are the scenic mural at Sheppard–Yonge, the illusionary sketches at Bayview, and Leslie Station’s hundreds of tiles showing the words “Sheppard & Leslie” handwritten by members of the public.
When the subway opened it was given the name "Sheppard line" and the official name 4 Sheppard Subway.
In October 2013, the TTC announced plans to give the lines official numbers to help riders and visitors to navigate the system. The Sheppard line is numbered as Line 4 and the new signage commenced in March 2014.
Consumers are typically viewed as predatory animals such as the wolf and hyena. However, herbivorous animals and parasitic fungi are also consumers. Some carnivorous plants, like the Venus flytrap, are classified as both.
Within an ecological food chain, consumers are categorized into three groups: primary consumers, secondary consumers, and the tertiary consumers. Primary consumers are usually herbivores, feeding on plants and fungus. Secondary consumers, on the other hand, are mainly carnivores, and prey on other animals. Omnivores, who feed on both plants and animals, can also be considered a secondary consumer. Tertiary consumers, sometimes also known as apex predators, are usually at the top of food chains, capable of feeding on secondary consumers and primary consumers. Tertiary consumers can be either fully carnivorous or omnivorous. Humans are one such example of a tertiary consumer.
All while at the same time creating a dynamic job market for Saudis and encouraging a high-tech, digitally focused knowledge economy. It should come as no surprise that fintech is set for take-off in SaudiArabia... By opening itself up to Open Banking, Saudi Arabia is also contributing to increased financial awareness among consumers.
He believes these models appeal “to a low to middle-income Saudi consumer market, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and economic uncertainties, as well as a new niche market for Saudi female drivers owning their first cars.” ... consumers, especially in Saudi Arabia.
SaudiArabia has halted the sale of one of the world's biggest water plants, which had attracted interest from investors including France's Engie SA, in a setback for the kingdom's privatization plans ... Saudi Arabia was looking to raise about $2 billion by selling a 60 per cent stake ... Saudi Arabia is the world's biggest consumer of desalinated water.
In SaudiArabia especially, consumers want all this, in addition to demanding smart devices that complement their always-on, always-connected, seamless lifestyles — and increasingly, consumers want devices that can work together to create all new integrated digital experiences — like Huawei’s new SuperDevice range of products.
SaudiArabia has halted the sale of one of the world’s biggest water plants, which had attracted interest from investors including France’s Engie SA, in a setback for the kingdom’s privatization plans ... Saudi Arabia, much of which is desert, is the world’s biggest consumer of desalinated water.
SaudiArabia and Iran are the two most contributing countries to the Mena used car market. Recently, the removal of ban from women drivers in Saudi Arabia has resulted in an increase of women drivers ... It has been observed that Saudis use their car for a range of activities including daily commuting to schools, offices and shopping.
Besides, Chinese automakers continue to improve the cars' localization adaptability, such as air-conditioning function and safety performance under hot and dry weather in SaudiArabia, to meet local consumers' personalized requirements.
About 77 per cent of consumers in SaudiArabia, the Arab world’s biggest economy, are shopping online more frequently now than they were before the pandemic, according to a survey by Mastercard ... Saudi Arabia switches to online shopping during pandemic ... Omnichannel players already have consumer trust because of the longer relationship with them.
Major oil producers reached a deal on production increases on Sunday, as the United Arab Emirates and SaudiArabia resolved a dispute that had blocked an agreement this month ... Other countries, including Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Russia, will also be granted increases in their production limits, according to Opec.
The saying holds true for SaudiArabian entrepreneurs Abdullah Bin Shamlan and Ameen Mahfouz, the founders of Speero, a Riyadh-based online car parts seller ... The company plans to use the new funding to strengthen its network in Saudi Arabia, create new digital processes and expand its offerings.
On the latest funding, CEO and Co-founder Abhiraj Singh Bhal had said, “With this funding, we plan to rapidly scale our business while continuing to invest further in the safety of our consumers and service partners, training of partners, and product development.” ... and consumers. |
© Geoff Nichols
This spiny shrub or small tree with pretty white flowers is known for the snuff boxes that can be made from its hard-shelled fruit.
The snuff-box tree grows up to 5 m, but may sometimes reach a height of 8 m. The bark of this plant is mottled grey and rather smooth. The young branches are conspicuously speckled with lenticels (a slightly raised, lens-shaped area on the surface of the young stems that helps with the exchange of gasses between the plant and the surrounding air). The spines are straight and up to 50 mm in length.
The leaves are simple, ovate-elliptic in form with a somewhat pointed tip and rounded, broad base. The leaves are dark, glossy green in colour and somewhat leathery and hairless. The margins are coarsely toothed.
It bears large (90 mm wide) showy, sweet-scented, white flowers with masses of yellow, overlapping stamens in the centre . Flowers somewhat resemble a fried egg and in Zimbabwe it is called the fried-egg flower. The flowers are bisexual and are borne at in the base of the leaves or at the end of the branches. It flowers from September to January. The ovary is one-chambered.
The rounded fruit of up to 60 mm in diameter, consists of a hard shell that becomes dark-reddish brown when mature and small, with shiny brown seeds embedded in a dry, sour, yellowish pulp. Fruit can be found on the tree from April to July.
Distribution and Habitat
This tree occurs in the northeastern part of South Africa, primarily in Mpumalanga and further north along the Zambezi River. It is found over a large range of altitudes, from bushveld areas to riverine fringe forest.
Derivation of name and historical aspects
Oncoba is derived from the Arabic name for the North African species, Onkub ; spinosa , referring to the spines. Spines are usually a modification of a leaf or stipule, a small scale or leaf like appendage at the base of the leaf stalk.
Uses and cultural aspects
The pulp of the fruit is edible, but is seldom used for that purpose. In African medicine the roots are used in the treatment of dysentery and bladder complaints. The hard-shelled fruits are used as snuff boxes. If the fruit are left to dry with the seeds inside they it make amusing rattles for children and are also used as anklets and armlets for dancers to add rhythm when performing.
It is said that the seeds contain a drying oil that is suitable for varnish, but it is too difficult to extract to be of any commercial significance. The wood is light brown in colour and can take a good polish, but the pieces are seldom large enough to be of any commercial value.
Growing Oncoba spinosa
Cultivation is not difficult and fresh seeds, collected from the tree, can be pushed into river sand flush with the surface and kept moist. Initial growth is slow but will speed up after 9 to 12 months. It can grow up to 500 mm per year in the Highveld region and even up to 1 m in areas with a high rainfall. It is a protected tree in South Africa.
References and further reading
- Germishuizen, G., Meyer, N.L., Steenkamp, Y. & Keith, M. (eds) 2006. A Checklist of South African plants. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 41. SABONET, Pretoria.
- Coates Palgrave, K. 1990. Trees of southern Africa. Struik, Cape Town.
- Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. 1997. Field guide to trees of southern Africa . Struik, Cape Town.
- Van Wyk, P. 1990. Veldgids tot die bome van die Nasionale Krugerwildtuin . Struik, Cape Town.
Pretoria National Botanical Garden |
New research could help protect and save bats from wind turbinesFebruary 15, 2019
Texas study discovers new way to deter bats from the paths of wind energy turbines.
New research conducted at the Los Vientos Wind Energy Facility in Starr county, Texas, may have found a way to prevent bats from being killed by massive wind turbine structures with a system that “jams” the animals’ echolocation capabilities.
Researchers worry that wind power turbines could lead to the extinction of certain bat species.
While wind energy is certainly an excellent source of cost-effective renewable power, it isn’t always eco-friendly, particularly in the case of wildlife, such as bats. Researchers estimate that in North America alone, hundreds of thousands of bats are killed by wind turbines, annually. Moreover, these turbines are reportedly the largest cause of mass bat mortality across the globe.
“Oftentimes, acoustic monitoring before construction of a wind facility may not show much bat activity, but this increases after the facility is built, as if the bats were drawn there,” explains Sara Weaver, who lead the Los Vientos study, reports Mongabay.
According to Weaver, a Texas State University doctoral candidate and biology lecturer at Texas A&M University-San Antonino, bats are attracted to wind turbines likely because they see them as large trees on the landscape or as a foraging resource.
The new bat-deterrent system for wind turbines shows notable promise.
The researchers at Texas State University collaborated with Bat Conservation International (BCI), and studied the effects that the ultrasonic Bat Deterrent System developed by NRG Systems had on bats at the Los Vientos Wind Energy Facility.
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NRG’s Bat Deterrent System is based on studies of echolocation jamming in nature. In essence, bats emit high-frequency calls that bounce off objects in their path and mirror echoes. The echoes returned to them tells the bats the distance and direction of obstacles or prey, which allows them to navigate and forage in the dark.
The deterrent tech that was developed uses a set of speakers to generate an ultrasonic acoustic field at a pitch that interferes with their ability to hear and interpret echoes from their echolocation calls. This “jams” the bats’ ability to navigate and forage, which often leads to bats choosing to leave the area.
Part of the test included randomly selecting 16 of the wind energy facility’s 255 turbines and retrofitting them with the deterrent systems. The data was collected over the course of two years and shows that the technology managed to reduce overall bat fatalities by 54%.
Weaver and her colleagues noted that not all species of bats were deterred. While the system seemed to work well for Brazilian free-tailed bats and hoary bats, the northern yellow bat didn’t respond as well.
Regardless of the bats’ response to the system, the system itself does not cause disorientation or harm to the animals, nor is there any evidence that birds can hear frequencies as high as the system uses (a pitch of between 20 and 50 kilohertz).
NRG plans to sell its Bat Deterrent System to operational wind turbine plants in North America this year. |
Communicating with a Mars probe can be a little like talking to the dead. Depending upon how far apart Mars and Earth are at any given moment, it will take anywhere from 4 to 20 minutes for a light-speed radio signal to traverse the distance. What’s breaking news or an imminent danger when the spacecraft sends out its signal can be long over — for better or worse — by the time we learn about it.
That’s what made things so harrowing just after 1:17 AM EDT on Monday, August 6. It was at that moment that the Curiosity rover was supposed to touch down on the Martian surface after a journey of more than eight months. The Earth and Mars were about 154 million miles (248 million km) apart, which meant the transit time for a message was 13 minutes and 48 seconds. If the rover crashed — a real possibility considering it would be slamming into the atmosphere at 13,000 mph (921,000 k/h), slowing down via a combination of air resistance, a parachute and retrorockets. In addition, the rover was relying on an untried, hovering sky crane to winch it the final 25 ft. (7.6 m) to the ground — no one would know until 1:32 AM. Every bit of happy news Curiosity was beaming back about its progress could already have been trumped by a disastrous finish.
(Cover Story: Live From Mars)
But the news that did finally arrive in Mission Control at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory was exactly what the mission managers had been hoping to hear: “Touchdown confirmed!” flight dynamics engineer Allen Chen called. “We’re safe on Mars!”
That kind of announcement is the reason space geeks get out of bed in the morning — and it’s one of the reasons the United States travels to distant worlds in the first place. But it’s hardly the only reason.
For all of Mars’s desert-like appearance, it was once a warm and watery place, with its surface still scored by ancient riverbeds, dry seas and empty oceans. Traces of water remain on the Martian surface and buried underground, and that makes the Red Planet one of the best places in the solar system to look for life — and certainly the closest. Even if nothing is living there now, the one billion years Mars is thought to have been wet would have been sufficient for life to have emerged and briefly thrived. Microbial fossils and other organic remains may still be there to mark its passing.
The one-ton, SUV-sized Curiosity will study the possibility of Martian biology — as well as the planet’s chemistry, geology and meteorology — with a suite of 10 instruments weighing a collective 15 times more than the entire scientific payload of any previous rover. A gas chromatograph, mass spectrometer and laser spectrometer will look for telltale isotopes, gasses and elements, especially methane and other carbon compounds. A mobile arm with multiple tools gives Curiosity Swiss army knife dexterity and its 17 cameras make it the sharpest-eyed spacecraft ever launched.
While the rover will help answer a wealth of questions about Mars, it raises some troubling ones about Earth — and the United States in particular. Why does a country that can pull off this kind of engineering legerdemain have such a hard time doing the easy stuff — maintaining its terrestrial infrastructure, addressing climate change, simply stepping out of the toxic swamp of domestic politics enough to keep the FAA funded and the lights on in Washington? The successful landing of the rover is what smart looks like, what visionary looks like. A country that can pull that kind of thing off should be capable of well-nigh anything. The commitment and competence we bring to the Red Planet could also be applied to the blue one. |
(Graphic courtesy The Sleuth Journal.)[A] prominent climate scientist who’s actively involved in developing technologies to thwart the natural weather patterns of the globe says he’s disturbed by the prospect of having to make such drastic changes to the common order of things in order to fight so-called “global warming.”
Dr. Matthew Watson from Bristol University in the UK told the media recently that he’s “terrified” by many of the geoengineering projects currently in the works to thwart man-made climate change, which is still being hawked by many in mainstream science as a threat to humanity.
Speaking to the Daily Mail Online, Dr. Watson explained how futuristic technologies like spraying chemical particles into the sky to reflect sunlight back into space have the potential to disrupt how rain falls, how plants grow and how life lives.
Right now, Dr. Watson is working on a $2.8 million project of this exact nature. The plan is to inject sulfur particles into the earth’s atmosphere with the stated goal of blocking the sun’s rays from reaching Earth, ostensibly to keep the earth from getting too warm.
“Personally, this stuff terrifies me,” Dr. Watson told reporters. “Whilst it is clear that temperatures could be reduced during deployment, the potential for misstep is considerable.”
“By identifying risks, we hope to contribute to the evidence base around geoengineering that will determine whether deployment, in the face of the threat of climate change, has the capacity to do more good than harm.”
Geoengineering will likely cause irreversible damage to planetary ecosystems
The simplistic nature of such projects ignores the immense level of irreversible damage that could result from interfering with the normal functions of the planet. By blocking sunlight, plants won’t be able to engage in photosynthesis, for instance, which means no more oxygen and no more food.
Similarly, humans won’t be able to obtain natural vitamin D if the sun’s rays aren’t allowed to penetrate the atmosphere, triggering an epidemic of vitamin D deficiency and resultant disease.
One proposed method of mitigating excess carbon dioxide, which many would argue isn’t even a real problem, involves planting and irrigating millions of trees in the world’s deserts. But this would directly counteract the natural reflection of sunlight from desert sands back into space, contributing to more warming.
Another proposal involves dumping iron particles into the world’s oceans to supposedly improve the growth of photosynthetic organisms capable of absorbing carbon dioxide. But this concept would only further toxify the world’s oceans, harming sea animals in the process.
Sulfur particles will destroy ozone layer, leaving animals and humans exposed to deadly radiation
Building upon an earlier idea pioneered by Dr. Watson, climate scientists are also working on ways to pump sulfur particles into the sky in order to disperse and reflect sunlight back into space. But this process threatens to destroy atmospheric ozone, leaving plants, animals and humans exposed to harmful solar radiation.
“Geoengineering will be much more expensive and challenging than previous estimates suggest and any benefits would be limited,” maintains Professor Piers Forster from the University of Leeds, who has long tracked climate engineering projects of this type and determined them to be more threatening than beneficial.
Professor Steve Rayner from Oxford University, who specializes in the legal and ethical ramifications of geoengineering, seems to agree. He told the Daily Mail Online that too little is known about the long-term effects of geoengineering, including their impact on planetary ecosystems.
“Mostly it is too soon to know what any of these technology ideas would look like in practice or what would be their true cost and benefit,” he stated.
Sources for this article include:
Originally published by Natural News |
Luck plays a crucial role in moral development. As the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle observed, without luck, you can’t develop a virtuous character. To become generous, for example, you need situations to arise where generosity is called for. Unless you can practice at being generous, you won’t develop the virtue of generosity. Beyond this, Aristotle claimed, nobody can lead the good life without adequate fortune-dependent goods, such as health, friends, and money.
Moral luck is a distinctive way of thinking about the relation between luck and responsibility. Specifically, “Moral luck occurs when an agent can be correctly treated as an object of moral judgment despite the fact that a significant aspect of what she is assessed for depends on factors beyond her control.”
Instances of moral luck thus push back on what has come to be called The Control Principle: “We are morally assessable only to the extent that what we are assessed for depends on factors under our control.” This idea received deep support in Immanuel Kant’s Enlightenment Age deontological ethics. Kant basically argued that moral worth should be decided solely upon intentions because that’s where freedom lies. People are free to determine intentions; they lie within control. But, people often lose control when confronted with things that are unexpected. Thus, adverse outcomes might result from even the best intentions.
Thomas Nagel wrote the classic essay on moral luck and The Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy gives a fantastic summary of the four categories he identified: resultant luck, circumstantial luck, constitutive luck, and causal luck. Each is paraphrased below:
Resultant Luck is luck in the way things turn out. When decisions are made under uncertainty, we judge the decision-makers differently depending on the outcome. For example, imagine that two otherwise conscientious people have forgotten to have their brakes checked recently and experience brake failure, but only one of whom finds a child in the path of his car. If we offer different moral assessments based upon the different outcome of their crashes, then we have a case of resultant moral luck.
Circumstantial luck is luck in the circumstances in which one finds oneself. A morally virtuous person who never faces circumstances that reveal that virtue may not be recognized as such. Similarly, a moral turpitude may never be revealed, depending on the circumstances that offer alternatives to make immoral choices.
Constitutive luck is luck in who one is, or in the traits and dispositions that one has. Since our genes, care-givers, peers, and other environmental influences all contribute to making us who we are (and since we have no control over these) it seems that who we are is at least largely a matter of luck. Since how we act is partly a function of who we are, the existence of constitutive luck entails that what actions we perform depends on luck, too.
Causal luck is luck in “how one is determined by antecedent circumstances”. Nagel points out that the appearance of causal moral luck is essentially the classic problem of free will. The problem of free will to which Nagel refers arises because it seems that our actions — and even the “stripped-down acts of the will” — are consequences of what is not in our control. If this is so, then neither our actions nor our willing are free. And since freedom is often thought to be necessary for moral responsibility, we cannot be morally responsible even for our willings. Sometimes the problem is thought to arise only if determinism is true, but this is not the case. Even if it turns out that determinism is false, but events are still caused by prior events according to probabilistic laws, the way that one is caused to act by antecedent circumstances would seem to be equally outside of one’s control.
Some view causal luck as redundant, since what it covers is completely captured by the combination of constitutive and circumstantial luck.
Different dimensions of moral luck might be present in simultaneously. Louis CK‘s admission of his own good fortune at being white calls attention to constitutive luck, although he carefyully notes that white people are not “better” (thus avoiding moral judgment), simply that it is better to be white.
But in this video, Eddie Murphy’s dramatization the inequalities of racial prejudice concludes by satirically suggesting that blacks might have greater agency with regard to choice of race than previously imagined — exactly the hypothetical question that Louis CK also explores. Both suggest that, given the choice, they would prefer to be white — although most people clearly have no choice at all.
MORAL LUCK & SUSTAINABILITY
Because sustainability ethics involves making decisions about an uncertain future, it is not possible to think about sustainability without confronting the question of moral luck.
For example, imagine future generations living in a world ravaged by disasters brought about by global climate change. People living there might feel unlucky. They might wish they lived in the past, when folks could walk outside with skin protected only by inexpensive sun block. They might feel a cosmic injustice occurred by being born so late in the game, deprived of a quality of life previously taken for granted. If they believe their predecessors didn’t care enough about the future, they could claim the obligations of intergenerational justice weren’t met by their forebears.
Consider two hypothetical ways of addressing the possibility of catastrophic climate change.
Possible Future 1. Imagine Americans continue living more or less the way we do now. According to philosopher John Nolt (“Morally Significant Effects of Ordinary Individual Actions“), greenhouse gas emissions attributable to a single person today will cause the death of one or more persons in the future.
Possible Future 2. Although present-day behavior is exactly the same as in #1, thanks to some powerful techno-fix, or a massive volcanic eruption, or some other improbable intervention, greenhouse gases don’t harm anyone.
If #2 occurred, it is unlikely that future generations will hold their predecessors accountable for what could have happened if something else didn’t provide salvation. Instead, they’ll judge history based on its consequences, where no harm means no foul.
But why should this be? The individuals #1 and #2 behaved exactly the same way. They were both equally unwilling to make sacrifices on behalf of future generations and their intentions were equally callous or possibly egoistic.
The main difference between #1 and #2 is luck.
To put it in terms of Nagel’s categories of “moral luck,” we’re dealing with a case of circumstantial luck. A contingent outcome affects how judgments of past behavior and character get made. Different outcomes yield different judgments, and the folks in #2 get a free pass for things that happened that they actually had no control over. Since history only happens once, there is no alternative to compare what is to what might have been. Sure, historians or writers might offer counter-factual models. But what is the chance that people would look at them and feel outrage? Instead, folks will say, “Why fret over abstract possibilities? There’s plenty of real problems to concern ourselves with.”
With regard to climate change, it seems that lots of people today are hoping that something like #2 occurs. If it does, a history of blame might instead become a history of technological triumph.
Concerns about inequalities that result from luck are the center of different theories of justice. Perhaps the most famous was developed by John Rawls. Our colleague at the University of Boulder, Ben Hale, recently wrote a NY Times essay, “The Veil of Opulence” in which he does an excellent job summarizing how Rawls creates the thought experiment of an “original position” underwritten by a “veil of ignorance” as a means of helping us thinking about how to create a fair society–one that prevents undue privilege from creating moral problems. As Hale writes, the veil is a means of conceptually stepping outside of our own skin to consider the hardships others face and the responsibility the more fortunate have to them. It is means shedding “selfish predispositions” and thinking about fairness as impartial, not good for the self or other special interests. Hale points out that when people think of themselves as lucky, they are more willing to accept unfair circumstances, thinking that their own luck will protect them from adversity. Moreover, when they are confronted others’ misfortunes, they don’t necessarily see poor luck a justification for assistance.
The idea behind the veil of ignorance is relatively simple: to force us to think outside of our parochial personal concerns in order that we consider others. What Rawls saw clearly is that it is not easy for us to put ourselves in the position of others. We tend to think about others always from our own personal vantage; we tend to equate another person’s predicament with our own. Imagining what it must be like to be poor, for instance, we import presumptions about available resources, talents and opportunities — encouraging, say, the homeless to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and to just get a job, any job, as if getting a job is as simple as filling out an application. Meanwhile, we give little thought to how challenging this can be for those who suffer from chronic illnesses or disabling conditions. What Rawls also saw clearly was that other classic principles of justice, like the golden rule or mutual benevolence, are subject to distortion precisely because we tend to do this.
PERCEIVING LUCK: PROBLEMS OF DIFFERENCE + INDIVIDUALISM
Although Rawls’s ambition are noteworthy, it is a matter of intense debate whether his approach to justice succeeds. For example, even when we concede equality of opportunity as a worthy moral goal, we are not necessarily disposed to view poor luck as justifying the assistance of the more fortunate Philosopher Martha Nussbaum, contends that Rawls’ “original position” doesn’t go far enough. In this clip, she contends it excludes excludes vulnerable populations, including people with disabilities, and contends an alternative approach to justice — namely, the “capabilities approach“– is better.
Whether Nussbaum is right is matter of debate, too, but her guiding point is well-taken. It is extremely difficult identify all of the advantages that luck brings about which can cause injustices. Even with good intentions, we readily impose taken-for-granted and hard-to-shake biases when considering proposals like the “original position.” The more removed a difference is from our own experience, the harder it is for us to avoid translating it into something similar, something we can grasp. Because Rawls models his views on international relations (The Law of Peoples) on the “veil of ignorance,” the same identification problem might persist in his globalized extension of social contract theory.
The challenge of stepping outside of our own personal skin isn’t the only reason luck is difficult to perceive. In cultures with a strong individualist ethos, people are encouraged to see successes as a result of their own hard work and failure as a result of their mistakes. In a recent NY Times article, “Deluded Individualism,” philosopher Firmin DeBrabander contends “there is something profoundly American” in seeing ourselves as governed by “self-determination” instead of mutual interdependence. He argues that people who resent government assistance programs fail to appreciate:
That we are all thoroughly saturated with government assistance in this country: farm subsidies that lower food prices for us all, mortgage interest deductions that disproportionately favor the rich, federal mortgage guarantees that keep interest rates low, a bloated Department of Defense that sustains entire sectors of the economy and puts hundreds of thousands of people to work. We can hardly fathom the depth of our dependence on government, and pretend we are bold individualists instead.
One reason we have trouble perceiving our interdependence, DeBrander claims, is because history has receded so far it isn’t even in our rear-view mirror:
We can’t really appreciate the horrors Upton Sinclair witnessed in the Chicago slaughterhouses before regulation, or the burden of living without Social Security and Medicare to look forward to. Thus, we can entertain nostalgia for a time when everyone pulled his own weight, bore his own risk, and was the master of his destiny. That time was a myth. But the notion of self-reliance is also a fallacy.
- Luck & Moral Responsibility (anadder.com)
- The Instability of Professional Philosophers’ Endorsement of the Famous “Doctrine of the Double Effect” (experimentalphilosophy.typepad.com)
- Discussion Questions: Free Will and Free Agency (rolandnadler.wordpress.com)
- Religion and Science (keithburgess-jackson.typepad.com)
- Mind and Cosmos (ronbc2.wordpress.com)
- Introduction to Social Ethics (sustainabilityethics.com)
- Free Will versus the Programmed Brain (anchorsofreason.com) |
The cell is the basic unit of all life on Earth, and is the building block for every living organism. Plants, animals, fungi and unicellular (single-celled) organisms all contain different types of cells, which can be differentiated using a few key features.
Prokaryotes vs. Eukaryotes
Organisms can be divided into two categories: prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The prokaryotes include bacteria and some primitive single-celled organisms, while the eukaryotes include plants, animals, fungi and protists. In a prokaryotic cell, genetic information (DNA) is found in a region called the nucleiod and is not surrounded by a membrane. In a eukaryotic cell, DNA is contained in a compartment called the nucleus, which is enclosed by a membrane.
Protists are a large group of unicellular organisms. As eukaryotes, they have a true nucleus with a membrane. They are all single-celled, though they may sometimes come together to form colonies. Protist cells can be distinguished from plant, animal and fungal cells by their ability to move on their own. They may move using one or more tails (flagella), tiny hairs on the cell membrane (cilia) or long, arm-like extensions of the cell membrane (pseudopodia). A protist cell is a complete organism and can survive on its own, while the cell of a larger organism cannot.
The first characteristic to look for in a plant cell is the presence of a hard wall surrounding the entire cell. This cell wall is mostly made up of a compound called cellulose, and helps to give plants their structure. Plant cells also contain large bodies called chloroplasts. Chloroplasts are responsible for collecting energy from the sun and creating sugar, a process known as photosynthesis.
Like plants, fungal cells are surrounded by a cell wall. The composition of the cell wall, however, is different. Fungal cell walls are made up primarily of chitin, a compound that is also found in the hard shells of crustaceans. No cellulose is present in fungal cell walls. Fungi also lack the chloroplasts found in plant cells, as they do not undergo photosynthesis.
Animal cells can be easily distinguished from plant and fungal cells because they completely lack a cell wall. Animal cells are surrounded only by the thin, flexible cell membrane. Because they have no cell wall to provide structure, animal cells must be supported in some other way (for example, a skeletal system). They also do not contain the chloroplasts found in plants, as they do not undergo photosynthesis.
- "Life: The Science of Biology"; W.K. Purves, D. Sadava, G.H. Orians, H.C. Heller; 2001
- "Invertebrate Zoology"; E.E. Ruppert, R.S. Fox and R.D. Barnes; 2004
- "Bioessays"; The Structure and Synthesis of the Fungal Cell Wall; S.M. Bowman and S.J. Free; Aug. 2006
- Biology Online: Plant Cells vs. Animal Cells |
Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) is a fungal infection, affecting the top layers of skin. It’s rare for the infection to spread to the hands (tinea manuum), but it happens. Tinea manuum's fungi is called dermatophytes.
The technical term for tinea is ringworm, characterized by the round shape or form of the infection. It starts as a small patch on the palm of the hands working itself to the sides of the fingers. Fungal infections rarely spread to layers below the skin’s surface. Both men and women of all ages can be infected. Because young animals like kittens or puppies are carriers of this infection, children are more prone to the condition.
Although this condition develops on the skin, there are circumstances where the fungus can affect the nails. In these cases, the fingernails thicken, and overtime may harden and crack.
Fungus is the culprit. The fungal infection is caused by a mold parasite that lives on the outer layer of the skin cells. Personal hygiene and lifestyles contribute to the development of tinea manuum. Most incidents happen from scratching itchy toes causing the fungi infection to spread to the hands.
Tinea manuum is a rash that starts on the palm of the hand. It can spread to the fingers and the back of the hand. The infection tends to develop on a single hand. But it’s not uncommon for the infection to develop on both hands when unprotected contact occurs. As the infection develops, the skin dries causing a gradual separation of the skin layers. It can also appear in the form of ringworm.
Tinea manuum will spread if left untreated. Bacterial infections can occur when the skin is broken, or open sores develop. It’s important to talk with a doctor to make sure you are treating this condition correctly.
During the examination, the doctor may use a microscope to look for traits associated with tinea manuum. The doctor will send a scraping (culture) from the infected area to the lab. Both verifications help with determining the proper treatment of the infection.
Topical antifungals (ointments or gels) are used to kill the fungi when applied to the affected skin. Antifungals are part of two pharmacological groups – azoles and allylamines. Topicals contain antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. They work by preventing the growth of fungus.
Depending on the severity of the condition, over-the-counter medications may be prescribed along with pharmacy prescriptions. Treatment is a 4-week course. The infection’s seriousness and your health may cause doctors to recommend continuing for a 5th week.
Apply the medication twice a day or as directed by your doctor. If you are using over-the-counter medications, read the label and instructions before applying this treatment. If you use a spray, be sure to shake the container well before applying. Continue using the prescription until the medication is finished.
Do not cover or bandage the infection unless your doctor has instructed you to do so. Do not apply more than directed, it will not heal the condition faster. It may have side effects leading to more serious health conditions. During treatment, individuals or caretakers should use these precautions:
If the condition does not improve within a month, the doctor may prescribe oral antifungals. Be sure to tell your doctor about any drugs or medications you are taking now because drug interactions may occur. It’s important to talk with the doctor if you experience any reaction during treatment.
1. Is tinea manuum contagious?
Coming in contact with the infection will cause it to spread.
2. Do I need to see a doctor?
Left untreated the condition can worsen and lead to open sores allowing bacterial growth. If the condition persists, see a doctor.
3. Can athlete’s foot spread to other body parts?
Skin to skin contact, sharing towels or exposure to contaminated environments are contagious for spreading the infection.
4. Are animal's carriers of this infection and how is it transmitted?
Any form of contact like petting can increase the risks of infection to humans.
5. I have skin allergies, am I more susceptible to getting this infection?
Individuals with existing health conditions such as allergies or a weakened immune system are at greater risk.
6. I naturally sweat more than other individuals, does this affect my chances of tinea manuum?
Skin infections thrive in heat and moisture. Persons with excessive sweat are more likely to experience skin infections.
7. How common is tinea manuum?
This form of skin infection is less common than the other forms. |
From Our 2014 Archives
Kids Born With HIV May Face Heart Risks Later, Study Suggests
Latest HIV News
"These results indicate that individuals who have had HIV since birth should be monitored carefully by their health care providers for signs of cardiovascular disease," said study co-author Dr. George Siberry of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Other research has linked HIV infection and certain HIV medications to higher risk of heart disease. This study -- published online in the journal Circulation -- examines the potential long-term risk for teens, although it only estimates risk and doesn't track the teenagers over time.
Siberry and colleagues came to their conclusions after examining results from from the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study, a long-term research project that has monitored children and young people infected with HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS -- since birth.
The new report is based on tests of 165 teens aged 15 or older who were born to mothers with HIV and have taken anti-HIV medication all their lives. The researchers examined their cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, smoking habits, blood pressure and weight -- factors that predict harmful build-up and thickening in the major arteries to the heart.
About half were considered to be at higher risk of heart disease.
"It's too soon to recommend changing treatment regimens on the basis of our findings," study first author Kunjal Patel, of Harvard School of Public Health, said in a journal news release.
"Until we can learn more, we can best serve adolescents who have HIV by monitoring their risk factors for heart disease carefully and urging them to adopt other measures that have been found to reduce the risk of heart disease in the general population: exercising, maintaining a healthy diet and not smoking."
-- Randy Dotinga
SOURCE: Feb. 24, 2014, news release, Circulation
- Allergic Skin Disorders
- Bacterial Skin Diseases
- Bites and Infestations
- Diseases of Pigment
- Fungal Skin Diseases
- Medical Anatomy and Illustrations
- Noncancerous, Precancerous & Cancerous Tumors
- Oral Health Conditions
- Papules, Scales, Plaques and Eruptions
- Scalp, Hair and Nails
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
- Vascular, Lymphatic and Systemic Conditions
- Viral Skin Diseases
- Additional Skin Conditions |
Emergency planning has become increasingly important in the United States due to changing and often unpredictable weather patterns, new disease threats, and the rise of global terrorism.
The Cambridge Public Health Department leads public health planning efforts for the City of Cambridge, Cambridge Health Alliance, and the Region 4b communities.
The health department’s planning philosophy is guided by three principles. The first principle is that plans must have the flexibility to work in a variety of crisis situations. This “all-hazards” approach to planning allows communities and hospitals to prepare for an array of possible natural and man-made disasters.
The second principle is that public health emergency planning requires collaboration with other first responders, municipal agencies, and city leaders. The Cambridge Public Health Department seeks to build partnerships across disciplines—hospitals, fire, EMS, police, emergency management, and public works. This multidisciplinary approach is critical to successful emergency response. In a real crisis—such as a disease epidemic or terrorist incident—first responders from various disciplines must act as one team to coordinate an effective response.
The third principle is that partnership-building must extend outward into neighboring communities because many hazards faced by towns and cities cross municipal boundaries. This is especially true in eastern Massachusetts where the land area of many cities and towns is less than 15 square miles.
Updated on April 4, 2014 |
New updated files for detailed lesson plan in reading for elementary
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Explore one of the most effective ways to network with professionals in your industry, enhance your career opportunities, and land the perfect job.
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Explore the Ins and Outs of a career in healthcare and medicine.
Healthcare is one of the few industries where job and career opportunities are on the rise.
While at times stressful, healthcare is one of the most rewarding of all career fields to work in.
Health Careers by Field
Allied Health Professions
Allied health professionals work directly with patients but may also function in a variety of administrive roles. Most specialists are found working in public and private healthcare facilities including hospitals, laboratories and clinics. However, many manager their own practices or work as part of a team of other specialized medical professionals to determine how to best treat and care for their patients.
Most allied health professionals/specialists are either technologists, technicians, or therapists-which technicians being the most popular of the allied health career positions. It typically requires a year or two of formal training to become a technician. Technicians work under the supervision of technologists, therapists as well as doctors themselves. Technicians can be found in just about every allied health field including, but not limited to, respiratory therapy, recreation therapy, occupational therapy, radiology, medical laboratory, and physical therapy.
Technologists resposibilties usually revolve around the development of medical procedures, patient evaluation and medical diagnostics. Specially technologists may design detailed patient treatment plans, evaluate patients' reaction to treatment/medications, implement complex medical procedures aimed at patient evaluation and care, and make informed recommendations to their superiors (i.e. medical doctors, osteopathic doctors, etc.)
- Allied Dental Educator
- Anesthesiologist Assistants
- Anesthesia Technologist/Technician
- Biomedical Equipment Technician
- Biomedical Engineer
- Blood Bank Technology Specialist
- Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Specialist
- Cardiovascular Technologist/Technician
- Clinical Laboratory Technologist
- Community Health Worker
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
- Electroneurodiagnostic Technologist
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- General Aide
- Genetic Counselor
- Health Information Manager
- Healthcare Interpreter
- Homecare Assistant/Aide
- Medical Assistant
- Medical Coder
- Medical Transcriptionist
- Nuclear Medicine Technologist
- Nurses Aide/Nursing Assistant
- Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician
- Optician (Dispensing)
- Orientation & Mobility Specialist
- Orthotist and Prosthetist
- Pathologists' Assistant
- Psychiatric Aide
- Radiologic Technologist
- Respiratory Therapist
- Surgical Technologist
Alternative & Complementary Medicine
They typically recommend nutritional changes, exercise, and stress management techniques to their patients. They believe, if treated properly, the body can heal itself. Many incorporate ancient medical treatments and meditation into treatment plans.
Arts & Humanities in Health
Workers with a background in humanities have the ability to connect with patients and understand how culture affects human health. Yet many people are unaware that many humanities related careers are available in the healthcare industry.
Environmental health specialists identify environmental hazards and develop strategies to reduce and eliminate them from the environment. These specialists include public health specialists, environmental health officials, and environmental health practitioners.
Environmental health specialists work closely with elected officials, engineers, doctors, meteorologists, biologists, geologists, chemists, and other professionals in an effort to identify and eliminate environmental pollutants.
Forensic scientists utilize psychology, math, biology, physics, chemistry, and toxicology while investigating crimes. They also assist people investigating steroid scandals in professional sports, drug use at worksites, and environmental catastrophes, such as toxic chemical or oil spills. The information forensic scientists collect is utilized by various groups, including public health organizations.
Physicians are classified as MDs (medical doctors) or DOs (doctors of osteopathic medicine). MDs are trained in allopathic medicine, while DOs are trained in osteopathic medicine.
Mental health professionals assist children, adolescents, and adults. Those specializing in counseling work with individuals, couples, and groups. Many mental health professionals specialize in marriage, substance abuse, career, and family counseling.
Nurses also work as patient advocates and raise awareness about various public health problems in their communities. They design and oversee nursing care plans, teach patients about disease prevention, and assist doctors with various procedures.
Entry-level jobs for nurses can be obtained with a diploma or associate degree in nursing, which usually takes 1 to 3 years to complete, but most organizations prefer to fill nursing positions with applicants holding a bachelor's degree in nursing. Registered nurses (RNs) interested in upgrading to a master's degree can complete a RN-to-MSN degree in nursing.
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Nurse Anesthetist
- Nurse Educator
- Nurse Midwife
- Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse Researcher
- Occupational Health Nurse
- Pediatric Nurse
- Public Health Nurse
- Registered Nurse (RN)
- Vocational/Licensed Practical Nurse
- Critical Care Nurse
- Emergency Nurse
- Hospice/Palliative Care Nurse
- Labor & Delivery Nurse
- Neonatal Nurse
- Nephrology Nurse
- Nurse Executive
- Oncology Nurse
- Orthopaedic Nurse
- Perioperative (O.R.) Nurse
- Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse
- School Nurse
- Staff Nurse
Dieticians specialize in the link between health and nutrition. Dietitians develop nutrition plans for people struggling with disease and other health problems. They often design preventative health nutrition plans.
Since a growing number of people suffer from ankle and feet problems, the demand for podiatric doctors is on the rise.
- Behavioral Science/Health Education
- Biomedical & Laboratory Practice
- Environmental Health Sciences
- Global Health
- Health Policy Specialist
- Health Services Administration
- Medical and Health Services Manager
- Maternal and Child Health
- Public Health Practice & Program Management
Sports medicine is growing in popularity as a career. In addition to assisting athletes, sports medicine specialists work with non-athletes recovering from injury, individuals striving to get in shape, or those training for marathons. They also teach people with disabilities how to exercise properly.
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By Khalid Khattak
The term “data journalism” is the new buzzword — at least in developing countries like Pakistan.
There is also a wide range of free, easy-to-use online tools for everyone to unlock data sets and tell stories in different ways. This has opened up new opportunities for journalists, even in places where newsrooms don’t have the resources or the will to create large data journalism teams — all we need to do is to explore.
What is data journalism?
One of my favorite definitions of data journalism comes from Simon Rogers, a data editor at Google, who has written: “Data journalism is about using numbers to tell the best story possible. It is not about maths, or drawing charts or even writing code. It is about telling stories first and foremost – the maths and the charts and the code are all in service to that.”
This removes a lot of the hesitation and fear that some journalists might feel about telling stories through data. It’s true that some reporting projects involving big data sets will probably involve a team of several people: journalists, coders and programmers. But a journalist working on his or her own can do a lot with simple data analysis, in order to tell stories differently and effectively. Even though there are some very sophisticated data journalism stories out there, those new to the field shouldn’t feel intimidated. In the end, it’s about making data meaningful and telling the story behind the numbers.
Finding and extracting data
Despite RTI laws and the movement toward more open governments, access to information remains a challenge for journalists. Often times, online data is locked in formats like PDF files, which make it tough for journalists to access. But thanks to advances in technology, our ability to convert such files into spreadsheets is also becoming easier.
One of the easiest places to start looking for data sets is the statistical office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). You can download data sets by country or by four major themes — education, science and innovation, culture and communication.
Don’t underestimate the power of Excel
Despite the plethora of other tools other there, Microsoft Excel remains a powerful way to analyze and visualize data. There are helpful free online tutorials like this one (or this one) that can teach aspiring data journalists how to sort and filter their data sets, and how to create pivot tables. For more visual learners, there are also free video tutorials. Just be patient with yourself and have fun exploring and learning. Another golden rule: start small.
Data visualization and storytelling
In addition to sorting and filtering data sets, journalists can use visualizations to discover previously unseen trends and patterns locked inside datasets. You can create basic visualizations with Excel, but there’s no shortage of other free tools that can help you tell your story.
Canva is an amazingly simple graphic design software, and you don’t need to be graphic designer to use it. Google Fusion Tables is an awesome and easy-to-use data visualization application and quite good for beginners, as is Infogr.am. Pixel Map is yet another application that can be used for web or print.
The ultimate goal when using such software is to present engaging and interesting stories. Always keep in mind the fundamentals of journalism are the same with or without data.
Other ways to brush up on data journalism skills are free Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) offered by different organizations. Elsewhere, the Global Investigative Journalism Network has a thorough list of data journalism resources, including some in different languages like Spanish and Arabic.
And yes, this Data Journalism Handbook is worth reading.
NOTE: This post originally appeared on IJNet and is published here with permission.
Main image CC-licensed by Flickr via Chris Khamken. |
Associations to the word «Equity»
EQUITY, noun. Ownership, especially in terms of net monetary value of some business.
EQUITY, noun. (legal) A legal tradition that deals with remedies other than monetary relief, such as injunctions, divorces and similar actions.
EQUITY, noun. (legal) Value of property minus liens or other encumbrances.
EQUITY, noun. (legal) An equitable claim; an equity of redemption.
EQUITY, noun. (accounting) Ownership interest in a company as determined by subtracting liabilities from assets.
EQUITY, noun. Justice, impartiality or fairness.
EQUITY OF REDEMPTION, noun. (legal) The advantage, allowed to a mortgager, of a certain or reasonable time to redeem lands mortgaged, after they have been forfeited at law by the non-payment of the sum of money due on the mortgage at the appointed time.
EQUITY, noun. The difference between the market value of a property and the claims held against it.
EQUITY, noun. The ownership interest of shareholders in a corporation.
EQUITY, noun. Conformity with rules or standards; "the judge recognized the fairness of my claim".
Many a true word is spoken in jest. |
Udemy is a platform for online learning. Thousands of teachers post their video courses here on various topics such as computer science, programming, mathematics, chemistry, yoga, digital marketing, finance, cooking, and practically every topic you can think of. Udemy courses are not expensive and at various times during the year these courses are available at a highly discounted rate.
Among the most popular courses on Udemy are courses on AI (artificial Intelligence) and courses dealing with data science skills such as Python, statistics, machine learning and deep learning. Courses on web development frameworks such as React and Angular are very useful if you plan to learn web development. Then there are many courses on cloud computing, Google Cloud, and AWS which are the most popular technologies today.
Some of the most emerging tech skills in 2020:
- Machine Learning
- Artificial Intelligence
- Deep Learning
- Docker (containers for software packages)
- Amazon AWS
- Google Cloud
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- Microsoft Azure Architecture |
|Explore this site|
Section of the Blackwall tunnel.
|Section of the Blackwall tunnel.|
|© National Maritime Museum, London|
|Repro ID: H2670|
|Description: When the tunnel was opened on 22 May 1897 it was the longest underwater tunnel in the world. Several of the huge framing sections were assembled at the Thames Ironworks. The construction of the tunnel, which took six years, cost £1,400,000 - a figure inflated by the building of the tunnel itself, the cost of re-housing over 600 people and the purchase of land.|
|Credit line: Newham Archives and Local Studies Library collection.| |
Cycling Safety is Your Responsibility
Safe cycling is the responsibility of the cyclist not the motorist and if you knew the opinion of many of the motorist that are driving around you you wouldn’t want to leave your safety in their incapable hands.
Know your hand signals
Just as a working turn signal or break light on a car is important to highway safety so is the use of hand signals when riding your bike on the open highway.
If you are driving your car behind someone and you are making the decision whether or not to try to past them the first thing that you will be looking for is their turn signal. You do this because you wouldn’t want them to turn in front of you they didn’t realize that you were trying to pass them. That is the same reason that you do not want to make a turn without using a turn signal with your arm when you are riding your bike on the highway.
Hand signal safety on bicycles are probably one of the most neglected safety rules of cycling. It is my opinion that anyone breaking these rules while cycling should receive a citation from law enforcement just as a car driver would. This would increase the cyclist awareness for the need to use them.
Here is a short video that will demonstrate the safe use of cycling hand signals:
Know When to Stop
Cyclist should make it a habit to always stop for all stop signs and red lights. I know that it seems easier to just coast really slow, look both ways, not unclip your feet from your pedals and just go. But mark my words that once that has become a habit there will be one time that you will do it and someone will be coming and you will get all confused trying to unclip your feet in time to stop and there will either be a close call or you will have used up your one and only chance to do it safely. Once that opportunity has been used it can’t be taken back.
Please take time to slow down, unclip, and stop so that you will have a nice safe ride for you and all of the cars around you.
Be Aware of Where you are on the Road
Defensive driving is one of the most important aspects of safe cycling there is. We like to think that all of the cars out there on the roads are paying attention to us and realize the potential for hurting us. That just isn’t realistic. Everyone takes their eyes off of the road sometime.
That being understood means that you as the cyclist should be paying close attention to the motorist on the road as well and you too should realize the potential for them hurting you. You should also be paying attention to the road in front of you. I always make it a habit to look at least ten feet in front of me for pot holes or any debris that could cause me to have a wreck or to dart into traffic trying to dodge something. As well you should relay this information to any other cyclist that may be riding in a pace line behind you. Here is a short video that will demonstrate how to signal other riders in your pace line of road hazards.
Last but not least there is helmets. Originally I was going to recommend that you know the helmet laws in whatever state that you might be riding in but now I just want to tell you that it is simply foolish to tempt fate by riding without a helmet. You just never know when having that helmet on will save your life. Don’t ride without one please.
That’s all for now. See you on the road. |
© 2003 Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. All rights reserved. The study evaluated the effect of the fish silage on feed rations for Guinea Pig (Cavia porcellus). Eighty Guinea pigs of the Peruvian line (1/2 blood), weaned at 14 ± 3 days of age, were used. The treatments consisted of different levels of fish silage: 0 (D0), 10 (D10), 20 (D20) and 30% (D30). The study lasted 10 weeks and was divided in three stages: 0-42, 42-70 and 0-70 days. Body weight gain and food intake was higher in D10, D20 and D30 as compared to DO (p<0.05), whereas no differences were found between D10, D20 and D30. In all stages, food conversion was higher in D20 and D30. The carcass performance was better in D30 and the economic benefit was better in D20. The organoleptic trial suggested that meat flavor and smell were affected on D20. It was concluded that the use of fish silage in the rations improved the productive performance of the Guinea pig, where 20% content was the most appropiate based on organoleptic and economic terms.
|Original language||American English|
|Number of pages||8|
|Journal||Revista de Investigaciones Veterinarias del Peru|
|State||Published - 1 Jan 2003| |
Hypokalemia is a medical term for low levels of potassium, a mineral that humans need for normal health. According to the textbook “Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine,” the most common cause of this imbalance is significant diarrhea or vomiting. Certain medications, such as the blood pressure medicines known as loop diuretics, may also cause an abnormally low level of potassium in the blood. One of the body systems affected by hypokalemia is the cardiovascular system.
"U" Wave on an Electrocardiogram
An electrocardiogram, or ECG, is a non-invasive way to look at the electrical activity of the heart. The various spikes, bumps and waves on the ECG tracing follow a specific pattern; if this pattern looks unusual, this may be a signal that something is wrong with the heart. In the case of a patient with hypokalemia, there's an extra “bump” on the ECG tracing, called a “U" wave. According to Dr. Philip Podrid, writing in the medical reference UpToDate, it is not clear what electrical activity is occurring in the heart when the "U" wave appears on the ECG tracing. What is known is that a prominent "U" wave is often an indication of hypokalemia.
According to the medical textbook “Principles of Critical Care,” hypokalemia patients are at great risk of developing ventricular fibrillation. Ventricular fibrillation is one of several ventricular arrhythmias--that is, abnormal heart rhythms that start out in the ventricles, which are the chambers of the heart that pump blood throughout the body. MedlinePlus describes ventricular fibrillation as a dangerous heart rhythm in which the muscle fibers that make up the ventricle contract in a random, uncontrolled way. When this occurs, the blood in the ventricles does not get pumped out to the rest of the body. If the person who is in ventricular fibrillation does not get immediate medical help, he will die due to cardiac arrest.
Another effect of hypokalemia on the heart is called sinus bradycardia, a term used to describe a heart rate that is slower than 60 beats per minute. It occurs because the sinoatrial, or SA, node in the heart, sometimes called the “pacemaker” of the heart, is firing less frequently than usual. The SA node is where the electrical signal to begin a heart beat originates; if fewer electrical signals start off from the SA node, the heart beat will be slower than usual. A person with this type of rhythm is said to be in sinus bradycardia. Symptoms may include lightheadedness, fainting, headache or tiredness. In other cases, the person may not feel any symptoms from the slower heart rate. |
Most applications have a few editing commands in common (copy, cut, paste, undo, and delete), and LayOut is definitely part of that crowd. Moreover, the way these commands work is similar to, if not the same as, other applications.
In the following sections, you find a quick introduction to LayOut’s editing commands.
Table of Contents
Cutting, copying, and pasting elements in the drawing area
In LayOut, you have several ways to make a copy:
- Select Edit > Copy or press Ctrl+C (Microsoft Windows) or Command+C (Mac OS X) to copy the selected items to the clipboard without deleting the items from your LayOut document. You can then paste the clipboard’s contents back into any open LayOut document by selecting Edit > Paste or pressing Ctrl+V (Microsoft Windows) or Command+V (Mac OS X).
- You can duplicate elements, which copies and pastes the selected items in your LayOut document in one swift action. Select Edit > Duplicate or press Ctrl+D (Microsoft Windows) or Command+D (Mac OS X).
- Before you move an element with the Select tool (), hold down the Ctrl key (Microsoft Windows) or the Option key (Mac OS X), and LayOut creates a copy.
Whereas copying a selection leaves the originals in place, cutting removes the selection. Select Edit > Cut or press Ctrl+X (Microsoft Windows) or Command+X (Mac OS X) to remove the selected items from your document and place them on the clipboard. To insert the clipboard’s contents elsewhere in an open LayOut document, select Edit > Paste or press Ctrl+V or Command+V.
Note that when you copy/cut and paste entities, the pasted entities will stay on the same layers that you already assigned – assuming that the copied layer settings match the target layer settings. In other words, you can’t paste a group that contains entities on shared layers into a group that contains entities on a non-shared layer. Now, to paste content to the current layer, which will override the layer settings assigned to the entities, click Edit > Paste to Current Layer or context-click in the drawing window and select Paste to Current Layer.
Undoing or redoing your last action
Undo is one of the greatest commands ever invented in the history of applications anywhere and everywhere. Accidentally delete that intricate drawing that you just spent an hour creating? Undo to the rescue!
Undo is equally helpful with less tragic mistakes.
To undo your last action, select Edit > Undo or press Ctrl+Z (Microsoft Windows) or Command+Z (Mac OS X).
After you undo an action, you can redo it, which returns the last undo to its previous state. Select Edit > Redo or press Ctrl+Y (Microsoft Windows) or Command+Y (Mac OS X).
Locking and unlocking entities
If you want to make sure that an entity stays exactly as it is, you can lock it. Note that this feature is different from locking a layer.
To lock an entity, whether it be a single shape, multiple selected entities, or a group, select the item or items, context-click the selection, and choose Lock from the menu that appears. When an entity is locked, it will highlight in red when selected.
To unlock an entity, context-click the entity and choose Unlock from the menu that appears.
Deleting elements from the drawing area
In LayOut, you can delete entities from the drawing area in a few different ways: the Delete command, the Delete key, or the Erase tool.
To delete the currently selected entities from your LayOut document, select Edit > Delete or simply press the Delete key. Either way, the entities vanish without so much as a disturbance in the air.
To use the Erase tool, follow these steps:
- Select the Erase tool () from the Tools menu or the default toolbar.
- Click any entity to erase it. Or, click and drag the Erase tool cursor over several entities and release the mouse button to delete them.
- If you keep skipping over entities you want to erase, move the cursor more slowly.
- If you need to erase a lot of entities, the fastest way to do so is to select them all and press the Delete key.
- If you erase anything you meant to keep, remember that the Undo command can help. |
Leading Question: “What did Jesus do to transform the human understanding of the Sabbath?”
Introduction to the Issue. In our modern world the idea of sacred time has nearly vanished. “Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy,” said the Lord from Mt. Sinai. But very few people “remember” anymore. Because our series for this quarter is “Christ and His Law,” Sabbath is included. So how can we discuss all that needs to be discussed in one lesson? These are the issues that could shape our discussion:
- Sabbath as command, gift or test?
- Sabbath as a day of liberation or Sabbath as a day of restriction?
- Sabbath as a day for all people or as a day for Jews?
- Jesus as Sabbath reformer.
Focusing on the last item may be most helpful, especially since discussing Sabbath in the context of “law” has potentially harsh overtones. Have you ever heard anyone say, “It’s the law” in a friendly tone of voice?
We have a choice of beginning this discussion with a good Old Testament text or a good New Testament one. The New Testament one is well known. In fact it is the official “memory verse” in the regular lesson guide: “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath” (Mark 2:27-28, NRSV).
But if the New Testament declares that the Sabbath was made for humankind, the Old Testament declares that it was also made for animals: “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest, so that your ox and your donkey may have relief, and your homeborn slave and the resident alien may be refreshed (Exod. 23:12, NRSV). In the Deuteronomic version of the decalogue, the fourth command includes a statement of purpose for the sabbath: “so that your manservant and maidservant may rest as you do” (Deut. 5:14). Former British prime minister, Harold MacMillan, is reputed to have called this passage “the first and greatest worker protection act in history” – Chris Wright, “Deuteronomic Depression,” Themelios 19:2 (Jan. 1994), 3.
Right here two radical ideas can be inserted into the discussion. The first one is based on the fact that Jesus’ every day language was Aramaic. And in Aramaic, the phrase “son of man” is the normal term for “human being.” That could mean that humans are Lord of the Sabbath! A New Testament colleague pointed that possibility out to me once, but I have never seen it confirmed in print. So perhaps we should deal with it rather cautiously. But whether the “lord” of the Sabbath is the Messiah or the people whom the Messiah created, it is clear that the Sabbath was intended to be a blessing to human beings. That was the point Jesus was making in Mark 2.
The second bombshell comes when we compare the Old Testament method for enforcing the keeping of the Sabbath – stoning a man who picked up sticks on the Sabbath – and Jesus’ approach to the Sabbath. In one of his most famous Sabbath healing miracles, Jesus told the man who had been crippled for 38 years: “Stand up, take your mat ( = sticks!) and walk” (John 5:8). So how could Jesus move away from the heavy hand in the Old Testament? And why? Is it possible that when the law is internalized, the heavy hand disappears? In the additional Mosaic legislation, the death penalty is linked with the breaking of each of the commandments except the last one – you shall not covet. The ten commandments themselves contain no penalties, thus giving them a more positive role to play, one that slips easily into the new covenant when the law is written on the heart. In such a model there are no threats or penalties, just blessings (cf. Jer. 31:31-34).
Now let’s look at some specific aspects of Sabbath keeping in the light of both Testaments:
- The Sabbath is intended for all human beings not just for Jews. In Exodus 20 the Sabbath is linked with creation, suggesting that it was intended for all humanity, not just for the Jews. Furthermore, Exodus 23:12 declares that the Sabbath was intended to refresh both animals and foreigners. “On the seventh day you shall rest,” the Scriptures declare, “so that your ox and your donkey may have relief, and your homeborn slave and the resident alien may be refreshed” (NRSV). And in the decalogue of Deuteronomy 5 where the Sabbath celebrates, not creation, but Israel’s redemption from Egypt, a blessing is still granted to the broader group. It was given “so that your male and female slave may rest as well as you” (Deut. 5:14, NRSV).
- The Sabbath is a day for corporate worship. While there is little in Scripture that tells just how one should worship on the Sabbath, Luke 4:16 indicates that Jesus saw the Sabbath as a time for worshiping with the community of believers. On the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue “as was his custom.”
- The Sabbath is a time for enjoyment. Not only does Mark 2 point to the Sabbath as a day for blessing humanity, the idea of the Sabbath as a day of delight is already present in Isaiah 58, though the text presents a tantalizing paradox. The prophet tells us to turn from our own interests on the day and to call the Sabbath a delight. There’s plenty to ponder in that paradox.
- The Sabbath is a day for healing. Five of Jesus’ most spectacular healing miracles give us a vivid picture of a God who goes out of his way to heal wounded people on Sabbath. Note that none of these were “emergency” miracles. In one instance Scripture notes that the woman was afflicted for 18 years; in another that the man was afflicted for 38 years.
- Mark 3:1-6, man with the withered hand
- Luke 13:10-17, woman with the bent back (18 years)
- Luke 14:1-6, man with dropsy
- John 5:1-9, man at pool of Bethesda (38 years)
- John 9:1-14, man born blind
- The Sabbath will be a part of the new creation. Isaiah 66:22 assures us that we will come together from Sabbath to Sabbath. Could that be a call for more careful attention to the Sabbath in our secular world today?
There follows a 1992 column of mine that calls us to transform the “No” of the Sabbath into a “yes,” an important corrective for those who may have experienced the Sabbath as more of a burden than a joy.
God’s Liberating “No!”
By Alden Thompson
Signs of the Times, August, 1992
“Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest, so that your ox and your donkey may have relief, and your homeborn slave and the resident alien may be refreshed” (Exodus 23:12, NRSV).
If English is your mother tongue, then “no” was one of your first words, along with “ma-ma,” “da-da,” and “see.” The adults in your life taught it to you firmly and with conviction.
Theirs was a noble purpose, of course. “No!” saved you from the dangers of the world and spared the world the havoc your grubby little hands were eager to cause. But you didn’t like the word. Keeping a wary eye on the No-sayer, you watched for that slight break in resolve that would leave your liberty intact.
When you learned to say it yourself, however, you liked it a lot. “No!” became the word in your vocabulary. With a jaunty toss of your little head, you said No! to everything.
Except for very obedient souls, that love-hate relationship with No continues into adult life. We like to say Yes to friends. But against the system, against the big boys, we love to say No whenever it is safe to do so. I still remember (with some chagrin) the twinge of wicked delight that crept into my soul when I could write a No to Harvard. Harvard hadn’t done anything wrong. I simply had decided to attend the University of Edinburgh instead. Yet for a brief moment, I was the little man saying No to the big system. It was fun.
But it’s not the best of fun. I’m with Paul in Romans 7, wanting to say a gracious Yes, but hearing myself blurt out a perverse No. Or vice versa.
Gratitude overwhelmed Paul when he realized his inner battle didn’t prevent him from finding peace in Jesus (see Romans 8:1-2). That’s good news for us, too. But we still long to realize that new covenant promise when our every Yes and No naturally reflect the mind of God (see Jeremiah 31:31-34).
Can it happen now?
Yes. Jesus shows the way. Let’s consider how, in the light of that most troublesome divine No, the No of the Sabbath command.
I say troublesome because the Sabbath command is likely to be just that, whether it’s new or old. If it’s new, hearing it could cost you your job. If it’s old, you’ll remember the irritation when it stood between you and fun. Let’s face it, turning from our own pleasure on the Sabbath yet calling the day a delight (see Isaiah 58:13) doesn’t come easily.
In the Old Testament, God’s hand was firm, even deadly. Sin against any one of the ten commandments, except for the prohibition against coveting, incurred the death penalty. By divine command, a man caught picking up sticks on the Sabbath was stoned (see Numbers 14:32-36). That was a language Israel could understand.
The Sabbath command itself is blunt enough: “Don’t work” (Exodus 20:10). That’s clear. But does it have to be painful?
No. Jesus taught that the Sabbath was a day for people, for meeting human needs. His Sabbath miracles of healing made that point clear. The Pharisees criticized His disciples for plucking grain on Sabbath. But that was sin against their law, not His. “The Sabbath was made for humankind,” said Jesus, “not humankind for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27, NRSV).
We hear the gracious No of the Sabbath in Exodus 23:12. By saying No to work, God gave rest to Israel, to slaves, to animals. It was a liberating No.
It still is. My wife discovered that liberation when she was a young girl picking strawberries and beans in the fields of Oregon: Six days of grueling work, one glorious day of freedom.
That No became special to me when I was a student on a Christian campus, one that celebrated the Sabbath rest. Joy! The Lord had forbidden me to study my college coursework on Sabbath. His No had set me free.
I still relish that Sabbath freedom. I covet it for you in our hectic world. Yet our celebration must be tempered by the sobering reminders of that great Sabbath chapter, Isaiah 58, the reminders that some are not yet free. There God calls us to “loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free” (Is. 58:6, NRSV). He asks us to share our bread with the hungry, to care for the homeless poor and the naked (vs. 7). That’s His Sabbath agenda and ours. Until He returns, His liberating No sets us free to make it happen. |
Oceans Action Day took place during the UN Climate Change Conference in Madrid, Spain, to assess existing ocean and climate action, identify gaps that need to be addressed and reaffirm the importance of the ocean-climate nexus.
The event convened on 7 December and was hosted by the Governments of Japan, Chile and the UK. The Day featured a number of high-level panel sessions.
During the discussion on the ocean and climate nexus within the UNFCCC and beyond, panelists highlighted, inter alia:
- the ocean as integral to achieving multiple SDGs;
- nature-based solutions such as the International Blue Carbon Initiative, which focuses on mitigation through blue carbon restoration, and the Blue Action Fund, established by Sweden, France and Germany, that will support investment in nature-based solutions;
- the Commonwealth Blue Charter, which puts the ocean and island nations at the center of climate solutions;
- the need for integrated approaches on the effects of land-based activities on the marine environment;
- the importance of a common narrative encompassing the needs of all ocean-dependent people; and
- the need for a “blue outcome” at the 25th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 25) to the UNFCCC.
During the session on incorporating ocean-related options into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), panelists, inter alia: noted that industrialized countries do not mention the ocean in their initial NDCs; expressed hope that 2020 NDCs will contain nature-based solutions; urged policymakers to pay greater attention to the ocean-climate nexus in the high seas, which comprise 60% of the ocean; discussed the ways in which marine protected areas (MPAs) can contribute to mitigation and adaptation and create barriers to sea level rise; and urged countries to include ecosystems in national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories. They noted that, unabated, climate change will cause over a 90% loss of the current USD 36 billion revenue from coral reefs, and called for full decarbonization of the shipping industry by 2050 through, for example, combining wind energy and reduced ship speeds.
During the panel on ocean science to action for adaptation and displacement solutions, participants stated that island land tenure systems can exacerbate or ameliorate challenges related to internal relocations. They highlighted opportunities for strengthening adaptation measures through the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), and noted that about 22 million people have been displaced by climate disasters. Participants further underscored the need for an integrated risk management approach to bridge the climate-disaster divide.
The session on galvanizing support for the ocean and climate action discussed pre-2020 climate action and raising ambition to achieve the Paris Agreement goals on the ocean and coastal zones. Speakers stressed the need to “break down the silos” between the ocean, biodiversity and climate, and announced new Global Environment Facility (GEF) project funding aimed at strengthening MPAs to address carbon sequestration, biodiversity and fisheries.
- discussed work towards carbon neutrality in the Nordic region, including through carbon capture and storage (CCS);
- reiterated calls for a UNFCCC workshop on the climate-ocean nexus in 2020;
- reported on preparations for the 2020 UN Ocean Conference, to be held in Lisbon, Portugal, from 2-6 June; and
- noted the need for philanthropic and private capital to address challenges in the ocean-climate nexus.
The event was organized by, among others: the Global Ocean Forum; the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (IOC-UNESCO); the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO); Because the Ocean Initiative; the Ocean and Climate Platform; and the Oceano Azul Foundation (Portugal). The event was held in collaboration with the Governments of Chile, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Sweden, the UK and the EU.
This was the eighth ocean thematic day held since COP 15 in 2015. Ocean Days focus on promoting the ocean agenda at COPs and on developing cooperation and coherence in policies and programmes at multiple levels to implement a comprehensive strategy on the ocean and climate, both within and outside the UNFCCC process.
Source IISD website. |
When behavior of dogs is undesirable, there are three levels of consideration: 1) Behaviors within the normal range for the species, age, and breed. In these cases, the owners need guidance on how to effectively manage the behaviors. 2) Behaviors more difficult or challenging, because they might fall within or just beyond the range of what is considered normal but are particularly intense or difficult to manage. Examples include mouthing, urine marking, mounting, barking, chasing, predation, or overactivity. Also in this category might be what could be normal for the breed but unsuitable for the family and home (ie, mismatch). These cases require behavior assessment and counseling to ensure the owners have a realistic understanding of what might be achieved and to implement treatment strategies, including environmental management and behavior modification, to achieve an acceptable level of improvement for both the owners and the pet. 3) Behaviors that are abnormal or pathologic, as a result of emotional disorders or mental health issues. These may have developed as a result of genetic factors, stressful perinatal environment (prenatal, neonatal), insufficient early socialization, medical conditions affecting brain health and development, or particularly traumatic environmental events. For these pets, the prognosis may be guarded, and owner expectations altered to achieve an acceptable outcome. Treatment generally requires both environmental management and behavioral modification, often in combination with medication (natural products, diet, drugs) to improve underlying pathology and facilitate learning.
The process to diagnose behavior problems and their treatment with behavior modification and drugs has been previously described (see Treatment of Behavioral Problems). If the problem is determined to be a normal but undesirable behavior, the owners will need counseling on how to effectively provide for the pet's needs and how to reinforce what is desirable while preventing what is undesirable. For most canine behavior management problems, counseling from veterinary staff or trainers and quality resources are required, as well as hands-on guidance from a trainer. Trainers should be selected based on their credentials and screened to ensure they use reinforcement-based training techniques. Positive punishment-based techniques should not be used in training, because at best they serve only to suppress undesirable behavior and can lead to fear, avoidance, and even aggression. Management issues include inappropriate play (eg, nipping or mouthing of people); unruly behavior (eg, pulling, lunging, jumping up, mounting, overactivity); and some forms of barking, destructive behaviors, and housesoiling.
If the problem is determined to be an emotional disorder or abnormal behavior, resolution will require a combination of behavior modification techniques, modifications to the environment to prevent further problems, and medications to help reestablish a more normal mental state and facilitate new learning (see Treatment of Behavioral Problems).
Fears and Phobias
Fear is a normal response to an actual or perceived threatening stimulus or situation. Anxiety is a response to fear and agitation, or apprehension when the animal anticipates a threat or fearful situation. Phobia is an exaggerated fear response (see Phobia). The fear response may include panting and salivation, tucked tail, lowered ears, gazing away, low body posture, piloerection, vocalization, or displacement behaviors such as yawning or lip licking. While avoidance and escape is one strategy, some dogs use aggression to remove the fear-evoking stimulus and are reinforced by success (negative reinforcement).
Some of the more common presentations include the following: 1) fear of other dogs, especially those that are unfamiliar, appear threatening to the dog, or with which the dog has had an unpleasant experience; 2) fear of unfamiliar people, especially those who are novel or look, act, or smell different than those the dog is accustomed to (eg, young children); 3) fear of inanimate stimuli such as loud or unfamiliar noises (eg, construction work, trucks, gunshot), visual stimuli (eg, umbrellas, hats, uniforms), environments (eg, backyard, park, boarding kennel), surfaces (eg, grass, tile or wood floors, steps), or a combination of stimuli (eg, vacuum cleaners, car rides); and 4) fear of specific situations such as veterinary clinics or grooming parlors. Some dogs have a more generalized anxiety, in which the fearful reaction is displayed in a wide range of situations to which a “normal” pet would be unlikely to react. Although there can be a genetic component to fear and anxiety, prenatal and neonatal stressors, including maternal separation, lack of socialization (ie, unfamiliarity), or a previous unpleasant outcome during encounters with the stimulus (or similar stimuli), can also be causative factors.
Phobic responses in dogs are generally associated with loud noises (eg, thunder, fireworks, gunshots) and the stimuli associated with these events, including rain, lightning, and perhaps even static or pressure changes associated with a thunderstorm. Some fears (eg, veterinary clinics, going outdoors, entering certain rooms, or walking on certain types of flooring) may become so intense that they meet the definition of a phobia.
It is estimated that ~14% of dogs have separation anxiety, which is an inability of the pet to find comfort when separated from family members. The problem may be primary (eg, hyperattachment, dysfunctional attachment) as the puppy ages and matures; in fact, the chances of the problem developing can be reduced by having puppies regularly spend time during the day on their own (preferably in a safe haven). In other cases, the anxiety about being left alone is secondary to an event such as a change in the household or dog's daily routine, or associated with an underlying state of anxiety along with other behavioral issues such as noise phobias and separation anxiety. Anxiety may lead to destructive behavior (particularly at exits or toward owner possessions), distress vocalization, housesoiling, salivation, pacing, restlessness, inability to settle, anorexia, and repetitive or compulsive behaviors. The behaviors are exhibited when the dog is left alone and generally arise within the first 15–30 min after departure. A video recording can be an invaluable diagnostic aid to visualize the behavior and determine whether there are other concurrent signs of anxiety (autonomic stimulation, increased motor activity, and increased vigilance and scanning). The diagnosis requires that other common causes of the signs be excluded (eg, incomplete housetraining, exploratory play and scavenging, external stimuli leading to arousal and anxiety, noise aversion, or confinement anxiety). Many pets with separation anxiety begin to exhibit signs as the owner prepares to depart (eg, putting on shoes, getting keys, going to the door). When the owner is home, the dog may crave constant contact or proximity to the owner. When the owner returns, the welcoming responses are commonly exaggerated and the dog is hard to calm down.
ABNORMAL REPETITIVE BEHAVIORS
Abnormal repetitive behaviors may actually comprise a number of conditions with different pathogeneses, including compulsive disorders, stereotypies, neurologic disorders, and other forms of behavioral pathology. Therefore, until a diagnosis is made, the term abnormal repetitive behavior may better describe the clinical presentation.
Compulsive disorders may be repetitive, stereotypic, locomotory, grooming, ingestive, or hallucinogenic behaviors that occur out of context to the time and situation in which they take place, and occur in a frequency or duration that is excessive. There may be lack of control over onset or termination. Although it can be debated whether animals can obsess, they do perceive and experience concern; therefore, the term obsessive-compulsive has also been used to describe this disorder. The diagnosis should start with a description and observation of the behavior, including video recordings if necessary. Because there is likely a genetic component for many compulsive disorders, the signalment and age of onset is also important. For example, German Shepherds and Bull Terriers are known to spin or tail chase, while a genetic locus for flank sucking has been identified in Doberman Pinschers. The problem may first arise as a displacement behavior when the dog is frustrated, conflicted, or highly aroused. Lack of predictability in the daily routine, alterations in the environment, unpredictable consequences, lack of sufficient outlets for normal behaviors, and chronic or recurrent anxiety might be initiating factors. At this point, if the owners can teach appropriate acceptable alternative responses (eg, sitting before greeting or play as an alternative to spinning) and provide constructive alternatives (eg, feeding from toys), the problem might be resolved. However, as the frequency or intensity increases, the behavior may become compulsive. The diagnosis is considered to be a compulsive disorder when the behavior interferes with normal function or when it becomes independent of (or emancipated from) the inciting stimulus. There is likely altered serotonin transmission.
Stereotypies are defined as repetitive behaviors that are unvaried in sequence and have no obvious purpose or function. They may arise when the environment lacks sufficient outlets for the dog to engage in normal behaviors, or when caused by maternal deprivation or as a result of a neurologic disorder. It is possible that stereotypic behaviors, at least in their early stages, may provide a coping mechanism for the pet. Stereotypies might be induced by dopaminergic stimulation.
Although most dogs respond to drugs that inhibit serotonin reuptake including the SSRIs and clomipramine, alterations in other neurotransmitters may play a role, eg, dopamine, endorphins, N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA). Because medical problems might be the cause of the signs, these should first be excluded. In cases in which the physical examination, history, and diagnostic testing do not clearly identify the cause, a therapeutic response trial might be indicated (eg, anticonvulsants to exclude focal seizures as a cause of fly snapping or light chasing; clomipramine or fluoxetine to exclude compulsive disorders). (Also see Table 1: Clinical Presentation and Medical Differentials for Compulsive Disorders.)
|PrintOpen table in new window
|Clinical Presentation and Medical Differentials for Compulsive Disorders
Compulsive Disorder Signs
Diagnostic Tests / Therapeutic Trials
Ingestive: pica, licking, sucking, swallowing (glugging)
Polyphagia, polyuria, polydipsia
GI, food intolerance
Urogenital/renal, hepatic, endocrine
Endoscopy, food trial, steroid trial, GI protectants
Blood and urine testing, hormonal assays, Modified water deprivation test
Dermatologic/self-trauma: nail biting, flank sucking, acral lick dermatitis, pyschogenic alopecia, tail mutilation
Atopic dermatitis, bacterial or parasitic hypersensitivity, adverse food reaction, parasite, infection, neuropathy, pain
Dermatologic tests (eg, skin scraping, trichogram, fungal culture, biopsy), therapeutic response trial
Neurologic: spinning, star gazing, pouncing, fly snapping, light or shadow chasing
Focal seizure, neuropathy
Neurologic tests (eg, MRI), therapeutic seizure therapy trial (eg, levetiracetam, potassium bromide, phenobarbital)
Aggression is the most common problem in referral practices across North America, approximating 70% of the caseload. It is also a major human concern, because at least 5 million people are referred to the hospital each year in the USA alone for treatment of dog bites. Most forms of aggression, except for predation, are distance-increasing behavior (ie, the dog is attempting to actively increase the distance between itself and the stimulus). There are many types of aggressive behaviors with different motivations; however, fear, anxiety, conflict (uncertainty), genetics, and learned responses generally play a role in most cases; however, in some cases the behavior may be abnormal or pathologic. The effects of early development (prenatal, postnatal), socialization, and previous experience all play a role in development of aggression.
Aggression refers to threatening behavior or harmful attacks and can range from subtle changes in body posture, facial expressions, and vocalization to biting. Dogs that are easily aroused are at high risk of aggression, because their decision-making is affected by their physiologic state (ie, flight or fight). For treatment to be effective, the pet's anxiety and arousal must first be managed by avoiding situations or staying below the threshold at which aggression might arise. Some or all of a combination of reward-based training, behavior products that can help to better manage the pet, and medications to help achieve a behavioral state most conducive to new learning is required to successfully modify the behavior to achieve desirable outcomes and countercondition the pet to the stimuli that incite aggression.
Before treating aggression, the practitioner must assess the potential risk of injury. All stimuli that might incite aggression should be accurately identified to ensure initial safety. Predictability is a critical issue in prognosis, both to prevent further incidents and to develop a stimulus gradient for treatment. The signalment, environment, history, and target of the aggression also provide invaluable information as to whether the problem might be safely and effectively managed. The type of aggression is an additional factor—some can be managed and improved, whereas others require prevention. Finally, the clinician must assess the ability of the owner to effectively and safely prevent the problem. Aggression that is unpredictable, arises during relatively benign interactions, involves targets that cannot realistically avoid exposure to the aggressive dog (eg, young children, other household pets), or is performed by a large dog or in an uninhibited manner worsens the prognosis. Any medical condition that might cause or contribute to aggression must be identified, because they are important factors in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. (See www.esvce.org for risk assessment guidelines.)
Fear is the underlying cause of most forms of canine aggression. It is triggered by a stimulus that is threatening to the dog. When the aggression is a direct response to a challenge or confrontation, it might be referred to as defensive aggression. Fearful dogs may try to avoid the stimulus but become aggressive if they cannot escape (eg, leashed, confined, cornered, or physically grasped), are motivated to maintain their place (eg, on property, between the owner and stimulus, near food or toy), or if they learn that aggression is successful at removing the threat. Inadequate socialization, learning, genetics (temperament), reinforcement of aggressive behavior (eg, retreat of the stimulus), and associating a negative outcome with the stimulus (eg, punishment) can all lead to the development of fear-related aggression. The diagnosis is based on identifying signs of fear as well as the history beginning with the first event, because dogs can exhibit fear at the initial exposure but with time may display a more offensive form of aggression (without threats) when they learn it can be successful. (For treatment of fear-related and other types of aggression, see Treatment of Fears, Phobias, Anxiety, and Aggression.)
Possessive Aggression (Resource Guarding)
Possessive aggression is most likely to arise when a person or an animal approaches the dog while it is in possession of something it wants to retain. Pets in the process of ingesting or chewing an object might be more likely to display aggression, but the behavior can also be seen in dogs near an object. Aggression is most commonly displayed when in possession of highly motivating food, treats, chew toys, stolen items, or even sleeping places. While genetics and early experience play a role in development, the relative value of the object to the pet and the threat of losing the object to another dog or person determine whether the pet is likely to be possessive. Items that are novel or scarce may be more desirable. Fear and defensive behavior also play a role if the owners threaten, punish, or confront the pet when it takes an object or has it in its mouth. The dog may also learn that it can successfully retain the object with aggression.
The problem might be prevented by tossing the puppy high-value treats whenever the owner approaches or passes by the food bowl, and by offering a high-value treat or toy whenever the puppy voluntarily gives up another toy or chew. Food bowls, toys, and chews should not be removed by confrontation, because this can contribute to an increase in anxiety and aggression when approached. In adult dogs, the problem should be managed by preventing access to these items or confining the dog when it is given items over which it might be possessive and by training the dog to give and drop on cue (beginning with items of low value for high-value rewards). If safety is an issue (ie, the dog may hurt itself by chewing on the item), it may be possible to trade the object for one of higher value. Providing more toys and multiple small meals (eg, in feeding toys) may reduce the value and novelty of the resource.
Aggressive play is a normal puppy behavior, which may persist into adulthood as a result of genetics, neotinization, and learning. When puppies play aggressively with other puppies, they may nip and bite but will generally resolve the conflicts among themselves. However, if the problem becomes excessive, owner intervention may be required to redirect the dog's activities into other forms of play (eg, feeding toys) or to interrupt the behavior with commands or a leash and head halter. If play with people escalates to biting, the interaction can be immediately stopped (negative punishment) and resumed when oral play ceases (positive reinforcement). Alternatively, a leash and head halter or verbal distraction ("off") can be used to interrupt play biting. In all interactions, the puppy should be taught to sit before given anything of value (eg, food, toys, affection). In addition, the puppy should be engaged in regular alternative acceptable forms of play, including fetch, tug games, and manipulation and chew toys. Punishment should not be used to stop play, because it can lead to fear of the owner, defensive aggression, or conflict-induced aggression, or serve as inadvertent reinforcement for some puppies.
Aggression is directed toward a third party when the dog is prevented or unable to exhibit aggression to its primary target. This type of aggression is most commonly described when the dog bites the owner as he or she grasps or restrains the dog when trying to prevent or break up a dog fight. Similarly, dogs that might be aggressive toward a veterinarian might bite the person restraining the dog. Redirected aggression arises as a result of the frustration or interruption of other forms of aggression or arousal.
Irritable/Conflict/Impulse Control Aggression
Aggression directed toward family members is often mislabeled as dominance or status-related aggression. However, aggression toward family members generally arises from fearful or defensive behaviors, resource guarding, redirected behavior, or situations of conflict (competing emotional states and unpredictable consequences). In some dogs, the problem may be traced back to the owner's attempts to inhibit excessive play aggression (see Play Aggression).
When a dog successfully uses aggression to achieve a goal (retaining a resource) or remove a threat, the pet learns that aggression is successful (negative reinforcement). If the owner continues to threaten, confront, challenge, or punish the pet, some dogs may inhibit their responses, but a large proportion become more aggressively defensive. When dogs are resting or sleeping, chewing on a favored object, or no longer desirous of human affection, they may respond with either deferent displays or threats. However, if the owner continues to approach, tries to remove the resource, or attempts to pet the dog despite its signaling, aggression may escalate and future signaling may be lost. The owner-pet relationship can quickly deteriorate as the dog becomes more wary and defensive while the owner becomes more fearful and/or confrontational.
Genetic factors and early experience likely also play a role; many of these dogs are easily aroused, excessively fearful, or may have emotional disorders or behavioral pathology (see below). Other cases are primarily a result of learning. Aggression when grabbing the collar or during bathing, nail trimming, or ear cleaning is a defensive response. Interrupting a pet that is aroused may lead to redirected aggression. Therefore, when a dog is presented for aggression toward family members, it can be difficult to determine the dog's underlying motivation because each incident has added to prior learning, fear conditioning, and underlying conflict. Dominance might refer to the relationship between two individuals of the same species within a social group, as described by actions, interactions, and intraspecific communication/signaling. These relationships are not established by aggression of the dominant individual but rather by the deferent signaling of others. Relationships between species, particularly dogs and people, are established through early socialization, the personality of the individual, and what it learns from its observations and interactions with family members. Physical techniques intended to assert dominance (eg, pinning, rolling over) and verbal discipline (yelling "no") are therefore ill advised and can result in fear, anxiety, and further aggression.
Dogs with impulse control aggression may respond with aggression to relatively benign interactions with family members. In some lines of English Cocker Spaniels and English Springer Spaniels, this aggression is associated with alterations in serotonin in blood samples or CSF.
When aggression is excessive, unpredictable, and disproportionate to the level of threat, safety is a serious concern and the prognosis generally guarded. However, when behavior is abnormal or pathologic, substantial improvement might be achieved with a combination of drugs (eg, SSRIs) and behavior modification.
Aggression Toward Other Dogs
Dogs in the same group or household usually avoid conflict without aggression. Communication is based on dominant and submissive signals, with the deference of one of the two individuals to avoid escalation of the encounter. Dominance is a relative concept—the dog that displays deferent signaling may vary between resources and situations. Aggression between individuals living in the same household is generally an abnormal behavior caused by fear and anxiety, redirected aggression, impulse dyscontrol, or poor intraspecific communication skills as a result of genetics or lack of early socialization and compounded by experience and learning. Redirected aggression and competition over a valued resource may also lead to aggression between dogs in the home.
Owners may play a role by inadvertently supporting or encouraging a dog during an encounter in which it would normally defer. Age or illness may also play a role, if the way in which one dog signals or responds to the other is altered. Male-to-male aggression may have underlying hormonal factors that can be improved by neutering; however, learning may play a role in maintaining aggression.
If any situations arise in which the dogs are unable to resolve conflicts without aggression or injury, behavioral guidance should be sought. Aggression toward unfamiliar dogs and those that are not members of the family group are likely fearful, possessive, protective, or territorial.
Aggression may be displayed when the dog is approached in its territory. Territory can be stationary (eg, yard, home) or mobile (eg, car). What defines the behavior as territorial is that the dog does not display fear to similar stimuli when outside its territory. Fear, anxiety, defensive, and possessive behaviors may all be components, because the pet is most likely to display the behavior toward unfamiliar stimuli, and the motivation to escape or avoid (flight) is decreased or absent when the pet is on its own property. Learning (negative reinforcement when the stimulus retreats) and fear conditioning (unpleasant outcomes such as yelling, discipline, and confinement) can also play a role.
This is one of the most dangerous types of aggression, because there is usually no warning. The attack is intended to kill prey, and the bite is uninhibited. The sequence of events may include stalking, chasing, biting, and killing. Young children and babies may be at risk because their size and behaviors mimic those of prey. Although extensive socialization to a species might reduce predation toward that species, the behavior may be enhanced when predatory individuals are together in a group. Predation is a normal and dangerous canine behavior; thus, any dog that exhibits the behavior must be prevented from opportunities to repeat it.
Pain-induced and Medical Causes of Aggression
Any disease that causes pain or increases irritability (eg, dental disease, arthritis, trauma, allergies) can lead to aggression. The dog may become aggressive when it is handled or anticipates handling. Organ dysfunction (eg, renal, hepatic), CNS disease, and endocrinopathies (such as hyperadrenocorticism, functional testicular and ovarian tumors, and thyroid dysfunction) might also contribute to irritability and aggression. (Also see Table 2: Medical Causes of Behavioral Signs.) While hypothyroidism is more likely associated with lethargy, dermatologic signs, and heat seeking in the early stages, it has been suggested that dogs might display an increase in aggression, particularly toward family members. Treatment should likely be reserved for cases in which diagnostic tests are also consistent with hypothyroidism, because excessive supplementation could lead to a hyperthyroid state (with associated medical and behavioral consequences). Treating the medical problem may resolve the aggression, but the behavior, once learned, may persist.
Maternal aggression may be seen in intact females with a litter of puppies or in females with pseudocyesis. It can be directed toward people or other animals. Signs of aggression arise when the bitch's puppies or toys that mimic puppies are protected, and the aggression should resolve when the hormonal state returns to normal and/or the puppies are weaned. The term maternal aggression has also been used to describe the aggression or cannibalism directed toward the puppies by the bitch. Although the problem may have a genetic component, it is reported to occur more frequently after a first litter. Ovariohysterectomy can prevent further incidents.
Treatment of Fears, Phobias, Anxiety, and Aggression
Before implementing specific therapy to manage, improve, or resolve a behavior problem, some common elements that apply to most cases should be considered. The initial discussion should focus on 1) an understanding of normal behavior as it relates to the problem, 2) learning to read pet body language and facial expressions, 3) ensuring that all of the pet's needs are adequately being met, 4) reviewing the principles of learning and reinforcement-based training (predictable consequences), and 5) managing both the environment and the pet to prevent further incidents. The cause, diagnosis, and motivation behind the behavior should be reviewed. Finally, the owner should be given a prognosis with realistic expectations for both short- and longterm outcomes.
In most cases, treatment focuses on changing the pet's emotional response with the stimulus (counterconditioning) and/or replacing the undesirable response with one that is desirable using reinforcement-based techniques (response substitution). However, dogs that are highly aroused respond with autonomic fight-or-flight responses and tend to make reflexive responses. Therefore, arousal must be reduced before treatment can proceed. This can be achieved by training the dog to settle on cue, by minimizing the intensity of the stimulus during exposure (desensitization), or by using management devices such as head halters that can change the dog's focus and help it to settle, and with drugs or natural products that reduce anxiety and behavioral pathology. Early intervention with medication may be necessary to achieve success and can be in the best interest of the fearful, anxious, or phobic pet.
There are common elements to the treatment of fear, anxiety, phobias, and most types of aggression. The first step in the treatment program is to identify each situation stimulus or interaction in which the problem might arise, so that a preventive program can first be implemented. Prevention ensures safety (eg, in aggression cases), prevents further damage to the household or injury to the pet, avoids further anxiety-evoking situations for the pet, and ensures no further aggravation of the problem through fear conditioning (ie, unpleasant outcomes) and learning (ie, negative reinforcement if the stimulus retreats).
Prevention can be most effectively achieved by identifying and avoiding any situation in which the dog might be exposed to the stimulus. A leash and head harness, leash and body harness, or verbal commands (when effective) can also prevent access to the stimulus. If avoidance cannot be ensured and aggression is a possibility, then a basket muzzle might be the best alternative.
A common starting point to begin to reduce anxiety, improve communication and training, teach self-control, and allow the pet to control its consequences/outcomes is to establish a program of structured interactions in which the dog is not given anything it values (or wants) until it sits (or lies down). If the owners' response is consistent and predictable by ensuring the pet sits (or lies down) every time a treat (food or toy) is given, the leash is attached, the pet goes in and out of the door or car, or the pet wants affection, the dog will soon learn that the sit or down action is required to get the reward, at which point gradually longer and more relaxed responses can be taught. This is sometimes termed structured interactions, predictable consequences, learn to earn, or “saying please.”
Because the ultimate goal is to successfully expose the pet to controlled levels of the stimuli while achieving calm and positive outcomes, it is necessary to determine what behaviors need to be trained to achieve desirable outcomes during exposure training. For example, if problems arise indoors, the dog may first need to learn a focused sit, a relaxed down, and a mat command (or other location such as room or crate). A drop or give command and a come or recall may also need to be trained. When problems arise outdoors, sit and focus or down and settle may also be useful, but loose leash walking, backing up, or turning and walking away may be the best options for stimulus exposure. These behaviors should be learned reliably and consistently in a variety of environments with a minimum of distractions before the owners proceed to a graduated stimulus exposure (see Counterconditioning and Desensitization and see Response Substitution).
By identifying a range (gradient) of the pet's most favored rewards, the most desirable can be used for training and shaping new behaviors that approximate the final goal; less-motivating rewards can then be used to ensure immediacy and timing of previously learned commands. In addition, a way to minimize and control the intensity of the stimulus will also need to be designed (eg, volume, distance, location). Exposure exercises can then be implemented by setting up situations in which high-value rewards are used to reinforce the desired behavior and condition a positive response during exposure to low-intensity stimuli and gradually proceeding through more intense stimuli. Setbacks can be avoided by determining the level of stimulus intensity at which a calm and positive outcome can be achieved and reinforced, and with the use of management devices such as a head halter (sit, reorient head, turn and walk away) or front control body harness (turn away from the situation) to ensure safety and success. Drugs and natural therapeutics might be used concurrently in dogs with excessively intense or abnormal behaviors to enable the successful implementation of behavior modification.
For noise phobias, controlled exposure can best be achieved through recordings that can be gradually increased after each successful session of desensitization and counterconditioning. Concurrent behavioral management to reduce stimuli (with sound proofing, ear covers, eye covers, crate covers, or white noise) and develop a safe haven to help the pet settle might also help the pet to cope. For separation anxiety, once a regular routine of play, exercise, and training is established, any additional reinforcement should focus on shaping gradually longer inattention sessions when the pet rests or occupies itself with favored chew and food- or treat-filled toys, ideally in a comfortable safe haven (bed, crate, or room) where the owners can house the pet while gradually increasing their time away. Any attention- or affection-soliciting behavior should be ignored, unless the pet is sitting or lying down calmly (sit for all interactions) or resting on its bed or mat. Visual and auditory cues that signal departure should be avoided if possible; alternatively, they can be decoupled from departure by exposing the pet while remaining home, and associating with play and treats (counterconditioning). In addition to preventive and environmental management strategies and behavior modification, drugs or natural therapeutics can be used to reduce underlying fear, anxiety, arousal, reactivity or impulse dyscontrol to help facilitate learning; to improve underlying behavioral pathology; and in many cases to improve the behavioral well-being of the pet.
For impulsivity, generalized anxiety disorders, excessive stimulus anxiety, and phobias, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are commonly used. Because fluoxetine has been evaluated in and licensed for dogs, it is generally the first choice of the SSRIs, although fluvoxamine, sertraline, paroxetine, and citalopram might be alternatives when fluoxetine is insufficiently effective or adverse effects such as anorexia are an issue. SSRIs are also used to treat compulsive disorders. Among the TCAs, clomipramine is licensed for use in dogs and is an alternative to fluoxetine for the treatment of anxiety disorders and phobias. Because clomipramine is the most selective of the TCAs to inhibit serotonin reuptake, it could be used for compulsive disorders, as an alternative to SSRIs. Other TCAs might be selected for their more potent antihistaminic effects (eg, doxepin, amitriptyline), whereas imipramine has been used as an aid in improving sphincter control with behavioral incontinence. Although the full effect might not be achieved for 3–4 wk, some effect might be noted in the first week. For some compulsive disorders, especially those in which there is a self-traumatic component, gabapentin or carbamazepine might be used concurrently, whereas in those cases in which focal seizures might be causing the behavioral signs, levetiracetam, phenobarbital, or potassium bromide might be used in a therapeutic response trial.
When an anxiety-evoking event can be predicted (eg, thunderstorms, fireworks, owner departure, visit to the veterinarian, car ride, exposure to dogs or strangers on a walk, visitors coming to the home), a benzodiazepine can be given with the antidepressant ~1 hr before the event. Because benzodiazepines have variable effects and relatively short half-lives, their efficacy, dose, and duration should be determined in advance of their therapeutic use. Clonidine, trazodone, or propranolol are other options that might be used adjunctively with SSRIs ~1 hr before an expected fear-evoking event (eg, thunder, fireworks, owner departure). In some refractory anxiety cases, trazodone, clonidine, a benzodiazepine such as clonazepam, or perhaps gabapentin might be used concurrently with an SSRI.
Buspirone, a nonsedating anxiolytic, is another option for ongoing use. Caution should be exercised when using anxiolytics, because some may disinhibit fearful dogs, which could lead to increased confidence and aggression.
Selegiline, which is licensed in North America for treatment of cognitive dysfunction syndrome in dogs, is also licensed for treatment of emotional disorders or chronic anxiety in Europe.
Natural products might be used alone or adjunctively with drugs or other natural products to help calm or reduce anxiety, although evidence of efficacy is more limited. A number of studies support the use of pheromone therapy. Adaptil™ simulates the intermammary-appeasing pheromones produced by the lactating bitch and is available as a spray, diffuser, or collar. Pheromones have been used for anxiety associated with car rides, veterinary visits, separation anxiety, storm and fireworks aversions, and to reduce the stress of adoption and aid socialization. A calming or anxiety-modulating effect has been reported for alpha-casozepine (Zylkene®, a milk protein hydrolysate), Harmonease® (containing Magnolia officinalis and Phellodendron amurense), l-theanine (Anxitane®) and Sin-Susto™ (a Souroubea plant blend), and aromatherapy (with lavender). In addition, studies with l-tryptophan in combination with a low-protein diet have demonstrated a possible reduction in some forms of aggression. A commercial diet also has been developed that combines l-tryptophan and alpha-casozepine (Royal Canin Calm®) that might aid in reducing stress and anxiety.
Although hyperactivity or attention deficit disorder has been poorly documented in dogs, there have been published cases studies of dogs with excessive motor activity and an altered ability to acquire new tasks (learn), sometimes accompanied by stereotypic behaviors. It may be particularly difficult to train such dogs to behaviorally settle. There may also be signs of sympathetic activity even at rest (eg, increased heart and respiratory rate, vasodilation). Affected dogs may respond to treatment with methylphenidate. If no improvement with an initial dose of 0.25–0.5 mg/kg bid, the dosage can be gradually increased every few days to a maximum of ~2 mg/kg until a measurable therapeutic response is seen (reduced motor activity, heart rate, respiratory rate, repetitive activities), provided no adverse effects develop. Differential diagnoses include impulse control disorders that might respond to SSRI therapy, and normal behaviors in dogs with behavioral needs that are not being adequately met. In fact, it can be quite challenging to meet these needs in some breeds and individuals, depending on the home and family.
Many of the destructive behaviors, including chewing, stealing, garbage raiding, and digging, are normal exploratory behaviors that arise when the pet is unsupervised and not otherwise engaged in more desirable activities. A regular daily routine with sufficient reward training, exercise, and social enrichment can help to ensure that these behaviors do not arise when the owners are home, although varying degrees of supervision may be required. When the owners cannot supervise the dog, it should be provided with adequate outlets for exploratory play in the form of chews, food-stuffed toys, or manipulation toys, or in the case of outdoor dogs, perhaps even a designated area for digging. These dogs may also need to be confined away from the areas in which problems might arise or housed in crates, pens, or runs to prevent access to potential targets of destruction. Some dogs engage in destructive behaviors because of anxiety (eg, separation anxiety, confinement, noise phobias). Together with the history, videotaping or camera monitoring is generally the best way to diagnose behavior problems that occur when the owner is absent, as well as assess response to treatment.
Behavioral problems related to ingestion include those in which food intake is excessive (polyphagia), inadequate (hyporexia), or too fast (gorging); water intake is excessive (polydipsia); and nonfood items (pica) or feces (coprophagia) are eaten. Medical causes should be excluded first. Some dogs that scavenge do so as a normal component of food acquisition and are reinforced by success. Coprophagia may occasionally have a medical cause, but normal maternal behavior includes consumption of feces and urine of young puppies. In addition, as part of exploratory behavior, many dogs are attracted to and may ingest feces, compost, and prey (dead or live). Similarly, while some dogs with pica and polyphagia have compulsive disorders, many dogs, especially puppies, begin to chew and ingest nonfood items as part of investigative and exploratory behavior.
Dogs with hyporexia may have an anxiety disorder, and some may develop specific taste preferences and aversions that reduce what they will eat.
Many feeding problems can be improved through a work-for-food program in which dogs are given food as reinforcers for training, with the balance placed inside toys that require chewing or manipulation to release the food. This encourages exploration, makes feeding an enjoyable, time-consuming, and mentally challenging activity, and can limit the quantity consumed and prevent gorging. As with most behavior problems, correcting feeding problems needs to be accompanied by management strategies to prevent access to potential targets at any time the dog cannot be supervised or actively engaged in other chew and play behaviors.
Elimination Behavior Problems
Dogs may soil in inappropriate locations because of inadequate or insufficient training, as a marking behavior, or as a result of fear or anxiety. However, pain, sensory decline, cerebrocortical disease including cognitive dysfunction, and any medical condition that leads to increased volume, more frequent elimination, pain on elimination, or lack of control, must first be excluded as potential causes or contributing factors.
A detailed behavioral history is necessary to determine whether the dog has ever been housetrained. If not, a housetraining regimen should be reviewed in which the focus is solely on reinforcement of elimination in desirable locations rather than punishment of elimination in inappropriate locations. This requires the owner to accompany the dog to its elimination area (eg, outdoors), reinforce elimination, supervise the pet indoors to prevent or interrupt any attempts at elimination (perhaps with the aid of a leash to ensure continuous supervision), and return the pet to its elimination site at appropriate intervals or if there are signs that the pet is ready to eliminate (eg, sniffing, heading to the door, sneaking away). When the owner is not able to supervise, a combination of scheduling (ensuring that the pet eliminates before departure and having someone return to take the dog to its elimination area before it must eliminate) and confinement training/prevention are required.
Pets can either be confined away from areas where they might eliminate or kept in an area where they will not eliminate, such as a pen, room, or crate, where the dog eats, plays, or sleeps. Alternatively, the dog can be provided with an indoor elimination area (eg, paper, indoor puppy potty) within its confinement area where it can relieve itself when the owner is gone. Puppies obtained from pet stores or any location where they have been extensively caged may be more difficult to housetrain, because they have never had to inhibit elimination and may have learned to play with or eat feces.
Although marking is most often seen in intact males as a form of social and olfactory communication, it is also seen in females (especially when in heat) and in neutered males and females, often as an overmarking of other odors (eg, where other pets have urinated, or on items such as blankets with the residual odor of other dogs, people, or cats). Some dogs will mark when they visit unfamiliar households, especially when another dog's odor is present. There is often a typical posture of a raised or partially raised leg when the surface to be marked is vertical. Fecal marking is uncommon.
While marking is likely a component of normal communication, it is unacceptable when it occurs indoors. Neutering intact males will reduce the behavior, and good supervision can prevent or inhibit most marking. As with housesoiling, dogs should be confined away from areas that might be marked when owners are not able to supervise. Marking that is related to anxiety may be reduced by identifying and treating the cause, perhaps with the aid of drugs or natural products that reduce anxiety.
Excitement, Submission, and Conflict-Related Elimination
Dogs may eliminate when they are overly excited, such as when greeting people. Some dogs will urinate when showing submissive postures (eg, crouching to the ground or turning over to expose the belly) or when highly aroused. Because loss of urine control may be associated with a concurrent desire to both greet and show deferential behavior, many cases may be due to conflicting behavioral motivations. Treatment should focus on avoiding the stimuli (reaching, approach, eye contact) that incite the behavior and avoiding any punishment during greeting, which would add to fear and conflict behaviors. Acceptable alternative behaviors that are incompatible with excitable greeting or deferent postures can be taught, such as a relaxed sit, or any game or “trick” the pet may have learned such as fetch or giving a paw. Phenylpropanolamine might increase sphincter control, whereas imipramine may improve control and reduce anxiety.
Other Elimination Disorders
Dogs with separation anxiety or other fears and phobias (eg, thunderstorm phobia, firework phobia) may soil during these times..
Aging and Cognitive Dysfunction
The aging process is associated with progressive and irreversible changes in body systems that can affect behavior (see Medical Causes of Behavioral Signs and see Medical Causes of Behavioral Signs). In older pets, these might include hepatic or renal failure, endocrine disorders (eg, Cushing disease), pain, sensory decline, or any disease affecting the CNS (eg, tumors) or circulation (eg, anemia, hypertension). To diagnose the cause of behavioral signs in a geriatric dog, a detailed history, physical examination, neurologic evaluation, and diagnostic tests are required to exclude potential medical causes of the presenting signs. Many owners do not report these signs, perhaps because the owners think they are insignificant or assume little can be done. Yet in one study, 30% of dogs 11–12 yr old and nearly 70% of dogs 15–16 yr old had signs consistent with cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS). A more recent Internet survey estimated CDS in 14.2% of dogs >10 yr old, with prevalence increasing with age, but >85% of these had not been diagnosed. It is therefore essential that owners be informed of the importance of reporting signs when they arise and for veterinarians to take a proactive approach in asking owners about behavior at each visit. Early detection provides the best opportunity to improve signs and slow the decline of cognitive function.
Aging dogs may exhibit a decline in cognitive function (memory, learning, perception, awareness) that manifests as one or more of a group of clinical signs. These are sometimes referred to by the acronym DISHA and include disorientation, interactions, sleep-wake cycles, housesoiling, and activity changes (which may be decreased or increased and repetitive). In addition, anxiety, agitation, and altered responses to stimuli are frequently reported. The first and most prominent sign of brain aging is a decline in learning or memory, which is generally impractical for pet owners to assess. However, neuropsychologic testing of older dogs has documented memory decline beginning at 6–8 yr of age and learning deficits by 9 yr of age. CDS in dogs is analogous to the early stages of Alzheimer disease in people, both in clinical signs and brain pathology. As with people, some pets show minimal to no clinical impairment with age, whereas others develop varying degrees of deficits.
Treatment should first focus on environmental enrichment (both physical and mental stimulation), which has been shown to slow cognitive decline and improve the signs of CDS. Selegiline is a monoamine oxidase B inhibitor that may improve the signs of CDS by enhancing dopamine and other catecholamines in the cortex and hippocampus and by decreasing free radical load. Propentofylline, which is licensed in Europe and Australia for the treatment of dullness, lethargy, and depressed demeanor in old dogs, may increase blood flow and inhibit platelet aggregation and thrombus formation.
A number of natural products, including diets and supplements, have also been shown to have beneficial effects in improving the signs and potentially slowing cognitive decline. Two such diets are Canine b/d®, which is supplemented with fatty acids, antioxidants, and dl-alpha-lipoic acid and l-carnitine to enhance mitochondrial function, and a specialized Purina One® diet that uses botanic oils containing medium-chain triglycerides to provide ketone bodies as an alternative source of energy for aging neurons.
Other natural supplements that have demonstrated efficacy in improving cognitive function include Senilife®, which contains a combination of phosphatidylserine, Ginkgo biloba, resveratrol, and vitamins E and B6; Activait®, which contains phosphatidylserine in combination with α-lipoic acid, carnitine, fatty acids, glutathione, and other antioxidants; S-adenosyl-l-methionine (Novifit®); and apoaequorin (Neutricks®), a calcium-buffering protein found in jellyfish.
Last full review/revision May 2014 by Gary M. Landsberg, BSc, DVM, MRCVS, DACVB, DECAWBM; Sagi Denenberg, DVM, DACVB, Dip. ECAWBM (Behaviour), MACVSc (Behaviour) |
A Books post by Heather W. Reichgott
Men have increased the apparent inferiority of women till women are almost sunk below the standard of rational creatures. Let their faculties have room to unfold, and their virtues to gain strength, and then determine where the whole sex must stand in the intellectual scale.
— Mary Wollstonecraft, Vindication of the Rights of Woman, p. 119
Wollstonecraft’s brilliant manifesto Vindication of the Rights of Woman was published a scant three years after the beginning of the French Revolution, five years after the new United States of America adopted its Constitution. Philosophically and theologically, Wollstonecraft stands squarely on the principles of the Enlightenment era. Lest anyone think that 1792 was somehow too early for anyone to have a feminist consciousness, Mary Wollstonecraft demonstrates that the inalienable rights with which we are endowed by our Creator could quite easily be understood as extending to women as well as to men.
The book begins with a few general principles which will come as no surprise to anyone remotely familiar with the prevailing ideas of the time: Reason is the salient human trait separating us from animals; Virtue is a sign of merit in human beings; people should strive for reason, virtue, and knowledge. Everyone should be free to pursue these goals. That freedom implies the necessity of democracy and equality before the law. Whenever artificial divisions of rank are introduced, the higher-up become tyrannical and the lower-down become resentful (and have no motive to refrain from vice when the authority figure is not around). Hierarchy inhibits the moral development of the whole human race.
Then Wollstonecraft applies these basic human-rights principles to the situation of women. She argues that there are no differences between men’s and women’s personalities and abilities. The only differences that seem to exist have been introduced by men in order to keep women in an inferior position, and women have (thus far) accepted them, because of the temporary and token benefits they receive.
“To account for, and excuse the tyranny of man, many ingenious arguments have been brought forward to prove, that the two sexes, in the acquirement of virtue, ought to aim at attaining a very different character; or, to speak explicitly, women are not allowed to have sufficient strength of mind to acquire what really deserves the name of virtue.” (100)
An artificial division exists between “virtue” in general and a separate set of female “virtues” which, far from being a separate path to virtue in general, lead to the development of an indolent, superficial and vain character.
“Gentleness, docility, and a spaniel-like affection are, on this ground, consistently recommended as the cardinal virtues of the sex; … She was created to be the toy of man, his rattle, and it must jingle in his ears whenever, dismissing reason, he chooses to be amused.” (118)
And this, really, is the target of Wollstonecraft’s greatest opprobrium: the construction of womanhood in which women are taught only to be beautiful, coquettish, amusing to men, with the one goal of landing the best man possible in marriage. The irony is that these skills can only even be used during a comparatively brief period in a woman’s life. Presumably she will not spend her entire life span husband-hunting. Why then make it the goal of her existence? More on this in a moment.
Wollstonecraft is arguing against a few other opponents: the contingent of writers in favor of the English aristocracy, particularly Burke; Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who was greatly respected at the time but viewed women as beautiful appendages to men; and a few writers of very silly essays on the education of young women, including a very silly Scots Presbyterian minister named James Fordyce. Reading Vindication in isolation from its context, one wonders how people could ever possibly have espoused Enlightenment ideas about liberty and equality without also espousing the liberty and equality of women. To Wollstonecraft, at least, it’s obvious.
Mary Wollstonecraft was born to a family of poor English farmers and worked her whole life, first on the farm, then as a teacher, school director, governess for a rich family, and finally was able to support herself by writing. She was part of Thomas Paine and William Godwin’s circle in London before becoming an expatriate living and working in France. Although the life of upper-class women gets the most criticism in her book (perhaps influenced heavily by the reportedly beautiful and lazy mother Wollstonecraft worked for as a governess) there is a great deal of insight into the lives of women from all class backgrounds. For women of every class are considered inferior, and barred by tyrannical hierarchies from the development of their natural abilities.
Wollstonecraft had two long-term relationships with men. The first (with Gilbert Imlay) produced a daughter, Fanny Imlay, who committed suicide as a young adult. The second (with William Godwin) produced another daughter. She died in childbirth at age 38, giving birth to this daughter, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin (who later eloped with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and wrote Frankenstein.)
Wollstonecraft herself was extremely reluctant to marry; she eventually did marry William Godwin after some years. Regardless, she has a very high view of marriage. Indeed, her treatment of (heterosexual) marriage is one of the most interesting aspects of the book. Rather than critique the institution, she critiques the way in which the current construction of womanhood actually inhibits women’s ability to be good wives.
Beauty and flirtation matter most in the early stages of marriage, maybe only during courtship in Wollstonecraft’s estimation, and they affect only a superficial level of human relationship. Once married, a woman who is still obsessed with her own beauty and her husband’s superficial admiration will not develop the character to be a hard worker, a loving caretaker of children, or an intellectual companion and friend to her husband. Indeed, a woman brought up according to prevailing standards of womanhood will not even understand most of what her husband thinks, does or cares about. Husband and wife will become bored and frustrated by one another. Meanwhile, the wife yearns for a way to exercise the only skills she knows, attracting men–and so her careful societal education has taught her to seek out affairs. Thus, the current construction of womanhood fails even at its own stated goal: to produce good wives.
Although brilliant, articulate, and well-connected, Wollstonecraft did not manage to begin or inspire any kind of women’s movement in her own time. She was rediscovered, to some extent, by women’s movements in Europe and North America in the mid-nineteenth century. However, even those groups did not fully grasp the import of her argument. American suffragettes were more likely to claim that women needed the vote because their “feminine gentleness” would make society less harsh and violent, not because women are citizens and deserve the same rights as any other citizens.
Why did Wollstonecraft’s argument fail to find traction, especially at a time when universal rights of liberty and equality made perfect sense to all those successful revolutionaries? Sadly, the only reason seems to be her unusual love life. Wollstonecraft was known in her own time, but mostly, she was known in the way that we know celebrities who appear on the front pages of supermarket tabloids. Ordinary people could give the names of her lovers and children, but no one seemed to care about the content of her book.
Today, Vindication of the Rights of Woman is partly a historical window into the conditions of eighteenth-century women, and partly an argument that continues to be relevant. Women can now vote and enjoy full civil rights, although the ERA, an employment nondiscrimination amendment proposed by the suffragettes, has still not been passed. (It will be re-introduced into Congress for this year’s go-round on Tuesday.) Girls and boys now receive the same education; the supposed discrepancy between girls’ and boys’ math and science abilities completely disappeared in the very first year that girls and boys were given equal math and science education.
However, the myth of woman as beautiful useless coquette lingers on. Media images are full of women who are beautiful, attract attention, and are good for absolutely nothing. Even women who achieve tremendous success in career and/or family life still must fight against self-doubt and humiliation if they don’t look like sex objects. Clothing marketed to six-year-old girls and fifty-year-old matrons mimics that of twenty-year-olds on the hunt for male partners. As Wollstonecraft argued over two hundred years ago, we must let women’s abilities unfold unhindered, and treat ourselves and one another as people, if we as a society are truly to benefit by the contributions of all citizens. |
It’s Christmas morning, so by now you’ve probably heard someone in your family telling you that the yule log, Christmas tree, festive lights, and half a dozen other holiday traditions aren’t actually Christian in origin but were absorbed by the religion from a bunch of different cultures.
That’s fine; most traditions we celebrate today have evolved one way or another over the centuries. But I learned a new one this week that really surprised me. It’s about Santa, and it’s amazing: Santa is not a jolly old elf with a white beard and red suit. He’s actually a 35-kilometer wide asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter!
And I have proof:
That’s an image from NASA’s WISE spacecraft, which observes in the infrared. You can see stars and galaxies as blue (actually, light at about 3 microns, roughly five times the wavelength the human eye can see), and on the left a series of red dots. That’s Santa! Actually, 1288 Santa (1933 QM), the asteroid’s official name. The picture was posted yesterday by my friend Amy Mainzer, who is the principal investigator of NEOWISE—that’s the name of the mission now that it’s been rededicated to hunt for near-Earth objects.
Santa is no threat to us, though; it orbits the Sun at a distance of about 435 million kilometers (270 million miles), far, far from Earth. The picture is actually a composite of several exposures, and Santa moves a bit between each as it orbits the Sun, which is why it looks like a series of dots. But why does it look red?
Actually, in visible light Santa is darker than a lump of coal! Many asteroids only reflect about 3-5 percent of the sunlight that hits them, about the same amount as coal. But that means it absorbs a lot of sunlight, warming it—if a temperature of about -90 C (-130 F), way colder than even the North Pole, can be considered “warm”—and at that temperature it glows in the infrared, at a wavelength of about 20 microns where WISE can see it. Traditionally, that color is designated red in WISE pictures, which is why Santa looks the way it does in the image.
Unless, of course, that’s actually a red suit. Or, as Amy noted to me, it’s Rudolph’s nose!
Either way, and whatever your beliefs or lack thereof, I hope you have a good holiday. May you have clear skies and boundless wonder for the Universe.
Tip o’ the white puffball-tipped red tuque to Amy, who spent time on the day before Christmas chatting with me about this. Oh, and note: She found a total of 11 asteroids in the picture. One more and I could’ve titled this post “The Twelve Asteroids of Christmas”. But honestly, I hoped she’d only find two more besides Santa. Then it would’ve been “Three WISE Asteroids”. |
Newsrooms around the country use code to expand their reporting, create alternative storytelling formats and engage audiences in new ways. Opportunities to enhance newsgathering and publishing with programming skills are significant and growing. So too are the calls to teach journalism students coding alongside writing, editing and reporting.
Many journalism schools recognize the value of technology training in their courses, but they face roadblocks when adding programming to their instruction. One fundamental challenge concerns what tools to focus on and when to teach them.
Journalists looking to improve their technical skill sets face similar issues. There’s no shortage of ways to learn code, but it may not be clear where to begin or how technologies fit together to make code-infused journalism possible.
To help address these issues, here’s a look at the most popular programming languages (and related tools) used by some of the newsrooms at the forefront of journalism and coding.… Read more |
Now I shall speak out/deliver the Śikṣā (Phonetics) as per the views of Pāṇini. One should learn it technically as per the shastric lore in pursuance of popular & Vedic injunctions (1). Even if the word & meaning are wellknown yet they are not within the reach of the common man or people intellectually deficient and hence, I shall dwell upon/narrate/explain the rules of pronounciation of words (2). The alphabets in Sanskrit & Prakrit are sixty-three or sixty-four, according to their origin, has been stated by Brahman Himself (3). Vowels are twenty-one, stops twenty-five, the group beginning with ‘ya’ (semi vowels, sibilants & h) eight, Yamas four, anusvāra & visargas are dependent & the pluta of ‘ḷ’ category is untouchable(4-5). Ātmā (Soul) along with Buddhi (Intellect) reaches out to objects & then inspires mind with an intention of speaking; the mind then impetus to the fire within the body, and the latter then drives the air (6).The air/breath circulating within the chest/lungs creates the soft(Mandra) tone & creates sound. The same being connected with the morning offering (Prātaḥ savana) rests in Gāyatrī (Chhanda) (7). The air circulating in the throat produces the middle tone (Madhyamā) & realtes to mid day offering (Mādhyandinasavana) and follows the Triṣṭubh (metre); and the shrill (Tāra) tone produced by the air circulating in the roof of the mouth relates to the third (evening) offering & follows the Jagatī (metre) (8).That air sent upward & checked by the roof of the mouth attains to mouth & thereby produces speech sound (varṇas) which has been classified into five catogories(9).The classification is made according to their pitch, quantity, place of articulation, the primary effort & secondary effort. This is stated by the experts those are wel-verced in speech sounds. So, you must learn it with great effort (10).There are three kinds of accent: Udātta (Accute Accent), Anudātta (Non-Udātta) & Svarita (circumflex Accent).Among vowels the short, long & Pluta are distinguished by the time of their articulation (11).
Out of seven musical notes, the Niṣāda & Gāndhāra can be risen in the high pitch (Udātta) & Ṛṣabha & Dhaivata in low pitch (Anudātta); whereas, Ṣaḍja, Madhyama & Pañcama have their source in the medium speech (Svarita) (12).The speech sound has eight places (of articulation): chest, throat, roof of the mouth (head), root of the tongue, teeth, nose, lips & palate (13).The Uṣmas (Spirants) have eight ways of their development: change to ‘O’, hiatus, tālavya-mūrdhaṇya or d ‘sa’kara or ‘r’ sound, jihvāmūlīya and upadhmānīya(14). A word ending in ‘o’ (out of uṣmans) is followed by another word beginning with ‘u’, the former one should be considered as ending in a vowel coming from an uṣman(15). When combined with nasal stops & semi-vowels, hakāra should be known as arising from chest, whereas ‘h’ not so combined is considered to be from throat (16). A & h are guttural/throat sounds, i, cu (i.e c, ch, j, jh & ñ) & ś are palatals; u & pu (i.e p, ph, b, bh & m) are labials; ṛ, ṭu (i.e t, th, d, dh & n) & s cerebrals; , ḷ , tu ( i.e t, th, d, dh, n) & s all these are dentals (17). Ku is uttered from the root of the tongue, v is a denti-labial sound; e & ai are throat-palatal & o & au are throat-labial sounds (18).The throat related e & o is of half a mātrā & ‘ai’ as well as ‘au’ is of one mātrā. These two letters (ai & au) are open-close sounds means thereby their first half (a) is open & the second half (i) is close (19). A Saṁvṛta (close) sound is of one mātrā long whereas, a Vivṛta sound is of two mātrās long. Ghoṣa-s (Voiced Sounds) are all Saṁvṛtas while Aghoṣas (breathed sounds) are vivṛta (20). Vowels & sibilants are open in enunciation, e & o are more open and ai and au are still more open (21). Nose is the place of articulation for anusvāras & Yamas. Upadhmānīya, Uṣmans, Jihvāmūlīyas & Nāsikyas are Ayogavāhas and they share the place of articulation on which they depend (22).
The anusvāra after the vowels is not pronounced at the root of the teeth, should be made sonorous like the sound that of an alābuvīṇā (a violin made of bottle gourd), but when it is positioned before h, ś, ṣ, s this pronunciation is a must (compulsory one) (23). In the anusvāra, hiatus, virāma & in case of double consonant both the lips should be separated as it is in case of au & v (24). As a tigress carries her cubs in between the two rows of teeth in such a care that they are neither hurt nor dropped; similarly, one must be careful enough during pronunciation to take care of these speech sounds being not elided or mispronounced (25). As the women from Saurashtra pronounce the word ‘Takrān’, so also raṅgavarṇas are to be pronounced like that of the pronounciation of the word Kherāñ (26). While prouncing raṅga sounds one should not swallow the proceeding sound. The preceeding sound must be uttered long (as it should be) and then only the nasal one should be uttered (27). One mātrā should be in the heart & half a mātrā in the roof of the mouth & the rest half should be in the nostril. Thus, these are the two mātrās of raṅga sound (28). A raṅga sound is arisen from the heart and has a sound like bell-metal with tenderness. The (best) example of it is ‘Jaghanvāṁ’ (29). The kampa sound should be made in the middle and in both of its sides must be equally adjusted & the kampa should be accompanied by a ranga sound. The example of it is Rathīva (30). The speech sounds must be pronounced in such a way proper manner that can help us elevating in the world of heaven (31).
Those who recite the Vedas in singing style, too quickly, with a nodding of head, by using a written text, without knowing the meaning of the passages/lines and with low voice are considerd as bad reciters (32). Sweetness in recitation, clearness, splitting of words properly, right accent, patient & follow up of time are the six merits of a good reciter (33). Shyness, fear, too loud, indistinctness, undue nasalisation, repressed toning, undue cerebralization, missing the attention of the place of articulation, improper accent, harshness, making undue separation of words, uneven tone, hastiness, want of due palatalization are the fourteen defects in the Vedic chantings(34). One should not recite a Vedic passage in under-tone, between one’s teeth quickly, with gap, slowly, with hoarse voice, in singing manner, with repression, with omittation of words/syllables and also syllables in a plaintive voice (35). In the morning one should recite the Vaidikamantras with the voice coming from one’s chest and that sound must resemble with the growl of a tiger; during midday his sound must come from his throat and it must resemble the sound of a Chakravaka bird; in the third savana he must recite with the highest speech from the roof of his mouth and that resemble the sound of a peacock, swan or cuckoo (36-37).The vowels are without touch and the semi-vowels are slightly touched whereas ś, ṣ & s are stops (half-touched sounds)(38). Ñam (ñ, m, ṅ, ṇ, n sounds) are the produced through nose & h except when it is combined with r.
Jhaś (jh, bh, gh, ḍh, dh) are voiced, semi-vowels (y, r, l, v) & jas (j, b, g, ḍ, d) are slightly voiced; the group of letters beginning with Kh & ending with Ph are breathed; Char sounds are slightly breathed. This is called the basis of svaras. This science has been propagated by the son of Dākṣī (Pāṇini) (39-40). Metrics (Chhandas) are like the two legs of the Vedas and the Kalpa is like two its two hands; the Astronomy (Vaidikajyotiṣa) is like its eyes whereas Nirukta is considerd as its ears. Śikṣā is like nose & Vyākaraṇa (Grammar) is its mouth. This is the reason by learning Veda along with all its auxiliaries (limbs) the person attains the Brahmaloka (41-42). The top of the thumb in touch with the root of the index finger indicates udātta and in contact with middle of the ring finger indicates svarita and in contact with little finger it indicates anudātta (43). In Vedic context, the index finger is known as udātta, the middle finger as prāchya, the little finger as nihata and the ring finger as svarita (44). In a pada, there are nine kinds of accents: antodātta, udātta, anudātta, nīca-svarita, madhyodātta, svarita, dyudātta, tryudātta. The examples respectively for the said tones are: Agniḥ, Somaḥ, pra, vo, vīryam, haviṣā, svah, Bṛhaspatih, Indra-Bṛhaspatih (45-47). Anudātta is to be understood in the chest/heart, Udatta at the root of the ear & Prachaya in the whole mouth (48). The sparrow’s charping is of one mātrā and crow’s crow is of two mātrās. It is of mongoos sound which is of half a mātrā (49). That which has come from a bad Acharya, which is unclear, mispronounced or indistinct and being so it does not create any merit but like that of the biting of a poisones snake (as it is uncurable) one cannot get rid of the sin committed through this (50).
When it is from a good teacher, with clear accent then the Veda is properly established. With good/proper accent & voice the Veda shines (51). A mantra that is corrupt/ faulty by accent & sound does not create that sense for it is meant/used for. It rather becomes a negative force/a thunderbolt of speech to kill the beneficiary party like that of Asuras in pronounciation of Indrashahatru for a faulty accent (52). When the mantra is deficient in syllable it tends to diminish the merit and if it lacks the proper accent then it makes the reciter ill & if the syllables treated wrongly then it, like a thunderbolt, strikes the head of the reciter (53). If anyone recites Veda without a show of hands and also does not follow the proper accent then he is burnt by the Rik, Yajus & Saman & gets rebirth in an inferior progeny (54). The one who reads the Veda with the proper show/gesture of hands, follows the proper accent, place of articulation with the proper understanding of meaning, he, being purified by Ṛk, Yajus & Sāman enjoys the realm of Brahman (55).This science of Devine knowledge was handed over by the Lord Shiva to the the wise son of Dakshi. This is the state of affair or the factual position (56). Salute to (respectable) Panini who propagated the entire Vyākaraṇa being a gift in the form of an albhabetic receiving from lord Shiva (57). Great homage is paid to that respectable Pāṇini who washed off (actually purified) the human speech with the sacred/pure water of words & enlightened the world of knowledge by removing the darkness of ignorance (58). Great homage to the Pāṇini who opened the eyes of the blind with the help of the pencil of collyrium (59). Those twice-born who read carefully this work which has come out of lord Shiva, get wealth, cattle, progeny, fame; and at the end enjoy a great time in heaven(60).This is the end of Shiksha-a part of Vedanga. |
— Following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent announcement that China aims to have CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060, the country’s environmental authority has taken quick action to explore the path to materialize it.
— The Ministry of Ecology and Environment will set carbon intensity target for the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) in accordance with the targets announced by Xi, and draw up specific plans to tackle climate change for the next five years.
— The ministry will continue to control fossil fuel consumption, vigorously develop non-fossil energy, deepen energy and price reforms, form a strong synergy in the efforts to address climate change, effectively enhance climate governance capacity to achieve a “green recovery.”
Following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent announcement of a carbon neutrality goal, China’s environmental authority has taken quick action to explore the path to materialize it, shedding light on the country’s further commitment to green development and global combat against climate change.
China aims to have CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060, Xi announced at the general debate of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Xi’s statement has put forward higher requirements for China’s efforts to tackle climate change and seek green and low-carbon development as well as ecological advancement in the longer term, according to Sun Jinlong, Party chief of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), and Huang Runqiu, minister of ecology and environment.
The goals should be taken as new opportunities to promote the transformation and upgrading of the economic, energy and industrial structures, promote the innovation of new technologies and new forms of business, and build an economic system featuring green, low-carbon and circular development, the two officials said in a co-authored article published on the Guangming Daily.
They said the ministry will set carbon intensity target for the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) in accordance with the targets announced by Xi, and draw up specific plans to tackle climate change for the next five years.
By the end of 2019, the country’s carbon intensity had decreased by 48.1 percent compared with the level in 2005, with its share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption reaching 15.3 percent, meeting the targets set for 2020.
To achieve the goal of having CO2 emissions peak before 2030, the ministry will make corresponding action plans for the next decade to push local governments, relevant departments and key industries to take action and work together toward the goal.
The MEE will continue to control fossil fuel consumption, vigorously develop non-fossil energy, deepen energy and price reforms, form a strong synergy in the efforts to address climate change, effectively enhance climate governance capacity to achieve a “green recovery,” the article said.
China has piloted carbon emissions trading in seven provinces and cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, since 2011 to explore market-based mechanisms to control greenhouse gas emissions.
By the end of August, about 406 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emission quotas had been traded in the pilot carbon trading markets and the total transaction volume reached 9.28 billion yuan (about 1.38 billion U.S. dollars), data from the MEE showed.
Based on existing experience, the ministry will accelerate the construction of national carbon markets, continue low-carbon pilot programs, and launch pilot projects for climate investment and financing.
He Jiankun, deputy director of China’s national expert committee on climate change, said by 2050, China has to build a sustainable energy system with new energy and renewable energy as the mainstay, and non-fossil fuels should account for at least 70 percent in the energy system.
China is now the world’s biggest investor in renewable energy, accounting for about 30 percent of the total global investment in the area each year since 2015.
China’s renewable energy generating capacity in the first half of this year increased remarkably, with the generating capacity of the photovoltaic power hiking by 20 percent and that of wind power rising by 10.9 percent over the same period last year, data from the National Energy Administration showed.
GLOBAL CLIMATE GOVERNANCE
If China were to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060, it would lower global warming projections by around 0.2 to 0.3 degrees Celsius, said a new study by Climate Action Tracker, a Berlin-based non-profit climate science and policy institute.
Looking to the future, China is expected to be more involved in global climate governance. The MEE, for instance, will make efforts to expand China’s exchanges and cooperation with other countries to address climate change, and advance South-South cooperation on climate change.
In 2019, China introduced nine training programs covering climate financing, low carbon technologies, and other major climate change topics. The sessions were attended by 230 government officials, experts, scholars, and technicians from 66 developing countries.
The MEE said China will continue carrying out training programs while developing new projects based on the needs of different countries.
Nobel laureate Daniel Kammen said that China’s goals of having CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060 are huge steps forward, and he believes China has the capability to achieve the goal ahead of the set time frame. |
As we usher in a new year — and decade — it’s a good time to reflect on what each of us can do to reduce our impact on the environment and advocate for, and build, a cleaner, greener world. We are not helpless and it is not — yet — hopeless.
There is plenty that we can each do. Here are 10 things that you can do to reduce your carbon footprint and ensure that the future is a place in which fewer humans, and living beings, suffer and/or die as a result of the impact of the burning of fossil fuels ==>
Drive less and bike, walk and take public transportation more.
Make your next car an electric car. Electric cars can be fueled with 100% renewable energy generated electricity! Hundreds of cities, states, and dozens of countries have committed to generating 100% of their electricity with 100% renewable energy by 2030, 2040, or 2050.
Go solar and add solar panels to your home’s rooftop — if you can! If you cannot go solar — you live in an apartment, in a home that is not well-suited to solar, etc. choose renewable energy generated electricity from your utility. In the United States, about 50% of Americans can choose to have their electricity sourced at least indirectly via renewable energy via programs such as one that I am enrolled in Xcel Energy’s Windsource Program.
Eat less meat, especially less red meat. You do NOT need to eliminate meat — that is a myth that is often used to undermine the call to eat less meat by meat industry PR folks, just eat less (red) meat.
Turn down your heat — especially at night when you can easily throw another blanket on your bed to stay warm while sleeping! Most people also sleep better in cooler rooms with more blankets than in hot rooms with fewer blankets.
Be stingy with your home air conditioning. Set your AC temperature higher. Push the setting up from 72 to 74 or 75 degrees Fahrenheit, for example. You’ll save money, too!
Be energy efficient. Insulate your home properly, buy energy efficient appliances, an energy efficient furnace, etc.
Support AND vote for local, state and national politicians who advocate for a 100% renewable energy future and who actively practice what they preach!
Participate in local, state and national demonstrations for immediate action on the climate emergency!
Spread the world on the Climate Emergency AND on what you are doing — and what others can do — to address and, ideally, reverse the Climate Emergency.
Happy New Year!
May 2020 be a good year, and the 2020s a good decade, for you, your family, your friends as well as for the planet and for global humanity and all living beings on earth 🙂 ! |
This document contains information on the conceptual framework of risk management, and relevant approaches in the international context. It describes Chile’s principal geographic, demographic, and socio-economic features, and presents the current legal and regulatory framework for civil protection, as well as a number of complementary frameworks. The document was based on an update of the Chile 2010 disaster risk analysis, aiming to provide a view of the current panorama of risk conditions in Chile that takes into account threat factors, vulnerability, and capacities present in the country; developing values related to reducing disaster risk through capacity building.
The section on risk conditions addresses the different components of risk, including a brief historical analysis of the disasters that have affected the country. Additionally, the section on capacities explores the resources that the country can call upon to face these threats. As a result of the incomplete nature of existing information, the chapter on vulnerabilities provides a theoretical description of the principal vulnerability factors that affect disaster risk in Chile. The document’s annexes include detailed recommendations for stakeholders in the National Civil Protection System, and for international cooperation groups, with a view to enabling rapid contributions to strengthening risk management in Chile.
This document is aimed towards all stakeholders involved in the National Civil Protection System, as well as a wide spectrum of civil society organizations such as universities, private sector groups, and others with an interest in an integrated vision of Chile’s current risk situation.
Tag This Document |
|Undergraduate Research Toolkit: Getting Started with Your Research|
Steps in the Research ProcessA research paper is a process of trial and error. You must think of a topic, refine it, and then search with a plan. Your research strategy and thesis may change many times before you settle on a final method. The research process consists of a number of steps, including:
Choosing a TopicOne of the most difficult parts of a research paper or project is getting started with a topic and knowing where to look for information that can help you narrow your topic.
The first step in conducting research is choosing a topic. Your instructor may assign a topic, or you may be able to select your own.
It can be overwhelming to choose your own topic. If you have to pick your own, choose one that interests you — after all, you'll have to spend the time researching and writing about it, so it might as well be something you like!
More tips on choosing a topic:
You've picked a topic, but sometimes you need to narrow or expand your focus. If a topic is too broad, you will get too much information. If it is too narrow, you won't find enough. We're working on finding exactly what you need.
Some questions you might want to ask to broaden or narrow your search are:
Constructing a SearchOnce you have found and narrowed or broadened your topic, you will have to develop a research strategy. I know you are used to putting terms in Google and having it figure out what you mean, but you need to be a little more specific when using library databases. This way of searching will also help you when you ARE searching Google. A few minutes spent at the beginning of your research on this step will end up saving you a lot of time and wasted energy.
If you want to work along with a guide, print out the Sterne Library's Research Worksheet.
First you need to Brainstorm Some Keyword Terms.
No matter what you're searching, you'll need to pick out the most important keywords and phrases to use as search terms. These are generally nouns. For example:
How widespread is Internet gambling among minors?Other related words for gambling and minors might be:
When brainstorming for keywords, think of related words, synonyms, variations of keywords (e.g., plurals), alternate spellings, and abbreviations.
After you brainstorm for keywords, you can use them in searches for books and other items in the Local Catalog, for journal articles in databases, and for Web sites in Internet search engines.
Combining keywords from a topic helps you narrow or broaden a search. The connector words AND, OR, and NOT are important to use when you combine keywords. These words are also referred to as Boolean operators.
These connector words are especially useful when searching for books and articles.
When you want search results containing two or more ideas, you should connect the words in your search with AND. Using AND between keywords means that both terms must appear somewhere in the record. AND is used to narrow a search.
Using OR means that an article will be retrieved if it contains either keyword. OR is best used to search for synonyms of a concept. Because any one of these words could show up in your articles, OR broadens your search. You can use NOT to exclude keywords from search results. Using NOT between keywords means that an article will be retrieved if it contains the first word but not the second.
You can use NOT to exclude keywords from search results. Using NOT between keywords means that an article will be retrieved if it contains the first word but not the second.
For more information on using Boolean operators, refer to that section of WIT.
You can also use truncation to expand on words so that rather than having to type (gamble OR gambling OR gamblers), you can type gambl*. The * stands for any letters that follow the initial letters.
Be careful not to truncate the term so that you will get too many results. If you use cat* when searching for articles about cats, you will also retrieve articles about catalogs, catastrophes, and catatonia.
Some databases use one symbol when searching for multiple characters following the root and a different symbol when searching for a single character. Consult the database or contact a Reference Librarian for help.
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Choosing Where and What to SearchWhere you look to find resources will depend largely on the requirements of your assignment and how up-to-date you need your information to be. Use the table below for some general guidelines on resource types. (Note: You may need to use one or all three major resource types for your paper).
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Finding ArticlesDatabases are your primary search tool for finding articles on a topic. To choose an appropriate database, ask yourself which disciplines are relevant to your topic. A paper about global warming, for example, may be relevant to a number of disciplines including environmental science, political science, and business. Once you decide which discipline(s) to focus on, look at the databases by subject.
You can conduct a literature review, which is a compilation of previous research conducted on a topic area. Be sure to check the "peer reviewed" or "scholarly" box if you only want scholarly journals. For more information on the difference between peer reviewed, popular magazines or newspapers, or trade journals, refer to the Sterne Library's research guide on the topic.
If you get too many results, you can add search terms or limit your results to certain date ranges, populations, languages, or document types.
Access an article via SFX using the button. When the full text is available, the "Full Text" link on the pop-up window launched by this icon will lead to the article. If the article is not available in a database, check the library catalog holdings using the "Holdings in Mervyn H. Sterne Library catalog" link. If the article is still not available, contact a reference librarian for help.
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Finding BooksYou will also want to gather the various books that are written about your subject. To locate books, you will look in the library's local catalog. You can use the same search terms for finding books as you used for articles. Sterne library uses the Library of Congress (LC) cataloging system. This is different from the Dewey Decimal system used by many public and school libraries.
The Library of Congress system consists of a series of letters and numbers. Although they are horizontal in our catalog, they are vertical on the shelves.
For example, the book Reading Faulkner. The Sound and the Fury: Glossary and Commentary has the call number PS 3511 .A86 S856 1996. On the shelf, the call number will look like this:
For more information on locating books, including e-books, consult Sterne Library's section of WIT.
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Citing MaterialsOnce you have gathered your resources, you want to make sure you have properly cited the information in your paper to give the authors of the work you are referencing proper credit. You also want others who read your paper to be able to look at the resources you used.
Each discipline uses its own citation style. You should make sure that you are using the appropriate format for your paper.
Sterne Library has a guide, Citing your Sources, that will help you with many citation styles. If you have any questions, you can always contact a Reference Librarian. Sterne Library also offers citation consultations.
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Locating More InformationThe best sources for information are the librarians. They are there to help you and will certainly be able to assist you with your research efforts. Do not hesitate to call on them for help. You'll be glad you did! Sterne Library has also created guides and tutorials to help you with your research. In addition, Sterne Library has a list of FAQ. Try the links below for more information:
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Welcome to 4D's guide to server room air conditioning. Even if you've never looked into cooling options before, by the end of this guide, you'll be able to join in on technical conversations and make informed decisions on which air conditioning options are best for your company.
Overheating can cause irreparable damage to your IT equipment and your reputation if your network experiences significant downtime. Understanding air conditioning options is a crucial part of avoiding these issues.
We're going to teach you all about air conditioning and put it in context so you can see for yourself what's best for your IT set-up.
Why should you listen to us?
Before we start: a quick explanation of Comms Rooms, Server Rooms, and Data Centres
Most companies will have a comms room or a server room to look after their in-house servers. A data centre effectively does the same thing but on a much larger scale. While some companies have their own data centres, (often referred to as ‘enterprise data centres’), smaller businesses may decide to outsource this function to multi-tenant data centres, otherwise known as ‘colocation data centres’.
What is CRAC?
CRAC stands for Computer Room Air Conditioning, and refers to the cooling systems deployed in comms rooms and data centres - they are used to cool servers, which generate a lot of heat. CRAC is a catch-all term to refer to any cooling system used to cool servers, and they can vary greatly in design and the technologies they use.
What types of CRAC are there?
Every server room and data centre will have a unique design and layout, as a result, every cooling system is also different.
One feature which varies is the substance with which air conditioning systems carry heat away, (such as water, air, or chemical refrigerant) which is often referred to as ‘the medium’. The basics of an air conditioning system is that a medium goes through two heat exchanges, one to remove heat from the servers, and then another to remove heat from the medium. However, in almost all systems air is the medium which comes into actual contact with the servers, as liquids can be damaging, so often a system will have a final step where the water or refrigerant cools the air around it, and that air cools the servers.
The exception to this is immersion cooling. This is still a relatively new technology which involves putting computer equipment in direct contact with a non-conductive cooling liquid. This is incredibly efficient, but due to current set-up and running costs, it is not widely used.
As well as the cooling mediums, the structure of a cooling system can vary greatly. The potential layouts of server racks have infinite possibilities, but generally they can fit into two categories:
- Whole room cooling – the entire server room is cooled, typically used in smaller set-ups.
- Contained cooling – a specific and contained area around the servers is cooled, and the rest of the room is left unaffected by the cooling system.
The most basic air conditioning system for a server room would use small air conditioning units, which typically use chemical refrigerants, to generate cool air in a whole room cooling system.
This kind of system can be increased in scale, and more complicated heat exchanges and contained cooling areas introduced to increase efficiency.
Why are air conditioning systems so critical?
Overheating has the potential to damage every piece of equipment within a computer, and this damage will often be irreparable. As well as interrupting your IT processes, overheated IT equipment will need to be replaced, which could be at considerable cost. When lots of servers are kept in close proximity, the heat they produce becomes more of an issue, meaning you need to have highly-efficient server room air conditioning to handle the increased heat.
What are the pros and cons of using a CRAC in a server room versus using one in a colocation data centre?
Keeping an in-house server room cool has its advantages. You have complete control over the specifications of the machines used to keep your server room cool, and you can keep a close eye on their performance and maintenance.
However, outsourcing to a colocation data centre also brings with it a lot of advantages.
The first advantage is reliability. Data centres are built with redundancies, and the best will have 24-hour on-site technical staff to ensure there are no issues with the cooling system, and to make quick repairs if any are found. To implement a similar level of diligence in your own server room would be very expensive.
Arguably, the most important advantage a data centre offers is that running a cooling system on a large scale allows for fantastic efficiency, which then brings a range of other benefits.
Since data centres are built to store hundreds of server racks, they have the space to introduce a contained cooling system, often in the form of cold aisles. Cold aisles will be put in alternatingly between server racks, meaning each row of racks is next to one cold aisle and one warm aisle. The cold aisles are sealed areas, meaning the cool air only goes over the servers, and energy isn’t wasted cooling the rest of the room. This is a similar idea to how it’s best to keep your fridge door closed.
Additionally, the larger scale allows for the installation of more advanced cooling systems, one example being cooling towers. While small air conditioning units that can be installed in an office use, exclusively, electricity to cause heat exchange in refrigerants, cooling towers can take advantage of natural cooling processes, like evaporation, which requires no additional energy input.
All of this efficiency reduces the energy costs of data centres, and this saving is passed on to you as it reduces the monthly costs of using a colocation data centre. On top of this you would also save money through the consistent cost of a data centre. Colocation costs don’t vary month to month, but running your servers in-house would mean increased energy costs during the warmer months while your CRAC has to work harder to keep your servers cool.
How much does CRAC cost?
As mentioned earlier, CRAC in a colocation data centre is already built out. That means costs like testing, maintenance and its energy consumption, are already factored into the monthly rental cost of the rack itself.
If you’re looking to keep your own server room cool a basic CRAC unit for a small server room will cost around £3,000-£4,000 to purchase. Additionally, you will have to cover the costs of installation if the unit requires new airflow inputs and outputs, as well as the significantly increased energy bill each month. A unit of this quality would then only be able to cool one to two lightly-loaded server racks and might struggle to do so in the peak of summer.
Which CRAC option is best for me?
In summary, if your IT systems require server racks to be set up, they will need to be kept cool. Doing this in-house has some advantages but incurs serious costs. If you'd like more information about how 4D can more effectively cool your servers and help keep your company online 24/7, then you can find out more here, or get in touch and ask one of our experts for advice. |
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