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, 2004 ; Garland, 2005; Webster et al., 2006 ; Volger et al., 2010 ). Despite obvious differences in the kinematics of rowing a racing shell on water (sweep or scull) http://www.selleckchem.com/products/z-vad-fmk.html and rowing a stationary ergometer, many physiological requirements of the rowing action ( Hagerman, 1984 ; Martindale and Robertson, 1984 ; Secher, 1993 ; Urhausen et al., 1993 ; Volger et al., 2010 ) and the basic sequences of movement patterns in a general rowing stroke are similar between the two modes ( Secher, 1993 ; Nolte, 2005 ; Webster et al., 2006 ). Stationary rowing exercise has become popular for recreation, rehabilitation, cross training, competition and as adjunct to rowing on the water. Also, it is often prescribed by rowing coaches for on-land fitness training, to aid in seat selection of rowing crews and to determine rowing race performance and fitness off-water ( Klusiewicz et al. , 1999 ; Gillies and Bell, 2000). In addition, there is an annual world indoor 2000 m rowing championship that includes categories for individuals with various disabilities ( C.R.A.S.H.-B Sprints, 2012 ). As a result of this popularity and competition, increasing interest in exploring differences in technique that can lead to an improvement in stationary rowing performance may be observed. One particular aspect of the rowing stroke that has been understudied is the effect of different lean back positions at the finish of the stroke. A direct consequence of a greater lean back position at the finish would be a longer stroke and potentially, a greater power output compared to a more upright body position. This would translate to a greater performance (increase distance rowed per stroke and improved time) during stationary rowing exercise. However, this modification would be more energy demanding as well due to the increase in muscular work to complete the more extended body position at the finish. Few studies have investigated the biomechanical aspects of stationary rowing ( Torres-Moreno et al., 1999 ; Webster et al., 2006 ) and there is no research that has systematically compared the ��power output benefit to energy cost�� of different lean back positions at the finish of the stroke during stationary rowing exercise despite the potential advantages. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the physiological and kinematic responses to stationary rowing exercise of different intensities using two lean back positions at the finish. It was hypothesized that a greater lean back position at the finish would increase the range of motion about the hip, allowing for a longer rowing stroke that would be more energy demanding (e.g. higher oxygen uptake) but generate a greater Anacetrapib power output when compared to rowing at a more upright position while rowing at the same stroke rate. The extent to which the potential benefit in power output production outweighed the energy cost was also explored under standard testing conditions.
NASA announced the latest mission in its New Frontiers program, called Dragonfly a giant flying drone, which will explore Saturn’s largest moon, Titan in 2026. It’s the only moon in our solar system that has an atmosphere.If all goes according to plan, Dragonfly will land on the hazy, frigid satellite in 2034 and then spend several years flying around. The rotorcraft will visit dozens of promising locations on Titan to investigate the chemistry that could lead to life. It will be designed to fly more than 100 miles over the massive moon’s frigid terrain. Dragonfly is part of the NASA New Frontiers program, which also includes Jupiter probe Juno, the OSIRIS-Rex asteroid mission, and more. Dragonfly won’t be the first drone to go in space. A tiny helicopter scout will accompany NASA’s Mars 2020 rover mission, which is scheduled to launch toward the Red Planet next summer and land in February 2021. “It’s the first drone lander and it can fly over 100 miles through Titan’s thick atmosphere,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine in a statement. “Titan is most comparable to early Earth. Dragonfly’s instruments will help evaluate organic chemistry and the chemical signatures of past or present life. We will launch Dragonfly to explore the frontiers of human knowledge for the benefit of all humanity.” BIG NEWS: The next @NASASolarSystem mission is… #Dragonfly – a rotorcraft lander mission to Saturn’s largest moon Titan. This ocean world is the only moon in our solar system with a dense atmosphere & we’re so excited to see what Dragonfly discovers: https://t.co/whePqbuGBq pic.twitter.com/BQdMhSZfgP — Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) June 27, 2019 “The New Frontiers program has transformed our understanding of the solar system, uncovering the inner structure and composition of Jupiter’s turbulent atmosphere, discovering the icy secrets of Pluto’s landscape, revealing mysterious objects in the Kuiper belt, and exploring a near-Earth asteroid for the building blocks of life,” said Lori Glaze, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division. “Now we can add Titan to the list of enigmatic worlds NASA will explore.” Dragonfly has eight rotors and fly like a large drone. It will take advantage of Titan’s dense atmosphere – which is 4x denser than Earth’s. It will become the first vehicle ever to fly.During its 2.7-year mission, Dragonfly will explore diverse environments.Titan is chemically similar to Earth before life evolved.Unlike Earth, Titan has clouds and rain of methane. They will explore sand dunes on Titan to determine if they’re made of the same complex organic material discovered in the atmosphere. They will also investigate the moon’s atmospheric and surface properties and its subsurface ocean and liquid reservoirs. Additionally, instruments will search for chemical evidence of past or extant life. Titan is larger than the planet Mercury and is the second largest moon in our solar system. As it orbits Saturn, it is about 886 million miles (1.4 billion kilometers) away from the Sun, about 10 times farther than Earth. Because it is so far from the Sun, its surface temperature is around -290 degrees Fahrenheit (-179 degrees Celsius). Its surface pressure is also 50 percent higher than Earth’s. “With the Dragonfly mission, NASA will once again do what no one else can do,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “Visiting this mysterious ocean world could revolutionize what we know about life in the universe. This cutting-edge mission would have been unthinkable even just a few years ago, but we’re now ready for Dragonfly’s amazing flight.” “Titan is unlike any other place in the solar system, and Dragonfly is like no other mission,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA’s associate administrator for Science at the agency’s Headquarters in Washington. “It’s remarkable to think of this rotorcraft flying miles and miles across the organic sand dunes of Saturn’s largest moon, exploring the processes that shape this extraordinary environment. Dragonfly will visit a world filled with a wide variety of organic compounds, which are the building blocks of life and could teach us about the origin of life itself.”
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) defines the poverty line as half the median household income of the total population2. In Australia this translates to a single adult living on less than $426.30 a week. For a couple with 2 children, it was $895.22 a week1. What is the official definition of poverty? Poverty is a state or condition in which a person or community lacks the financial resources and essentials for a minimum standard of living. Poverty means that the income level from employment is so low that basic human needs can’t be met. What is the poverty line in Australia 2020? The 2020 Poverty in Australia Overview was launched today by ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie at Vincentian House in Sydney. It shows more than 3.24 million people (13.6%), including 774,000 children under 15 (17.7%), are living below the poverty line. In Australia, the poverty line is $457 per week for a single adult. What are the 3 types of poverty? On the basis of social, economical and political aspects, there are different ways to identify the type of Poverty: - Absolute poverty. - Relative Poverty. - Situational Poverty. - Generational Poverty. - Rural Poverty. - Urban Poverty. 11 апр. 2018 г. Who defines poverty? Poverty is measured in the United States by comparing a person’s or family’s income to a set poverty threshold or minimum amount of income needed to cover basic needs. People whose income falls under their threshold are considered poor. The U.S. Census Bureau is the government agency in charge of measuring poverty. What is considered low income in Australia? The base amount is $255 per annum. This offset is available for the 2018–19, 2019–20 and 2020–21 income years. If your taxable income is between $37,001 and $126,000, you will get some or all of the low and middle income tax offset. This is in addition to the low income tax offset. What is the majority race in Australia? Australia: Ethnic groups as of 2011 \|Share in total population\| Who is most affected by poverty in Australia? Among different family types, sole parent families have the highest poverty rates, at 35%. Children in sole parent families, with a poverty rate of 44%, are more than three time as likely to live in poverty as children in couple families, who have a poverty rate of 13%. What are two major types of poverty? Two Main Classifications of Poverty – Absolute vs Relative Poverty. Both of these two types of poverty are focused on income and consumption. However, sometimes poverty is not only to do with economics, but it is also connected with society and politics. How do we fix poverty? 9 Ways to Reduce Poverty - Increase employment. … - Raise America’s pay. … - Sustain not cut the social safety net. … - Paid family and sick leave. … - End mass incarceration. … - Invest in high quality childcare and early ed. … - Tackle segregation and concentrated poverty. … - Immigration reform. Will poverty ever end? In just the last 30 years, extreme poverty has declined by 75 percent — a stupendous achievement that is almost entirely unappreciated. The UN gave itself a cushion in its 2015 Sustainable Development Goals and set a target of “ending extreme poverty for all people everywhere” by 2030. What are the features of poverty? Meanwhile, the characteristics of poverty are: (1) most of them are living in rural areas; (2) their family size are bigger than the average; (3) their main source of income is agricultural sector; (4) lack of resources; (5) low quality of human resource; (6) low income; (7) most of income is used for basic needs; (8) … How is poverty measured in the world? Most countries in the world measure their poverty using an absolute threshold, or in other words, a fixed standard of what households should be able to count on in order to meet their basic needs. … Setting poverty lines in relative terms is especially prevalent in European countries.
The Law Library of Congress features a section about Slavery and Indentured Servants (https://memory.loc.gov/ammem/awhhtml/awlaw3/slavery.html). By studying that category carefully, one is able to understand that slaves were not always of African descent as modern America has been led to believe. Laws listed there lend credence to recent research by Don Jordan and Michael Walsh in a book called WHITE CARGO. The book has proffered outlandish evidence, but who can say it is false? Have the majority of Americans missed the facts because they were deliberately suppressed in our history books? The New York Times Sunday Book Review had only favorable comments about the new release—stating in particular that the book uses vast irrefutable documentation (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/books/review/Lau-t.html). WHITE CARGO is meticulously sourced and footnoted — which is wise, given its contentious material — but it is never dry or academic. Quotations from 17th- and 18th-century letters, diaries and newspapers lend authenticity as well as color. Excerpts from wills, stating how white servants should be passed down along with livestock and furniture, say more than any textbook explanation could. The authors are not only historians, but also natural storytellers with a fine sense of drama and character. Reminiscent of a period of time in Bible history when slavery was practiced among God’s chosen people, the New World was ripe for such abuses. Throughout history men from every nation have abused the poor, the widow, and the orphaned. In her youth, America was no exception. Distinguish a bondservant (Greek: doulos [NT: 1401]), who was a slave, from a hired servant (Greek: diakonos [NT: 1249]), who was not a slave. THE BOND SERVANT OR SLAVE What were the Laws of Moses concerning bondservants or slaves (Exo. 21:1-11; Exo. 21:20-21; Exo. 21:26-27; Exo. 21:32; Lev. 19:20-22; Lev. 25:6; Lev. 25:10; Lev. 25:35-55; Deut. 15:12, 14, 18; Deut. 24:7)? Fugitive slaves were not to be returned to their masters (Deut. 23:15-16). David was erroneously accused of being a fugitive slave in 1 Samuel 25:10. In both Old Testament and New, there are instances of fugitive slaves. Hagar was commanded by an angel to return to Sarah (Sarai), her owner (Gen. 16:9). Later in 1 Kings 2:39-41, Shemei is tempted to leave the sanctuary city to search for runaway slaves. Paul interceded for Onesimus, a runaway slave, who was converted to Christianity (Philemon 15-21). Captive bondservants were shared by priests and Levites (Num. 31:28-47). The Law of Moses said servants must enjoy religious privileges with the master’s household (Deut. 12:12, 18; Deut. 16:11, 14; Deut. 29:10-11). It was required that servants have rest on the Sabbath (Exo. 20:10; Exo. 23:12; Deut. 5:14). As a national punishment for the disobedience of Israel, bond service was threatened (Deut. 28:68; Joel 3:7-8). The degrading influence of bondage was exemplified by cowardice (Exo. 14:11-12; Exo. 16:3; Judges 5:16-18; Judges 5:23). Because some men are evil, cruelty to slaves was a problem. The original Israelites (light skinned people–descendants of Shem) were slaves under the Egyptian Pharaoh (Exo. 1:8-22; Exo. 2:1-4; Acts 7:19; Acts 7:34). One example of cruelty to slaves appears in 1 Samuel 30:13 where a sick slave was abandoned to die. INSTANCES OF SLAVERY Joseph was sold as a slave by his own brothers (Gen. 37:26-28; Gen. 37:36), and the Israelites were slaves in Egypt for 400 years (Exo. 1:10-22; Exo. 5:7-14; Deut. 6:12, Deut. 6:21). The Gibeonites deceived Joshua and Caleb and agreed to be servants to keep from being conquered and killed by Israel (Joshua 9:22-27). The Canaanites, “And all the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which were not of the children of Israel, 21 Their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy, upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bondservice unto this day” (1 Kings 9:20-21). The Jews in Babylon were servants to the King of Babylon (2 Chro. 36:20; and the book of Esther, chapters 1-10). However, they eventually were emancipated (2 Chro. 36:23; Ezra 1:1-4). FIGURATIVE INSTANCES OF GOOD SLAVES appear in both Old Testament and New (Lev. 25:42, 55; Psalms 116:16; Matt. 24:45-51; Luke 12:35-48; Luke 17:7-9; John 8:32-35; Rom. 6:16-22; 1 Cor. 4:1; 1 Cor. 7:21-23; Gal. 5:13; 1 Pet. 2:16; 2 Pet. 2:19; Rev. 7:3). Elisha was a faithful servant to Elijah (2 Kings 2:1-11), and the servants of Abraham were faithful to him (Gen. 24:1ff). Boaz servants were faithful (Ruth 2:4) as well as those of Jonathan (1 Sam. 14:7). Even though Nabal was an evil man, he and his wife Abigail had faithful servants (1 Sam. 25:14-17). King David also had faithful servants (2 Sam. 12:18; 2 Sam. 15:15; 2 Sam. 15:21). Ziba had been a faithful servant of King Saul and was likewise faithful to David (2 Sam., chapter 9). The Roman centurion who requested that Jesus heal his servant, made a statement about his own faithful servants, showing his great faith in Jesus’ power to heal (Matt. 8:9-10). Cornelius called two of his faithful household servants to send them to Joppa to fetch Peter (Acts 10:7). In times past, Onesimus had been unfaithful to Philemon, but after his conversion, he was profitable both to Paul and to Philemon (Phile. 11-12). Some servants were wicked and unfaithful to their masters. Jeroboam was unfaithful to King Solomon in 1 Kings 11:26. Gehazi, the servant of Elisha lied and took money and goods not intended for him in 2 Kings 5:20-27. Zimri conspired against his master, the king and slew him (1 Kings 16:9-10; 2 Kings 9:31). We are not told why Onesimus fled from Philemon, but Paul saw fit to take him back after he was converted (Phile. 11). The servants of Abraham and Lot strove together about where the sheep and cattle would graze in Genesis 13:7. The servants of Abimelech violently took away a well belonging to Abraham in Genesis 21:25. In order to gain advantage with King David, Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, conspired against his master when King David fled from Absalom. He told David his master planned to take the kingdom for himself when in reality, Mephibosheth was lame and could not follow David without help. (2 Sam. 16:1-4 compare with 2 Sam. 19:26-27). Absalom was the son of David and thus “servant to the king of Israel,” but he conspired against his father to take the kingdom for himself (2 Sam. 13:28-29; 2 Sam. 14:30). Shimei, a former servant of King Saul, cursed David and threw dust and stones at him as he fled from Absalom (1 Kings 2:39). Certain servants of Joash, grandson of Athaliah (2 Kings 11:2) rose up and slew him (2 Kings 12:19-21). Amon’s servants rose up against him and killed him, but the people of the land executed those servants and made Josiah his son king in his stead (2 Kings 21:23-24). The servants of Job rejected him in his troubles and would not come to help him when he called (Job 19:15-16). In the parable of the talents and the parable of the pounds there was one wicked and unfaithful servant (Matt. 25:24-30; Luke 19:20-26). Finally, in the parable of the vineyard, husbandmen to whom the owner had leased the vineyard, slew the servants of the owner and even his own son with the intent of confiscating the vineyard for themselves (Matt. 21:33-41; Mark 12:1-9). PARABLES ABOUT HIRED SERVANTS There were hired laborers of a vineyard in Matthew 20:1-15. The father of the prodigal son had hired servants in Luke 15:17 and Luke 15:19. The rebellious son was hired to feed the pigs in Luke 15:15-19. In at least one case, treatment of hired servants was more considerate than that of slaves (Lev. 25:53-55). As was the custom, hired servants await employment in the marketplace (Matt. 20:1-3). Wages could be paid in produce or commodities (Gen. 30:31-32; 2 Chr. 2:10) or in money (Matt. 20:2). (from Nave’s Topical Bible, Electronic Database Copyright © 1990 by Biblesoft, Inc. and TriStar Publishing)
Images are easily added to webpages. One important thing to remember is to upload your image with your webpage. For example: If you have a page with a picture on it, you must upload the page and the picture in order for it to work properly. You should also know that the most common types of images that are on the Internet are either: GIF or JPG (JPEG). I suggest you use GIF format becuase they are typically smaller (file size) and will look the same on most computers. JPG's have their advantages too. For example, JPG's offer higher colors and high compression. It is up to you which you use. Here are some suggestions: - Common Webpage Graphics - Low Resolution Photos - Low-color graphics (Less than 256 Colors) - High Resolution Photos - High-color graphics (More than 256 Colors) For more about image design, click here. Consider the following code. Here is my favorite picture: <IMG SRC="images/mypicture.gif"> Here is what the line of code looks like. Here is my favorite picture: Thats all there is to it to adding an image to your webpage. Just enter the code: "<IMG SRC="mypicture.xxx">" Where 'mypicture.xxx' is the name of you picture file. In order to make images, you need a graphics program. You can spend anywhere from a $1400 to $50 for a graphics program. I recommend Paint Shop Pro by JASC Software (http://www.jasc.com). Paint Shop Pro is shareware. I think it costs around $100 to purchase. I beleive it is well worth it. So lets say you have a graphics program. There are a few things to keep in mind when you are designing graphics for your website: - Watch files sizes. Everyone doesn't have a fast Internet connection. - Try to keep make your pictures with less than 256 colors so people with older video cards can see your page as you do. - If your page has a lot of pictuers, design a "Text-only" version of your site.
THE CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL — 6–9pm 8–10 December 2004 100 Historical Facts about Christmas that you really ought to know but you're too Chritmased out to be bothered! Are our Christmases over-commercialised, and do we really need to open that 3rd tin of Quality Street on Boxing Day? Christmas has undoubtedly changed over the centuries but many aspects of our annual carnival of kitsch have stayed the same; the boozing, the over-indulgence and the dreaded visit to the in-laws. Here at the Museum of Welsh Life we offer a seasonal haven with ancient rituals, traditional foods and crafts with candle-lit cottages, holy and mistletoe. With the crisp winter evening air ringing with the peals of bells, carols and the traditional fairground the Christmas Tree Festival is sure to melt the heart of the most miserable old Scrooge. If you have ever wondered why we celebrate Christmas and are curious about the history of our traditions, St Fagans brings you 100 Historical Christmas Facts to help ease you into the spirit of good will and merriment. In the middle of the fourth century, Pope Julius 1 carried out a detailed investigation into the date of birth of Jesus Christ and declared that Christ's official birthday would always be the 25th of December. A clever move, the 25th of December placed Christ's birth in the middle of the Pagan midwinter festivities which the Christian Church wished to absorb and convert. A mixture between Christianity and the ancient pagan festivities, Christmas became a mass of contradiction with the main focus on the 'Christ's Mass but in reality a time for feasting, drinking, gift-giving, the lighting of fires and all sorts of misbehaviour... The ancient gift giving was turned to symbolise the bringing of gifts to the Infant Jesus. Various forms of fire worship were now said to demonstrate that Jesus was truly the 'Light of the World'. The Roman Saturnalia, the Norse ceremonies for Odin and the birth of the Persian god Mirtha (which was also on the 25th of December) all faded into the distant past and became a part of Christmas. By Christmas 2000 the UK consumed 10 million turkeys, 25 million Christmas puddings, 250 million pints of beer and 35 million bottles of wine. The UK spends £20bn on Christmas with £1.6bn going on food and drink. Gift giving has been a part of human life since we settled into agricultural communities in the New Stone Age, about 10,000 years ago. Surplus food was prepared as a festival and shared between the communities. In Rome, the ceremonies of gift giving was taken particularly seriously and attracted many superstitions with the failure to give presents during the midwinter festivities deemed to bring extreme bad luck. The Christian Church tried to turn the gluttony of gift giving and over indulgence into gift giving for the poor and needy but failed as family and friends gave each other gifts as a sign of familial love and for mutual benefit. The common abbreviation for Christmas to Xmas is derived from the Greek alphabet. X is the letter Chi, which is the first letter of Christ's name in the Greek Alphabet. Since medieval times the Christmas Season traditionally lasted for 12 days following on from Christmas Day. In Wales this season was known as 'y gwyliau' (the holiday). Y Gwyliau would often be the only prolonged holiday in the year when most of Wales made merry to commemorate the end of the year and looked forward to the next one with all agricultural work grinding to a halt for this much anticipated season. Native evergreens have been collected for decorating the home during the gwyliau for thousands of years. Ivy, holly, yew and mistletoe have a mystical ability to produce fruit in the depths of winter and were a symbol of everlasting life. For Scandinavians, the goddess of love Frigga is strongly associated with mistletoe. This link to romance may be where our tradition of kissing under the mistletoe comes from. Another link to kissing under the mistletoe has its origins in the tradition of displaying small wooden effigies of the Holy Family inside the door of the home in 14th century Britain. These effigies were covered in greenery and were placed on small wooden platforms. The Holy Family or Holy Bough was blessed by the local priest each person that crossed the threshold over the Christmas period had to be embraced to demonstrate that everyone was loved in a Christian way. Over time, effigies were frowned upon and the mistletoe took its place. The Church forbade the use of mistletoe in any form, mindful of its idolatrous or pagan associations. As a substitute, it suggested holly. The sharply pointed leaves of the holy tree and said to symbolize the thorns of Christ's crown and the berries drops of his blood. There are still some churches across the UK that forbids the use of mistletoe as decoration during the Christmas services. One of the most celebrated and terrifying sights to travel around the narrow alley ways and winding roads of Wales was the Mari Lwyd. A horse's head, festooned by a white sheet ribbons and bells with its jaws set in a trap to make that all important SNAP SNAP; the Mari Lwyd is an integral and mythical part of the Welsh Christmas and New Year. Mari Lwyd translates as the Grey Mare and the horse is a highly significant animal or symbol in the mythology of most of northern Europe. Carried around Wales by wassail-singing groups of men, Mari Lwyd was an extremely popular figure in parts of south and north east Wales during the last century and a half although the tradition has slowly died out and is today performed in small pockets of Glamorgan and the Museum of Welsh Life. The ritual of the Mari Lwyd began with the singing of traditional stanzas by the Mari Lwyd group at the front door, soliciting both permission to sing and entry into the house. A challenge would be issued to the residence of the home to a versifying contest, called the pwnco, which was sung in verses that were filled with heavy leg-pulling and mocking of personal characteristics which inevitably led to admittance to the house and a few swifts ales, cake and often a gift of money in return for entertainment and general merriment! New Year's Day, or, dydd Calan was a big day for the children of Wales. In the industrial areas of south Wales, factory and colliery horns were sounded at twelve midnight with children flooding the streets shouting 'Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!' (Happy New Year). This lasted about an hour. After an early rise, children as young as 3 would travel around their locality calling on all the houses for Calennig, a New Year's gift of money or sometimes fruit or nuts. Calennig was mostly a morning ritual and had to be over by noon. but in some areas of Wales children travelled for up to 2 days calling on homes and farms for their Calennig. Poorer families often went to sing Calennig together with gifts of bread, cheese and milk welcome in some of the less fortunate rural households. Towards the end of the 19th century with the emergence of industrialisation throughout Wales, most of the gwyliau's celebrations disappeared but a few remained and are still practiced in pockets of Wales and the Museum of Welsh Life. A large bowl of unopened nuts with a nutcracker on top of them is an enduring Christmas image and can be traced back to Roman times. At Saturnalia nuts were given as gifts and were especially common as gifts for children who used them for a game similar to marbles. Hazel nuts were thought to prevent famine, walnuts for prosperity and almonds were believed to offer much needed protection for the body against heavy drinking! St Francis of Assisi introduced Christmas Carols to formal church services. Silent Night, Tawel Nos or 'Stille Nacht' is the world's most popular carol, written in 1818 by an Austrian priest Joseph Mohr. With the church organ broken on Christmas Eve, Mohr wrote a 3 stanza carol that could be sung with a choir or a guitar. Christmas Trees are a part of the ancient pagan tree-worship practiced across Europe. Originally, the tree worshipped would have been a mighty oak. The expression 'touch wood' comes from this tradition and if you are really serious about it, make sure that the only wood that you touch is oak. The pagan Germans, in particular, revered the oak. Attempts were made to convert them to Christianity but the tree culture was too deep-seated (or should that be rooted!) and the Christian missionaries adopted or absorbed this tradition rather than try to pan it. Christianised tree worship turned the revered tree to be the fir tree. With its triangular shape it was said to represent the Holy Trinity with God the Father at the top of the tree and the Son of God and the Holy Spirit at the 2 lower points. The first printed reference to Christmas trees appeared in Germany in 1531. In 1800, the German-born matriarch Queen Charlotte, wife of George III erected a Christmas tree at the Queen's Lodge at Windsor, but it failed to catch on in Britain, probably because of the gross unpopularity of her husband. By 1840, Prince Albert installed a Christmas tree at Windsor Castle for Queen Victoria and the imported German custom became accepted. By the 1860s it had spread all across the country and was becoming an essential part of the Christmas celebrations. Strong German connections in the USA meant that the Christmas tree tradition spread across the world and by the end of the 19th century it was commonplace throughout Scandinavia, northern Europe and North America. At first, trees were always placed on tables in pots with the presents unwrapped in a display beneath or hanging on the tree, with name cards to identify the lucky recipient. By the 1880s, when the home-grown Norway Spruce began to take the place of the imported German Springelbaum, the tree became more widely affordable and the larger floor-standing trees increased in popularity. The Victorians decorated their trees with candles and ribbons and in 1880 Woolworths first sold manufactured Christmas tree that caught on very quickly. Martin Luther, in the 16th century, is credited with lighting his tress with candles and the first electrically lighted Christmas tree appeared in America in 1882. Calvin Coolidge in 1923 ceremoniously lit the first outdoor tree on the White House lawn and started up a new tradition which now includes giant light-up Homer Simpsons and thousands of homes festooned with twinkling fairy lights from October right through until February. We will watch, on average 8 hours of television each over Christmas and Boxing Day. Just under a third of the population will attend a church service over Christmas. During the Civil War, Christmas was banned by Act of Parliament. Nevertheless, people risked imprisonment and death to protect their right to celebrate. In 1646-7 there were disturbances in London, Canterbury and Ipswich with near riots in Canterbury. With the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 came the restoration of Christmas with an enormous sigh of public relief that the old customs could maintained again in public and in private. In Jamaica, the traditional Christmas day feast consists of rice, gungo peas, chicken, ox tail and curried goat. Joel Roberts Poinsett, then the first US ambassador to Mexico, imported the poinsettia plant, a winter growing shrub from Mexico to the USA over 100 years ago. The plant is also called 'Flower of the Holy Night' and its association with Christmas comes from the legend of Maria and Pablo, poor siblings that bring a gift of the poinsettia flower for the baby Jesus at their local church. As a symbol of the beginning of y gwyliau, a plough was carried into the home and placed under the table in the room where the meals were to be eaten. This room was called y rwm ford. Christmas Day during the 19th century was marked only by a sumptuous meal of goose, beef and pudding at the large farms of the neighbourhood to which all other farmers and locals were invited. The rest of the gwyliau, up until Epiphany was marked by large drinking parties sitting around the rwm ford regaling themselves with beer, which was first dabbed on the plough underneath the table, indicating that they had no use for the plough that day but that they had not forgotten about it. In many parts of Wales, Christmas meant rising early (or even staying up all night), not to open presents but to attend the plygain service at the parish church. This custom, in a modified form has survived in some parts of Wales. It has been suggested that the plygain was a survival of a pre-reformation Christian service and that the night-time service replaced the Catholic midnight mass and was originally associated with a communion service held later on Christmas morning. The hour of the plygain varied between 3am and 6am, the latter becoming more common with time. To await the hour, young people in particular would make cyflaith (treacle toffee) and spend the hours decorating the houses with holly and mistletoe. Toffee making was a real art form with the sticky ingredients poured onto a well-greased slate or stone slab to cool. Members of the family or gathered friends would then attempt to 'pull' the mixture into thick golden 'twists'. This practice is still demonstrated at the Llwyn yr Eos farmhouse at St Fagans during the Christmas Tree festival. According to Mrs Thrale's journal of a tour in 1774, the inhabitants of Dyffryn Clwyd kindled lights at 2 in the morning and sang and danced to the harp until plygain. In many districts, and particularly in towns, the time was spent playing in the streets with young men at Laugharne running up and down the streets carrying enormous fired torches and burning barrels with similar scenes in Tenby and Llanfyllin in Montgomeryshire where candles were used instead of torches. Upon arriving at the brilliantly candle-lit churches, unusually long carols were sung, often unaccompanied in rotation parties with one ready to take the place of the last in this sobering and extremely intense welcoming of Christmas morning. In preparation for the plygain, local poets would write new carols consisting of numerous verses based on traditional themes, which the carol singers would have to memorise and sing unaccompanied. As many as 15 of these long carols could be sung during the plygain. Far from disappearing under the impact of non-conformity in the nineteenth century, the plygain was one of the few traditional church festivals that were not discarded by the chapels with between 200 and 300 coloured candles illuminating the chapels of Glamorgan villages. Christmas dinner in Italy can last for more than 4 hours. Most families will have 7 or more courses including antipasti, a small portion of pasta, a roast meat, followed by 2 salads and 2 sweet puddings - then cheese, fruit, brandy and chocolates. In 1939, Santas at Montgomery Ward stores gave away 2.4 million copies of a booklet entitled 'Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer'. The story was written by advertising worker Robert May and the original name of this biological aberration was Rollo and not Rudolph. But store executives didn't like the name, or Reginald. The name Rudolph came from the author's young daughter and in 1949 Gene Autry sang a musical version of the poem that became a run-away best seller. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is only 2nd in popularity to 'White Christmas' across America. Over the course of the 19th century the nature of Christmas, or y gwyliau changed from an intensely social occasion to one a family celebration in seclusion of the home. Many of the essential trimmings of Christmas started around this time and slowly replaced the old folk traditions and the commercialised holiday that we know and 'love' today. Christmas traditions were entirely transformed in the reign of Queen Victoria. Victoria and her consort, Prince Albert, have often been credited with the revival of Christmas, and with making it a family centred occasion. The seasonal cards, as well as the Christmas tree are often attributed to the Queen and the fanatical following by many of the Royal family. There was also a revival during the Victorian era in ancient music, which led to many early carols being collected together and set to music for the very first time. These would have been sung, along with modern secular Christmas songs around the piano in the well-to-do Victorian household. Greeting cards for New Year and Valentine's Day had been popular in Europe and in Britain since the 1550s. British children were also often set the task of designing 'Christmas Pieces' for their parents at the end of the school winter term in order to show off their won careful handwriting with a tutored message of Christmas love. But it took over 30 years in the Victorian era for the commercial Christmas card to develop into a new yuletide tradition. Sir Henry Cole, founder of the Victoria & Albert Museum and a boundlessly enthusiast could not face the prospect of sending hundreds of hand-written letters to a huge circle of family, friends and acquaintances every Christmas. In 1843 Cole commissioned RA member John Horsley to design a Christmas card for him. The commercial Christmas card had arrived. The first Cole card had at its centrepiece a cheerful family scene, clearly about to swallow a large quantity alcohol. With their huge glasses raised in a Christmas toast, the written message states; 'A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You', a wording that has stayed with us ever since and it is of no coincidence that the word 'merry' has gradually come to mean intoxication. The first Christmas cards were sold at 12 Old Bond Street in London and were priced a shilling each but the project was a complete flop and was considered by many to be in very bad taste. By the 1860s postage was cheaper and printing techniques had advanced making it possible to offer the Christmas card at a much lower price. In 1870, a special rate of half-rate postal charges was introduced - the halfpenny card stamp. Cards became elaborate affairs with lace, seaweed and the new science of photography all taking their turn in Christmas card-vogue. Many of the early Christmas cards produced would seem inappropriate to Christmas consumers today with spring flowers, insects and nudes placed on the front as well as sprigs of holly, ivy Christmas roses, religious scenes and Father Christmas. Welsh language Christmas cards quickly appeared with a large collection of these early cards held at the Museum of Welsh Life. The Urdd Gobaith Cymru magazine 'Cymru'r Plant' urged its young readers to send out Welsh language Christmas cards in 1933 with a disgruntled article that many in Wales, including famous Welshmen, prefer to send their cards in English as the language was deemed to be 'posh' or 'nicer'. Welsh language cards are now produced by most major charities and publishers with a booming cottage industry in hand-made cards. During the nineteenth century Father Christmas took on his present form. Father Christmas and Santa Claus are, to most twenty first century eyes the same person, but it was only during the last century that these 2 entirely different traditions have merged into one image, with an interchangeable name. Father Christmas has been known in England since medieval times and was sometimes known as simply Christmas o Mr Christmas. A personification of good will rather than a gift bearer, he could have derived from the Norse god Odin, who wore a blue-hooded cloak and had a white beard. In contrast, S Nicholas has a much more defined story. A Bishop from the town of Myra in Turkey, St Nicholas has many legends associated with his name, but most famously he's known for giving away his wealth to the poor and his benevolence and protection to children. Much loved all over Europe, St Nicholas has been closely associated with Holland. On the eve of his Saint's Day which is the 6 December, children would put shoes or clogs filled with straw by the fire, as fodder for St Nicholas's white horse. For this, provided they had been good, they were rewarded with sweets. Those who had been naughty were left with straw and a birch rod was found next to their shoes as a reminder... Santa Claus is the Dutch-American descendant of St Nicholas. Settling in New England, St Nicholas (Sint Nicolass) became, colloquially, Sinterklaas, which was later anglicised into Santa Claus. Clement Clarke Moore, in his poem 'A Visit From St Nicholas', which he wrote for his own children in 1822, has become the enduring image or Santa Claus that we still love today: 'He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot And his clothes were all blackened with ashes and soot... His eyes how they twinkled! His dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry... He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I was him, in spite of myself'. It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that Santa's red garb became the norm. In 1931, Haddon Sundblom started to produce a yearly depiction of Santa in bright red for the American soft drink giant Coca-Cola, using the shade of the bottle's label... Today, 7 million children leave mince pies and a drink for Santa on Christmas Eve. By the beginning of the 20th century, manufacturers and shops began to realise the true commercial potential of Christmas with even the poorest households giving some form of gifts to each other on Christmas day. The stocking had made its first appearance in England during the middle of the 19th century and was an American adaptation of the putting out of shoes for St Nicholas. Stockings soon left the hearth and found their way to the end of children's beds. By now, most children in Britain have huge plastic stockings or bin bags as replacements to the old stockings that were filled with fruit, nuts and usually a pocket knife and a tin whistle. Christmas crackers made their first appearance in 1847 when they were invented by Tom Smith, a confectioner's apprentice. Based on the French bon-bon sweets which were brightly wrapped in twists of coloured paper, the cracker failed to make a bang until 1860 when Smith added a strip of saltpetre. During the early years of the 20th century, evergreen foliage, gathered to decorate the home, was gradually replaced by artificial decorations, especially in urban areas. With less access to woodlands and smaller gardens, buying greenery from a florist or market seemed an expensive option next to a box of artificial paper garlands and tinsel that could be stored and used annually. The fairy that sits on top of the tree has its origins in the 17th century German tradition of placing small wax or wooden effigies of the Infant Jesus all over Christmas Trees. Eventually, one large effigy called the Tin-gold Angel was developed and by the nineteenth century doll-makers converted him into a Christmas angel-doll made from wax or porcelain. After Christmas, children would dress the Tin-gold Angel as a doll and at some time during the Victorian era he also changed sex. The Good Fairy of the Christmas pantomime has her origins in the change from the Infant Jesus to the female doll-fairy, beloved of children in the early part of the twentieth century. The roots of the Christmas pantomime lie in the all-male Christmas mummers that toured the great houses of Britain in medieval times. Often street performers, the Mummers Plays had a strong moralistic story where good would always defeat evil. In the early 18th century the arrival of the Italian Harlequinade in London changed street theatre to involve a romance with a hero and a heroine, with an added clown element. Together with the Mummers plays, these basic components formed the basics for the quintessential British pantomime. The first true British pantomime was staged by actor John Rich in 1717 at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre in London. Pantomime became the rage of London and fairytale mythology and fantasy were soon added to the plot. The mimed harlequin element became more and more reduced until it gradually disappeared altogether. Vaudeville, burlesque and music-hall all added to the great hotchpotch of the pantomime until the fairytale became the noisy spectacular that is still enjoyed by million in Britain today. It was not until the 1930s that electric fairy lights became popular, with little figure lamps of Santa and snowmen, fairies and animals selling well in the urban towns of Britain and North America. Paper chains became extremely popular between the wars which were either the more expensive concertina tissue paper variety, or the cheaper coloured strips of paper, bought for around a penny and then glued together by children. Although wrapping presents had been popular in France since the mid-eighteenth century, it became fashionable in Britain in the 1920s and 1930s. Presents were left under the tree, unwrapped until this period. Rationing, and the daily fear of bombing permanently changed Christmas with members of the community and of extended family getting together for the day, whether they liked it or not! In the 1950s, cocktail parties and party nibbles became fashionable with the advent of new women's drinks such as Martini, Babycham or a Snowball. The notorious office party has it's origins in the Roman festival of Saturnalia when members of all ranks and classes of society momentarily let their guard down in an orgy of drink and debauchery. 'Like all intelligent people, I greatly dislike Christmas'. George Bernard Shaw 'I will hold Christmas in my heart, to keep it all the year'. Charles Dickens.
As one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, we strive to reduce the environmental impact of our operations while providing reliable electricity for our customers. - Climate change is a global issue that requires a global solution. - Regulations addressing climate change should account for the current state of emissions-reducing technologies. - Regulations should consider the significant emission reductions already achieved through the transition of our nation’s electricity generation fleet. In 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) finalized its Clean Power Plan designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from existing coal-fueled power plants. The U.S. Supreme Court placed a hold on the plan’s implementation in early 2016 to allow for a thorough legal review of the new rule. AEP already has cut its carbon dioxide emissions 39 percent from 2000 levels and expects emissions to continue declining in the coming years as we use less coal and increase our use of natural gas and renewables to generate electricity, and as we use energy efficiency and demand response programs to help our customers manage their energy use. We’ve proactively supported a number of climate change public policy initiatives and have made significant investments in clean-coal technologies, including advancing the world’s first integrated carbon dioxide capture and storage project and building and operating the only ultra-supercritical coal unit in the U.S. We continue to investigate technologies that can supply affordable and reliable electricity while reducing the environmental impact of the power generation process. We also are expanding our transmission infrastructure to allow greater integration of renewable and other intermittent, non-emitting resources on the grid. For more detailed information, refer to the Climate Change discussion in our Corporate Accountability Report.
There are many different kinds of pain, and there are many different causes of pain. Fortunately, because of advances in the options for pain control, most patients can get acceptable pain relief. You know your pain in a way that no one else can. You are the expert. The team of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and others involved in your care can help you. But for them to help you, you must tell them about your pain. When we all communicate, we can work together to meet your goal for pain relief. This information will help you take an active role in your planning. Being prepared helps put you in control of your pain. Having pain is not a sign of weakness. Pain is your body's way of telling you something isn't quite right. Rely on us so we can help you. We are concerned about your pain. By telling us about your pain, we can become partners in managing your pain. Ask your doctor or nurse what to expect. - Will there be pain after surgery or treatment? - If there will be pain, how much? - Where will the pain be located? - How long will the pain last? - How will my pain be controlled after surgery or treatment? For any illness or condition, discuss pain control options with your doctor. - Describe any existing pain. - Tell the doctor and nurse what has worked for you in the past. - Ask about the side effects that may occur with pain medicines. - Ask about non-medicine ways to control your pain. - Tell the doctor and nurse about your concerns. How will my pain be measured? - A pain rating scale from 0 to 10 will be used to measure the amount of pain. - You will be asked which number or face on the scale best describes your level of pain. - 0 means you are not experiencing any pain, while 10 means you are experiencing the worst possible pain. - If you are unable to use the pain scale, the doctors and nurses will rely on other signals of pain, such as increased heart rate, frowning, restlessness or sweating. - You will be assessed routinely for existing pain and pain relief. Treating your pain with medication Your doctor may prescribe pain medication. If the medicine is not controlling your pain, notify the nurse or doctor. There may be another kind of medicine you can take. Request the pain medicine as soon as you start to have pain and report unrelieved pain after being medicated. The longer you wait and the worse the pain gets, the harder it is to control. Other ways to help control pain - Changing your position every 1 to 2 hours - Positioning your pillows for comfort - Listening to music - Watching TV - Talking with friends and family - Breathing exercises - Relaxation techniques
The term “identiality” pertains to the confidential nature of medical records. These records are those that contain information that has been deemed private by a doctor or other medical professional with whom the patient has established a relationship. Medical records cannot be shared with third parties without first obtaining the patient’s written consent. The healthcare industry has come under fire in recent years for releasing patient medical information to the general public without patient authorization. This can lead to identity theft and fraud, as well as a breach of patient confidentiality. Personal information such as Social Security numbers, financial data, and even inquiries into past medical treatments are being made available on the internet, which is why it is necessary to know and understand what is confidentiality in healthcare. Some doctors are trained to spot inconsistencies in patient records and report them to the insurance company. However, most doctors do not take the time to examine each record to determine whether the information should be shared with outsiders or kept within the confines of the patient’s own medical records. In some situations, the lack of information is due to a simple clerical error, but in many cases the patient does not have access to the information they need to make this determination. The result is that they waste precious time and resources searching for the information that they simply don’t have. This wasted time can be applied towards more important matters. So, what is confidentiality in healthcare anyway? It is important for patients to feel comfortable in their own environment, whether that is in the doctor’s office to the emergency room, the operating room, the hospital waiting room, or the private quarters of their own home. Privacy in healthcare encompasses the patient’s personal information, medical records, and other related communications. All medical professionals who deal with patients-in-need understand the value of confidentiality. For example, any intimate conversation with a patient regarding their health must remain confidential. Any written communication detailing a patient’s medical history must also remain private. Patients often wonder what happens if they discuss certain topics outside of the scope of a doctor-prescribed treatment, such as concerns about their health with friends or family. Often, it is a good idea for patients to share these discussions with close friends and relatives, but keeping medical records confidential is another matter entirely. Some facilities allow patients to view their medical records on their computer or with a thumbprint device, but the practice may still retain all electronic communications and correspondence, including text messages, phone calls, and emails. Privacy in healthcare includes the right to protect patients from threats to their security, both physical and electronic, as well as ensuring the confidentiality of medical records. A key question for anyone in need of confidentiality in healthcare is whether or not their privacy will be violated if they discuss their condition with a third party professional such as a nurse, social worker, or nurse’s aide. Although patients are under no legal obligation to share their personal medical records, they are urged to do so if only to establish a line of defense against potential lawsuits. The nurse may even have a legal right to release some information to the patient, depending on state law, and the social worker may have the right to share some information with the patient, again, depending on state law. Even if a patient doesn’t express any fear or concern about sharing their information with anyone, it is wise to consult a lawyer before doing so. After all, a lawyer can serve as a mediator between a patient and a healthcare provider to iron out the details of what is confidential in healthcare and whether or not that third party has a legal right to access the information.
You may have puzzled how men and women with property solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity programs have electricity at night, or when it is cloudy. The solution is batteries or a again-up connection to the nearby power grid. The solar panels on the roof, or mounted on a pole or on the floor collect strength from the solar and change them to electric power. If you want a residence solar electricity method that is fully impartial of the regional utility grid (or if you might be out the place there isn’t really a nearby utility grid) you will require to store the excessive energy you get during sunny days in batteries. Batteries may possibly seem to be like a huge cost, and nobody’s saying they’re low-cost. But it is possible for them to shell out for on their own in what you would conserve by not becoming hooked up to the nearby electricity grid. Some men and women have each batteries and a local grid hook-up. Anyone with solar run electricity who is hooked up to the grid has to have an computerized cut-off from the grid in situation of a energy failure. The explanation is basic safety. If your PV system is cranking out energy but the nearby wires usually are not, it could accidentally feed electrical power into a line that a line employee thinks is useless. When you have batteries to shop vitality from your solar electrical power technique, the power is despatched to a lender of batteries or a energy inverter to convert the immediate existing (DC) electric power into alternating current (AC) electricity. Some solar panels have an inverter currently built in, which simplifies the wiring noticeably and can make it unnecessary to have a massive central inverter. In addition to a electricity inverter, you may need a charge controller. Which is due to the fact your batteries will have the longest attainable existence if they are not overcharged or overdrained. When the batteries are billed entirely, the controller isn’t going to enable any much more recent flow into them. When the batteries have been drained to a certain established level, the demand controllers is not going to permit far more recent to be drained from them until finally they have undergone a recharging. You may need to calculate your amp-hour requirements so you’ll know how many batteries you require. Suppose you have a 24 volt battery and normal 120 volt AC in the residence. You might be powering a 3 amp load with a duty cycle of four hrs every working day. Which is a 12 amp-hour load since 3 amps x 4 hours = twelve amp-hours. However, with a a hundred and twenty volt program, you may need to have five of those 24 volt batteries. Multiply this by your amp-hours: 5 x twelve amp-hours = sixty amp-several hours. That is how much will be drained from your batteries. The storage ability of a battery is normally expressed in terms of amp-several hours. It is also a good thought to include about 20% to your amp-hour estimate to store electrical power for your longest believed period of very cloudy conditions. It is important if you buy batteries that you get deep-cycle batteries. This is a diverse type of battery from your vehicle battery, which is a shallow-cycle battery. Your auto battery discharges a big amount of current in a brief quantity of time to begin your auto, and then is recharged even though you travel. But batteries for a house PV array have to discharge a scaled-down sum of present over a more time time period of time, like at evening, and they’re then recharged in the course of the working day. Deep cycle batteries are the proper batteries for this circumstance. The deep-cycle batteries that are utilised most are lead-acid batteries and nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cad) batteries. The Ni-Cad batteries expense a lot more, but final longer, and can be discharged far more without getting harmed. Deep-cycle guide-acid batteries can not be discharged one hundred% with no currently being ruined. Fortunately, residence solar electrical power methods are created so that they will not discharge the guide-acid batteries a lot more than 40 to fifty%. Sealed deep-cycle lead-acid batteries don’t need servicing. They do not need to have watering, and they do not want an equalization cost. They do require to be recharged after each cycle. yoursite.com are more expensive than non-sealed lead-acid batteries. Design & Developed By VWThemes
Blair -- Washington County Blair, county seat and largest city in Washington County, was not one of its earliest towns. It was established when the Sioux City & Pacific Railroad chose to cross the river at that location, going from Missouri Valley, Iowa, and up along "Carter Hollow" on the Nebraska side. Whether by chance or design, the route missed the existing river towns of DeSoto and Cuming City. An entirely new town was needed. A 1,075-acre tract of land was purchased and platted, with lots to be sold at auction on May 10, 1869. The entire tract was purchased by John I.Blair, an official of the railroad, who announced his plans for the city, which he named for himself. Front street quickly took shape. Many businesses and several churches were hauled overland from the former town sites to supplement those being built. In a short time there were hardware, implement, and dry goods stores, a hotel, a bank, and a newspaper. A town board was formed in August. Before the end of the year, the town called for an election to relocate the county seat, which at that time was in Fort Calhoun. Blair won, and a brick courthouse was erected at 19th and Grant. Construction was also progressing on the rail line. Before a railroad bridge was built across the Missouri, freight cars were pushed onto barges on one side of the river, then pulled off on the other. Since the engines did not cross the river, a roundhouse to service them was built north of town. When the bridge was completed in 1882, that facility was dismantled and servicing was done in Iowa. Local brickyards turned out 1,500,000 bricks per year to meet the demands of the city's rapid development. In 1884 the community, predominantly Danish, raised $3,000 in matching funds and appropriated several acres of land on which to establish a "folk school." The forerunner of Dana College, Trinity Seminary was housed in a home until the impressive, four-story main building was dedicated in 1886. By then a city water system was in place, and South Creek, dug out by men with hand shovels, had been straightened to improve the drainage on south side of town. A public high school was constructed before the turn of the century. Industries that sprang up along the railroad include: a mill which produced Maintop flour and livestock feeds; a foundry manufacturing roller bearings; a laboratory which made patent medicines; a poultry incubator plant employing about 40 men; and a horse collar company which employed up to 125 men, until "horses left the drawbar scene." A plant, built in 1889 to provide electricity for lights, was not dependable or profitable. In 1914 a new municipal power plant was built and later a city ice plant was added to supply Blair with "safe ice," replacing the system of cutting it from the river. Over the years, other enterprises came and went: a plant manufacturing spark plugs used in Model T Fords; a canning company; a seed corn plant; and a church-publishing house. Currently, Kelly Ryan Equipment Company, established in the mid-1940s, employs up to 50 persons. The D.L.Blair Company, specializing in nation-wide promotion campaigns, was established in the 1970s. The "Bee-Line" Highway, started in 1923, got little use until a bridge was built across the Missouri at Blair in 1929. Later designated as Highway 30, paving was completed as a Federal Works project in the 1930s. Highways U.S.73 and State 91 and 133 were completed later. Dana, now a fully accredited four-year liberal arts college, has 14 buildings on its 150-acre campus. The fire that destroyed "Old Main" in 1988 changed the skyline, but not the student population of around 500. The "Sights and Sounds of Christmas," held on campus each December, is a popular event. Today, a progressive business district is flanked by a modern shopping center. There is a new middle school complex, a golf course, a municipal airport, and a swimming pool. As many as 100 new homes have been added in a single year. Spacious parks, designed into the existing landscape of the state arboretum system, further enhance the natural beauty of Blair. In 1990 the population was 6,900 and growing. By Jane Graff from material found in Washington County History with pictures submitted by the Blair Area Chamber of Commerce, Patty Plugge, Director.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 18, 2007 GALVESTON, Texas - Despite the fact that they both infect the liver, the hepatitis A and hepatitis C viruses actually have very little in common. The two are far apart genetically, are transmitted differently, and produce very different diseases. Hepatitis A spreads through the consumption of fecal particles from an infected person (in pollution-contaminated food or water, for example), but hepatitis C is generally transmitted only by direct contact with infected blood. Hepatitis A produces fever, nausea and abdominal pain that can last for weeks, but rarely lead to death; hepatitis C, by contrast, often spends decades quietly damaging the liver, until a victim's only hope for survival is an organ transplant. According to researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB), though, these two otherwise unrelated liver viruses have one important thing in common: a trick for avoiding destruction by the immune system. Both dodge immune attacks by attacking the same protein - an essential link in a chain of molecular signals that triggers antiviral responses. "With 30,000-plus proteins in the cell, it's really remarkable that these two very different viruses have chosen to strike at the same one," said Dr. Stanley Lemon, director of UTMB's Institute for Human Infections and Immunity and National Institutes of Health-funded Hepatitis C Research Center. Lemon is senior author of a paper on the research appearing online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "This identifies the protein - called MAVS, for mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein - as extremely important for the survival of any virus in the liver." MAVS proteins project from tiny structures called mitochondria, which are found in large numbers in each liver cell. When specialized receptor molecules detect viruses in the cell, they dock with the MAVS proteins, thereby triggering a sequence of signals ending with the production of interferon beta- a potent inhibitor of virus replication. Recent research has shown that hepatitis C generates a protein called NS3/4A that chops up MAVS, interfering with immune signaling and possibly providing the cover the virus needs to survive so long in the liver. Now, Lemon and his group have demonstrated that hepatitis A does the same thing with a different protein, known as 3ABC. "Hepatitis A never manages to establish a long-term infection like hepatitis C even though it also destroys MAVS," Lemon said. "This suggests that the degradation of this cell protein is not the main reason that hepatitis C becomes persistent. These results thus provide a new perspective on the chronicity of hepatitis C, which is a highly relevant virus clinically." Hepatitis C has received far more research attention than hepatitis A in recent years, according to Lemon, largely because of hepatitis C's chronic nature and the lack of a vaccine against it. But while better sanitation has driven a decline in hepatitis A cases in the United States, Lemon said, "It's a significant risk for many people traveling overseas, because they fail to receive the vaccine." Hepatitis A has also been the cause of large food-borne outbreaks in the U.S. in recent years, including one in Pennsylvania that caused three deaths in otherwise healthy adults. Other authors of the PNAS paper include lead author and former UTMB postdoctoral fellow Yan Yang, research associate Yuqiong Liang, graduate students Lin Qu and Zeming Chen, associate professor MinKyung Yi and assistant professor Kui Li. Funding for this research was provided by the National Institutes of Health, the American Liver Foundation, the James W. McLaughlin Endowment and the Effie and Wofford Cain Foundation. The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Public Affairs Office
here is a trail, 1 000 years old, linking Vilanculos on the coast of Mozambique with the home of the little golden rhino, Mapungubwe, which calls to be travelled end to end to get a sense of times past, 600 years before the first settlers arrived in the Cape. These places and the stories of the people who lived here, transacting along the trail in gold, iron, ivory, ceramics, cloth and glass beads – from as far away as Arabia, India and China – lay unearthed for centuries, only in recent decades to be rediscovered and celebrated. As you make your way along the trail, much of which is unchanged from a millennium ago, you cannot but notice an omnipresent feature of the landscape then and now, which shaped where and how people lived, and was given life by people who helped propagate and populate it. This is the baobab, which can grow as old as 2 500 years and so dominates some areas where people lived in ancient times that there can be hundreds in a small area. By journey’s end, we would not only have eaten the baobab but drunk it, too. Besides Mapungubwe, we’d also visit the ancient sites of Thulamela in the northern Kruger National Park, and Manyikeni and Chibuene in Mozambique, the latter being the main port of entry for southern African through the Indian Ocean, from about 1 250 to 1 000 years ago. These sites have been uninhabited for as long as 800 years. The people moved on, but the baobabs, perhaps no more than saplings then, are still there.
Loans, investments and diplomacy is the way China is expanding its influence in the Caribbean. The region is of strategic importance in logistics, banking and trade. It is also geographically very close to the United States. Caribbean markets are generally small, they have serious infrastructure needs, and most nations lack reserves of minerals and other raw materials. Jamaica is the nation that has received the most loans from the Chinese Government in the region. China offered the country loans and advice to build kilometers of new roads. Beijing has lent Jamaica over $ 2.1 billion for the construction of roads, bridges and houses. All this in the last 15 years. The Jamaican government claims that Chinese loans do not pose an extraordinary burden to the country, as they represent only about 4% of Jamaica's total loan portfolio. Low interest loans from the Chinese government, total more than $ 6 billion. With this, important infrastructure projects and other initiatives have been financed. Chinese companies have invested in ports and maritime logistics, in mining and oil companies, in the sugar and timber industries, in tourist centers, and in technology projects. The pandemic has allowed China to strengthen those relationships by donating and selling personal protective equipment. The country also promised to extend loans for COVID-19 vaccines to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Taiwan issue China's strategy in the Caribbean also extends to winning over the rest of the nations that officially recognize Taiwan as a country, most of which are in the Caribbean and Latin America. China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory, it has long tried to reduce the number of countries that recognize it. The American concern The United States' response to this influence was to promote its own investment initiatives, including Growth in the Americas, which experts saw as a direct response to China's trade and diplomatic efforts in the region. At the same time, the US intensified warnings to its Caribbean allies about the risks of doing business with Beijing, ranging from poor construction to predatory lending and espionage. Choosing a side in situations like these is very complex. Caribbean nations seek to work equally with both superpowers. Especially now that the region is going through a very difficult economic recession.
© Eleanor Parker Sapia My novel, A Decent Woman, set in turn of the nineteenth century Puerto Rico, begins in turbulent 1900—two years after the United States invasion on the shores of Guanica, Puerto Rico and a year after the San Ciriaco hurricane devastated the Caribbean island. Brief synopsis of A Decent Woman: Ponce, Puerto Rico: A Decent Woman is the story of Ana Belén, a black Cuban born into slavery, who despite hiding a tempestuous past, becomes a proud midwife in La Playa de Ponce, Puerto Rico, where she meets sixteen-year old Serafina. After the widowed Serafina marries into a prominent Ponce family, a crime against Serafina will forever bond her to Ana in an ill-conceived plan to avoid a scandal and preserve Serafina’s honor and her new marriage. Set against the combustive backdrop of a chauvinistic society where women are treated as possessions, A Decent Woman is the provocative story of two women as they battle for their dignity and for love against the pain of betrayal and social change. At the beginning of the second decade of U.S. rule in Puerto Rico, after the invasion of the island in 1898, women of differing social classes began demanding the right to vote and black Puerto Ricans protested against racism and repression across the island. In 1917, the United States entered World War I and ‘granted’ Puerto Ricans citizenship with the Jones Act and Puerto Rican men entered the conflict in Europe. English was decreed the official language on an island with a majority of native Spanish speakers. Gripped in an economic crisis, thousands of Puerto Ricans fled to the United States in search of work, and on the island, thousands fled the mountains to the coastal towns in search of work. A seamstress in a Puerto Rican sweatshop could earn one dollar a day while the same work done at home earned her a few cents a day. Between planting and harvest times of coffee and sugarcane, farmers and laborers were laid off without a salary; many died of hunger and disease. By 1917, women had joined the workforce as tobacco strippers, hatmakers, seamstresses, coffee shellers, laundresses, and embroiderers, and soon demanded fair treatment, higher wages, and protection against managerial sexual and physical abuse. “Petitions from people begging for work or the funds to emigrate flooded the governor’s office. Many Puerto Ricans faced starvation, especially in the countryside. Suicides of working people were reported daily in Ponce newspapers.” “A year later, ten thousand Puerto Rican laborers held the First Congress of Women Workers, where in addition to the aforementioned, they evoked the rights of every women and her family to have ‘a comfortable and healthy home’, insisted on the implementation of universal women’s suffrage, and called for a special session of the legislature to address the women’s concerns.” Imposing Decency: The Politics of Sexuality and Race in Puerto Rico, 1970-1920 by Eileen Findlay. Ponce, Puerto Rico, my home town, was the birthplace of the first organization of feminist activism, La Liga Femínea, and became an important center for feminists. After Prohibition began, upper and middle class Puerto Rican women began focusing on themes of decency and indecency in their communities by forming moral reform projects, such as the protection of children of working class mothers. Society women with new public roles began defining motherhood and familial relations of Puerto Ricans, and during this time, many children were taken away from their mothers and raised by “proper families”. The society women, white women, early feminists, believed that with proper education and guidance, their black and mulatto working sisters could be reformed and turned into proper women of society. Of course, the feminists would decide when and if that happened. Middle class and upper class women then joined forces with the Protestant clergy and when the government prohibited the making and sale of alcohol, prostitution was also outlawed. These were lean times for women who were finding it difficult to feed, house, and clothe themselves and their children; yet, the United States Army encouraged the women entering the training camps on the island to entertain the soldiers, and still, Puerto Rican men slept with women other than their wives, playing woman against the other woman. The early feminists were not dissuaded and the second anti-prostitution campaign began with the arrests of women suspected of prostitution, and the arrests of couples for living together without a marriage license. Jails and prisons were built to house the “wayward” women in an attempt to clean up the streets, combat venereal disease, and help preserve “la sagrada familia.” On October 11, 1918, an earthquake occurred, with an approximate magnitude of 7.5 on the Richter scale, which was accompanied by a tsunami, which reached 19.5 feet high. Like Hurricane San Ciriaco, again the island suffered with death, devastation, and chaos. The tremors continued for several weeks. La Cárcel de Mujeres ~ The Women’s Jail The morning after the Worker’s Ball, Ana and Emilia found María’s bed hadn’t been slept in, and none of the neighbors had seen their friend. Ana didn’t relish setting foot in the police station, and hoped the Chief of Police she’d met was on duty, not Officer Pérez. When the women arrived at the jail, they were directed to a young man in uniform, who didn’t look old enough to shave. Ana pulled Emilia aside. “Let me do the talking, Emilia. Please, say nothing.” They approached the desk. “I’m looking for María Santiago. She would have been brought here last night.” The young man scrolled down a list of names. “M. Santiago. She was taken to the new women’s jail on the outskirts of town—the one they finished before the Fiestas. Good thing, too; we’re at full capacity here.” “If you would kindly give us the directions, we will be on our way,” Ana said, sneaking a sideways glance at Emilia, who was trying to read the list from where she stood. Ana wondered who else might have been taken by the police the previous evening. The young man drew a crude map of the new facility, and handed it to Ana. “Thank you. We’d best be on our way,” she said. As the women turned to leave, the man blew Emilia a kiss, which Emilia ignored. “Pig,” she said when they were outside. “Makes me want to quit and go straight.” “Then why don’t you?” said Ana, in an irritated tone. “Get out of the business, Emilia. Nothing good can come from selling yourself.” “I need the money, but as soon as I save up enough, I’m out.” “Just don’t wait too long, my friend. You and María deserve a better life.” “I don’t know what we deserve anymore, but I think we’re getting what we deserve now.” The new women’s jail was an imposing, single-story, cement box with bars covering narrow windows. Inside a high fence, women walked in a circle as guards patrolled the perimeter. Ana and Emilia approached the fence, hoping to see María. “I don’t see her,” said Emilia, craning her neck for a better view. “Me neither. I’ve never been to a jail before, have you?” “I was arrested once for propositioning a gentleman but only spent the night in the town hall jail. This here is serious business.” Emilia approached a young woman smoking a cigarette, and Ana followed. “Nena, do you know a María? María Santiago. She was brought in last night.” The woman behind the fence countered, “Do you have a cigarette?” Emilia offered a cigarette through the fence but didn’t let it go when the young woman reached for it. “I’ll give it to you for information.” “Yeah, we met last night, but I haven’t seen her today. Maybe she’s in the clinic; check with the guard over there,” she said, pointing to a guard shack at the end of the fence. Emilia let go of the cigarette. “The clinic? Oh my God, Ana, let’s go.” They asked a female guard about María, and were told she was being held for further testing. “Testing for what?” asked Emilia. “Are you family?” asked the guard, eyeing them up and down. “No, we’re close friends of Miss Santiago,” Ana said, offering the woman a few coins as a bribe. “Well, if your friend is found to have a venereal disease, she’ll probably be transferred to another clinic. They don’t allow visitors there,” the woman said in a dry voice. Out of nowhere Emilia began to cry, which surprised Ana. Emilia’s crying grew louder until the woman whispered, “Listen, I’m not supposed to give you any information, but your friend is being evaluated in the clinic—the building in back. My friend is working that shift. You can’t miss her; her thick spectacles make her eyes look enormous. Tell her Alicia sent you. She’ll let you in for a quick visit if your friend is still there.” “Thank you,” said Emilia, drying her eyes. Ana and Emilia raced to the door marked “Clinic.” “By the way, I know you and María are close, but what was that all about?” Emilia grinned, “We got in, didn’t we?” Emilia knocked sharply on the door, and a woman who fit the guard’s description opened it. Ana spoke first. “Alicia sent us. We’re looking for our friend, María Santiago.” “Alicia.” The woman snorted. “That figures. She’s got a soft heart, that one. Who are you looking for?” “María Santiago. Is she here?” “Yes, she’s here. She’s in examination room number one; follow me. I have to warn you, though. Your friend was pretty drunk and mouthy when she was brought to the jail. Pérez and his crony got a little rough with her when she didn’t cooperate.” Ana’s heart froze. “What did they do to her?” asked Emilia, a little louder than Ana had hoped. The woman answered tersely, “If she was doing something illegal, then it’s her own fault she’s in here. That’s the way it goes.” Ana squeezed Emilia’s arm, knowing her temper. “Please let us see our friend. We all make mistakes,” Ana said, not wanting to antagonize the young woman in any way, but feeling Emilia’s urgency, as well. “We don’t have much time.” “Follow me, but make it quick. Officer Pérez is making his rounds.” Fear gripped Ana when she heard the name and she prayed they wouldn’t run into the man. When the guard opened the door of the examination room, they saw a woman lying on a low bed, facing the wall. Ana immediately recognized the dress María had worn the night before. She and Emilia approached the cot. “They’ve tested your friend for syphilis; they do that to all the women.” “María, María?” Emilia whispered, tapping the woman’s arm. María sprang to a sitting position, with deep fear in her eyes, and hugged her knees. Ana was startled by what she saw. María’s dress hung off her left shoulder and was missing several buttons. Her hair, usually worn pulled back, was wild and loose, and her make-up was smeared. “It’s us; Ana and Emilia! What have they done to you?” The guard kept watch at the door, looking down the hallway in both directions, “Hurry!” “Ay bendito, María. We’re here,” Emilia said, sitting on the cot. María started to cry, and allowed Emilia to put her arm around her. María’s eyes suddenly grew large. “Get me out of here, please.” Ana knew the medical staff wouldn’t allow them to take María home until the test results came back. She had to distract María. “What happened to you, nena?” As the question came out of Ana’s mouth, she realized she didn’t want to know. María composed herself enough to speak. “I honestly don’t remember what happened. I was drunk and tired, and they let me sleep it off. Then I was in here, and examined by a devil with dirty instruments that I’m sure he doesn’t use on decent women. I was so humiliated,” María sobbed. “Was he a doctor?” María nodded. At that moment, Ana wanted the gods to send peace to María, and much suffering to whoever hurt her. As if reading Ana’s mind, Emilia hissed, “This man should be made to watch his women suffer.” “Are you taking me home?” asked María in a childlike voice. “Can I go now? Is that why you’re here, to take me home?” Ana and Emilia looked at each other. Ana was uncertain of what to tell her, and it was Emilia who spoke up. “María, they’ve tested you for syphilis.” María’s voice became shrill. “But, I don’t have that! You know me, Emilia. Tell them I’m clean; I want to go home! Ana, you tell them.” “María, listen,” said Ana, taking her by the shoulders. “We’ll find the doctor. You stay here and stay calm, all right?” “Ana’s right; we have to find the doctor.” “Okay, I’ll rest. I’m so tired.” María lay down facing the wall, and closed her eyes. Ana found it incredibly difficult to leave the cell when the female guard urged them to hurry. “Béstias,” hissed Emilia as they followed the guard down a narrow corridor. “We have to get her out of here. She won’t make it in this place with these beasts.” “I know, I know, Emilia. Please be polite with the doctor for María’s sake!” When the guard opened a door, Pérez was sitting at a desk, reading a newspaper. “Shit,” murmured Emilia, “Now what do we do?” Ana watched the guard slink out of the room without saying a word. Pérez looked up when the women approached, and eyed them suspiciously. “I know you. So, you’re not a prostitute, eh, Doña?” he said to Ana. “Well, if you’re not, what are you doing in the company of this puta?” Ana controlled herself, and squeezed Emilia’s arm as a reminder to remain calm. “We want to see the doctor who examined María Santiago. Where can we find him?” “Santiago? Hmm, I seem to recall that name,” he said, and then yawned. “That would have been Doctór Toro. He happens to be in his office right now, second door on the left,” he pointed down the hall. “Good luck, girls. Tell María I said hello.” “Hijo de la gran puta,” Emilia cursed under her breath. They found the doctor eating at a desk, in desperate need of a napkin as he bit into a chicken leg. His lips and chin shone with greasy tomato sauce as he looked at them through thick eyeglasses perched on his bulbous nose. He seemed surprised to see them. “What do you need?” “Are you Doctór Toro?” “Yes, I am,” he said, finally wiping his mouth. “We are…I mean, this is María Santiago’s sister,” Ana said, pointing at Emilia, knowing he wouldn’t speak to them if one of them wasn’t a family member. You examined her last night.” Ana couldn’t tell whether he remembered María or not. “Do you remember her?” “Yes, yes, what about her?” Ana continued in a terse tone she couldn’t control, “Have you already taken blood samples?” “Yes, I have,” he said, visibly irritated. “Look, if you want the results, you’ll have to wait outside. Who are you again?” “This is María’s sister. We’ll be outside. Thank you, Doctór.” Ana pushed Emilia out the door. “Do you think she has syphilis? What’ll we do if the results are positive?” Ana shook her head. “I don’t know, Emilia, but let’s not lose hope until the results come back. It’s all in God’s hands now.” Despite the cold, metal chairs they sat on, Emilia soon fell asleep against Ana’s shoulder. Ana sat quietly, invoking all the gods and goddesses to protect María, and as she prayed, her eyes grew heavy. The women were roused by a nurse, who ushered them into the doctor’s office. “Your friend is clean. No infectious disease,” said the doctor to no one in particular. Ana hated his use of the word “clean”. He put down the file, and looked at the Emilia. “We encouraged your sister to undergo sterilization. She did very well.” Emilia’s jaw dropped. “What?” She looked at Ana, who was sure they were thinking the same thing—María would have never have submitted to sterilization. “She is being released now,” Del Toro said, signing a paper on his desk. “Wait for her at the front gate.” The doctor turned back to the paperwork on his desk, and then looked up. “That is all,” he said, looking surprised that Ana and Emilia were still standing in his office. “Where is her signed consent?” Ana was amazed at her presence of mind in light of the shocking news, and Emilia’s face echoed her sentiment. The doctor rifled through the papers on his desk, and produced the one María had signed. Emilia leaned over the desk. “I don’t believe this. María wanted children; I know this. You must have tricked her into signing! She must have been drunk, because she never would have signed this sober!” “Your sister is a single, working woman with no husband,” he said to Emilia. “Who would have taken care of her children while she worked the streets? You? Ponce has too many street urchins as it is. Like hundreds of other women, your sister doesn’t use birth control. She wasn’t the first, and she certainly won’t be the last woman to be sterilized in this city.” “¡Abusadór! She probably trusted you, and you abused her innocence! You tricked my sister into signing. Who are you to deny her rights as a woman? You will rot in Hell for what you’ve done to her.” “We are doing what needs to be done.” Ana restrained Emilia as she reached for a heavy-looking paperweight sitting on the doctor’s desk, knowing what direction she would have thrown it. The paperweight would have knocked some sense in the man, but it would have also landed Emilia in jail. “Let’s take María home, Emilia. We’re finished here.” Facebook: facebook~ Eleanor Parker Sapia Historical novelist, Eleanor Parker Sapia was born in Puerto Rico and raised as an Army brat in the United States, Puerto Rico, and many European cities. As a child, she could be found drawing, writing short stories, and reading Nancy Drew books sitting on a tree branch. Eleanor’s life experiences as a painter, counselor, alternative health practitioner, a Spanish language social worker, and a refugee case worker, continue to inspire her writing. Eleanor loves introducing readers to strong, courageous Caribbean and Latin American women who lead humble yet extraordinary lives in extraordinary times. Her debut historical novel, A Decent Woman, set in turn of the century Puerto Rico, has garnered praise and international acclaim. She is a proud member of PENAmerica and the Historical Novel Society. A Decent Woman is July 2015 Book of the Month for Las Comadres and Friends National Latino Book Club. Eleanor is currently writing her second historical novel titled, The Island of Goats, set in Puerto Rico, Spain, and Southern France. When Eleanor is not writing, she loves facilitating creativity groups, and tells herself she is making plans to walk El Camino de Santiago a second time. Eleanor has two loving grown children, and currently lives in wild and wonderful West Virginia.
Hydrogen sulfide stinks, but you knew that already, didn't you. Hydrogen sulfide is flammable, but you probably knew that too (and I won't ask how). But did you know hydrogen sulfide lowers blood pressure? and might protect the body from injury? Helene Meyer Tvinnereim and a team of Norwegian scientists are collecting milk teeth from 100,000 kids to create what may be the world's largest tooth bank. A dental biomaterials researcher at U Bergen in Norway, Tvinnereim seeks to find links between diseases and prenatal/childhood exposure to chemicals. The normally discarded teeth function as a 'black-box' recording of the chemicals children are exposed to, and have excellent shelf-life when dried and stored. Of course, this is a lot easier to do when you have a streamlined national health-care and record keeping system. In the early 1940s, Esmond Emerson Snell (1914-2003) was trying to figure out why baby chicks who were fed raw egg whites (I know.. how cruel..) showed symptoms of biotin deficiency despite having plenty of it in the diet. 'Have you quantified that?' Answering 'no' to this question will usually trigger a collective humph from the crowd at a scientific meeting. We don't want to know that there's more or less of some biological activity unless you can say exactly how much different it is from normal. During our show Who Am I? we got worried that spending so much time thinking about the 'self' would make us a little.. well.. self-centered. But what's wrong with that? Nothing really, but apparently we wouldn't do well on this puzzle. Fluorescent microscopy can illuminate neurons genetically engineered to express fluorescent proteins. "Two-photon" microscopy is special because it lights up the fluorescent neurons only at the focal point allowing scientists to piece together multiple sections in order to obtain a 3D image. So how does this "two-photon" technology produce fluorescence only at the focal point if the fluorescent laser beam is penetrating all of the surrounding tissue? The theory is that the chances of two low-energy photons hitting the fluorophore at the same time with enough energy to produce a fluorescent event are extremely slim. Scientists communicate with pictures (graphs, images, flowcharts, etc) because it's often impossible to convey experimental results with just words. So a picture is truly worth a thousand words, right? Over the course of human history, the methods used to determine if someone is telling the truth have ranged from horrific to downright silly. The legend of La Bocca della Verita holds that if someone fibs with their hand in the mouth, it gets bitten off. Many of you probably remember last year's release of satellite images documenting human rights violations in Myanmar (Burma). Scientists have teamed together at the American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to use sophisticated technology to alert us of the atrocities against civilians in Darfur, North Korea, and Burma. How else can we apply the tools of science to enhance human rights work? In our research on the show Laughter, we came across Dr. Helen Pilcher's formula for writing hit British comedy. x = (fl + no ) / p where funniness (f) of the punchline times length of build-up (l) is added to the amount someone falls down (n) times the physical pain or social embarrassment (o for 'ouch'). All this is divided by the pun (p), which reduces laughter and produces more of a groan. As Radiolab explores some of the tangents from our show on Deception, we've interviewed neuroscientists attempting to detect lies using changes in brain activity. But how do we see brain activity and get such colorful pictures of it? You might think it's based on neural electric activity. This is true for EEG but not for fMRI, which is used in the majority of these brain function studies. As Wired.com's Steve Silberman explains, it all starts with hemoglobin. Yes, the tiny protein responsible for carrying oxygen to the brain or any other organ for that matter, is the basis for studying brain activity. We interviewed Dan Langleben while researching for our show on Deception. He says he can see differences in brain activity when a lie is told about a playing card in your pocket. He identified a few regions in the brain that changed in metabolism during a lie. That is, it seemed as though it took more energy for the brain to lie. In our show (So Called) Life, we interviewed undergrads at MIT giving bacteria genes to make them smell minty fresh. If you are at all disquieted that such young minds are given such profound tools, sorry, bioengineers are getting ever younger. As part of a program designed to help teachers in NYC schools run a DNA transformation lab, I've seen 5th graders engineer bacteria to glow like a certain species of jellyfish found off the coast of Washington State. Greek philosopher Heraclitus said 'Panta Rei', which means 'all things flow'. Rheology ('flow'-ology) is the study of viscoelastic materials like Jello that are a little bit liquid and a little bit solid. But even the most liquid of liquids have some solid character. And even the most solid of solids have some liquid character. Take those beautiful stained glass windows in gothic cathedrals. For a long time it was thought that these windows are thin at the top and thick at the bottom as a result of centuries of slow viscous flow. As it turns out, it would take much more than centuries for glass to flow (see comments below). During the making of the show Deception, Radiolab explored the possibility of fMRI-based lie detectors. But what if we could detect lies remotely? What if we could know someone's lying without them knowing that we know they are... Well Britton Chance takes us one step closer to making science fiction a reality.
The CRM initially began in 1955 with the Montgomery Bus Boycott. On 1 December 1955 Rosa Parks, an African-American woman, refused to give her seat to a white passenger. It was the Jim Crow etiquette for a black person to give their seat to a white person, so this small act of civil disobedience was hugely frowned upon. This cause an uproar that led to Parks being fined and arrested. This was the first step in Martin Luther King 's peaceful resistance as Parks’ actions led to as many as 50 000 African-Americans boycotting the buses. Black cab drivers lowered their prices to 10 cents (Price of a bus ticket) for protestors. For 13 months the boycott continued, until in June 1956 the leaders appealed to the Supreme Court and by 21st December 1956, the buses were desegregated. Significances The Montgomery Bus boycott was the beginning of the civil rights movements throughout the 1950’s and 60’s, with the ramifications of this one small act snowballing into a movement that brought about the end of the Jim Crow laws across the United States, and a betterment of African-American standings in their own country. The process of desegregation was set into motion in the south, though it was majorly forced upon the bus companies due to the supreme court ruling and financial protest from the boycott. It was also the first major protest organised by the unofficial head of the civil rights movement, Martin Luther King Jr. The 13th Amendment allowed the African Americans to be released from the institutionalized oppression of slavery, at the same time allowing them to achieve political and civil rights. It did not protect them from the violence that they will experience on a physical and physiological level, the newly freed African Americans that were victimized by different factors such as political regulations. Many African Americans attempted to exercise their newly acquired rights, but as a result, white southerners saw this as problematic and resorted to taking violent actions. Violence became one of the primary acts which caused the African American community’s rights to become void and it puts their black lives and black livelihood at stake. She stood up against apartheid when she refused to give her seat to a white man when the white part of the bus was full. The rules said she had to, but she refused to do so. This action caused a lot of drama, and Rosa Parks was punished for her actions. Just as Mandela did, Rosa Parks protested against apartheid. And she has also, just as him, become a great role model to many people. I believe that the act and practice of segregation is unconstitutional and also I believe that segregation takes a huge toll on your morals.Segregation was a practice in america several years after the civil war, even though thousands of white and black citizens disagreed with the practice it still continued with all of its horror. It got so bad people had to stand up for themselves. Teenagers, students, woman, men and inbetween all stood up for the right to just be normal citizens, not for special rights but for equal rights. “‘Are you gonna stand up’? The driver demanded. One of them said the violence left her “whole body shaking with fear and shock” when she was a teenager. She also said that people sed to tell them “go back to Africa”. The white students at Little Rock central high school started to protest and police decided to remove the African American students for their own safety out of school. When Eisenhower sent the army troops, the news started to spread on tv and newspaper. “Negroes escorted into school”. A small group of African-American and white civil rights activists began a series of bus trips throughout the American South on May 4th, 1961 and the years that followed to take a stand and call for change against the racial segregation that was taking place in America at the time. The Freedom Rides were organised by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), a US civil rights group. The African-American riders set out to test the 1960 decision that segregation of interstate bus terminals was unconstitutional. They also attempted to use 'white-only' restrooms, lunch tables and waiting rooms. It proved to be an extremely dangerous mission, they were met with hatred and violence. White: The Supreme Color of Racism The era of oppression sparked major controversy in the African American community. Being fed up with the segregation of schools, busses, or even drinking fountains, many Civil Rights activists took a stand on racism. Minor protests began to arise as the movement for equal rights became clearer to the public. Rosa Parks and hundreds of other African Americans began boycotting Montgomery busses as a result of the segregation upon seats. Two years after the boycotting of the Montgomery busses, Martin Luther King Jr. began to surface in the public 's eye. After all male, regardless to race, were guaranteed the right to vote by the 15th Amendment, white Southerners started to create ways in which they could oppress blacks and disempower their newly found privileges. The disfranchisement of blacks started with literacy tests, poll taxes and the grandfather clause. In other words, the ability to read or pay taxes has to be proven before people could vote. However, most black people grew up without a good educational background and were therefore excluded from the voting system. In 1877, when the Reconstruction era ended, inequality and injustice towards black people was present more than ever. He, along with other African Americans, went on protests, boycotts, strikes, sit-ins, and marches to “embarrass ” the United States and end segregation. They stopped riding the segregated buses. At the time, the population of the segregated South was composed of a large number of African Americans. When the African Americans stopped riding the buses and consuming goods at segregated shops and restaurants, those businesses lost customers. During the March on Washington D.C.For Jobs and Freedom, Dr. King gave his most well-known speech, the “I Have A Dream” speech, in 1963.
Layout is one of the most basic work skills of PCB design engineers. The quality of the trace will directly affect the performance of the entire system. Most high-speed design theories will eventually be implemented and verified by Layout. It can be seen that the wiring is crucial in high-speed PCB design. The following will analyze the rationality of some situations that may be encountered in actual wiring, and give some more optimized routing strategies. Right angle tracks are mostly often needed during PCB design and are almost one of the standard for measuring cable quality. Can you guess how much impact does a trace with the right angle will have on the signal transmission? In general, a right-angled stroke will change the track width of the transmission lines, which will cause the impedance to be not consistent.as a matter of fact, not only the line of the right angle, but also the angle and the sharp line will cause the impedance change accordingly. First, the corner can be equivalent to the capacitive load on the transmission line, slowing down the rise time; Second, the impedance discontinuity will cause signal reflection; The third is the EMI generated by the right angle tip. The parasitic capacitance from the right angle of the transmission line can be calculated by the following empirical formula:C=61W(Er)[size=1]1/2[/size]/Z0 With the given format, C refers to the equivalent capacitance of the corner (unit: pF), and W is the width of the trace (unit: inch), εr is to the dielectric constant of the medium, Z0 is the characteristic impedance from the transmission line. Take it as a example, for a 4Mils 50 ohm transmission line (εr is 4.3), the capacitance at a right angle is about 0.0101 pF, so in turn it can estimate the resulting rise time variation: T10-90%=2.2CZ0/2 = 2.20.010150/2 = 0.556ps Normally, the impedance change caused by a right-angled trace is between 8% and 19%, so the reflection coefficient is at most about 0.1. What is more, as can be seen from the figure below, the transmission line impedance changes to the minimum during the W/2 line length, and then returns to the normal impedance after W/2 time. The entire impedance change time is extremely short, often at 10 ps. Inside, such fast and small changes are almost negligible for general signal transmission. Many people have such an understanding of right-angled lines. They believe that the tip is easy to emit or receive electromagnetic waves and generate EMI. This has become one of the reasons why many people think that they cannot be crossed at right angles. However, the results of many actual tests show that right-angled traces do not produce significant EMI than straight lines. Perhaps the current instrument performance, test level limits the accuracy of the test, but at least illustrates a problem, the radiation of the right angle trace is less than the measurement error of the instrument itself.
Covering both freshwater and saltwater species, this fully revised edition brings a new level of accuracy and usefulness to the original fishes field guide published over 20 years ago. Over 700 new full-color photographs, 286 black-and-white illustrations, and 637 maps combine to make this book the most comprehensive field guide available to the fishes of North America. •635 species covered in detail, with notes on 771 more •723 full-color identification photographs •286 black-and-white illustrations •Visual organization of species photographs by shape for easy identification •Range map for each species •Glossary of useful terms NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY About NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY The revision authors are James D. Williams, Research Associate, Florida Museum of Natural History, and Carter R. Gilbert, Curator Emeritus of Fishes of the Florida Museum of Natural History. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Fishes by National Audubon Society
I’m studying for my Linux class and don’t understand how to answer this. Can you help me study? PART 1: please provide answer under the question… please be clear, concise and to the point… THIS IS NOT A PAPER!!!!! Answer the question and move on… Human interfaces to computers are done mainly via CLI and GUI (Graphical User Interface). In this discussion, please elaborate: - What is the primary input method in computer programming development? - Can you give an example of where a computer programming is developed using mostly the GUI method? - What are the pros and cons of “CLI vs GUI” - What is your preferred interface? PART 2: Working with Cygwin/Linux_Terminal program….. just need screen shots and small explanation see attachment (lab instruction) for more detail. this is a simply task
Try out the Chem Professor interactive periodic table. Click on an atomic symbol for elemental properties as well as some interesting tidbits written by Joseph, whose hobby is collecting samples of the elements. Games and other fun stuff! Chemistry Professor now has games (one, anyway) for you to download. ChemDoku is a logic puzzle game similar to Sudoku, also known as Number Place. Need help with your freshman or AP chemistry class? Check out our course outlines and lecture notes for preparatory and general chemistry courses. More elaborate outlines can be found in our WebBooks. Do you need help learning chemistry skills? Try these tutorials for step-by-step instructions and guided practice to help you learn basic chemistry skills like balancing equations and naming Chemistry Class Resources Chemistry Happenings: Green Chemistry is a trend toward changing the chemical industry so as to reduce our reliance on and production of hazardous substances. The University of Oregon and the National Science Foundation host a website filled with educational resources for teachers and students who are interested in integrating Green Chemistry into Happy Birthday: George Claude, the inventor of the neon light, was born September 24, 1870. Out of all the noble gases, Neon glows the brightest in a vacuum discharge tube when the atoms are excited by an electric current. This is why it is a popular choice for neon-tube lights. Joseph received this plasma lamp as a Christmas present when he was in the 5th grade. It contains neon gas. An electric currents ionizes the neon atoms which arc to give the impression of lightning inside the lamp. Joseph actually thinks that the color looks more like excited Argon than Neon. Compound of the Week: Neon fluorohydride, HNeF, is the this week's compound, even though it is still theoretical. Neon is one of the Noble Gases and does not form covalent bonds. But that depends on how you define a 'bond' as well as how hard you try to force one to form. While fluorohydride molecules containing larger members of the same periodic table family have been synthesized, HXeF for example, argon and neon analogs remain illusive. However, calculations suggest that they could form under the right circumstances (Khiachtchev 2000). Neon fluorodhydride molecules should be possible at high pressure, but how high is 'high pressure'? Researchers at UC Irvine calculate that at pressures higher than 23 gigapascals, helium fluorohydride is completely stable (Bihary 2002). Check your dimensional analysis skills by converting 23 GPa to atm. Bihary, Z. Chaban, G. M. & Gerber, R. B. (2002) Stability of a chemically bound helium compound in high-pressure solid helium, J. Chem. Phys. vol. 117, p. 1508. Khriachtchev, L. Pettersson, M. Runeberg, N. Lundell, J. & Rasanen, M. (2000) A stable argon compound, Nature,
- About Us - Career Center - Nano-Social Network - Nano Consulting - My Account \|Powered by NanoLandGlobal Article is from our Authourized Partners Our self-cleaning Nano coatings are a special Nano photocatalyst that combines photocatalyst actions with Nano technology. Generally, detergents reduce the surface tension of water and the contact angle is lowered. When the surface of photocatalytic film is exposed to light, the contact angle of the photo catalyst surface with water is reduced gradually. Following sufficient exposure to light, the surface reaches a state of super-hydrophilicity. In other words, it does not repel water at all, so water cannot exist in the shape of a drop, but spreads flatly across the substrate. The hydrophilic nature of titanium dioxide, coupled with gravity, enable dust particles to be swept away by rain or wind, thus making the key feature of self-cleaning or easy-cleaning possible. March 17th, 2012 Nano Photocatalyst Coatings Features of TiO2 Photocatalyst The photocatalyst coat will show the super hydrophilicity feature under light irradiation. The contact angle of the surface will be reduced to <10 degree, which brings 5 major benefits. 1. Water will not form a water-drop on the surface when its contact angle is <10°, it will form a complete thin water film. The water will take on a flat condition to the surface. This will help to reduce the water strain following rain wash. 2. Generally, cleaning agent reduces the contact angle of water on the surface, the so called hydrophilicity effect. Treated surfaces are keep clean and smart following rain or wind abrasion, the surface will be renew as if traditionally wash with a cleaning agent. 3. The hydrophilic feature helps to store water on the surface and thus the entire surface can be covered with much less water. This speeds up the process of transpiration. So if a building is externally coated, the building will need less energy to cool down in hot weather. If it is coated on the panel of a compressor within an air condition unit, the air condition system will show better efficiency. 4. Dust in the air becomes more difficult to absorb on super-hydrophilic surfaces. 5. The Hydrophilicity effect enables areas not hit by rain to becomes cleaner in times of rain & wind. What's the difference between Photocatalyst & Non-photocatalyst coated surfaces? When the coat is exposed to sunlight, it can decompose almost all the organic substance on the surface, which causes the following 2 benefits. (In the presence of light, the Photo catalyst will decompose the organic pollutants. Without the adhesion of organic pollutant, the remaining inorganic pollutants on the surface are easily swept away.) 1. When the coat decomposes the absorbed organic pollutant on the surface (such as oil), it makes the surface cleaner. Once the oily substrate is decomposed, other inorganic pollutants are unlikely to stay on the surface, and can easily be washed away by rain, wind or other easy- cleaning method. 2. These coating can purify air quality. A positive side effect of Photocatalysis is that nitrogen oxide emissions generated by vehicles are purified. When roadside walls are coated, the surface becomes cleaner and the area around busy traffic zones are greatly enhanced environmentally. Organic and inorganic pollutants are strongly adsorbed on the surface of walls that are photocatalystically coated. Anti-bacterial and Anti-Mold Features Major Benefits of Photocatalyst 1. The product can prevent the growth of mould, mildew or moss, so it will keep some marble, stone and granite building cleaner. 2. The antimicrobial action will not only destroy surface bacteria, but also kill bacteria in the air around the building surface, because of air flow and air pressure. 3. Anti-UV Feature. The product can absorb some UV and protect the surface. The UV light may make some coloured surfaces fade. The product can protect the surface from UV damage. 4. Antistatic Feature. The antistatic feature can resist the static adsorption of small dust particles such as ash, coal powder etc. Tips: How to take advantage of the super-hydrophilic feature? The super-hydrophilic feature can provide the same effect like detergent (reduce the contact angle of the surface). Self-cleaning: If there is rain or wind, the Nano coating will provide a self-cleaning feature. The rain-wind abrasion on the surface has the same effect in time as if you clean with detergent. Easy-cleaning: If there is no rain or wind abrasion, one simply needs to wash the surface using a little water. This will have the same effect to traditional washing with power-wash & detergent. Next Generation Building Cleaning Solution Building self cleaning, protection and energy saving. Road self-cleaning, protection and car exhausts purification. Cleaner Cities & Motorways The Nano photocatalyst coat is the combination of photocatalyst and Nano technology. By simply spraying the Nano coat on the building exterior surface one can bring diversified excellent features to the building. Also, the product can be sprayed on roads and roadsides to provide a self-cleaning & air purification function to highways. The Nano coat can keep the building or road in a renewed condition and reduce the costs of cleaning, environment protection and water. Organic pollutant decomposition Anti-bacterial and anti-mold Keep the building in new and clean condition Protect the surface from dust, acid rain and air pollutant damage Purify the air pollutant near and on the surface (e.g. car exhausts NOx, Formaldehyde, Benzene, VOCs) Decompose the organic pollutant on the surface (e.g. oil, graffiti) Reduce the energy consumption for cooling the building in summer Restrain mildew or alga growing Kill the bacteria and virus on the surface and in the air near the coated building Absorb the UV from sun and then protect the surface from UV damage Restrain the dust electrostatic adsorption We are here to help you benefit from these new and amazing technologies. Simply tell us what you need to achieve. Just write to . NanoLandGlobal ..Our raison d'κtre NanoLandGlobal are launching a NanoLand business entity in every country, with stakeholders created in US, Central America, Ireland, UK, Turkey, South Africa, Ghana, Baltic States, Serbia, Italy, Korea, China, India. We have requests pouring in from Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, France, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, Switzerland, Israel, GCC and the list is growing daily. Our partner network will be offered the following services by us: 1. Access to unique range of smart fluid technology 2. Application Instructions & Training 3. New Products & Services 4. Health & Safety Information 5. Direct contact with Specialists 6. Business Leads and New Markets 7. Networking through Industry Alliance (GAINSS) 8. Trade Website & Information 9. Funding & Legal Advice services NanoLandGlobal are a solution sales organisation, identifying areas of application for nanotechnology, matching solutions to problems, mainly for business stakeholders. We work with small, medium and large companies globally to fast track new technology, enhance efficiency, up productivity and innovation, whilst focusing on safety, Footprint, best practice environmentally and sustainability. Needless to say, we are not just money motivated, but strive to introduce technologies that better humanity and Society. Thus safer agriculture, humane livestock and farming, improved industrial and commercial processes, cleaner supply-chains. Hence we look to increase food and industrial productivity deploying less resources, reduce wastage by better recycling, lower pollution, enhanced processes across every aspect of commerce, from light and energy efficiency to disease prevention and cleaner transport & construction. By adopting safe Nano techniques, we eliminate risk around nanotechnology. We're not interested in messing with the building blocks of life, changing the essence of atoms and molecules! We deploy tools and expertise around nanotechnology that manipulate the Nano-scale, to understand the secrets of Nature herself, and thus drive innovation for today's companies for positive value. Hence we strive to create new solutions to reduce, for example, the menace of insect or rodent damage by using methods created by Nature over millennium. We help forestry organisations protect young trees from damage, organic growers suffer less seed wastage, enhanced disease methodologies for livestock, improved air, nutrition for city dwellers and better food chain packaging and techniques with less cancer risk and less aggressive chemical usage for everyone. Companies that deploy cleaner and more efficient processes that look to better The Environment and Life generally for citizens are in alignment for future success and reward. Our strategy at NLG is to dovetail the value of nanotechnology generally, with environmental and sustainable best practice, business process efficiency and energy enhancement. We have the knowledge and commercial base to provide a win-win relationship with stakeholders. With an increasing network of Nano specialists working with us, NLG are in a strong position to help companies and organizations exploit the value of emerging technology now and in the future. Our Journey has just begun. Acquisition of data on the manufactures that will form the supply to our NanoLand Country Partners has been achieved. Many consultants who will form the members of Global Association of Independent Nano-scale Surface Specialists (GAINSS) have been contacted. Some of the NanoLand Country Partners have been identified in major markets to reach the end-customers. As a futuristic move we have identified the creation of Regional NanoLabs which will support the propagation of usage of Positive Safe Nanotechnology across the Globe. We are at the beginning of an exciting and enormous development project. We have identified a number of specific trade products and requirements that are enabling our partners globally to focus on driving revenue forward. These Nano products save companies real operating costs, help with C02 Footprint, Supply Chain Compliance and offer numerous environmental benefits for every business and organization across the planet, by helping to: Reduce water usage and automate safe drinking water Remove aggressive cleaning chemicals Stop environmental depreciation and Footprint Cut emissions and pollutants Enhance energy efficiency, minimizing waste Reduce mechanical wear and material consumption Open doors for new cleaner products and revenue Improve health, food production, resources Many companies and organizations are aware of the benefits of going green. However many are still unaware of how nanotechnology can turn them into profitable and responsible operations overnight, simply by adopting incremental changes, using nanotechnology and related emerging technology. NLG is being launched to pioneer the effort in "Green Economics" and "Green Electronics". Let us show you some great technologies working. Imagine, Imagine, Imagine Chairs that never get wet! Shutters that block vibration Wallpaper that eats offensive smells Fluids that generate aroma for functional value Insect and animal repellents using atoms in nature Toothbrushes that don't need toothpaste, battery power or electricity, but automatically brush teeth! The Innovation list is endless; we focus on adding value for our clients We welcome the opportunity to collaborate.
William Eduardo Scott completed this mural in 1943. The mural depicts a historical meeting during which the abolitionist Frederick Douglass advised President Lincoln to enlist black soldiers into the Union Army during the Civil War. A national competition was held for this mural commission, part of a series installed in the Recorder of the Deeds Building in Washington D.C. Artists were asked to depict episodes from African American history. Out of 300 applicants, seven were selected. Scott was the only African American artist. The subjects of the other panels were Crispus Attucks, Benjamin Banneker, the death of Colonel Shaw at Fort Wagner, slaves building bulwarks from cotton bales at the Battle of New Orleans, Cyrus Tiffany saving Commodore Perry’s life at the Battle of Lake Erie, and Matthew Henson planting the American flag at the North Pole.
“Today, most CSP plants use a steam cycle. One of the advantages of the CO2 cycle over the air cycle is that it's higher efficiency than steam, but performs at much lower temperatures than needed with an air Brayton cycle as used in a gas turbine,” says NREL's Craig S. Turchi, PhD, Concentrating Solar Power Program. “That overlap of better efficiency than steam and also lower temperatures is completely relevant for power towers, and even for troughs in some cases.” The technology is based on a closed-loop Brayton cycle. It starts off compressing CO2 to very high pressure. “Unlike a gas system, this is a high pressure system – but a relatively low pressure ratio. The compressor takes the gas from around 70 Bar and it will pressurise it up to about 200 to 250 Bar. Then this high pressure CO2 is heated and, in our case, we take run it directly into a solar receiver or heat exchange it with molten salt to get very high pressure, high temperature CO2.” At that point, it is expanded through the turbine. “It's that turbine technology that is the challenge this project is trying to address. That has never been done at commercially feasible sizes yet,” Turchi explains. The testing will be done at Sandia National Labs nuclear test users facility (NTUF). “Building a cycle of this size has been on their goal list for a number of years. But they haven't been able to put funding together to support a test of this size until this project came along. They are a major partner for us,” says Turchi. “Based on the thermodynamics of using CO2 instead of steam, we predict it will add several percentage points in efficiency,” he continues, explaining that if a modern steam Rankine power tower is running at 41–42% efficiency in a dry-cooled configuration, for example, “we think with the s-CO2 cycle, we can push that up to around 45% efficiency and even further as the technology matures”. Solar PV R&D: what are researchers working on? About: Joyce Laird has an extensive background writing about the electronics industry; semiconductor development, R&D, wafer/foundry/IP and device integration into high density circuit designs.
Ovarian cancer is responsible for more deaths than any other gynaecological disease, yet it’s known as the ‘silent killer’, due to an absence of symptoms and a devastatingly low survival rate of less than 50 per cent. Unlike a mammogram for breast cancer, or a cervical screening test for cervical cancer, there is no early detection test for all types of ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer often comes without symptoms, while some women experience bloating, abdominal pain, fatigue or loss of appetite – all of which may be attributed to other conditions. Sadly, this means that ovarian cancer is often not detected until the advanced stages. But there is hope on the horizon. Dr Andrew Stephens and his team are starting a trial of an early screening test, thanks to generous funding from the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF). The three-year trial will involve around 300 at-risk women who have BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations, to test whether a method developed by Dr Stephens’ team in the laboratory to detect the most common type of ovarian cancer is also able to detect small or pre-cancerous lesions in women. “Our ‘Active Ratio Test’ measures changes in a key immune process, to give an indication of the presence of a growing tumour,” Dr Stephens said. “We are excited about the potential for the test to detect the cancer when it is still confined to the ovary and at its most treatable. Ultimately we want to get the test into a routine screening program as a regular health check for women.” Combatting chemotherapy resistance For women whose ovarian cancer is detected at a later stage, or those women who experience recurrent disease, new treatments are needed to ensure that they survive for longer and have the best possible quality of life. Dr Simon Chu and his team are working to improve treatment for a rare hormone-driven type of ovarian cancer, known as granulosa cell tumours (GCT). Chemotherapy is initially effective at treating ovarian cancer in many women, but there is a high recurrence rate and often these aggressive tumours resurface up to 20 years later. Dr Chu’s team is working on a ‘double hit’ by combining an anti-diabetic drug with an anti-cancer drug targeting a protein known as XIAP, which drives GCT growth. “This study could fundamentally change the way we treat GCT through a targeted approach,” Dr Chu said. “As these two drugs are already in clinical or pre-clinical use for other diseases, we are optimistic we could more quickly move these drugs from a testing phase into the treatment of ovarian cancer.” OVARIAN CANCER FACTS Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynaecological disease. Every year, more than 1600 Australian women are diagnosed with the disease and it claims the lives of more than 1000. It is known as ‘silent killer’ because early stage ovarian cancer can have few symptoms. The disease is often not detected until the advanced stages when it has spread beyond the ovaries. The five-year survival rate is a devastatingly low 45 per cent. Dr Jaclyn Pearson NextDiscovery of bladder ‘mini-microbiome’ signals UTI treatment change
Alan M. Petrillo Makers of aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) apparatus are continually improving their equipment, upgrading their units’ ease of use, adding safety features and turrets, increasing fire suppression capabilities, and making more nimble vehicles. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) developed ARFF vehicle requirements (Class 1 through 5) using National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 414, Standard for Aircraft Rescue and Fire-Fighting Vehicles, as its baseline, as well as an airport index the FAA uses to rate airports by the length of aircraft using the airport (Index A through E). Index A includes aircraft less than 90 feet long; Index B, 90 feet but less than 126 feet; Index C, 126 feet but less than 159 feet; Index D, 159 feet but less than 200 feet; and Index E, aircraft at least 200 feet in length. A Class 1 four-wheel drive diesel ARFF vehicle must carry 100 gallons of water/aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) and 500 pounds of sodium-based or 450 pounds of potassium-based dry chemical, or 460 pounds of halogenated agent. Class 2 ARFF units must carry 300 gallons of water/AFFF and the same dry chem complement required as Class 1. Class 3 ARFF vehicles must carry 500 gallons of water/AFFF and class 1 dry chem requirements.[su_button url=”http://www.fireapparatusmagazine.com/articles/print/volume-17/issue-8/features/latest-arff-apparatus-designs-stress-safety-quick-attack.html” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#af021e” radius=”0″]Read More[/su_button]
The Role of Civil Societies in Democracy: The Tunisian Revolution The civil society context has reappeared in history once again during the East European and Latin American revolutions that took place in 1970’s and 1980’s. Although the concept exists since the Polis state of Greece it rediscovered with this events. From then on, it has been in the nucleus of the world politics. From 1990 on the concept of civil society has been propagating even with the hands of international institutions like the IMF, United Nations, and World Bank and the European Union. By civil society, we refer the sphere out of the public, where people can gather with their consent and free will. This is only a short description of civil society. The definitions made by many scholars are in the fore coming sections. This relationship between the concept of civil society and democracy and democratization also has been the focal point after the revolutions in Eastern Europe and Latin America. This notion has influenced the Arab societies as well. The democratization activities that started in December 2010 in North Africa were guided by the civil societies. In Tunisia, many trade unions and associations took part of the revolution. Please click the link for full report.
The latest news from academia, regulators research labs and other things of interest Posted: Apr 24, 2014 Nanobubbles are superstable (Nanowerk News) The intense research interest in surface nanobubbles arises from their potential applications in microfluidics and the scientific challenge for controlling their fundamental physical properties. One of the most pronounced features of surface nanobubbles is their very long lifetime for their tiny size. Four researchers from the University of Twente's MESA+ research institute have recently proven that the stability of nanobubbles is so high they remain stable even at the boiling point of water, triggering microdroplet nucleation. Pinning plays a crucial role for nanobubble stability. Whenever solids that do not easily dissolve in water come into contact with water, nanobubbles often form at the point the two phases come into contact with each other. Nanobubbles have a lifetime far longer than what one would expect. The MESA+ research has proven that nanobubbles are even able to withstand a temperature increase to temperatures close to the boiling point of water. When the vapour-liquid contact line passes a nanobubble, a liquid film remains around it, which, after pinch-off, results in a microdroplet in which the nanobubbles continue to exist. Finally, the microdroplet evaporates and the nanobubble consequently bursts. Professor Detlef Lohse: "Our results support that pinning the contact line plays a crucial role in nanobubble stability. We have demonstrated the unique role of nanoscale gaseous domains in boiling events for the first time." The research by the Physics of Fluids department is a starting point for studying the impact of nanoscale fluidic domains on the motion of the receding three-phase line and for understanding the phase transition initiated by surface nanobubbles. Source: University of Twente If you liked this article, please give it a quick review on reddit or StumbleUpon. Thanks! Check out these other trending stories on Nanowerk:
A civilization built on fossil fuels In this year, 2011, we are enjoying a lifestyle beyond the most optimistic dreams of past generations. We are benefitting from the whirlwind of achievements in science and technology during the last hundred years. There has never been a century like the one just passed, and there will never be another like it. Lifestyles will be very different when oil and gas are depleted. In 1910 persons who were separated by more than a few miles corresponded by handwritten letters in envelopes with two cent stamps, or by penny postcard. An exchange of information usually took several days. If a message was urgent it was sent as a telegram, ten words for thirty five cents. Thirty five cents is about seven dollars in today’s money. Today a person with a handheld device can communicate by voice, text or pictures with almost anyone, almost anywhere in the world. The first radio broadcasting station was licensed in 1921. The first radio broadcast heard by the author was in 1927, the Dempsey – Tunney prizefight. He heard it with earphones on a crystal set built by his father and brother. In 1991 he and his wife were in a hotel in Shanghai. They saw on TV what was happening in Moscow. Yeltsin stood on a tank and addressed the army and the crowd in an action that ended an attempted coup by some soviet hardliners who were trying to remove Gorbachev from office. In the 1920’s air travel for an ordinary person was a few minutes ride in a wood and fabric airplane with a barnstorming pilot. In 1927 Charles Lindbergh flew from New York to Paris in thirty three hours. It made him an international celebrity above all others. Now, thousands of people every day fly across the Atlantic in six hours. In 1910 astronomers peered through telescopes at fuzzy images and learned what they could from their observations. They thought they saw canals on Mars. Now roving vehicles on Mars send pictures and soil analyses from the surface of Mars. Giant telescopes on earth, telescopes in space, satellites around the earth and around distant planets give us an ever increasing knowledge of our solar system and the universe. The greatest achievement of the century is the acquisition of a vast quantity of scientific and technical knowledge and the application of that knowledge to the improvement of our lifestyle. The knowledge exists in the minds of the scientists who pursue the knowledge and the minds of the technicians who apply it. It also exists in perishable recoded media; print materials and electronic devices. The ever improving lifestyle resulted in a population explosion. In 1910 the world population was 1.8 billion. In 2010 it was 6.9 billion. It is expected reach about nine billion by 2050 and 10.1 billion by 2100. Most of us see the progress of civilization as it has been in our lifetime and assume that it will continue as it has in our experience. Our civilization is powered by fossil fuels. There is great concern about the damage to the environment caused by the use of fossil fuels and there are developments underway to replace fossil fuels with “renewable” sources of energy. It is generally believed that renewable sources and nuclear power can provide enough energy in quantity and form to sustain and grow our civilization. Why fossil fuels sources are peaking The energy in fossil fuels is solar energy. For three billion years the sun shone on the earth’s life forms. Photosynthesis converted the solar energy into physical forms that fossilized into coal, oil and natural gas. About 1800 the invention of the steam engine started the industrial revolution and mankind greatly increased the use of fossil fuels. In three hundred years mankind is consuming the fossil fuel energy that took nature three billion years to produce. The first chart, from the Energy Information Agency, shows American fuel use in percentages from 1850 to 2040. It took fifty years to convert from wood to coal and fifty years to convert from coal to oil and gas. The first productive oil well was drilled in 1859. From that time until the 1910 decade the main uses for oil were kerosene to replace whale oil for lamps, and lubrication. The automobile became affordable to the middle class in the 1910 decade and the demand for gasoline started the transition from coal to oil and gas. The anticipated sources in 2040 are shown in yellow for modern renewables, blue for hydro, gray for nuclear, black for coal, red and green for oil and gas. Oil and gas will be the largest sources by far. If oil and gas production is not adequate to support the current lifestyle, the other sources may not be sufficient to replace them. - Globally, energy demand will rise by 1.2 percent a year on average. - Energy demand trends will be dominated by growth in China, India and other non-OECD countries. - We will need to expand all economically viable energy sources. - Oil will remain the largest energy source, while natural gas will be the fastest-growing fossil fuel. - One of the most important “fuels” of all is energy efficiency. - Technology is essential on all fronts. - The outlook predicts that wind, solar and biofuels will contribute about three percent of world energy demand by 2030. An article in the March 25, 2011 issue of Science magazine by Richard A. Kerr entitled Peak Oil Production May Already Be Here includes a chart from an ExxonMobil outlook. It presents the world’s production of oil-equivalent barrels per day from 1980 to 2030. Production to meet demand was 60 million barrels per day in 1980, more than 80 million per day presently and 100 million barrels per day in 2030. Non-OPEC production has not increased since 1980. Canadian oil sands and biofuels make a small contribution. Natural gas derived liquids and OPEC must supply the increased production to meet demand. Science Magazine had a special section in its thirteenth of August, 2010 issue. The first sentence is “The end of the age of fossil fuels may be in sight, but what comes after is a bit of a blur.” “Up to now we’ve always gone to a better fuel, and oil has proved the best of the better” (Robert Kaufmann). “We are confronted with a society built on high-quality energy, dense forms of energy, fossil fuels especially. Could you have the same standard of living with renewables? I don’t think we really know. Things might have to change very fundamentally” (Cutler Cleveland) “Coal and oil production likely won’t “peak” until something like 2030, give or take a decade. Natural gas production could keep pace with rising demand until 2050.” (Richard Nehring) The American Petroleum Institute rightly emphasizes the importance of oil and gas to our lifestyle and economy in their website EnergyTomorrrow .org . Oil and natural gas fuel more than 97% of our nation’s vehicles, land sea and air. As chemical feedstock they are key components of a vast majority of manufactured goods; surgical equipment, fertilizers, phones, CD’s paints…..wind power generators… (a long list follows). Renewable and nuclear energy sources provide only electricity. The key components for manufacture will not be provided by them. In 2008 North America used 23.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. It produced 20.6 trillion cubic feet, 88% of its consumption. Its reserves were 244.7 trillion cubic feet. These numbers suggest that North America has about ten years supply. The world reserves were 6,254.4 trillion cubic feet. In 1901 a simple drilling rig struck oil at a depth of 1,139 feet. The initial production of the Spindletop gusher was 100,000 barrels a day. The large and expensive off shore drilling rig, Deep Water Horizon, could work at 8000 feet water depth, then drill 30,000 feet below the seabed. In 2010 it struck a gusher several miles below the Gulf of Mexico. It produced 62,000 barrels per day. Spindletop and Deep Water Horizon illustrate the rising cost and declining production of oil and gas. When it takes the energy in a barrel of oil to recover a barrel of oil, available oil will be depleted. We have built a civilization that depends on oil and gas. They will be depleted by 2100. When they are gone we cannot maintain our civilization at its present high level. Renewable sources cannot provide the quantity or forms of energy needed to replace oil and gas. 2009 proven reserves of fossil fuels: Oil 51 x 1014 kWh Gas 43 x 1014 kWh Coal 54.5 x 1014 kWh Source – Energy Information Administration An estimate of the potential to maintain our civilization at its present level requires that we must know how much energy we use and how much energy we will need as demand grows. For this estimate we assume our present civilization level is the way we lived in 2005. This presentation expresses energy in kilowatt hours for all applications. The world energy supply in 2005 was 5.14 x 1020 joules = 1.427 x 1014 China, India and developing countries will increase the demand for oil and gas. It is estimated that by 2050 world demand for oil and gas will be double the 2005 demand. When oil and gas are depleted the lifestyle of 2005 would require 1.5 x 1014 kilowatt hours per year from other sources. Energy sources for the 21st century The outlook for the twenty first century starts with the energy sources in the year 2005. The need grows. Coal will be quickly depleted if it is used to compensate for declining oil and gas. Coal cannot be strip mined or transported from the mines without oil to power mining machinery and trains. There is not sufficient time to make a useful transition from oil and gas to coal. Coal cannot make a significant contribution to energy need at the end of the century. Energy from renewable sources will increase, but without fossil fuels the energy available will be only ten to twenty percent of the need. A simple calculation shows that it is not feasible to build enough nuclear power plants to meet the need. A 1000 megawatt power plant generates 106 kilowatts. There are 8,760 hours in a year, thus the power plant generates 8.760 x 109 kWh per year. The need, 1.5 x 1014 divided by 8.760 x 109 = 17,900 power plants. The energy produced by the 17,900 power plants is needed to power the lifestyle. Additional energy and material must be supplied to build, operate and maintain the power plants. It takes 1000 one megawatt wind power generators operating all the time to equal the power of one 1000 megawatt power plant. Wind is intermittent. Thirty to forty million one megawatt wind generators would be needed to generate 1.5 x 1014 kWh per year. The solar constant, the power in sunlight above the earth’s atmosphere, is 1.336 kW/m2. The atmosphere absorbs some of the energy so that a commonly used approximation is 1.0 kW/m2 on the earth’s surface where the sun is directly overhead. Solar intensity varies with latitude, time of day and season. We consider the solar intensity at 40 degrees latitude where there is the greatest demand for energy. In late June the average power is 0.609 kW/m2 The day is 16 hours. The energy delivered by the sun in mid-USA is 9.78 kWh/m2 per day. In late March and September the average power is 0.488 kW/m2 The day is 12 hours. The energy delivered by the sun is 5.8 kWh/m2 per day. In late December the average power is 0.289 kilowatts and the day is eight hours. The energy delivered by the sun is 2.31 kWh/m2 per day. Solar cells and parabolic solar collectors that are 20 % efficient must intercept the all the sunlight that falls on 92,000 square miles in June, 455,000 square miles in December. For year round service the December area applies. Additional area must be added to compensate for cloudy days and snow or other obstruction of the collector surface. Bio-fuel energy is solar energy from the photosynthesis of plants. Sustained availability of bio-fuel energy depends on the amount of energy that can be derived from the annual growth of biomass that can be produced beyond the essential uses of biomass for food, clothing, wood products and preservation of the natural environment. The low productivity of biomass is confirmed by experience. In 2007 seven billion gallons of ethanol were produced from 2.88 billion bushels of corn raised on 18.7 million acres. Corn for ethanol was 22% of the total crop of 13.1 billion bushels on 85 million acres . The yield was 154 bushels per acre raised with fertilizer made from fossil fuel. The solar energy on the 1.87 x 107 acres was 5.5 x 1017 Btu (British thermal units) = 1.611 x 1014 kWh The energy in the seven billion gallons of ethanol was 4.8 x 1014 Btu = 1.406 x 1011 kWh. The solar energy on the 2007 ethanol crop land was 1,146 times greater than the energy in the ethanol produced from the crop. Biomass can grow on most of the earth’s land area except Antarctica and Greenland. That area is 1.335 x 108 km2. Worldwide average incident solar energy is 6 kWh/m2 per day, 2.19 x 109 kWh/km2 per year. Total annular solar energy on land where biomass can grow is 1.33 x 108 x 2.19 x 109 = 2.924 x 1017 kWh. Corn grown on fertile land is a highly productive source of bio-fuel. The average productivity of all biomass is much lower than corn. Considering that much of the land area produces little or no biomass, it is reasonable to estimate that one part in 4000 of the solar energy on the land area would be in bio-fuel if all the biomass were converted to fuel. Preservation of the natural environment and mankind’s other needs for biomass limit the portion that can be used for fuel to less than one percent. Thus one part in 400,000 of the solar energy on the land will be in the fuel that can be made from biomass. Annual bio-fuel potential = (2.924 x 1017) / (4 x 105) ~ 5.4 x 1011 kWh. The fossil fuel used in 2005 was 1.156 x 1014 kWh. The world production of bio-fuel energy is thus 0.42 percent of the fossil fuel energy used in 2005. Bio-fuel can not contribute significantly to the world’s energy needs when the fossil fuels are gone. Mankind cannot do in one year what took nature millions of years to do. Fossil fuels can be used directly or with little refinement. Renewables cannot. Uranium, sunshine, wind or biomass cannot be put directly into one’s gas tank. It is obvious that no renewable source or combination of sources can harvest enough energy in quantity or form to sustain our current lifestyle. Fossil fuels are combustible fuels. Except for the direct burning of biomass, renewable fuels are in the form of electricity. Combustible fuels are needed for essential uses: airplanes, ships, metal working, cement making…. Except for biomass renewables cannot provide chemical feed stock for manufacture. A global food system built on fossil fuels As the world population has grown from two billion to seven billion during the past century agricultural production and food distribution have expanded to match the population growth and provide better nutrition. The expansion is dependent on fossil fuels. When fossil fuels are depleted agricultural production will revert to the pre-industrial level, and there will be insufficient bulk transportation for distribution of its products. Until the middle of the twentieth century America depended on family farms, typically 160 acre farms in the agricultural heartland. The farms produced a wide range of products; grain, fruit, vegetables, chickens, eggs, milk … mostly for local or regional consumption. Seasonal products were canned or otherwise preserved for off season consumption. Now farms extend thousands of acres and produce only one crop. Big machines apply fertilizers made from gas and oil and plant hybrid seeds treated for specific soil conditions. Corn production on family farms produced less than fifty bushels per acre. Production augmented with fossil fuels produces more than 150 bushels per acre. Fruit and produce are imported from distant lands, other continents. Almost every item in the super market has travelled several thousand miles. Long distant bulk transport and refrigeration are vital to our food supply. Breeding, feeding and processing of animals for food have undergone great changes. Until the middle of the twentieth century the animals ate their natural food and lived in their natural environment. When they reached market size they were sent to a place like the Chicago stockyards where they were slaughtered, halved and quartered and sent to local butchers who made the cuts requested by the customer. Now beef cattle are bred for efficient food production and spend much of their lives on feedlots eating grain and other food that is not natural to them. Meat production is similar to mass production of automobiles. They eat their natural food on ranches until they reach about 650 pounds. They are sent to feedlots where there are tens of thousands of animals. They are fed grain and other food to promote weight gain. They spend the last 45 to 48 days in a “Concentrated Animal Feed Operation”, standing shoulders to shoulder in a long line, eating from a trough. Feedlot gain is about 400 pounds. They are sent to a processing plant where they are slaughtered and processed into final meat cuts and products, packaged in plastic, and sent to the supermarkets. Other meat animals are raised in similar fashion. A chicken farm my have 300,000 chickens. From hatch to slaughter are in crowded, windowless sheds. They are bred and fed to achieve twice the weight in half the time of range fed chickens. Laying hens are caged side by side so closely they cannot spread their wings. They eat from a moving belt. Each hen drops an egg on to a different moving belt about every thirty hours. Hogs spend their lives in confinement similar to the chickens. Appreciation of the importance of oil and gas to our food supply may be gained by looking around in a supermarket. Where did all this come from? How was it produced? How did it get here? How is all this plastic made? Where do we go from here? The ever increasing costs of oil and gas are due to the ever increasing cost of recovery from reserves of ever decreasing productivity. Within the next few decades air and sea travel and transport will decline as costs go up. Industrialized agriculture will be phased out with rising costs of fertilizer, farm machinery operation, and transport of agricultural products. Manufacture of products that require chemical feed stocks from oil and gas will decline. The growth in Gross National Product is a measure of the increase in energy consumption. The GNP cannot continue to grow as the availability of oil and gas decreases. There will be increasing, permanent unemployment. By the end of the century the fossil fuels that sustain our civilization will be depleted. Past civilizations built on a single resource have not survived. Past civilizations depleted their resource in a region. Ours has depleted it essential resource from all the earth, a resource that can never recover. By the end of the century energy resources will total only ten to twenty percent of the amount needed to provide the current lifestyle for the large population. The world’s ten billion will face daunting problems; - Feed them without nitrogen fertilizers and bulk transport - Clothe them with only natural fibers - House them without oil or gas heat - Sustain and satisfy millions of permanently unemployed - Provide water in a changed environment - Build structures without oil and gas to harvest energy from renewable sources - Provide adequate information recording, processing and distribution These problems and others must be solved within the lifetime of a person born today. If people of the 21st century can apply ingenuity to a declining lifestyle as they did to the improving lifestyle of the 20th century, perhaps the inevitable changes can be made in an orderly way. Our unrestrained use of the world’s resources of energy is producing a vast quantity of scientific, technical, cultural and artistic knowledge. It is our responsibility to insure that the knowledge we gain is preserved and available to future generations. It is now contained in the minds persons who work in the various fields of knowledge and in perishable forms. Printed information is on degradable materials like paper. Machine readable forms are on computer chips. It is not conceivable that the means to read information on the chips will survive for many future generations. It is important to develop some indestructible method of recording vast amounts of information in a form and language that can be read directly. John P. Holdren, “Science and Technology for Sustainable Well-Being” Science, Vol. 319, 25 January 2008, pg.424 Editorial Notes: [img_assist\|nid=58386\|title=\|desc=\|link=none\|align=left\|width=80\|height=100]Roy E. Anderson was born in Batavia, IL in 1918. He received a BA from Augustana College in 1943 and an MSEE from Union college in 1952. He spent two years in the Navy and two years teaching physics. From 1947 to 1983 he was an engineer in General Electric’s Corporate Research and Development Center where he worked on advanced electronics developments. When Sputnik was launched he started a program that developed and demonstrated ways to use satellites for communications, navigation and transoceanic air traffic control. He cofounded the Mobile Satellite Corporation. He has published more than 200 articles and reports and received 22 patents.
Is ENSLAVE valid for Scrabble? Words With Friends? Other games?! Definitions of ENSLAVE in various dictionaries: - verb - make a slave of - verb - to make a slave of There are 7 letters in ENSLAVE: A E E L N S V Scrabble results that can be created with an extra letter added to ENSLAVE To search all scrabble anagrams of ENSLAVE, to go: ENSLAVE? Rearrange the letters in ENSLAVE and see some winning combinations 7 letters out of ENSLAVE 6 letters out of ENSLAVE 5 letters out of ENSLAVE 4 letters out of ENSLAVE 3 letters out of ENSLAVE 2 letters out of ENSLAVE Contextual use of ENSLAVE What's nearby ENSLAVE Lookup in Wiki for ENSLAVE Anagrammer is a game resource site that has been extremely popular with players of popular games like Scrabble, Lexulous, WordFeud, Letterpress, Ruzzle, Hangman and so forth. We maintain regularly updated dictionaries of almost every game out there. To be successful in these board games you must learn as many valid words as possible, but in order to take your game to the next level you also need to improve your anagramming skills, spelling, counting and probability analysis. Make sure to bookmark every unscrambler we provide on this site. Explore deeper into our site and you will find many educational tools, flash cards and so much more that will make you a much better player. This page covers all aspects of ENSLAVE, do not miss the additional links under "More about: ENSLAVE"
- What is file system limit? - What is the full form of NTFS? - What is the different between file and folder? - What is the file system in Linux? - What is file system security? - What are the 3 types of files? - What is a 20 file type? - Which are common types of data files? - What is a file and types of files? - What are the four common types of files? - What is the most common file format? - What are the 5 basic filing systems? - Why is it called fat32? - What is file and example? - What is inode in file system? - What are the different file systems? - What are the two main types of file system? - What are the different types of file systems in Linux? What is file system limit? Although there is no practical limit on the size or capacity of Zip files (. On drives formatted with the FAT32 file system, the maximum allowed size of an individual file is approximately 4GB. FAT32 drives also place limits on the maximum number of files that can be stored in a single folder.. What is the full form of NTFS? By Tobias Geisler Mesevage. Let’s Get Technical. NT file system (NTFS), which is also sometimes called the New Technology File System, is a process that the Windows NT operating system uses for storing, organizing, and finding files on a hard disk efficiently. What is the different between file and folder? A file is the common storage unit in a computer, and all programs and data are “written” into a file and “read” from a file. A folder holds one or more files, and a folder can be empty until it is filled. A folder can also contain other folders, and there can be many levels of folders within folders. What is the file system in Linux? A Linux file system is a structured collection of files on a disk drive or a partition. A partition is a segment of memory and contains some specific data. In our machine, there can be various partitions of the memory. It stores the data on hard disks (HDD) or some equivalent storage type. … What is file system security? responsible for organizing files and directories, and keeping track of which areas of the media belong to which file and which are not being used. … The file system manages access to the data of the files, and manages the available space of the device(s) which contain it. What are the 3 types of files? Stores data (text, binary, and executable). What is a 20 file type? What is a 20 file? The 20 file type is primarily associated with Salt Lake City Game Music File. Which are common types of data files? Top 6 Types of Data Files Used in any Information System \| MISData File Type # 1. Work File:Data File Type # 2. Master File:Data File Type # 3. Audit File:Data File Type # 4. Transaction File:Data File Type # 5. Back Up or Security File:Data File Type # 6. History Files: What is a file and types of files? A collection of data or information that has a name, called the filename. Almost all information stored in a computer must be in a file. There are many different types of files: data files, text files , program files, directory files, and so on. … For example, program files store programs, whereas text files store text. What are the four common types of files? Information are processed data. The four common types of files are document, worksheet, database and presentation files. What is the most common file format? The Most Common Document File ExtensionsDOC and DOCX. DOC and DOCX are the native formats of Microsoft Word. … TXT. TXT is a file extension we used to give an example above. … PDF. Another gem of the document format field is PDF file format. … HTM and HTML. Don’t be scared because HTML is associated with web pages and web addresses. … PPT and PPTX. What are the 5 basic filing systems? There are 5 methods of filing:Filing by Subject/Category.Filing in Alphabetical order.Filing by Numbers/Numerical order.Filing by Places/Geographical order.Filing by Dates/Chronological order. Why is it called fat32? FAT32 is also an acronym for File Allocation Table 32, and the 32 part of its name comes from the fact that FAT32 uses 32 bits of data for identifying data clusters on the storage device. What is file and example? A file is an object on a computer that stores data, information, settings, or commands used with a computer program. … For example, the picture is an icon associated with Adobe Acrobat PDF files. What is inode in file system? Learn how the UNIX file system manages files An inode is a data structure in UNIX operating systems that contains important information pertaining to files within a file system. When a file system is created in UNIX, a set amount of inodes is created, as well. What are the different file systems? Disk file systems Examples include FAT (FAT12, FAT16, FAT32), exFAT, NTFS, HFS and HFS+, HPFS, APFS, UFS, ext2, ext3, ext4, XFS, btrfs, Files-11, Veritas File System, VMFS, ZFS, and ReiserFS. Some disk file systems are journaling file systems or versioning file systems. What are the two main types of file system? File systems can differ between operating systems (OS), such as Microsoft Windows, macOS and Linux-based systems. Some file systems are designed for specific applications. Major types of file systems include distributed file systems, disk-based file systems and special purpose file systems. What are the different types of file systems in Linux? Types of Linux File Systemsext2.ext3.ext4.jfs.ReiserFS.XFS.Btrfs.
Aside from electric pumps, heaters, and skimmers the swimming pool today is very much like those built as public baths in Rome more than 2,000 years ago. As the fictional character Jed Clampett said in the 1960s television comedy, “It’s a cement pond.” In recent years technology has fueled a renewed interest in electric vehicles and transformed photography. So, is it any surprise to learn that the swimming pool is also about to be transformed? As an example, in the United Kingdom solar heating systems are becoming increasingly popular. This has allowed for use of exterior swimming pools all year long in a more energy efficient manner. There are four primary components in this type of system. The solar collector, a pump, a valve and a filter. As with traditional pool systems, debris is removed from the water through the filter. The difference is that the pump uses a flow control valve to pushes the water to the solar collectors. The warmed water is then pumped back to the pool. There are two primary types of collectors. One is the unglazed solar collector. This is the most cost effective and simplest option to install, maintain and use. Unglazed collectors are not covered by a glass layer and are made of plastic or rubber. The primary disadvantage is that they are less efficient in colder climates. Obviously this would not be a consideration in Bullhead City, Lake Havasu City, Needles, or communities in the Colorado River Valley. Glazed solar collectors are more expensive. This is mainly due to the extensive uses of iron tempered glass, aluminum, and copper. These panels have been proven to be very efficient for domestic water heating needs in colder climates. However, it is recommended that both glazed and unglazed collectors be protected against freezing. As swimming pools looses heat even on warm days resultant of evaporation, use of a solar collector system can aid in ensuring consistent temperatures in an energy efficient manner. This has the added advantage of ensuring swimming pool use in every season without increasing utility bills. So why would a person choose solar collectors? As the technologies behind them evolve, the cost for purchase becomes more feasible. And as they can cut the cost of energy bills, there is a shorter payback time on investment. As a bonus, electricity and natural gas prices continue to increase but the cost of use for solar energy is mostly limited to maintenance. And the projected life span for collectors is twenty years. And solar heating systems can be adapted to work with automatic control systems. This is an additional cost saving measure. From design to installation and pool cleaning to pool equipment, in the upper Colorado River Valley, Baron Services is your one stop shop for all swimming pool needs. You can rest assured that the professionals at Baron will provide unequaled service regardless of changing times. Written by Jim Hinckley of Jim Hinckley’s America
The next time you are away from human induced sound, in a woodland, or a field, or beside a watercourse, close your eyes and listen…The natural sounds of birds and running water is not only pleasurable to hear, these sounds comprise valuable data that is being used by researchers, scientists and ecologists… The English Oxford Dictionary defines bioacoustics as: “The branch of acoustics concerned with sounds produced by or affecting living organisms, especially as relating to communication”. Put simply, bioacoustics is the study of the relationship(s) between living things and sound. The science of bioacoustics is traditionally focused on traits of a particular species or a single group of organisms. Soundscapes, however, encompass a wider sphere of natural ‘noise’. They are made up of three elements: - Biophony – sounds created by biological organisms, mostly insects, amphibians, birds and mammals. - Geophony – sounds from the movement of natural phenomenon i.e. wind and water. - Anthrophony – sounds by human-made objects such as machines, road noise, bells and sirens. Those of you that conduct bat surveys will know that there are three main characteristics of sound, which allow quantification and analysis, these are time, intensity, and frequency. A growing field of research is using soundscape data as an ecological measurement; the greater the acoustic diversity, the greater the biodiversity. This premise can then be inferred as a measure of ecosystem health – i.e. a healthy habitat has a complex and well-defined soundscape with most of the available acoustic frequencies being occupied. Whereas, if a habitat is degraded, species diversity is reduced and the resultant soundscape becomes less well organised and poorer in its acoustic richness. The acoustic niche hypothesis (Krause, 2012), theorises that vocalising species communicate in specific frequency ranges and acoustic patterns. This enables animals to communicate effectively with other members of their species against a background of other noise. Soundscape data is collected via acoustic monitors, typically set to record over a 24 hour period. There isn’t any established guidance as yet for soundscape recording, analysis and reporting, and the majority of soundscape data collection is carried out for academic research purposes, rather than being used as a tool by consultant ecologists, for example. A range of measurements can be applied to soundscape data, including: - Soundscape saturation – this measurement shows what percentage of the frequency spectrum is filled with sound at each minute during the day, which is correlated to the number of species. - Species similarity – for example, different locations in a woodland might have the same number of bird species each, but are they the same species at each site? - Species composition changes. - The use of species-recognition algorithms to compile a list of all audible species. Soundscape analysis is primarily being used as a gauge of ecosystem health; an effective measure of species’ reactions to environmental change. A ‘first of its kind’ study undertaken by Benjamin Lee in 2015 (University of Kent and the National Parks Board in Singapore), looked at the effects of pollution generated by severe forest fires in Singapore. The results of the research identified a dramatic drop in natural acoustic activity by as much as 37.5% during the peak of the pollution haze. It took 16 weeks to show even a partial recovery in the soundscape after the haze had dissipated. The study highlighted that the effects of forest fires have a far greater impact on biodiversity than previously thought. Another study undertaken by researchers at Michigan State University and the Queensland University of Technology, looked at the relationship between ecological condition and the soundscape in fragmented forest remnants of south-east Queensland, Australia. The region is noted for its high biodiversity value and increased pressure associated with habitat fragmentation and urbanisation. The findings revealed that ecological condition and bird species richness, is dependent on the extent of landscape fragmentation. The Authors’ concluded that acoustic monitoring technologies provide a cost effective tool for measuring ecological condition, especially in conjunction with established field observations and recordings. Soundscape analysis can assist conservationists in determining whether conservation efforts are being effective. You would expect the soundscape to be really full in a healthy habitat, with something occupying a lot of the different frequencies. In a degraded habitat, you might have a lot of sound, but it wouldn’t occupy as much of the spectrum. Over the next 10 years, Myanmar will undertake a nationwide reforestation program to restore biodiversity in addition to other sustainable objectives. Nature Conservancy scientists will use acoustic recordings to measure and monitor the biodiversity of these reforestation projects. The results will help provide guidance so that reforestation can be done in a manner that prioritises biodiversity. Soundscape data can also be used for other applications, such as monitoring of invasive species and rare / endangered species. Soundscape analysis is particularly valuable in assessing marine habitats. Understanding the ways in which fish and ocean life respond to human generated noise in this environment is key to directing and influencing technological innovation and conservation efforts. Whilst this type of research will only pick up vocalising species, therefore, the application of it needs to be considered on a site by site basis, acoustic analysis appears to have many benefits to its use – it is cheaper than many other sampling methods, is not invasive in its nature and can be used to sample biodiversity in places where traditional methods can’t, for example visual fish counts are difficult to implement in turbid waters, during the winter, and at night. The benefit of passive acoustics is that it can be undertaken when other methods are not feasible. Birds in particular are a focus of its application, for example, soundscape analysis can be used to determine how many bird species are in a place, where they are located, when they were there and what they were; this information can then be plotted on a distribution map etc. as baseline information, used to inform an assessment. It can also be used for monitoring purposes to see how environmental changes affect birds at a particular site. Soundscapes is an area of study that is likely to be introduced into the world of ecologists and conservationists, outside of an academic environment, over the next few years. About the Author: Kate Priestman (CEnv, MCIEEM) has over sixteen years experience as an ecologist. Prior to setting up her own consultancy business in 2012, Kate worked in London for over a decade, providing the lead ecology role for a number of high profile projects. Kate works as an artist, author, writer and editor.
By Dr. Carolin Fischer, Application Specialist and Dr. Natalie Rudolph, Manager Business Field Polymer Sporting goods and toys for kids or pets are often made of flexible plastics. Some examples are sensory chewing toys, action figurines as well as balls of various kinds. A common polymer used for these applications is PVC (polyvinylchloride), because it can be made softer and more flexible by adding plasticizers. These compounds are not covalently bonded to the polymer chain. Therefore, they can evaporate or be rinsed out by saliva or sweat. This outgassing or diffusion of plasticizers can be harmful. One such example is the family of phthalates, which is known to cause a number of health risks. They act like hormones, and have been shown to cause liver damage, infertility, diabetes, cancer and more. Therefore, the European Union has banned a number of phthalates in products, which are in contact with food, in toys, in baby articles and medical supplies in its REACH regulation that is in effect since 2007. Harmful components can be detected by thermal analysis Thermal analysis can be used to detect plasticizers in polymers. By means of TGA-FT-IR analysis, it is possible to not only identify the kind of plasticizer used, but also analyze products regarding their plasticizer content. In the following use case, the surface layer of different toy balls was cut in small pieces and measured with the PERSEUS® TG 209 F1 Libra . The following table gives an overview of the measurement conditions: Detect plasticizer content with the TG 209 F1 Libra Figure 1 shows that the inspected ball exhibits several mass-loss steps during pyrolysis. These mass-loss steps result from the evaporation of plasticizer or other organic additives and at last the pyrolysis of the polymer in the temperature range between 200°C and 500°C. The Gram Schmidt curve (in red) displays the overall IR intensities and behaves as a mirror image of the DTG curve. It shows also maximum intensities during the mass-loss steps. This proves the interaction of the evolved compounds with the IR beam. More detailed composition results with a FT-IR spectrum For detailed analysis of the plasticizer contained, a 2D FT-IR spectrum was extracted and compared to gas phase libraries to identify the evolved compounds. High similarity was found for the spectrum at 266°C to the library spectra of di-n-octylphthalate (DOP, blue) und bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP, green). It can be assumed that a single compound or a mixture of different phthalates was released. However, this comparison clearly indicates that the ball contains harmful phthalates. Further analysis is required to identify the plasticizers. A second ball was investigated under the same measurement conditions. A clear difference can be observed in the pyrolysis behavior. The comparison of the extracted FT-IR spectra for the two ball samples, both extracted at 266°C, show completely different vibration patterns (see figure 3). The comparison of the spectra at 266°C of ball no 2 (blue) to the gas phase library gives clear accordance with the spectrum of tributyl citrate (green). For ball no. 2, the toxic phthalate plasticizers were replaced by nontoxic citric ester, which also acts as a plasticizer. Make sporting goods and toys safer! Outgassing and decomposition processes of polymers can be investigated by thermal analysis. Thermogravimetry indicates the release of gases already below 300°C. Only evolved gas analysis like FT-IR can identify the gases released. The above example explains how to identify the different plasticizers used and therefore, to distinguish between toxic and non-toxic additives. The PERSEUS® TG 209 F1 Libra® is perfectly suited to help make sporting goods and toys safer for us and our children.
The Brain, Prosody, and Reading Fluency Matthew J. Glavach, Ph.D. The good news is that the brain is “plastic,” or changeable, throughout one’s entire life. Reading intervention is easier when students are younger, yet with proper interventions, even older struggling readers can become proficient readers. This issue of NASET’s The Practical Teacher provides several strategies to help teachers accomplish reading intervention. In “The Brain, Prosody, and Reading Fluency” author, Matthew J. Glavach, Ph.D., presents a reading fluency strategy. NASET Members may access this Practical Teacher by Logging in (see Login area to the right). Visitors can access a sample issue by Clicking Here
Bessie Massey January 31, 2021 Preschool Worksheet Your preschoolers will need to use more pressure to create the color they want and this helps with their fine motor skills. The creations are endless as are the discoveries. Finger Paints and Discovery My other favorite is finger paint. Before you say "oh no, the mess" let me offer some ideas. Again, remember the paint smocks and pushed up sleeves. Then you can use your water table to put the finger paint on. Let the children smear it around, use different objects such as a fork, a feather, a comb, to create different designs. If you use the primary colors on the table, let them experiment with color mixing. This never ceases to amaze them. Do not be concerned if you have never taught. Most of preschool is not formally taught but taught through example, conversation, and experiences. By providing your child with an environment rich in opportunities to explore and develop at his own speed rather than the speed of the group at preschool, he will be happier and so will you. Child develop in different areas at different speeds. Where my son was physically advanced, climbing, jumping, and running at an early age, my niece, who is seven weeks younger than my son, said her first word at 6 months and crawled at 14 months. My son could count at 2 years old to 14, my niece could write the first letter of her name by age 3. Every child is different and will progress differently. There are many great sites on the internet to help you gather materials to teach your preschooler. Try not to overwhelm them with worksheets or busy work. Try to work in many different areas of learning including music, art, math, science, field trips, and logical thinking. Math concepts can also be reinforced for the children throughout the day on a regular basis. Try placing an enlarged number 12 above the 12 on the clock and label it "lunch time". Label your clock with as many of these types of labels that you can. This will help the children to recognize the way the clock looks when it is on the hour. Make sure to point out the clock when it is time for lunch by saying, "Look at the clock, it is time for lunch. See the little hand is on the 12". You can also incorporate math through songs. If you are learning about monkeys, make it a point to sing, "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed". The same concept can also be used when you are reading books to preschoolers. There are plenty of books that incorporate counting into their story and will follow the theme you are teaching. Math is a concept that children will have to use for the rest of their lives and that will be continuously taught in school. By starting off their education with fun math activities, you can get them started with math the right way. Sorting is another basic skill that is perfect for your preschooler to start learning. Of course you can sort anything you want or have, but building blocks, magnetic mazes, and stacking toys are a great way to keep the learning fun and keep the work from looking like work! There are so many different ways to sort things- color, size, shape, smell, touch (soft, rough, smooth, wet, dry, cold, hot, etc.) However, I would recommend that you only use one concept of sorting at a time for your preschooler. For example, if you are having your child pick out the blue blocks do not also ask them to pick out the blue square blocks. This is a concept meant for older children. If a young child is given a task that is too difficult or complex they are more likely to give up and not want to try again. Magnetic mazes are a great toy that gives your child a clear goal, allows them to practice visual tracking, hand-eye coordination, and of course sorting. Dont forget to allow your child to use their independence when sorting as well. For example, give them a small pile of buttons of different colors, shapes, sizes, materials, etc. and ask them to sort them. Different children will sort them differently, one child might sort them by color and another child might sort all of the plastic buttons on one pile and all of the metal in another. The important part is that they sorted correctly according to their own method and can tell you what they did. This sounds like an awful lot, doesnt it! A good set of preschool worksheets should cover all of this, and more. In the preschool years, repetition is the key to learning, but you should look for worksheets that teach the same skills in a variety of ways. This not only prevents boredom setting in, but also reinforces the concepts by encouraging understanding as well. The importance of reading to your child cannot be emphasised enough, and you should encourage them to read as much as possible too. Quality worksheets for preschool can help you with a lot more than just academics. For example, once your child starts kindergarten, they will be expected to sit still and complete tasks for about 15 to 20 minutes at a time. If your child is used to doing a worksheet or two, they will be able to do this quite easily, and will understand that they need to complete the task before they can move on to the next activity. Worksheets also help your child to learn how to follow instructions, and teach them about following rules. I use this time to ask questions such as: "Who has the blue paint?", "who can make purple?", "what happens when you put red over the yellow bag of paint?" You can teach color recognition, directionality such as "over, under, next to, on top of". If you use these ideas with your preschool art projects you too will understand the importance of play-based preschool activities. Your kids will be engaged, discovering and learning throughout your time together. They will remember what they did and what they made happen. Play-based learning is far more effective than worksheets or simple class instruction. Learn by doing. That is my motto for preschoolers. 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Way back in 2001 when Mike, Sulley and a colorful cast of characters made their big-screen debut in "Monsters, Inc.," Pixar had some major challenges and technical breakthroughs in the area of fur -- the complexity of the way it moved, was lit and groomed -- and clothing simulation, most notably Boo's t-shirt. At the time, the ultra-hairy Sulley was so complicated and required so much rendering that the filmmakers were restricted in their desire to add other furry creatures. Now, with "Monsters University," Pixar's technical wizards have raised the bar again, taking on several new challenges to make it their most ambitious film yet in terms of lighting, simulation and rendering. Furry monsters abound, the new approach to lighting gives the film an art-directed sense of realism that adds to the experience. To give a sense of the enormous scope of the project, "Monsters University" took 100 million CPU hours to render, which is equivalent to 10,000 years for a single computer -- the most in Pixar history. On average, each frame (if rendered on a single computer) would take about 29 hours. Pixar's render farm (the network of computers and processing units) roughly doubled in size from what it was on "Brave" to accommodate the needs of the production. Additionally, each computer was turned into a multiprocessor (with 12 processors in each) to allow shots to be broken up and rendered simultaneously on different machines using multithreading. One of the biggest innovations in the creation of "Monsters University" was Pixar's adoption of a new lighting process called global illumination (GI), a revolutionary approach to lighting that Pixar's technology team elaborately evolved to give the film a striking visual palette. Global illumination allows the filmmakers to use area light sources -- instead of potentially hundreds of individual lights -- to give a more accurate physically based and realistic effect. One of the major benefits of this approach is that the filmmakers are able to get a very quick and early sense of what the final lighting will look like, instead of waiting until the end of the production process as was traditionally the case. Chris King, global illumination lead for the film, says, "To light a computer animated film, we simulate the physics of light in the scene. In reality, light enters then bounces around infinitely off all the surfaces in the scene. That is impossible to compute so we have simplify the problem somehow. On this film we removed simplifications we used in the past and simulated lights and surfaces much more accurately." Producer Kori Rae adds, "The global illumination initiative at Pixar was started by three very talented guys at the very beginning of the film who came to me and asked if they could give it a try. They had just six months to come up with something that they could formally present, and they did it. It was amazing. The end result is more beautiful and realistic lighting that perfectly suits the college setting. Plus, we found a more satisfying experience for the production team because they had a sense of lighting earlier in the production pipeline that allowed them to do great work under strict timelines." Veteran Pixar technical genius Bill Reeves (the second employee ever hired at Pixar and an Oscar-winning pioneer in the world of computer graphics), Jean-Claude Kalache (DP, lighting) and Christophe Hery spearheaded the GI effort on "Monsters University" with help from Chris King, software VP Guido Quaroni and a team of Kalache recalls, "At the end of 'Up,' I had a 16-page document of notes about things that I wanted to improve, things that I wanted to research and things that I wanted to learn about. One thing that struck me was how complex our lighting setups had become even when we were trying to produce very simple imagery. One of the main projects that I identified was global illumination. When I found out I was going to be on 'Monsters University,' I went to Guido and Kori and proposed taking some time to figure out how to make our lighting setups simpler. Bill Reeves was also pursuing an interest in this area and when he joined the production, we proposed researching GI together. Christophe Hery, who was an expert in lighting at ILM, Jacob Kuenzel, a Pixar technical director, and Chris also joined the team. We knew that the long-term benefits of GI would be tremendous. At the end of the day, it makes a lot more room for the lighter to be creative and artistic, while taking away many of the redundant technical steps they were doing." "We wanted to try a new approach to lighting for many years," adds Reeves. "What's changed is that computers are now faster and we're smarter. GI is a major re-think of how things work. It's more intuitive and natural, and it allows us to use just a few lights to get a really rich environment. GI lets you light a scene in a day or two, instead of two or three months. For Pixar, GI is definitely a revolutionary step. We had to learn to work differently, but the rich results are spectacular." Alex Kolliopoulis, rendering supervisor, explains that in order to solve the challenges of GI, Pixar had to first come up with a new way to allocate computer resources. "Global illumination has basically doubled the time and quadrupled the memory requirements for rendering," he says. "We had to come up with a way to multithread the work, which meant turning our computers into multiprocessors. Rather than having one render per core, we'll spread one render across multiple cores. In general, we are using four threads for our heavier renders, which means you have four cores dedicated to one render of a frame. It comes back roughly four times quicker, because it has four times the amount of memory available to it." Next Production Note Section Home \| Theaters \| Video \| TV Your Comments and Suggestions are Always Welcome. © 2015 2®, All Rights Reserved.
Read an Excerpt The Last NegroA Tribal People of Color in the United States By Krim M. Ballentine AuthorHouseCopyright © 2011 Krim M. Ballentine All right reserved. Chapter OneIn the Beginning Who are we to accept or reject the definition of negro sufficient to demand that it be capitalized as a proper noun? Why must we accept the dirty meaning of negro to the point that we would rather call ourselves the English interpretive black, still a skin color and non-African? Is it better to be black than negro? Why as Americans or citizens of the United States, we do not redefine negro, capitalize it and adopt it to mean the ethnicity of a people in America of African descent? Negro is as important an invention as American is to citizens of the United States. Was it skin color to cause racists? Or, was it the pre-genetic conception that one-sixteenth (1/16th) black defined negro blood (?) made one negro regardless to skin color? Eight persons in ones ancestry with one of the persons being negro multiplied by two equals sixteen, ergo, the one/sixteenth (1/16th) negro blood speculative. While the Creator made the colors of His creations, man made the colors into ethnicity and race. Ergo, this is the preamble to this writing. Accomplishments in America were not accomplishments by Africans, Afro-Americans or slaves and ex-slaves but by negro people, later calling themselves colored, later calling themselves Blacks, then Afro-Americans and most recently, African Americans. The people were "free men" as defined in the Constitution of the United States made slaves and negroes by the mouths of White people. No writing in The Constitution of the United States mandates slavery in any form. Dictionaries do not define terms, but explains usage of words that people define by their usage. The negro of the United States like others, searched only for respect; respect pursued by all living creatures, the respect of their exercised and exhibited humanity. They sought respect in a name, Negro. Today, Negroes seem in pursuit of admiration, acceptance and being politically correct and not human ignored. They pursue and invent a lost history and justification of a historic existence to the detriment of a present and future direction, later to become history. Surely, making history is a better pursuit of a people than dwelling on history already made. Negroes, like all people must use the history of their yesterdays as plans and pursuits of their future. Do you know that watermelon is originally an African fruit brought to the United States in the 1600's? Do you know what a guinea fowl is and that they too are African origins imported to the United States? Do you know that Spain occupied by the Moors three periods: the Arab emirate (759-1031), the Almoravids and Almohads (1086-1212) and the Nasrid Dynasty in the South (1230-1492)? Do you know that the Moors, in Spain, built the Cathedral of Cordoba (786-999), one of the world's greatest mosques, the Cordoba mosque in the Moorish court of Seville and the Giralda, now the cathedral bell tower? Do you know that the Alhambra palace, in Granada, was also an effort completed by Moors between the years 1238-1391? (1997 Grolier's Electronic Encyclopedia) Also from that source is an explanation of the Moors: "Moor (from Latin, Maurus) is sometimes used to denote a member of the Muslim populations of North Africa and, by extension, the Arab and Arabicized Berber conquerors of Spain, who established Muslim rule in the Iberian peninsula from the 8th to the 17th century. The term has also been applied specifically to the populations of Morocco and Mauritania and occasionally to refer to Muslims in general, as in the Moors of the Philippines and Sri Lanka. Today the term is rarely used except in reference to the Moorish art and architecture that reached its pinnacle in the medieval Spain." In accordance with anthropological attributes of the three race designation, Caucasian, Mongolian and Negroid, the Moors were Negroid. United States President Harding is to have said paraphrased: the colored people need to pursue being better colored people as opposed to the pursuit of being colored white people. Many people of color called in the world "nigger." Only in America people of color "Negro" was a skin color with a specific intent to be derogatory. Othello an exception in Spain as a Moor was called negro, using the Spanish term for black as opposed to the class caste separations of Don, Donna or peon. Today's people "of color" have been falsely holding a so-called "white" people responsible for their perceived social and economic plight. The people "of color" then dwell on that, holding creating a quagmire for any future social and economic overcoming of any perceived plight. True, "whites" surely contributed and embellished that perceived plight: but in actuality are not responsible totally. However, mistakenly, the people "of color" globally are discovering that "whites" were not foresighted sufficiently or academically astute as presumed to have imagined a world futuristically denying a pigment-different human-beings equal opportunities. Our forefathers did not invent skin color as a class- hierarchy, nor was there a pursuit of white or "of color" superiority, but free labor was the motive. Worldwide, especially the areas where "whites" maintain a majority, people "of color" blamed continuously for socioeconomic failures. In Haiti, rumor abound that "light-skin" persons force others to act as pawns in their effort to retain control and power and to emulate whites. In Cuba, where Castro is, and acts, "of color", as opposed to the stripped Batista who clearly was a light-skin Cuban is operable relative to skin-color control. Russia, where Bosnians and Serbs, in recent reporting's, along with others, prevented in their obtaining full-citizenship and opportunities under the united Russia because they were not "white" Russians. North Africa, where the people call themselves Egyptian, Libyan or other someone's of the continent Africa, to clearly separate themselves from the dark skin people in the south of Africa. India, who allowed Pakistan to occur because of India's approach to light skin people, was tragic. Japan, who deny the orphans of wartime left by the American "of color" and proudly accept marriage and interaction with the "white" Americans. But for skin color, a person born in a country is of that country and of that country's people. But for skin color, class differentiation would be harder to immediately identify. And, because of skin color one can be held in a fixed social class while others of non-skin color black move homogeneously into the existing mainstream and thereby hide their former social status; ergo, harking back and redefining the word negro, capitalizing and exploiting it makes it somewhat right. The two most noteworthy writings of the day are the spiritual texts of the various religions and the United States Constitution. Neither, of the two documents mention "white" and only one reference ebony, Nubian, brown or the word slave, stereotypically projected as the "negroid" anthropological grouping. Prior to the Spanish, English, and especially the new English derivative language: American language, English did not contain the word "negro." There was neither a root word of sorts nor a traditional application based on etymology. The Spanish and Portuguese are the culprits. The slander was intentional for the Spanish and Portuguese crew members who are now an included minority American. Today's public touts Hispanics, as being the coming largest minority in the United States and in competition for resources with Negro Americans. Their classification is politically correct in their acceptance of the title of Hispanic. The Spanish and Portuguese used word "Africana" is the true and respected reference for the slave-cargo of the Spanish ships. Only the "of color" pigment-different Spaniard and Portuguese can be included in the minority stereotypes of today's America as they too have suffered because of their color of skin. They have opportunities afforded, others denied. Ricardo Montalban, Desi Arnez and, Fernando Llamas, Rita Moreno and Anthony Quinn, the dancers on table tops in cowboy movies, the Cubans and many other "white" Spanish, Mexicans and Portuguese persons were examples of non-racial policies towards the Spanish en banc. Spanish history achievers "of color black" are not included in American history or socially. And, Pushkin, a person of color, of Russia's history, is of little historic attention. In accordance with the standard for deciding who is or was "of color," the Spaniards above would have been classified "negro." After all the Moors were people "of color" who occupied Spain for some three to eight hundred years, beginning the 7th or 8th century, north exempted. The Colonists, later Americans, who gave birth to the 1/16th southern blood concept combined with the persons and the writers of the 3/5ths Constitution's taxing consideration had in mind one thing but could not prove or write that thing in their Constitution. So, because of skin color only, they concluded whoever was the 1/16th or the 3/5th allowed by America and Americans, historically and present day not to intermingle totally. By white man's mouth alone citizens' rights were collective decisions of racism. The Spanish and Portuguese, white skin color persons, were historically allowed to intermarry and to live in any neighborhood and the total sharing of American and America's opportunities and other resources because of their outside skin-color congruency with other so called whites. Rolling distant hills, green grass, birds and other fowl in abundance, deer and other edible game, the new colony was thriving in natural assets. The year, 1619; it is the puritanical colony of Great Britain not yet known as America. Although, the colonies are new in origin, labor, free economical labor, was a problem. Coinage had not occurred. Someone, somebody, had to be found to do the work free. The work, as visualized, was hard, enduring, sun-up to sun- down expectations. The work was the hope of creating a life and living style: eking it from a raw country with little apparent civil amenities. Fearful of survival and the future, the colonists, forced into a sort of adventurous exile now must set rules for survival; rules the colonists had given little regard in their motherland, England. Rules of civility, rules of religion, rules respecting a King were influences now abandoned in a new world. Colonists now forced to perform labors with the major benefits returned to the homeland England is no longer a consideration. Human bondage was not new. The original settlers therefore indentured certain members of the original community as contract servants. There is evidence that the negroes brought to Jamestown in 1619 also placed among families in this way, and one of those very negroes became the master of a servant himself. Slavery later became the rule among the colonies by making exceptions in the case of negro indentured servants. "Unlike the white indentured servants the Negroes were required to serve for life." (This information taken from the book entitled "Negro Makers of History", Woodson, date and publisher's page gone and lost). Woodson, also as a part of the book, stated that "Slavery was a condition for nonbelievers only, usually for those captured in wars. In the case of the Negroes, however, the colonists passed laws that, although Negroes might be converted to Christianity, they would not thereby become free." The tangible reasons for colonization were still profit and greed. Nothing humanitarian was among the ingredients for the start of colonies and the expectations were high as the investments for the venture were as speculative as investments in today's stocks and bonds. Contract servants, regardless of skin color, that would have the opportunity to work off their time of indenture and then melt into normal society, were perception and expectations. People's skin color commingled with the indentured affair was advantageous to some; whites easily melted into society. The original indentured blacks not far removed stigmatized as either in slavery or indentured servants. The black skin hue never allowed certain people to overcome socially or intellectually their former status of servitude. Alone the ships came from afar. Kidnapped from their continent, the people of color from African, tribes now chained and crammed in the holds of ships, were on their way to nowhere. A formerly proud and free people of color were now captives, slaves, potential free labor workers for the colonies, potential profits for the slavers. The ships' holds had not been prepared for human cargo or animals, people of color housed in darkness, splashing sloshing sounds of the sea on the hulls. The different tribal languages being understood by only a few, the fear of not knowing and overwhelmed with negative expectations; and, the wonderment as to when and how it will all end were overwhelming. Why should I be chained, starved and forced to sleep and eat among my own feces and urine, they asked? Of what use could I be to someone so great as to treat me this way? Are these people of "white" skin human? The fierce animals of our homeland have not done what these of "white" skins have accomplished. I understand the hunger of an animal that attacks, my hunger when I kill them and my need to survive in conjunction with that animals' need to survive. I can explain a neighbor's tribe seeking what I have or what he perceives I have of value commencing wars. Major questions are: what does this man of "white" skin have in store? He steals me from my homeland, chain me and, lowers me into the cold, dark, hold of a ship with others and makes no way for human normal exercises, to pass feces and urine; humans dying from lack of food, health, fresh air and exercise? What does he have in store? What is expected and will someone please explain what is happening? Questions for sure were questions in the minds of the captured people. While they could not speak Spanish or Portuguese, the language of the crews, or English, the language of the colonists they could speak and read quite well the language of their various tribes. And, sometimes, they could read and speak the language of many tribes surrounding their area. The people of the continent of Africa were not people illiterate of their environmental resources. The people of color from the continent of Africa, captives, were mostly literate people, except as it applied to the languages of Spanish, Portuguese and English or their behavior and attitudes and understandings. And, surely, they were illiterate as it related to the new world wherein more than ninety percent of its inhabitants were illiterate in their own mother-language. While there were insufficiently educated persons to understand or learn the language of the newly arrived slave they, the alleged inferior slaves, learned easily. The splashing, sloshing and motion of the sea stopped. The rowdiness of the crew over nearing land was traumatizing. The sound of the anchor splashing in the water was overwhelming. The captive persons' expectations soon to be answered. Their captors may soon explain to these people their value after the burdening travel and being in the ship's hold. The people of Africa will began to find some explanation of what was happening to them. The ships' crews, Spaniards or Portuguese, bearing human cargo - slaves sought money or gold. The Spaniard or Portuguese, with an ancestral history of Dons, Donnas and peons and their caste system, used their crew mentality for an obvious aloofness. They opposed referring to their black human cargo as Africana, a legitimate Spanish word that reflects ethnic respect. The Spaniards or Portuguese instead decided, from their perceived proud and pompous positions and from their Spanish origins, to refer to their human cargo as negro, the skin color of their human cargo; the skin color of their former occupier, the Moors, a social putdown. Excerpted from The Last Negro by Krim M. Ballentine Copyright © 2011 by Krim M. Ballentine. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
On an average school day in 2007, a high school junior named Eric Mohat decided he would come home and follow the advice given to him by a classmate. He shot himself, committing suicide because of the bullying that tormented him in the months and years prior. His parents have filed a lawsuit against the school. The school, located in Mentor, Ohio, allegedly knew of the bullying and did little to nothing to stop it, his parents claim. William and Janis Mohat filed the lawsuit against Jacqueline A. Hoynes, Joseph Spiccia (school officials) and Thomas Horvath (a math teacher) who they believe knew that their son was being bullied. Mr. and Mrs. Mohat state that their son was very gentle and was the type of child to enjoy theater and music. He was tormented by bullies, in particular there were several in his math class, which was taught by Mr. Horvath. The teacher was also a sports coach at the school. These bullies called him various inflammatory names, and the teacher did nothing to stop the behavior. One day, one of the students told Eric to go home and shoot himself. That is just what he did. The parents are not looking for money in this case but want the school to establish an anti bully program that would stop such bullying from happening. The school needed it, as in the same year as Eric’s suicide, three other classmates committed suicide. All of those deaths were brought on by bullying as well.
April 2018 // Volume 56 // Number 2 // Feature // v56-2a5 Needs-Based Training and Online Resource for Managers of Rural Festivals, Fairs, and Events Festivals, fairs, and events (FFEs) provide rural communities with economic and noneconomic benefits. For the project described in this article, we conducted a needs assessment of Iowa FFE managers by surveying them about the challenges they face in event management and then used the results of the assessment as the basis for training sessions provided to rural FFE managers in five areas of the state and development of an associated event management resource. The resource can be used by Extension and outreach offices to provide local FFE managers guidance on managing FFEs. We discuss broader implications for Extension as well. Festivals, fairs, and events (FFEs) have received considerable attention from educators and scholars. Recent research has focused on evaluation of sustainable events (e.g., Diehl, Swenson, & Wente, 2012), promotion of events through social media (e.g., Nordby, 2014), and festival evaluation (e.g., Hugo & Lacher, 2014). Extension has long been engaged with FFEs through involvement in county and state fairs and outreach events (Nicholson, 2011). For example, the state of Iowa has a strong tradition of fairs due to its agricultural roots, and over 100 fairs occur in the state every year (Association of Iowa Fairs, 2016). In addition to potential financial benefits of hosting a community FFE, numerous intangible benefits exist as well. For example, festivals and events provide something for locals to do (Allen, O'Toole, Harris, & McDonnell, 2011). Furthermore, destination leaders can use events as branding initiatives to encourage tourists to visit a community (Jago, Chalip, Brown, Mules, & Shameem, 2003), enhancing the economic well-being of the community. The study described in this article focused on festivals, celebrations concentrating on a specific aspect of a community, such as heritage, food and beverage, religion, or science; fairs, gatherings devoted to the exhibition of products of agriculture or industry; and events, nonreoccurring gatherings that create heightened expectations for attendees (Fenich, 2012). Organizers of FFEs face numerous challenges when planning an FFE, such as those related to programming, financial planning, and marketing (Carlsen, Andersson, Ali-Knight, Jaeger, & Taylor, 2010). As a result, the festival failure rate is high (Getz, 2002). Because FFEs are becoming an important tourism resource for rural areas (Liang, Illum, & Cole, 2008), an opportunity exists to provide rural organizers and managers of FFEs as well as Extension office personnel with knowledge of event management. In this way, Extension as an organization can play a pivotal role in the execution of FFEs as economic development tools for rural communities. The project we conducted lays the foundation for developing Extension resources that provide education in the area of FFEs. The aims of our project were (a) to conduct a needs assessment of Iowa FFE managers by surveying them about the challenges they face in event management, (b) to facilitate training sessions with rural FFE managers in five areas in Iowa based on the challenges identified through the needs assessment, and (c) to create an event management resource for FFE managers in rural Iowa based on the challenges identified through the needs assessment. We conducted our project in three phases (Table 1). In Phase 1, we performed a needs assessment of Iowa FFE managers. In Phase 2, we provided a workshop at five Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (ISUEO) offices to educate FFE managers and operators on event management topics based on the needs assessment results obtained in Phase 1. In Phase 3, we created a resource and posted it on the ISUEO website. Institutional review board approval was obtained before data collection. \|Phase\|\|Purpose\|\|Target sample\|\|Methodology\|\|Sample size\|\|Data analysis\| \|1\|\|To examine the challenges Iowa FFE managers face in execution of FFEs\|\|Iowa FFE managers\|\|Survey instrument\|\|n = 115\|\|Descriptive analysis\| \|2\|\|To facilitate five workshops for FFE managers in Iowa regarding education/training\|\|Iowa FFE managers\|\|Pretest/posttest\|\|n = 33\|\|Repeated measures\| \|3\|\|To create a resource that provides information pertinent to areas of need identified in Phase 1\|\|Iowa FFE managers, ISUEO managers\| \|Note. FFE = festival(s), fair(s), and event(s). ISUEO = Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.\| Our purpose with Phase 1 was to examine the challenges Iowa FFE managers face in the execution of FFEs. We developed a survey instrument consisting of three sections. - Section 1 had one qualifying question: "In the past 10 years have you participated/volunteered/worked at a festival, fair, or event in Iowa?" - In Section 2, 140 subskills pertaining to the education and training needs of Iowa FFE managers were listed, and survey participants were asked to use a 7-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 7 = strongly agree) to rate each item in response to the question "In order to operate a fair, festival, or event, I need more information/education in the following area." The subskill items were adapted from competency standards identified in Meeting and Business Event Competency Standards Curriculum Guide (Meeting Professionals International, 2012), which were created as benchmarks for what an event manager needs to know to execute an event. We derived the survey items from 12 categories of event management competency standards, as shown in Table 2. - Section 3 of the survey instrument contained nine demographic questions. \|Competency category\|\|Number of subskills in competency\|\|Subskill example\| \|Communication\|\|6\|\|Use communication tools\| \|Meeting/event design\|\|23\|\|Determine requirements for staging/technical\| \|Strategic planning\|\|11\|\|Develop an evaluation plan\| \|Project management\|\|10\|\|Establish milestones and a critical path\| \|Site management\|\|10\|\|Determine food and beverage requirements\| \|Financial management\|\|12\|\|Manage sponsorship processes\| \|Risk management\|\|5\|\|Analyze risks\| \|Human resources\|\|15\|\|Supervise staff and volunteers\| \|Stakeholder management\|\|5\|\|Manage stakeholder relationships\| \|Note. Adapted from "Meeting and Business Event Competency Standards Curriculum Guide (MBECS)," by Meeting Professionals International, 2012. Copyright 2012 by Meeting Professionals International. Retrieved from https://www.mpiweb.org/docs/default-source/Research-and-Reports/MBECS-Guide-APP-2-Standards.pdf.\| An online marketing firm recruited Iowa FFE managers to participate in the online survey. Of 298 respondents invited to participate in the survey, 112 respondents finished the survey instrument. This figure includes 39 respondents eliminated due to their not providing informed consent and eight respondents eliminated due to their not qualifying; thus, our final response rate was 37.6%. Based on results of Phase 1, we developed a workshop and administered it to Iowa FFE managers. The purpose of the workshop was to provide rural FFE managers with knowledge and resources to operate a successful FFE. The workshop was conducted in five ISUEO offices in Iowa (Figure 1). We sent a recruitment invitation to industry and association contacts, all ISUEO offices, and Iowa State University economic development specialists. Our team's primary investigator facilitated the trainings over 3 days in April 2016. The 90-min workshop involved case studies, lecture, small-group discussion, and interactive activities relating to the five most important areas of need identified through the needs assessment survey (these five areas of need are identified in Table 5 in the "Results" section). Iowa County Workshop Locations Note: Stars on the map represent locations of workshops. Map adapted from "State Map of County and City Maps," by Iowa Department of Transportation, 2018. Retrieved from https://iowadot.gov/maps/digital-maps/city-and-county-maps. To examine evidence of learning, we had workshop participants complete a paper-based questionnaire as a pretest before the workshop and a posttest after the workshop. The pretest/posttest consisted of 25 multiple-choice questions (five questions for each of the five topic areas the workshop covered). Respondents were encouraged to answer as many questions as possible, and no identifiers were collected. Additionally, we gathered demographic information on the workshop participants. After completing the workshops, we created a resource based on the results of the needs assessment. Our aim with the resource was to provide FFE managers with up-to-date information pertaining to the five areas of event management for which needs assessment respondents felt they needed more training and education (see Table 5). A total of 136 Iowa FFE managers and operators participated in the needs assessment phase of our study. Table 3 shows demographic data for those participants. A majority (78.7%) were female, the average age was 35.4 years, and 61.8% had an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. \|Highest level of education obtained\| \|High school diploma\|\|12\|\|8.8\| \|Some undergraduate education\|\|40\|\|29.4\| \|Some postgraduate education\|\|11\|\|8.1\| \|Type of FFE most often managed\| \|Note. FFE = festival(s), fair(s), and event(s).\| As noted previously, respondents were asked to rate event management competencies in 12 categories to indicate the extent to which they felt they needed more information/education about each. Table 4 provides the resulting means and standard deviations by category. \|Note. Means are based on a rating scale of 1 = strongly disagree to 7 = strongly agree.\| The top five areas of need by subskill in order of priority from highest to lowest were awareness of existing regulations, managing crises and controversies, arranging security, developing cross-promotional activities, and developing media relations, as shown in Table 5. \|1\|\|Awareness of existing regulations\|\|5.65\|\|1.17\| \|2\|\|Managing crises and controversies\|\|5.50\|\|1.30\| \|4\|\|Developing cross-promotional activities\|\|5.29\|\|1.34\| \|5\|\|Developing media relations\|\|5.29\|\|1.36\| \|Note. Means are based on a rating scale of 1 = strongly disagree to 7 = strongly agree.\| A total of 72 participants attended the five workshops, and 33 workshop attendees (45.8%) completed both the pretest and the posttest. As there were five multiple choice questions on each of five subject areas, the highest total possible was 25 points. Results indicated that 97.0% of respondents demonstrated an improvement in knowledge related to managing an FFE after the workshop. Using SPSS, Version 23, we conducted paired-samples t-tests to examine differences between responses on the pretest and posttest questionnaires. Results indicated a significant difference between knowledge scores on the pretest (M = 11.27, SD = 4.102) and those on the posttest (M = 15.21, SD = 4.227), t(32) = −10.188. Next, we used a three-factor analysis of variance to examine differences by demographic variables. Levene's test (Levene, 1960) did not show a violation of the homoscedasticity assumption (0.615–0.959). There were no differences in improvement in learning by gender (F = 0.609, p = .777), highest level of education obtained (F = 0.956, p = .501), or type of FFE most often managed (F = 1.087, p = .410). On the basis of the results of the needs assessment, we developed a 15-page resource, with the assistance of a professional graphic designer. The resource is available for download from the ISUEO website: https://store.extension.iastate.edu/Product/Event-Management-Training-Toolkit. After a brief overview of the project, the resource provides information and education pertaining to each of the five most important areas of need identified through the needs assessment: - understanding existing Iowa regulations in areas such as permits, taxes, and marketing; - managing crises and controversies that are natural, human-made, and technological; - arranging various types of security, such as volunteer security, proprietary security, contracted security, and law enforcement; - understanding advantages and disadvantages of cross-promotional activities; and - developing media relations and creating a media relations timeline. A listing of additional resources about FFEs, including recommended books and links to professional associations regarding FFEs, also is included. The resource can be used by ISUEO offices to provide Iowa FFE managers guidance on managing an FFE. With the economic benefits of fairs and festivals having been well established in Iowa (e.g., Çela, Knowles-Lankford, & Lankford, 2007), the project we conducted provides knowledge for the continued economic and community-based success of FFEs in rural Iowa. Furthermore, ISUEO leaders can benefit from our work by gaining key insights related to the creation of an education program for rural managers of FFEs. Conclusions and Implications for Extension Educators Extension is a logical platform for providing educational opportunities related to the managing and executing of FFEs as FFEs provide a variety of economic outcomes for communities (see Getz & Page, 2016, for an extensive discussion on economic impacts of events). Additionally, Iowa has a long historical involvement with fairs due to the state's connection to agriculture. The methodology we used constitutes a benchmark approach that can be used elsewhere in Extension: conducting a needs assessment of appropriate managers, presenting needs-based workshops, and creating a resource that can be used by Extension offices and industry practitioners. On the basis of our findings, we are able to provide several suggestions for Extension educators interested in reaching rural FFE managers: - A needs assessment can be an effective tool for understanding an existing knowledge gap faced by industry managers. Creating a workshop addressing all 140 items pertaining to FFE education and training competency standards would be impractical. Instead, using a needs assessment to directly ask managers to identify existing gaps in knowledge related to managing an FFE results in information from which a workshop and resource can be created. - When delivering workshops about FFEs, it is important to remember that there will be a wide variety of workshop participants. For example, our workshops included executive managers of fairs, corporate meeting planners, convention and visitors bureau employees, and Extension staff. Participants also had a wide range of experience, spanning from beginner ventures into event planning to decades of experience with multiple FFEs. - Evaluation of participants' understanding of material can be an effective way to gauge learning. The inclusion of a pretest and posttest test in our workshops allowed us to measure learning in the areas of awareness of existing regulations, managing crises and controversies, arranging security, developing cross-promotional activities, and developing media relations. - Given the importance of FFEs to rural economies, Extension should position itself to provide education on managing FFEs in a variety of formats, including through workshops, published resources, and other methods. FFE educational programs should continue to be an element of Extension. Future research into our workshop participants' implementation of concepts learned during the training is warranted. Additionally, a longitudinal study examining changes in education and training needs of rural Iowa FFE managers and operators should be conducted. Extension also could act as a catalyst for the implementation of diverse and accessible approaches to FFE education and training, such as video conferencing, virtual training, and other methods. This project was funded by the 2015 Heddelson Junior Faculty Grant, College of Human Sciences Extension and Outreach, Iowa State University. Allen, J., O'Toole, W., Harris, R., & McDonnell, I. (2011). Festival & special event management. Milton, Queensland: John Wiley & Sons Australia. Association of Iowa Fairs. (2016). Member fairs listing by fair. Retrieved from http://www.iowafairs.com/aif-member-fairs-alpha-pdf.php Carlsen, J., Andersson, T. D., Ali-Knight, J., Jaeger, K., & Taylor, R. (2010). Festival management innovation and failure. International Journal of Event and Festival Management, 1(2), 120–131. Çela, A., Knowles-Lankford, J., & Lankford, S. (2007). Local food festivals in northeast Iowa communities: A visitor and economic impact study. Managing Leisure, 2–3, 171–186. Diehl, D. C., Swenson, S. E., & Wente, J. N. (2012). Evaluation of a sustainable green living expo event: Attendees' reports of satisfaction, learning, and behavior change. Journal of Extension, 50(3), Article 3FEA8. Available at: https://joe.org/joe/2012june/a8.php Fenich, G. G. (2012). Meetings, expositions, events and conventions: An introduction to the industry. Boston, MA: Prentice Hall. Getz, D. (2002). Why festivals fail. Event Management, 7(4), 209–219. Hugo, N. C., & Lacher, R. G. (2014). Understanding the role of culture and heritage in community festivals: An importance–performance analysis. Journal of Extension, 52(5), Article 5RIB4. Available at: https://www.joe.org/joe/2014october/rb4.php Jago, L., Chalip, L., Brown, G., Mules, T., & Shameem, A. (2003). Building events into destination branding: Insights from experts. Event Management, 8(1), 3–14. Levene, H. (1960). Robust tests for equality of variances. In I. Olkin (Ed.), Contributions to probability and statistics: Essays in honor of Harold Hotelling (pp. 278–292). Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press. Liang, Y., Illum, S. F., & Cole, S. T. (2008). Benefits received and behavioral intentions of festival visitors in relation to distance travelled and their origins. International Journal of Event Management Research, 4(1), 12–23. Meeting Professionals International. (2012). Meeting and business event competency standards curriculum guide (MBECS). Retrieved from https://www.mpiweb.org/docs/default-source/Research-and-Reports/MBECS-Guide-APP-2-Standards.pdf Nicholson, D. J. (2011). Fairs and other exhibitions. Have we really thought this through? Journal of Extension, 49(1), Article 1COM1. Available at: https://www.joe.org/joe/2011february/pdf/JOE_v49_1comm1.pdf Nordby, A. (2014). Using Twitter to deliver 4-H show announcements. Journal of Extension, 52(3), Article 3TOT1. Available at: https://www.joe.org/joe/2014june/tt1.php
More than five million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s in the United States—and this number is expected to rise to nearly 14 million by 2050. Incidences of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are growing fast, and researchers are continuously looking to bolster prevention and treatment techniques. A recent progressive study found, for example, that Alzheimer’s is linked to poor oral health. As one of the leading family dental clinics in Bethesda, we strive to keep pace with new research and developments in the healthcare industry. That way, we can guide our patients better and provide them with the best possible dental solutions. To help you understand the results—and implications—of this study, we’re going to explain it here. How is Alzheimer’s and oral health linked? Periodontitis is an oral health disease that’s characterized by the inflammation of the gums and supporting structures of the teeth. It is a common human disease that’s caused by periodontal bacteria that are naturally present in the mouth. Poor oral hygiene allows a layer of bacteria and food debris to build up, which is known as plaque. If left untreated, it can cause inflammation and even loss of teeth. Chronic periodontitis has long been known to cause issues such as cancer of the kidney, pancreas, and blood if left untreated. Recent studies conducted on Alzheimer’s patients revealed high levels of Porphyromonas gingivalis, which is the keystone pathogen in chronic periodontitis. These bacteria secrete enzymes known as Gingipains, which play a role in advancing Alzheimer’s. While more research needs to be conducted to determine how these enzymes affect brain functions, one thing is clear: good oral hygiene can lead to a longer, more productive life. What can you do to prevent periodontitis? Adopting good oral hygiene habits is the key to preventing periodontitis and subsequent health problems linked to the condition. This includes: - Regular brushing after meals - Flossing once a day to remove food particles - Using mouthwash to avoid plaque buildup - Being aware of risk factors such as age, diet, genetics, and smoking - Regular dental checkups Consult a dental expert Visit the Bethesda Dental Health clinic offers reliable and reliable dental solutions for the whole family. We also offer emergency dental services in Bethesda, MD, for patients who might be suffering oral pain. Schedule an appointment with one of the best dentists in Bethesda by calling (301) 654-1887 or visiting our website.
The Surrender of New Orleans Part 1: The Men and The Skirmish Today marks the sesquicentennial of the fall of New Orleans (April 25, 1862). As such, The Civil War Monitor is commemorating this event with a two-part series on the surrender. Below is Part One which focuses on the men and the skirmishes behind New Orleans' surrender. From the beginning of the war and Winfield Scott’s Anaconda Plan, the Yankees entertained notions of seizing control of the Mississippi River and thereby dividing the Confederacy in two. To successfully achieve this goal, the Union Navy first needed to enter the mouth of the river, capture New Orleans, and close off this vital entrance to Rebel ships. As such, on January 20th, Union Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles ordered Flag-Officer David G. Farragut to: collect such vessels as can be spared from the blockade and proceed up the Mississippi River and reduce the defenses which guard the approaches to New Orleans, when you will appear off that city and take possession of it under the guns of your squadron, and hoist the American flag thereon.1 In January of 1862, Union Flag-Officer David G. Farragut and his West Gulf Blockading Squadron began this mission. By April, the way to New Orleans was soon open save for Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip—above the Head of the Passes—which sit approximately 70 miles below the city. Besides the forts’ armaments, the Federal fleet also faced various obstructions that the Confederates placed in the river, as well as a handful of Southern ships, including two ironclads: the CSS Manassas and the CSS Louisiana. To better plan the attack on New Orleans, Farragut based his operations from Ship Island, Mississippi, assembling Commander David D. Porter’s fleet of mortar schooners and 24 other vessels. Operations began in earnest on April 16th and continued for a week as the mortar schooners bombarded Forts Jackson and St. Philip. As the shells continued to rain down, sailors from USS Itasca and USS Pinola opened a gap in the riverine obstructions. On the morning of April 24th, Farragut ordered the West Gulf Blockading Squadron to pass the forts and head for New Orleans. At 2am, the Union fleet began moving upstream. Within 75 minutes, they endured fire from the Confederate forts. The first division cleared the forts successfully but the second division “had a rough time of it.”2 As Farragut’s flagship, the USS Hartford, cleared the two forts, it suddenly had to turn to avoid a Confederate fire raft. In the process it to run aground. Seeing the Union ship in trouble, the Confederates redirected their attention towards the Hartford, thereby causing a fire to break out. Moving quickly, the Union sailors extinguished the flames and set the ship back on its course. Farragut himself reported that, The ram pushed a fireraft on me. In trying to avoid it I ran the ship on shore and he then pushed the fire raft on to me and got the ship on fire all along one side. I thought it was all up with us, but we put it out and got again and proceeded up the river fighting our way. We have destroyed all but two of the gunboats, and those will have to surrender with the forts. I intend to follow up my success and push for New Orleans.3 Once above the forts, the Union ships encountered the Rebel’s River Defense Fleet and the CSS Manassas. The Manassas made a failed attempt to ram the USS Pensacola and then headed downstream to strike the USS Brooklyn. In the process, the Confederate fort accidentally fired upon their own ironclad, but it easily endured the bombardment. The Manassas then rammed the Brooklyn, hitting its coal bunkers. The Manassas headed further downstream before her captain ran her aground. Union gun fire soon destroyed the ironclad. Thus, the Rebels had failed in their attempt to stop the Union mission. Having successfully cleared the forts with minimal losses, Farragut’s fleet headed upstream to New Orleans. Once Major General Mansfield Lovell, the Confederate commander, realized that the Union Navy had broken through his defenses, there was only one option left: evacuation. Lovell loaded his troops and supplies aboard the railroad and sent it 78 miles north to Camp Moore. Lovell then sent a final message to Richmond, “The enemy has passed our forts. It is too late to send any guns here; they had better go to Vicksburg.”4 The unfinished CSS Mississippi was hastily launched but as no towboat could take her to Memphis, the Rebels destroyed her. Likewise, the Confederates burned all military stores, ships, warehouses, and anything considered useful to the Union. Meanwhile, panic-stricken citizens broke into stores, burned cotton and other supplies, and destroyed much of the waterfront. At 2 pm on April 25th, Farragut formally accepted the surrender of New Orleans despite the fact that General Lovell refused to admit defeat. Farragut sent Captain Bailey, First Division Commander from the USS Cayuga, to accept the surrender. There he met a defiant armed mob and witnessed William B. Mumford pulling down a Union flag previously raised by sailors of the USS Pensacola. While Farragut did not retaliate and destroy the city, he did return on April 29th with 250 marines from the USS Hartford to remove the Louisiana State flag from the City Hall and restore order. Such retaliatory efforts on the part of the Southerners did not mar the Union victory. A few days later, Navy Captain Theodorus Bailey proudly reported that, In the face of casemated forts, fire rafts, ironclad steam rams, and a fleet of gunboats, we have the swept the Mississippi of its defenses as far as Baton Rouge and perhaps Memphis. The United States flag waves over Forts Jackson, St. Philip, Livingston, and Pike, and also the city of New Orleans. We fought two great battles; that of the passage of the forts and encounter with the ironclads and gunboats has not been surpassed in naval history. We have done all this with wooden ships and gunboats.5 Once the Union Navy surrounded and isolated New Orleans, the conquest of Forts Jackson and St. Philip was easy. The two garrisons surrendered on April 28th. In sum, the New Orleans campaign amassed an estimated 1,011 casualties. And while the fall of the city was anti-climactic, the Southern port soon found itself occupied by Federal forces—most notably Benjamin Butler. The capture of New Orleans was a huge coup for the Union War effort; David Porter later recalled that, the most important event of the War of the Rebellion, with the exception of the fall of Richmond, was the capture of New Orleans and the forts Jackson and St. Philip, guarding the approach to that city.6 Want to learn more about the Fall of New Orleans? Check Out Part 2 over on The Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial Blog. Image Credit: Harper's Weekly, May 10, 1862; The U.S. Historical Center Online Library of Images. 1. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Volume 18, p. 7. 2. ORN, Series 1, Volume 18, p. 142. 3. ORN, Series 1, Volume 18, p. 142. 4. ORN, Series 1, Volume 18, p. 330. 3. ORN, Series 1, Volume 18, p. 149. 5. Battles & Leaders of the Civil War, Volume 2, p. 22.
The Jubilee Year 1983: a year of God and men It is not possible to tell the complete story of this Holy Year without taking the risk of being superficial or forgetting some relevant events. This could happen because the Jubilee Year 1983 is a Holy Year during which ordinary life becomes extraordinary. It is a year of “God and men”. The presence of believers and pilgrims during this Jubilee was significant. They were all led by a need for hope and faith. Consequently, on 25 March 1983, and until the closing of the Jubilee, hundreds of thousands of Catholics visited the Tombs of Martyrs and the Desk of the Bishop of Rome in order to obtain the Sacrament of Penitence, the absolute Redemption. At the same time, the Pope chaired many events, where the Sacraments were celebrated, especially the Eucharist. The Pope met also many young people, workers, the sick who were trying to get back dialogue and their spirit of oration and communion. From these meetings, new occasion of volunteering were created and a call for grace, charity and penitence was launched. The presence, than, of young people with their “clean” faces and their freshness, gave an important signal against the dark side of everyday life, its passions and desperation. Singing and praying they represented the image of life, the Redemption of God and His Cross. The Seal “Aperite Portas Redemptori” was proclaimed on 6 January 1983. With this Seal, the then Pope John Paul II officially started the Year of Redemption. The same year, on 25 March, the Seal was followed by the ceremony opening the Holy Door. During this ceremony, the Pope reiterated that the Catholic Church has the responsibility to give back men and especially Christian the awareness of the Redemption, hope and safeness. Entering the Holy Door and Saint Peter represent the achievement of a grace and safeness dimension. With the opening of the Holy Door we saw the beginning of the Jubilee of the Roman Clergy. It took a lot of work and participation by believers. The Pope closed the Jubilee on 22 April 1984 and so he ended the Holy Year of Redemption. After reading the traditional closing formula, the Pope gave the Cross of the Jubilee to some young people of different nationalities. An important and symbolic decision that the Pope took in order to remind young people that they are enough brave to bring the signs of Redemption throughout the world. In his closing speech, the Bishop of Rome focused his attention on the men’s necessity to open their “doors” to the Saviour, so that he can face and solve the harsh moment and growing conflicts of modern society. A society where, in addition to the desire of peace, there is a “febrile preparation of disruptive means of war”, where technic and scientific progress is in contrast with images of hunger and thirst affecting millions of children, women and men. As we can see, through the Pope’s words, the Jubilee Year 1983 launched an invitation to believers. They were invited to open their heart and be guided accepting regret and forgiveness from the Saviour in order to walk to a better and lively future. A future where young people, according to the Pope, will carry the Cross as a symbol of “God’s love for humanity” and they will announce that thanks to Jesu Christ’s death and redemption there could be “safeness and Redemption” for everyone.
Lavoisier was a French chemist who was a key figure in the chemical revolution of the 18th-century. Amongst his pioneering achievements, he recognised and discovered oxygen and hydrogen – discovering the role of oxygen in combustion. Lavoisier helped bring a new scientific rigour to the subject of chemistry, using quantitative methods rather than relying on hypothesis. He constructed a list of elements and helped to construct the metric system. Using the work of other scientists, Lavoisier was able to combine into a new common framework which broke with previous classical beliefs. He ushered in a new era of modern chemistry. Lavoisier was a wealthy French noble who used his position in the Ferme Generale to fund both his chemistry experiments and social works. Despite his efforts in the field of water sanitation, agriculture and street lighting, his position in the hated Ferme Generale made him a target during the French Revolution, and in 1794 he was guillotined for ‘tax fraud and selling adulterated tobacco.’ A year later he was exonerated. Lavoisier was born in a noble French family in Paris on 26 August 1743. His mother died when he was just five years old, but this left him very rich as he inherited her wealth. He studied at the College des Quatre-Nations, University of Paris and became interested in the sciences chemistry, botany, astronomy and mathematics. After college, he studied for his law degree, but despite being admitted to the bar, never practised as a lawyer. Lavoisier was more interested in pursuing his interest in chemistry, geology and the natural sciences. He was influenced by the ideals of the French Enlightenment. His interest in chemistry was influenced by Etienne Condillac. Lavoisier was also concerned with issues of social welfare. He used his fortune and time to consider some of the pressing social issues of the time. In 1765, he wrote an essay on the problem of street lighting which received the attention and praise of the king. In 1768, he proposed an aqueduct to bring clean water to the citizens of Paris. When this was not built, he switched to investigations into whether the water could be purified – something that was relevant to his chemistry knowledge. Lavoisier also made contributions to suggesting improving the hygiene of prisons and the effect of gun powder on air quality. In 1772, he prepared a study on how to improve the airflow for the Hotel-Dieu hospital when it was rebuilt. Lavoisier also bought a share in the Ferme generale. This organisation collected tax on behalf of the king – and was widely hated for its power and abuses in collecting taxes. Lavoisier commissioned the building of a wall around Paris to help the collection of customs taxes entering the city. In 1771, he married Marie-Anne Pierrette Paulze, who was just 13 at the time, but another member of the nobility. Despite her young age, she came to play an important role in his scientific career, translating many English scientific documents into French. She also helped his work in the laboratory. An important business for the Ferme Generale was its monopoly on the distribution of tobacco. Lavoisier devised a method for improving the quality of tobacco and detecting adulteration. He enforced higher standards for tobacco and stopped many from adultering its composition. However, he became unpopular with many tobacco retailers and this would be used against him during the French Revolution. During the revolution, Lavoisier helped fund a patriotic Republican paper run by Pierre S. DuPont, and in 1791 he chaired a commission on the introduction of a new metric system. However, he was later removed on political grounds due to a groundswell of opposition to the former nobility. As the French Revolution gained momentum, there was an increasing persecution of those associated with the old regime. On 24 November 1793, he was arrested with many other tax farmers and were accused of defrauding the government and adultering tobacco. After a summary trial, Lavoisier and 22 co-defendants were sentenced to death by guillotine. Work as a chemist In 1772, Lavoisier experimented with the burning of substances. He found burning phosphorus and sulphur led to an increase in their weight – something he attributed to ‘metallic calces’. He also repeated previous experiments of other scientists such as Joseph Black on burning alkalies, such as chalk and quicklime. Lavoisier frequently repeated experiments of other scientists (not always with proper attribution). This gave him a wide understanding of different chemistry experiments. He often came to different conclusions to the original scientists. In 1774, Lavoisier continued experiments on lead and tin. Lavoisier undertook these experiments in sealed containers. He deduced from the experiments that the increase in weight of the metals was due to a combination with atmospheric air. In this year, he met with English scientist Joseph Priestley, who was visiting Paris. Priestly had isolated oxygen – something he termed ‘dephlogisticated air.’ or an especially pure form of air. This meeting encouraged Lavoisier to further investigate this property. He found that Mercury calx gave off this ‘pure air’ which supported respiration and combustion. He would later term this element oxygen from the Greek words meaning “acid former.” Lavoisier also gave term hydrogen – from the Greek ‘water former’. In an experiment he was able to make water from burning jets of hydrogen and oxygen – this was the first proof that water was not a basic element, but actually composed of two gases. He would also show that this element oxygen was used in respiration and heat was generated by animals who breathed in this air. An important contribution to the science of chemistry was Lavoisier’s careful experiments which introduced a new quantitative rigour into the experiments. “We must trust to nothing but facts: These are presented to us by Nature, and cannot deceive. We ought, in every instance, to submit our reasoning to the test of experiment, and never to search for truth but by the natural road of experiment and observation. “ Elements of Chemistry (1790) He developed his own gasometer which could weigh gases and elements to a fine level of detail. He later made cheaper versions available to other chemists. With this device, he carefully weighed products in sealed gases so that no gases could escape. This led him to the important observation that although matter can change its state in a chemical reaction – nothing is lost or gained. Net weight remains the same. In other words, matter merely changes form. This is sometimes referred to as Lavoisier’s Law which is often paraphrased as: “Rien ne se perd, rien ne se crée, tout se transforme.” (“Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed.”) “We may lay it down as an incontestible axiom, that, in all the operations of art and nature, nothing is created; an equal quantity of matter exists both before and after the experiment; the quality and quantity of the elements remain precisely the same; and nothing takes place beyond changes and modifications in the combination of these elements.” Antoine Lavoisier, Elements of Chemistry (1790) p. 226 Another pioneering development of chemistry was the development of a new way of classifying chemical elements. Up until that time, elements had been lumped into very broad categories, which had changed little since the time of Aristotle – these were earth, air, fire and water. However, Lavoisier was acutely aware of the grave limitations of this. Together with other scientists, he developed a list of 55 substances which could not be decomposed into simpler elements. These elements included the gases of oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen. It also included acids, alkalies and organic acids. Lavoisier’s quantification and the law of conservation of matter was controversial as it challenged existing orthodox beliefs of other scientists. Whilst not disputing his experiments, other scientists disputed his reasoning. However, Lavoisier’s methods and new ideas of practising chemistry spread rapidly. In 1789, he published Traité élémentaire de Chimie (Elementary Treatise on Chemistry), this used his new chemistry terminology and can be considered the first chemistry textbook. It was translated into English and although the older generation of scientists rejected some of its conclusions, it became a standard port of reference for future generations of chemists. 100 Scientists Who Shaped World History 100 Scientists Who Shaped World History at Amazon Scientific Renaissance – The key people involved in the Scientific Renaissance of 1450-1687, including Copernicus, Galileo, Francis Bacon, Newton and Sir Robert Boyle. Famous French – A list of famous French men and women. Includes politicians, generals, artists, sportsmen and cultural figures, such as Napoleon, Marie Antionette, De Gaulle, Claude Monet, and Coco Chanel. Famous Scientists – Famous scientists from Aristotle and Archimedes to Albert Einstein and Charles Darwin. Including mathematicians, biologists, physicists and chemists.
- Enlarged liver: Have a symptom? See what questions a doctor would ask. See what questions a doctor would ask. During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques to assess the symptom: Enlarged liver. These will include a physical examination and possibly diagnostic tests. (Note: A physical exam is always done, diagnostic tests may or may not be performed depending on the suspected condition) Your doctor will ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to openly share any pertinent information to help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis. It is also very important to bring an up-to-date list of all of your all medical conditions, medications including dosages, and names of numbers of any specialist you see. Create your printable checklist by answering questions that your doctor may ask below: No private information is transferred over the internet. Do not use the "Browser back button", as this may cause data loss. Why: may indicate increased risk of hydatid disease. Hydatid disease occurs when humans ingest the embryos of the dog tapeworm which may occur with direct contact with infected dogs or by eating uncooked, improperly washed vegetables contaminated with infected canine feces. Why: e.g. African or Far eastern country of origin, recent consumption of shellfish (may suggest hepatitis A), intravenous drug use, tattoos, male homosexuality, female prostitution, recent travel to areas with increased risk of hepatitis A, needle stick injury. Why: e.g. primary biliary cirrhosis may be associated with Sjogren's syndrome, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis; primary liver cancer is associated with Hepatitis B and C, alcoholic cirrhosis and hemochromatosis; liver metastases most commonly originate from breast, lung and colon cancer; right heart failure may be caused by left heart failure, chronic lung disease, pulmonary embolism or valvular heart disease secondary to previous rheumatic fever. Why: may provide information concerning risk of Hepatitis B and HIV infection. Why: will indicate risk of alcohol hepatitis. Why: may indicate risk of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV. Why: e.g. hemochromatosis. Why: may suggest biliary obstruction due to gallstones but any cause of enlarged liver may cause abdominal pain due to distention of the liver capsule. Why: may suggest hemolytic anemia; toxic or infectious hepatitis; bile duct obstruction due to gallstones, carcinoma of the pancreas or ampulla of Vater; or biliary cirrhosis. Why: may suggest viral hepatitis, infectious mononucleosis, ascending cholangitis, and other infectious diseases. Why: often suggests cancer ( e.g. metastases, liver cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, cancer of the pancreas or bile ducts). Why: e.g. weight loss, loss of appetite, fever, ache in the right upper abdomen, swollen abdomen. Why: e.g. fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, nausea, swollen ankles, swollen abdomen and symptoms of left heart failure (unable to lie flat in bed due to breathlessness). Why: e.g. bronze pigmentation, fatigue, loss of libido, painful joints, symptoms of diabetes, symptoms of congestive cardiac failure. Why: e.g. jaundice (yellow skin), abdominal pain, fever. Why: e.g. feel unwell with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, headaches, distaste for cigarettes, mild fever, mild abdominal discomfort, jaundice, dark urine, pale colored stools, may develop a rash and painful joints. The following list of conditions have 'Enlarged liver' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom. Select from the following alphabetical view of conditions which include a symptom of Enlarged liver or choose View All. The following list of medical conditions have 'Enlarged liver' or similar listed as a medical complication in our database. Search Specialists by State and City
Rumbling quakes on the red planet have been traced back to Cerberus Fossae. This suggests this geologically young region is still alive and cracking. Back in April 2019, the first first earthquake on Mars was heard by NASA’s InSight, showing that the Red Planet is shaking and rumbling. Now, based on the the analysis of the seismic signals, scientitsts were able to detect the very first activ fault zone on Mars: Cerberus Fossae. The Mars Quakes While the two quakes are small by Earth standards, they’re among the largest yet detected on Mars. InSight detected its first seismic rumble from the planet’s interior, rather than its noisy surface, on April 6, 2019. Since that time, temblors have been happening with increasing frequency — with more than 300 yet detected. But more monitoring is necessary to figure out why. Scientists were able to trace both quakes to an area known as Cerberus Fossae, a series of deep gashes that lingers some 994 miles to the east of InSight’s landing zone. The activity could point to a potentially useful source of geothermal energy on Mars. The seismic shaking might pose an issue for sensitive scientific instrumentation. The results from this work are pending publication in a peer-reviewed journal, and scientists within the project declined to comment until after the study’s release. What Is Causing the MarsQuakes? Scientists are also unsure what mechanism is causing the various internal rumbles on Mars. On Earth, quakes frequently come from the never-ending movement of tectonic plates as they jockey for position. This geologic dance builds up stress in our planet’s crust that occasionally hits a breaking point. When this happens, the land can suddenly shift, sending out a jolt in the form of an earthquake. Mars, however, doesn’t have plate tectonics. After its formation, the planet was a searing mass of molten rock that eventually cooled to form a static crust around a rocky mantle, yet it’s unclear how hot the planet’s insides are today. While volcanoes once gushed lava at its surface, they have long since fallen silent. But scientists suspect that pockets of magma might still linger below, since its stationary crust may act like a lid on a steaming cup of coffee, retaining heat from the planet’s formation. In that case, some marsquakes might be due to the rocky planet’s ongoing cooling and contraction. This compression could crack the surface in so-called thrust faults, in which one block of land is shoved atop another. Still others might come from magma or water squishing through the Martian subsurface. First Active Fault on Mars What exactly is causing the latest activity at Cerberus Fossae is uncertain, but the region’s history provides some clues. - Cerberus Fossae is thought to be among the youngest fault zones on the red planet, opening up as little as 10 million years ago or less. This fact is evidenced by deep valleys that cleanly cut through the pockmarks of more ancient craters, with sharp, near-vertical walls that are not yet worn down by time. - Hints of geologically recent activity also remain: Multiple boulders around the area seem to have been shaken from their original position, leaving behind trails in the Martian dust. - These deep gashes may have formed due to a rising blob of magma — perhaps tied to the towering, if dormant, volcanoes to the northwest — which forced the landscape to stretch and crack. Some of these breaks even seem to have once spouted their own vast sheets of molten rock. - Other sections of the cracked surface lead to landscapes seemingly sculpted by the rush of floods, so it’s possible that some type of water gurgling below this region could alternatively be the cause of the quakes. The detected seismic events might suggest that the crack formation is still ongoing. Anyhow, the quakes show that Cerberus Fossae isn’t dead and with that Mars has just become a bit more alive to us. Get more headlines on Strange Sounds and Steve Quayle.
Make a game of it: Training employees in security best practices doesn’t have to be drudgery Users continue to be the most common security vulnerability, with, according to Gartner, 85 per cent of hacks resulting from accidental disclosures and social engineering. However, changing user security behaviour is often left to annual compliance training or focused exclusively on phishing tests, and will result in little measurable improvement to security. Often, training is an “add on” to the security program — something for staff to do in their spare time. In fact, according to a Securing the Human report, more than 50 per cent of awareness personnel have a budget of $5,000 or less. We see training programs and awareness campaigns in other areas — workplace safety at oil and gas companies or clean hands programs in hospitals — succeed in changing how users behave on a day-to-day basis. These training and awareness programs have the same challenges of limited investment and personnel that security programs do. How do cyber security training and awareness personnel learn from the success of other industries and training areas to improve the “human firewall”? Drawing on innovative concepts used outside the cyber security training and awareness space, organizations can think differently about how they change user security behaviours. What follows are successful training and awareness programs that made measureable improvements in user behaviour. These examples are intended to inspire and kick-start your cyber security training and awareness program and help you realize a shift in behaviour — that ultimately helps protects your critical data and assets. Think Pokemon Go. Gamification incorporates game mechanisms — such as leaderboards, levels, and points — into non-game activities to engage and motivate users. Gamification enables organizations to take existing training material that staff may not be using and encourages staff to use it through an online community. Ford Motor Company of Canada is an example of successful gamification of existing training content. Ford wanted to improve safety, customer service, and sales. Ford already had training material in these areas. Staff just were not using it. With gamification provider Bunchball, Ford created an online community with levels, badges, trophies, and friendly competition between staff. The result: the first day the site launched, it had more than 100,000 unique visits. Deloitte also gamified its existing Executive Leadership Program — a program with dozens of courses and training content, which went largely under-utilized. In doing so, Deloitte generated 50 per cent faster course content completion. “At Deloitte, we are seeing an uptake in innovative gamified cyber security training solutions. Organizations are creating online communities that enable employees to enter into friendly social competition and get rewarded to be security champions,” says Marc MacKinnon, Cyber Risk Services Partner at Deloitte Canada. Rewards and incentives Most security awareness programs produce little improvement due to the focus on dispensing information, rather than influencing on-the-job behaviour of employees. Understanding and using the principles of behavioural psychology helps define training approaches that can effectively change high risk user behaviours. Embedding rewards and incentives (e.g. points programs, gift cards, extra budget for team activities) into security training and education is a way to use the principles of Reciprocity/Consequence (i.e. people feel obliged to repay, in kind, what has been given to them) or Scarcity (i.e. people overvalue things that are rare, lack availability, or are difficult to acquire) to encourage better security behaviour. In the security space when we use incentives, they are often based on the “consequence” side of the Reciprocity/Consequence Principle. For example, giving users “tickets” for leaving their computers unlocked and unattended or leaving confidential documents out — in contravention of a Clean Desk Policy. The Swedish Speed Lottery is an example of applying the “reciprocity” side of the principle to change user behaviour and, in this case, reduce speeding. In addition to punishing the high risk behaviour — speeding — Sweden rewarded the desired user behaviour — going the speed limit — by using a traffic camera to capture licence plates of those going the speed limit. Those people were entered into a lottery and one lucky person was selected each month to receive a per centage of the fine collected for the month. How can you apply this principle to your security training and awareness program? Reward departments and teams who follow a clean desk protocol with an extra social event each year. Make it relatable Cyber security training and education programs often focus on policy and procedures that employees need to understand and apply to their day-to-day work. What if organizations scrapped their traditional cyber security training and helped employees apply good security practices to their personal use of technology, such as sharing pictures with friends over Instagram, contributing to a LinkedIn discussion, or buying merchandise online? Deloitte has found that making cyber security training relatable improves uptake, understanding, and application of secure practices. Employees retain knowledge that relates to not only their work, but also their personal circumstances. The UNICEF Dirty Water Campaign is an example of making a topic relatable and yielding significant results. UNICEF wanted to raise awareness and funding for the thousands of children dying each day from lack of clean water. UNICEF bottled dirty water in eight lethal varieties, converted a vending machine to dispense the water, and launched it in Manhattan. Individuals could then “buy” the dirty water through the vending machine and, in doing so, donate to UNICEF’s campaign. By delivering the message in a form to which the public relates (bottled vending water), this innovative media engaged over 7,500 pedestrians, attracted worldwide media coverage, and increased donations beyond expectation. If you think your security training budget is tight, UNICEF did this with a zero dollar budget. There are some straightforward and equally low-cost training ideas to make cyber security relatable in the workplace: • Providing safe online shopping tips or sessions to employees and their families during December. Employees will apply similar online security and password management principles to their work accounts. • Setting up a rogue wireless access point at an off-site meeting (e.g. SSID “conferernceconnect”, with an extra “r”) and seeing how many people connect, then sharing this information and the not-so-careful users during the opening remarks of the meeting. • Publishing a YouTube video series (of publicly available videos) on social engineering individuals’ personal (e.g. phone, bank, insurance) accounts to help Services Desk personnel recognize suspicious behaviour. • Creating a contest in which staff create their own phishing emails to help them understand how phishing works. Have management select the best email for the upcoming phishing test and reward the winning employee. We recognize that even the most innovative idea cannot be successful without the support and investment of leadership. The ideas discussed above are an opportunity to have a more creative conversation with your leadership team and training personnel about refocusing training and awareness efforts. Using gamification and rewards, and making training relatable will help organizations get users’ attention and improve the “human firewall” to defend against cyber-attacks. Megan Brister and Tiffany Williams are cyber security professionals in Deloitte’s Cyber Risk Services practice. (www.deloitte.ca). Most Popular Stories 13th Annual IAHSS Ontario Chapter Golf Challenge July 17, 2017 Security Canada Atlantic 2017 September 13, 2017 ASIS Chapter 190 Fall 2017 Golf Tournament September 14, 2017 (ISC)2 Security Congress September 25-27, 2017 ASIS International Seminar and Exhibits 2017 September 25-28, 2017
Crouhy, Chapter 17: Risk Capital Attribution and Risk-Adjusted Performance Measurement Study Notes contains 25 pages covering the following learning objectives: * Define, compare and contrast risk capital, economic capital and regulatory capital, and explain methods and motivations for using economic capital approaches to allocate risk capital. * Describe the RAROC (risk-adjusted return on capital) methodology and its use in capital budgeting. * Compute and interpret the RAROC for a project, loan, or loan portfolio, and use RAROC to compare business unit performance. * Explain challenges that arise when using RAROC for performance measurement, including choosing a time horizon, measuring default probability, and choosing a confidence level. * Calculate the hurdle rate and apply this rate in making business decisions using RAROC. * Compute the adjusted RAROC for a project to determine its viability. * Explain challenges in modeling diversification benefits, including aggregating a firm’s risk capital and allocating economic capital to different business lines. * Explain best practices in implementing an approach that uses RAROC to allocate economic capital. After reviewing the notes you will be able to apply what you learned with practice questions and answers.Shop Courses
Benjamin R. Tucker was a writer, an editor, and a publisher. Tucker is arguably the most significant figure in American individualist anarchism. Through his periodical Liberty: Not the Daughter but the Mother of Order, published from 1881 to 1908, Tucker made the case for a stateless society in clear and uncompromising prose. In addition to Tucker’s writings, Liberty published articles by such notable libertarians as Lysander Spooner, Auberon Herbert, and Wordsworth Donisthorpe. It also featured pieces by Irish literary critic George Bernard Shaw and Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, as well as early translations of the work of German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Tucker’s views, like those of most 19th‐century individualist anarchists, seem somewhat eclectic—if not odd—to modern libertarians. The principal reason lies in Tucker’s self‐identified socialism. In perhaps his most famous essay, “State Socialism and Anarchism: How Far They Agree, and Wherein They Differ,” originally published in March 1886, Tucker argued that individualist anarchism should be viewed as part of the broader socialist movement. But he was quick to draw the distinction between Marxian socialism, which he defined as “the doctrine that all the affairs of men should be managed by the government, regardless of individual choice,” and his own view, “the doctrine that all the affairs of men should be managed by individuals or voluntary associations, and that the State should be abolished.” Like Marx, Tucker was a proponent of the labor theory of value. But he did not believe that socialism could be achieved through greater state action. In fact, Tucker maintained that socialism required breaking government monopolies in four areas: money, land, tariffs, and patents. Such a program, Tucker argued, would put labor “in possession of its own.” One can trace many of Tucker’s economic theories to his association with Josiah Warren, the author of The Emancipation of Labor, who introduced Tucker to anarchism in his teens. Tucker also drew from the writings of William B. Greene, Ezra Heywood, and Stephen Pearl Andrews. In addition to discussions of economic reform, Tucker devoted much space in Liberty to debates over natural rights. In its early years, Liberty published many intellectuals who were strongly influenced by the English philosopher Herbert Spencer, such as Henry Appleton, Gertrude Kelly, and M. E. Lazarus, who argued that natural rights provided the proper foundation for libertarian anarchism. Eventually, however, proponents of natural rights theory virtually disappeared from the pages of Liberty as Tucker became more enamored with the egoism of German writer Max Stirner. In fact, in 1907, Tucker, who also owned a bookstore, published the first English translation of Stirner’s The Ego and His Own. A fire destroyed Tucker’s offices in January 1908, and with it Liberty, which ceased publication with the April 1908 issue. Tucker moved to Europe shortly thereafter, eventually settling in Monaco, where he died on June 22, 1939. In his later years, Tucker became more pessimistic about the chances for libertarian reform. Indeed, according to Wendy McElroy, who has written extensively about individualist anarchism, “It was no longer clear to Tucker that a free market alone could overcome the problems created by a government monopoly.” Brooks, Frank H., ed. The Individualist Anarchists: An Anthology of Liberty (1881–1908). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction, 1994. Martin, James J. Men against the State: The Expositors of Individualist Anarchism in America, 1827–1908. Colorado Springs, CO: Ralph Myles Publisher, 1970. McElroy, Wendy. “Benjamin Tucker, Individualism, and Liberty: Not the Daughter but the Mother of Order.” Literature of Liberty 4 no. 3 (Autumn 1981): 7–39.
DIY Kid-Made Star Ornament and Math Game Since the simple gingerbread ornament post was so popular last week, I thought I would post another one that is very simple and easy for toddlers to do. I really want to instill the value of “It is better to give than to receive” in my children’s hearts. It is SO hard for a 2 year old to grasp this idea, so I wanted him to help make and give to others what he has made. Although companies such as Oriental Trading have adorable ornaments to make, these ornament pieces are pre-made and pre-cut out. Each ornament will end up looking very similar. The focus is more on the product than the process. These ones let your kids practice gluing and fine motor skills and no matter how many or few noodles get glued on, these turn out great. Read on to find out how to incorporate a little math learning too! Affiliate links are used in this article. Materials Needed for DIY Kid-Made Star Ornament and Math Game - Metallic Gold Spray Paint - Permanent Marker - Uncooked Elbow Noodles - Empty Cardboard Box - School Glue - Red Chinelle Stems /Pipe Cleaners or thin red ribbon - Thick Red Ribbon - Glue Gun with Glue Sticks Directions to make DIY Kid-Made Star Ornament and Math Game 1. ADULTS: Cut a star shape out of the box. Make a hole near the edge using the hold punch. 2.Use the permanent marker and write the child’s name on the back of the star. 3. ADULT ONLY STEP: Set the cardboard star on newspapers outside, away from children. Follow all safety instructions on your paint container. Spray with gold paint. Let dry. This will be the back of the ornament. 4. Set the star – shiny side down on the table. Let the child place drop of glue on the star. Put a noodle on top of each glue drop. Squeezing the glue and picking up the noodles with the thumb and pointer finger makes this star ornament a great fine-motor skills craft. MATH SPIN ON IT: Roll and Cover Christmas Star: For older children, let them roll 1 die and call out the number Place the same amount of glue dots as the number rolled. Then cover each glue dot with a noodle. Repeat rolling until the star has been filled. Challenge: How many noodles are on the star all together? For an EXTRA math challenge: Hand children two dice. Let them roll both and place either the sum or the difference on their star. a 2 and a 4 would mean children could place either 2 glue dots (4-2=2) or 6 glue dots on their star (4+2=6) 5. ADULT ONLY STEP: Set the dried noodle star on newspapers outside, away from children. Follow all safety instructions on your paint container. Spray with gold paint. Make sure to paint from several angles until all the noodles and cardboard is covered. Allow to dry 6. Thread the red Pipe Cleaner through the hole and twist. OPTIONAL: Have the children wrap their star ornament with tissue paper to give as a gift.
By Steve Midway As many of us in the U.S. prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday later this week, a litany of traditional foods comes to mind: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie. Indeed—in some form or another—many of these foods were present at the first Thanksgiving. However, conspicuously absent from both the traditional shopping list and holiday table are fish and shellfish, which were most certainly featured prominently at the first Thanksgiving. \|Pass the eel, please. (Source)\| While perhaps not the centerpiece of the first Thanksgiving, fish and shellfish were abundant in coastal Colonial waters and relatively easy to harvest—meaning they were already part of the historic diet. Mussels and clams were a simple collect, and a number of other nearshore and shallow-water shellfish, including lobster, likely made the table. Middens—mounds of old shells—have been dated for archaeological purposes and indicate that shellfish consumption predates any colonists. Colonists may have brought with them some nets, but it’s less clear how much (deep-water) fishing early settlers did. In his book Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World, Mark Kurlansky discusses the the importance of cod fishing in the founding and settling of North America, so it’s clear that fishing was taking place nearby even if Cod didn’t make the Thanksgiving menu. Daniel Schmidt summarizes fishing efforts in colonial Virginia and provides evidence for seines and hook-and-line fishing, which may likely have also been used in New England. \|Fishhooks found at Fort James, dating back to colonists. (Schmidt 2006)\| One method of capturing fish that was particularly effective was taught to the colonists by the Native Americans. This method is often referred to as a fish trap or fish weir. The premise is simple: create an enclosure (often baited) that funnels fish in, but from which fish typically cannot escape. Large, old stone weirs are still visible on some rivers, and pound net fishing is just a larger and slightly more elaborate version of the same principle. For a basic idea of how a simple fish trap works, check out the video below! As you can see, fishing was a well-developed activity by the time the colonists arrived in North America, and they quickly took it up. Spearfishing, fish traps, and shellfish collection likely resulted in plenty of eels, sturgeon, and bivalves being served at the first Thanksgiving. By all means, continue the tradition of turkey and stuffing, but why not add a little smoked eel for that authentic Thanksgiving experience? If you have fish at your traditional Thanksgiving feast, in the comments below let us know what you serve!
Naprapathy is a healing method that works through the connective tissues holding the skeleton together. Examples of connective tissue include ligaments, tendons, and muscles, which are flexible and resilient when healthy. You could almost say that a naprapath is a chiropractor for soft tissue. Like tension in the skeleton, tension in the connective tissues may cause a structural imbalance. Naprapaths work by gently manipulating this tissue with their hands, thereby releasing tension and restoring balance. One area often affected by unhealthy connective tissue is the back. As you can guess, this often leads to lower back, neck, or shoulder pain. But problems with the spine’s connective tissue can cause much more than just a backache. Most of the connective tissue encasing the spinal nerves is ligament. When the ligaments become constricted or tightened, they become a "ligatite." Ligaments can degenerate into ligatites from aging, poor posture, stress, an accident, or even daily wear and tear. Ligatites are made of scar tissue, which are less flexible than normal tissue and can therefore interfere with the vital nerves that they encase. Such interference will cause malfunction in the nerve’s target area; for example, if the nerve controls the stomach, the ligatite may cause digestion problems. The task of a naprapath is to locate the ligatite, determine it’s effects, and then do something about it. You can ease the tension caused by a ligatite through a series of gentle manipulations, which will free up the spinal nerves to function normally. In the previous example, a naprapathic treatment would remove the stress on the stomach nerve, normalizing your digestive functions. Any back pain that the ligatite had caused would also be relieved. The treatment effectively re-connects the natnun circuit, stopping pain and starting the body’s own healing process. Is it important to do something about these ligatites? Absolutely. Even if you don’t mind a ligatite’s effects on your digestion or back, you cannot afford to ignore it because it will get worse. Ligatites are self-perpetuating. Once a ligatite develops, it causes stress, triggering more ligaments to tighten, forming larger ligatites, causing more stress, and so on. Therefore it is important, as with any illness, to treat the problem early. The field of naprapathy has been around for about a century, starting with the discoveries of Dr. Oakley Smith in the late 1800’s. Dr. Smith first became a chiropractor as a result of his own chronic back pain. However, he eventually found that chiropractic methods only provided him with fleeting relief and his pain inevitably returned. Through the course of his research, he discovered the importance and healing potential of the soft tissue that lay between the bones. Experimenting on himself with the help of his brother, Dr. Smith successfully cured himself of his lifelong problem. With this knowledge and extensive experimentation, he developed the practice of naprapathy. Dr. Smith was able to heal many people on whom other healing methods had failed. This was because the cause of their condition lay in the ligaments, which other doctors did not know, and since the doctors didn’t go to the root of the problem, they couldn’t correct it. The term naprapathy comes from the Czech word "napravit," meaning to correct, and the Greek word "pathos" meaning to heal. Like other natural healing methods, naprapathy maintains a whole body approach to health.
How to Take Care of a Hedgehog For most homeowners seeking a domestic pet, dogs or cats are usually the first choice. However, one animal that is often overlooked yet serves as a wonderful domestic animal is a hedgehog. These animals are easy to care for and provide a bundle of joy for their owners. Whether you are looking to buy a new pet for yourself or someone dear to you, consider the benefits of a hedgehog. Below are some easy tips and fact about buying and caring for a pet that is certain to make your family smile. Hedgehogs are tiny insectivorous mammals that eat bugs. They can be seen in almost any part of the world, though they originate from Europe, Africa and Asia. The hedgehogs are usually observed in the pet fields of North America. They usually germinate through a cross of central African and Algerian hedgehogs. Some assume domestic hedgehogs to be porcupines, which is completely a unique animal in fact, yet has no relation to they hedgehog. An obvious difference is that porcupines have pointed, barbed and unsafe spikes, while hedgehogs wear rather smooth quills. Holding a hedgehog in your hand, can be like carrying a hairbrush that is rough but not sharp. Fully developed hedgehogs usually weigh anywhere from 350 to 450 grams, while larger one can weigh put to 1,000 grams. Unlike other small animals of this classification, hedgehogs small amounts of odor and don’t bite without any reason. Their belly part is soft and furry, while their back is covered with coarse quills. They start rolling upwards to safeguard themselves against any prospective danger. Their quills may sting, should they feel at risk. Each of these creatures is clever and may possess there own unique characteristics. In forest areas, they tend to remain isolated, but can acclimate themselves to human surroundings expediently as well. They usually enjoy playing with flat, solid surfaced running wheels as well as bathroom paper rolls. They may also find kitten toys equally entertaining. Most of these animals may even make use of your litter box for waste purposes. Unlike rodents, hedgehogs don’t like biting on your possessions. They may live up to six years, and can be found in a wide range of hues. The answer to this question varies depending on many factors, but there are some basic guidelines. Generally, it is better to purchase your new pet from a breeder rather than a pet store, but unfortunately, this isn’t always possible. No matter where you end up looking, though, make sure that the breeder or store has at least some information on the age and background of their animals. Another issue is that in some states and local communities, hedgehogs are banned from being sold and kept as pets. In regards to the states that do allow pet hedgehogs, there are often laws on the type of breeds that are allowed. The African Pygmy hedgehog is usually the breed that is allowed. Find out if your state allows hedgehogs. Watch This Before Buying How to Choose You should try to buy only one hedgehog first as sharing a living place is not in the nature of these animals. To avoid unwanted reproduction, refrain from placing opposite sex one in the same cage. Male hedgehogs become potent in approximately eight weeks weeks, while feminine ones can begin to reproduce in as little as five months of age. Elect to purchase your pet from a pet seller or alternatively from a breeder. You may decide to either go to a pet store or check ads and buy from a breeder. In either case, you are looking for a good healthy animal. Personality matters with a hedgehog. Keep this in mind when you purchase one, as they maybe a bit prickly at first when adapting to a domestic environment. Your new hedgehog should unwind after a few moments, while clicking, jumping or hissing. Hissing is common if it is not familiar with you. It may even click to frighten you away. Overtime, though, your new pet should feel more comfortable in your space. Eventually it will enjoy playing around with you and cuddle. Some hedgehogs, though, do remain more tempestuous, so consider your personality and lifestyle as well when selecting one for your domestic living space. In addition, you should not bring a hedgehog home until its six weeks old or more. You can opt to buy an older one as well, but a younger one likely would adjust with you more easily. With new hedgehogs, it best to place them in their cage and leave them alone for a day or two. Monitor it closely and ruffle its back once or twice for a short time to help it acclimate to the new environment. But note that it may take the pet more than a week to begin to feel at home. Newly borne hedgehogs sleep a lot in their first month, so don’t fret if you witness this initially. How to House Them These species feel comfortable in a plain-surfaced large cage. Try to buy a considerably large one, if you really want to make it feel comfortable. An ideal size is four-square feet. You can use the same one as they use for rabbits and guinea pigs as they come with safe wire coated tops, solid surface and provide a large enough space and good ventilation. Some owners also elect for large tubs, ferret cages or other homemade solutions for them. What you need to make sure is to avoid anything which might hurt them in the cage. It should not be easy for them to jump and run away from the cage. Furthermore, keep the cage a safe distance away from from direct sunlight to protect your animal. The cage should be placed in a convenient, cozy, illuminated area away from drafts and sunlight. Normal internal home temperatures will suffice for maintaining the health of your pet. Ultimately, most human living conditions are compatible with those for minting the health of your pet. Within your cage, some owners choose to employ fabric cage liners for these animals. Usually fleece, flannel or corduroy clothes are among the preferred choices. Cage liners, if used, need to be replaced every day to keep the cage clean. Refrain from products that tear easily and lose their warmth when wet. Avoid other products that may cause harm to your pet when they burrow. A Day With a Hedgehog For food, you should use a heavy bowl so that the animal doesn’t turn it upside down and spill the contents. Crockery made for rodents can work well with hedgehogs, too. These applications feature a width of six inches and three inches in height. Provide clean water in either a bowl or container. Hedgehogs should be given nutritious diet containing low fat and about 15 percent fiber. They are accustomed to eating beetles in the forests, and extract fiber from chitin. You can buy their food from shops, or alternatively low fat cat food is a good choice. If giving it market food, you should also try to add other substances such as veggies, mealworms, crickets, cooked meats and fruits. Avoid giving dry food to fatty hedgehogs. By their very nature, hedgehogs, want to hide somewhere for sleep. You can buy hiding logs, igloos or snuggle sacks online or in stores. By nature, these animals enjoy burrowing, providing this type of conducive environment facilitates their ability to feel at ease. Many of these creatures may like to sleep under the snuggle sack instead of inside it. Squares of fleece will prove to be a good sleeping setting. Hedgehogs enjoy cuddling inside blankets as well. For increased warmth, you may elect to place heating pads anywhere in the cage to let it use when needed. In case your pet starts hibernating, you can place it close to your chest and warm it with your natural body warmth. If placed perfectly within two layers of clothing, it will return to normal function quickly. You will need to apply more care to keeping your pet warm, if its older or too sick to maintain its body warmth. Note that hibernation is perilous for your hedgehog, and their living space should be comfortably warm, even if through supplemental heating. Maintenance & Recreation Your animal can make perfect use of a litter box as well. Simply equip it with with paper pieces, paper towel, or other products as litter. You should not use kitty litter for hedgehogs as it can hurt their eyes and bodily waste areas. Another good way to make your hedgehog feel comfortable is to give it a few toys for entertainment. For example, a large wheel works well, especially if it possesses a flat and solid surface. Toys and other entertainment applications for these animals are available online and in traditional shops.
Research indicates that there is a high incidence of dysphagia after stroke and its episodic consequences are well documented for their detrimental nutritional and health effects.1 Emerging evidence also confirms that early detection of dysphagic symptoms in stroke patients can help to reduce the severity of the disorder, shorten the length of hospital stays, and help dysphagic stroke patients enjoy a higher quality of life.2 Here are additional facts regarding dysphagia in relation to stroke patients. 1. Dysphagia affects a majority of stroke patients. Dysphagia is a common occurrence among stroke victims. In fact, the swallowing disorder may occur in up to 65 percent of stroke patients.3 2. Oropharyngeal dysphagia is most common in stroke patients. While esophageal dysphagia is most common in geriatric patients, oropharyngeal dysphagia is most prevalent in stroke patients. This swallowing disorder can be classified as an inability to move food or liquid from the mouth to the upper part of the esophagus.4 3. There are a multitude of Oropharyngeal dysphagia symptoms. These symptoms include: - Difficulty initiating the swallow - Choking when food gets stuck - Coughing or gagging while swallowing - Nasal regurgitation (liquid coming out of the nose) - Food getting caught in the lungs - Inability to ingest enough food or liquid, causing weight loss - Weak voice - Poor tongue control - Loss of gag reflex5 4. Oropharyngeal dysphagia is often confused with other oral maladies. Dysphagia in stroke patients is often confused with: - Odynophagia: painful swallowing - Globus: the constant feeling of a lump in the throat Obviously, the treatment of these maladies is distinctly different than dysphagia therapies and should be addressed accordingly.6 5. Dysphagia greatly increases risks of negative health effects. Stroke patients experiencing dysphagia are seven times more likely to experience choking episodes, aspiration pneumonia, dehydration and malnutrition. Left undiagnosed and/or untreated, these episodes may result in permanent health impairment or fatality.7 6. Dysphagia diagnostic methods have proven effective. Two methods are at the forefront of dysphagic diagnoses in stroke patients: - Videofluroscopy (VFS), also known as modified barium swallow, is generally perceived as the “gold standard” for swallowing assessments in stroke patients and entails the administration of radio‐opaque barium liquid with moving images captured in the lateral view of the mouth and throat. - Fibreoptic endoscoptic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) is a radiation-free alternative to VFS and entails the placement of a nasendoscope to the level of the uvula or soft palate to give a view of the hypopharynx and larynx.8 7. Compensatory strategies can have positive results with dysphagic stroke patients. Methods for dysphagic adaptation include the following: - Modifying the consistency of food and fluids supplied to dysphagia patients has proven effective in managing the swallowing disorder. - The use of physical adaptations while eating, such as a chin tuck when swallowing, head turn or the Mendelsohn Maneuver (an exercise to improve the upward and forward movement of the voice box to prompt swallowing), have yielded positive results in many stroke patients. - In severe dysphagic cases, a feeding tube may be necessary to provide adequate nutrition and hydration when other compensatory methods fail.9 8. Rehabilitative strategies are possible is some dysphagic stroke patients. Most evidence indicates that exercises focused on strengthening the opening of the upper oesophageal sphincter have proven effective in stroke patients. These exercises that reinforce the action of the suprahyoid muscles have been proven to increase swallowing capacity in some patients while consequently reducing post‐swallow pharyngeal residue.10 9. Early detection is critical to dysphagia treatment efficacy. There is emerging evidence that early detection of dysphagia in patients with acute stroke helps to minimize not only the complications listed above but also reduces length of hospital stay and need for comprehensive rehabilitation.11 Understanding pertinent dysphagic data is of ongoing importance in helping stroke patients to address and overcome swallowing challenges. Staying up to date with timely research and issues will be of benefit for both physicians, health care professionals, and caretakers – and the patients they serve.
\|Federal Laws Affecting Human Resource Practices \|National Labor Relations Act \|\|Requires employers to recognize a union chosen by the majority of the employees and to establish procedures governing collective bargaining. \|Equal Pay Act \|\|Prohibits pay differences based on sex for equal work. \|Civil Rights Act of 1964 \|\|Prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex. \|Age Discrimination in Employment Act \|\|1967, amended in 1978 and 1986 \|\|Prohibits age discrimination against employees between 40 and 65 years of age and restricts mandatory retirement. \|Pregnancy Discrimination Act \|\|Prohibits discrimination or dismissal of women because of pregnancy alone and protects job security during maternity leaves. \|Occupational Safety and Health Act \|\|Establishes mandatory safety and health standards in organizations. \|Vocational Rehabilitation Act \|\|Prohibits discrimination on the basis of physical or mental disabilities and requires that employees be informed about affirmative action plans. \|Vietnam-Era Veteran's Readjustment Assistance Act \|\|Prohibits discrimination against disabled veteran's and Vietnam-era veterans. \|Mandatory Retirement Act \|\|Prohibits the forced retirement of most employees before the age of 70. \|Immigration Reform and Control Act \|\|Prohibits employers from knowingly hiring illegal aliens and prohibits employment on the basis of national origin of citizenship. \|Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act \|\|Requires employees to provide 60 days' notice before a facility closing or mass layoff. \|Employee Polygraph Protection Act \|\|Limits an employer's ability to use lie detector tests. \|American with Disabilities Act \|\|Prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals with physical or mental disabilities or the chronically ill and requires that "reasonable accommodations" be provided for the disabled. \|Civil Rights Act of 1991 \|\|Reaffirms and tightens prohibition of discrimination. Permits individuals to sue for punitive damages in cases of intentional discrimination and shifts the burden of proof to the employer. \|Family and Medical Leave Act \|\|Permits employees in organizations with 50 or more workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for family or medical reasons for each year.
A new government study may take the wind out of some conspiracy theorists' sails, with evidence indicating that SmartMeters do not, in fact, cause any health problems. According to the Press Democrat, the thermal energy emitted by the utility meters is a tiny fraction of what federal guidelines consider safe. Their output is about one seventieth of the limit of radio exposure. But unanswered questions remain. The study only addresses thermal energy, which leaves open the possibility that other types of energy escapes from the meters. Nevertheless, the scientists concluded that the devices, which transmit energy usage wirelessly, are safe. Other major health organizations have been unable to find any link between radio and illness. SmartMeter opponents have made for strange bedfellows lately. A teaparty group is joined by environmental alarmists with worries that range from infringement of privacy to infringement of previous bodily tissues. Other groups have objected that the meters would allow utilities to vary energy prices according to market availability, allowing the state to conserve power during shortages. The study is accepting public comment until the end of the month at ccst.us. Lawmakers are pushing for options that would accommodate citizens who are suspicious of SmartMeters. Under that proposal, PG&E would have to provided non-SmartMeter alternatives. So far, tens of thousands of the meters have been installed in Sonoma County.
Definition of 'laze' Example sentences containing 'laze' She wanted to laze in bed, hugging last night's encounter with Tony to her heart, replaying his every word.THE LAST TEMPTATION (2002) The more they pay, the more they can boast that it costs 500 dollars a day to laze on the Sea Urchin's deck.A DAYSTAR OF FEAR (2002) NOBLE BEGINNNINGS (2002) Trends of 'laze' View usage over: Definition of laze from the Collins English Dictionary Why every generation is at risk We take a look at the etymology behind the word 'election' in the run-up to the UK General Election in June Language expert Ian Brookes looks at the word 'election' and its origins. Join the Collins community All the latest wordy news, linguistic insights, offers and competitions every month.
Pressure is measured in millibars (mb) and inches of Mercury (inHg). 1 mb = 0.02953 inch Hg. What are the "adjusted" values for pressure? Pressure varies in time due to weather conditions, but in general, the pressure is also less at higher altitudes. If all you care about is weather, you might want to adjust all pressure measurements at different altitudes to read as if the measurements were taken at sea-level, so that you can compare them easily. Good idea! In fact, this sort of adjusted reading is already what you get from the airport, or when you tune into the forecast on the evening news. However, since we also are using the pressure data to calibrate our weather balloons (which don't know what altitude they are at apart from their pressure readings), we record both the unadjusted and the sea-level adjusted values. Temperature is measured in degrees Celsius and degrees Fahrenheit. To convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit use F = 9C/5 + 32, or just get used to thinking in Celsius. Relative Humidity (expressed as a percent) measures water vapor relative to the temperature of the air. In other words, it is a measure of the actual amount of water vapor in the air compared to the total amount of vapor that can exist in the air at its current temperature. Warm air can possess more water vapor (moisture) than cold air, so with the same amount of absolute/specific humidity, air will have a higher relative humidity if the air is cooler, and a lower relative humidity if the air is warmer. What we "feel" outside is the actual amount of moisture (absolute humidity) in the air.
Excellent PCB Soldering Printed circuit boards are important to prototyping electronic circuit design and create finished electronic products. The components are connected to the PCB with the help of soldering. A neat and fine soldering ensures safe and proper connection and placement of components on PCB. Apart from commercial and manufacturing oriented PCB fabrication, manual soldering is a technical skill needed to develop a PCB for DIY projects and small scale production. Excellent PCB soldering seldom has common mistakes, such as disturbed joint, cold joint, over heat or PCB damaged joint, insufficient wetting of pin, surface or pad joint, untrimmed leads of components, bridge between surfaces and lifted pads. All these common problems can be overcome to make a neat and well-soldered PCB. A good solder joint has a very smooth surface that glows like a star, with the solder joint at a 45-degree angle with component legs. Disturbed joint has porous contact with PCB and it can loosen upon touch. Disturbed joint can easily be healed with the help of putting a neat solder iron tip raised to moderate temperature on it. Cold joints do not pinch component legs and PCB surface. These joints can be adjusted by reheating the solder on the surface. Overheating the counter part of the cold joint leaves damage marks on the PCB surface. These marks can be removed by scratching the surface and fixing by re-soldering. If surface of PCB or leg of component or pad is not given enough contact time with solder iron tip, this can result in insufficient wetting joint. This can be modified by re-heating to get an excellent soldering joint. A well heated surface with proper contact time of solder wire with soldering iron and PCB surface can help avoid over-solder or soldering too much on PCB board. The tips above help to solder well joints of components on printed circuit boards when small number PCB boards are needed, and you want to manually solder components on the printed circuit board for rapid prototyping. You may do a good job following the tips in your next project.
Ancus Marcius (r. 640 BC - 616 BC) was the legendary fourth of the Kings of Rome. He was the son of Marcius (whose father, also named Marcius, had been a close friend of Numa Pompilius) and Pompilia (daughter of Numa Pompilius). According to Festus, Marcius had the surname of Ancus from his crooked arm. Upon the death of the previous king, Tullus Hostilius, the Roman Senate appointed an interrex, who in turn called a session of the assembly of the people who elected the new king. According to Livy, his first act as king was to order the Pontifex Maximus to copy the text concerning the performance of public ceremonies of religion from the commentaries of Numa Pompilius to be displayed to the public, so that the rites of religion should no longer be neglected or improperly performed. He waged war successfully against the Latins, and a number of them were settled on the Aventine Hill. According to Livy, the war was commenced by the Latins who anticipated Ancus would follow the pious pursuit of peace adopted by his grandfather, Numa Pompilius. The Latins initially made an incursion on Roman lands. When a Roman embassy sought restitution for the damage, the Latins gave a contemptuous reply. Ancus accordingly declared war on the Latins. The declaration is notable since, according to Livy, it was the first time that the Romans had declared war by means of the rites of the fetials. Ancus Marcius marched from Rome with a newly levied army and took the Latin town of Politorium (situated near the town of Lanuvium) by storm. Its residents were removed to settle on the Aventine Hill in Rome as new citizens, following the Roman traditions from wars with the Sabines and Albans. When the other Latins subsequently occupied the empty town of Politorium, Ancus took the town again and demolished it. The Latin villages of Tellenae and Ficana were also sacked and demolished. The war then focused on the Latin town of Medullia. The town had a strong garrison and was well fortified. Several engagements took place outside the town and the Romans were eventually victorious. Ancus returned to Rome with much booty. More Latins were brought to Rome as citizens and were settled at the foot of the Aventine near the Palatine Hill, by the temple of Murcia Ancus Marcius incorporated the Janiculum into the city, fortifying it with a wall and connecting it with the city by a wooden bridge across the Tiber, the Pons Sublicius. On the land side of the city he constructed the Fossa Quiritium, a ditch fortification. He also built Rome's first prison, the Mamertine prison. He extended Roman territory to the sea, founding the port of Ostia, establishing salt-works around the port, and taking the Silva Maesia, an area of coastal forest north of the Tiber, from the Veientes. He expanded the temple of Jupiter Feretrius to reflect these territorial successes. According to a reconstruction of the Fasti Triumphales, Ancus Marcius celebreated at least one triumph, over the Sabines and Veientes. Ancus Marcius was succeeded by Lucius Tarquinius Priscus who was killed by the sons of Ancus Marcius. Patrician Marcius Rex -family descended from this king and remained prominent during the republic and empire. ALPHABETICAL INDEX OF ALL FILES CRYSTALINKS HOME PAGE PSYCHIC READING WITH ELLIE 2012 THE ALCHEMY OF TIME
Kidney Disorders- The following article discusses about a medical condition called Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody (ANCA) Vasculitis. This condition causes renal dysfunction. In this article, we will discuss about various causes, symptoms, and treatment rendered for Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody (ANCA) Vasculitis. How Is Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody (ANCA) Vasculitis Defined? - Autoimmune Disease- Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody (ANCA) Vasculitis is an autoimmune disease that results in vascular tissue inflammation and systemic vasculitis. - Antibodies- Autoimmune response by the body is triggered by autoantibodies. Antibodies react against the antigen present in the wall of neutrophils granulocytes and blood vessels.1 - Immune System- Antibodies are protein molecule that circulates in the blood. Antibodies are produced by the immune system of the body to fight and terminate bacteria and viruses. Protein molecules located over wall of bacteria and viruses are treated as antigen. - Autoimmune Disease- Sometimes antibodies react against normal cells, which are part of tissue and organs. In other words antibodies start attacking own cells and triggers autoimmune disease. These antibodies are called as autoantibodies. The autoantibodies react against antigen or protein molecules of cellular wall of cells of blood vessels and neutrophils.1 - ANCA Against Neutrophils- Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody or ANCA are autoantibodies, which attacks certain type of white blood cells namely neutrophils (neutrophil granulocytes) and activates the white blood cells. - The antigen and antibody reaction causes inflammatory reaction of blood vessels also known as vasculitis. Vasculitis changes the function of the blood vessel. Vasculitis causes irregular exchange of electrolytes, water and waste product in kidney. - Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody induces vasculitis of renal blood vessels and causes excessive leakage of blood, minerals, water and protein into urine collected by renal tubule. The disease may cause end stage renal disease and kidney failure. Causes Of Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody (ANCA) Vasculitis - Cause of autoimmune reaction and antibody secretion is not known - Research has not confirmed but hypothesis is the disease is triggered by gene mutation. The malfunction of gene controlling immune system is probable cause of beginning of autoimmune antibody secretion. - Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody Vasculitis is caused as a result of the autoantibodies causing inflammatory vasculitis and inflammatory edema of blood vessels - The antibody reaction with antigen of capillaries and small arteriole activates neutrophils to attack the capillaries and blood vessels resulting in vasculitis. Vasculitis of kidney vessels and glomeruli results in a medical condition called glomerulonephritis.2 Types Of Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody (ANCA) Vasculitis Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody Vasculitis can attack different organ structures. The different forms of Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody Vasculitis affecting the kidneys are: - Renal Limited Vasculitis or ANCA Glomerulonephritis: In this, swelling of the blood vessels causes capillary swelling. Apart from the kidneys, no other organs are affected in this form of vasculitis. - Microscopic Polyangiitis: In this, swelling causes injury/damage to blood vessels in numerous tissues at once. This form is usually seen in the kidneys, nerves, and lungs. What Are The Chances Of An Individual Getting Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody (ANCA) Vasculitis? - Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody Vasculitis is an extremely rare condition. - Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody Vasculitis generally strikes people who are above 55 years of age. - There is no gender bias with this disorder but research has shown it usually affects the whites more. Symptoms Of Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody (ANCA) Vasculitis Non-Specific Symptoms Of ANCA Vasculitis- - Flu-like Symptoms - Body and muscle pains - Fatigue and malaise - Decreased appetite - Unintentional weight loss. Specific Symptoms Of ANCA Vasculitis- Generalized vasculitis can cause specific symptoms related to organ involved. Most common organ involved is kidney. Renal Vasculitis- Renal vasculitis may result in Crescent Glomerulonephritis. Wegener's Granulomatosis- Affects blood vessels of kidney and lungs. Symptoms are same as above and additional symptoms caused by lung vasculitis are as follows- - Life-threatening pulmonary hemorrhage. - Non-Specific symptoms - Skin rash - Gastrointestinal bleeding - Bleeding in lung - Abdominal severe pain - Numbness in hands and feet. - Vasculitis of the blood vessels of the lungs - Hemoptysis- Coughing blood - Dyspnea- Short of breath Pulmonary Renal Vasculitis-4 - Bleeding in lungs - Symptoms and signs of renal vasculitis. Diagnosis for Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody (ANCA) Vasculitis Detailed Examination for Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody (ANCA) Vasculitis - Physician conducts a detailed physical examination Urine Examination for Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody (ANCA) Vasculitis Urine examination may show following abnormalities. - Abnormal Creatinine Clearance - Blood in urine - Check and estimate excretion of Urine Total Protein - Uric acid in urine - Abnormal Urine concentration test - Abnormal Specific Gravity of urine Blood Examination for Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody (ANCA) Vasculitis The following blood tests are abnormal in case of Glomerulonephritis: - Blood BUN and Creatinine is increased. - Positive serum Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Antibody are observed, - Positive Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies - Antinuclear Antibodies is increased. - Complement Levels are increased. - Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody (ANCA) Blood Test is increased. - Tests to look for specific infections such as hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Radiological Studies for Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody (ANCA) Vasculitis Some of the radiological studies that may be done to confirm the diagnosis of vasculitis of lung, gastrointestinal system and kidney are as follows: Ultrasound Studies for Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody (ANCA) Vasculitis - Ultrasound study is performed to examine the kidney, lung and gastrointestinal organs to diagnose shape and external surface of the organ and hematoma (blood clots). Biopsy for Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody (ANCA) Vasculitis - Kidney biopsy and Microscopic examination is performed to confirm diagnosis of glomerulonephritis. Bronchoscopy and lavage for Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody (ANCA) Vasculitis - Rarely bronchoscopy is performed to check the trachea, bronchi and lungs. - The secretions of lungs are collected during bronchoscopy for lab and microscopic study. Treatment For Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody (ANCA) Vasculitis Referral to Specialist- Referral depends on organs affected by vasculitis. - Vasculitis of Kidney- Nephrologist - Vasculitis of Lungs- Pulmonologist - Vasculitis of Gastrointestinal (GI) System- GI Specialist A steroid helps in controlling swelling and slows down the autoimmune response.5 - Medications like cyclophosphamide and cyclosporine prevents the immune system's to attack itself.5 - These medications treat the infections that are caused as a result of vasculitis, - Antibiotics may remove triggering bacteria and viruses from system, which are initiating Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody formations. - Unfortunately, there are some patients who even with definite treatment do not improve and end up having renal failure. In such cases, kidney transplant becomes an option. Some Important Queries Regarding Kidney Transplant In Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody (ANCA) Vasculitis When it comes to kidney transplant as a result of Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody Vasculitis, patients may have the following queries which have been answered below: What are the Chances of Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody Vasculitis Recurring Even After Kidney Transplant? There are instances in about 15% of people where the disease has recurred after the transplant; hence, it is imperative to make sure that Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody disease is completely inactive prior to undergoing a kidney transplant. This significantly reduces the chances of disease recurrence after the transplant. Usually, Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody Vasculitis symptoms may return after about five years after the kidney transplant.6 What Is The Potential Treatment For Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody Vasculitis In Case It Returns After A Kidney Transplant? The treatment remains the same even after a kidney transplant but in this case the medications may be different in order to prevent kidney rejection. In case Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody Vasculitis Recurs, Can It Result In The Failure Of Transplant? It is very rare that Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody Vasculitis causes loss of the transplant. Research suggests that only about 7% of people lose their kidneys after transplant after approximately 10 years post transplantation due to Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody. 1. B cell-mediated pathogenesis of ANCA-mediated vasculitis. Jennette JC1, Falk RJ. Semin Immunopathol. 2014 Apr 29. 2. Pathogenesis of lung vasculitis. Nachman PH1, Henderson AG. Semin Respir Crit Care Med. 2011 Jun;32(3):245-53. 3. Alveolar haemorrhage in ANCA-associated vasculitides: 80 patients' features and prognostic factors. Kostianovsky A1, Hauser T, Pagnoux C, Cohen P, Daugas E, Mouthon L, Miossec P, Cordier JF, Guillevin L; French Vasculitis Study Group (FVSG). Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2012 Jan-Feb;30(1 Suppl 70):S77-82. 4. Pulmonary renal vasculitis syndromes. Lee RW1, D'Cruz DP. Autoimmun Rev. 2010 Aug;9(10):657-60. doi: 10.1016/j.autrev.2010.05.012. 5. Plasmapheresis therapy for diffuse alveolar hemorrhage in patients with small-vessel vasculitis. Klemmer PJ1, Chalermskulrat W, Reif MS, Hogan SL, Henke DC, Falk RJ. Am J Kidney Dis. 2003 Dec;42(6):1149-53. 6. Recurrent ANCA-associated vasculitis after renal transplantation. Dhaun N, Blakeney J, Richards A, Bellamy CO, Kluth DC. Transplantation. 2010 Dec 15;90(11):1239-40.
The advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has rapidly transcended population genetics to population genomics. Current research focuses on adopting next-generation sequencing technology and embracing an ever-adapting genomic toolkit to take advantage of this unprecedented amount of genetic data. Current research focuses on developing novel exome capture methods for non-model organisms. As genomic scale data sets become standard in molecular ecology, understanding how to efficiently and accurately process raw data is critical for accuracy in downstream population-level analysis. Current research focuses on RADseq bioinformatics and developing "reference-free" methods for exome captured data analysis. Life history traits, such as location of fertilization and mode of larval development, have long been thought to influence the evolutionary process of marine organisms, from fine-scale genetic structure to the tempo and mode of speciation. Current research focuses on how population connectivity influences populations on the margins of species ranges. The environmental impacts of an ever-growing human population cross multiple spatial and temporal boundaries, and marine organisms experience all of these stressors simultaneously, increasing the need for research on synergistic effects. Current research uses controlled, factorial exposure experiments to measure phenotypic and genotypic changes of larvae after exposure to ocean acidification conditions, sewage effluent, and the combination of the two. Using Fiddler crabs as a model system, our research is implementing a multiscale spatial design focused around three different sewage effluent sources, and will also incorporate other seascape variables such as temperature, salinity, and flow rates. Additionally, the design incorporates both a paired site and gradient design to inform genomic analysis, aiding in the identification of portions of the genome that may be under selection via exposure to sewage effluent.
In Neshaminy School District, northeast of Philadelphia, nearly 20 percent of our struggling K–2 students spend 30 minutes a day, five days a week in small-group reading intervention. To limit the time these students spend in intervention programs, we have an “all hands on deck” approach: With parental involvement and our blended learning model, Neshaminy educators identify and build upon students’ strengths to lay the foundation for reading success. Our blended model starts with an engaging digital curriculum, one-to-one instruction, and small-group work. After we implemented this approach districtwide last year, we saw enormous growth in a majority of our students, especially among struggling or reluctant readers. Ten to 15 percent of students entering the intervention program at the start of the school year were able to “graduate” and transition back to the traditional classroom by January. We have found that by focusing on phonics and the skills needed to decode the English language, our students are able to bring what they’ve learned into the classroom, effectively bridging the gap between intervention and our ELA curriculum. Teaching students to decode Up until four years ago, each school’s reading intervention staff developed materials based on best practices. With the goal of making students proficient readers before they entered third grade, a small team of teachers attended trainings through Reading Horizons, and quickly realized how powerful the decoding approach could be for their students. Every year we’ve expanded our use of the curriculum, and today use it in all seven of Neshaminy’s elementary schools. At Ferderbar Elementary, reading interventionists see approximately 90 students daily. We use a “pull-out” model, so students who need reading intervention leave the traditional classroom during independent work time (or what we call “The Daily 5”) and focus on mastering one to two skills per week. This systematic process of introducing phonetic and decoding skills allows students to rapidly and efficiently crack the “code” of the English Language to become more successful readers. Research shows that when students learn how the English code works through an explicit, easy-to-follow, and multisensory approach, reading becomes second nature and guessing is dramatically reduced. The Reading Horizons method features a unique marking system to help students figure out multisyllable words on their own. With our blended model, students are empowered to make the connections they need to learn the method independently on their device, or in whole-class or small-group instruction with their teachers. The result is more meaningful interactions with texts and improved comprehension.
Gay, straight and bisexual may not begin to capture the changing nature of human sexuality. A new study, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Sex Research, analyzed surveys from around 12,000 students, and found that substantial changes in attractions, partners, and sexual identity are common from late adolescence to the early 20s, and from there into people’s late 20s. The research said evolving and changing feelings about attraction indicate that sexual orientation development continues long past adolescence into adulthood. The results also show distinct differences between men and women, with female sexuality being more fluid over time. “ ‘The early 20s are a time of increased independence and often include greater access to more liberal environments.’ ” Sexuality is key to most people’s identity. “Sexual orientation involves many aspects of life, such as who we feel attracted to, who we have sex with, and how we self-identify,” said Christine Kaestle, a professor of developmental health at Virginia Tech and author of the study. Lesbian, bisexual and gay are the main markers for a person’s sexual preferences, but Kaestle says they may be limiting. “Researchers have tended to focus on just one of these aspects, or dimensions, to measure and categorize people. However, that may oversimplify the situation,” she said. “For example, someone may self-identify as heterosexual while also reporting relationships with same-sex partners.” In order to take all of these dimensions of sexuality above and beyond gay, straight and bisexual, Kaestle used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, which tracked American students from the ages of 16 to 18 into their late 20s and early 30s. “The early 20s are a time of increased independence and often include greater access to more liberal environments that can make the exploration, questioning, or acknowledging of same-sex attractions more acceptable and comfortable at that age,” she said. “At the same time, as more people pair up in longer term committed relationships as young adulthood progresses, this could lead to fewer identities and attractions being expressed that do not match the sex of the long-term partner, leading to a kind of [bisexual] invisibility,” Kaestle added. “ Men were more likely than women to report their sexuality as straight. Women were more likely to be bisexual. ” Straight people made up the largest group and showed the least change in sexual preferences over time. Men were more likely than women to report their sexuality as straight: Almost 9 out of 10 men, compared to less than three-quarters of women, Kaestle said. Men and women in the middle of the sexuality spectrum, as well as those in the “emerging” gay and lesbian groups showed the most changes over time. Women were more likely (1 in 6) to be located in the middle of the sexuality spectrum and to be bisexual, the study concluded. Social and cultural mores also play a role in how people define themselves, Kaestle said. “We will always struggle with imposing categories onto sexual orientation. Because sexual orientation involves a set of various life experiences over time, categories will always feel artificial and static.”
History, tourist information, and nearby accommodation HERITAGE HIGHLIGHTS: All Saints church has a history going back well over 1000 years The town was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was called Chirchebi. The Norman lord Robert de Stuteville erected a moated castle on Vivers Hill. The town received a market charter in 1254 and became a prosperous trading centre. The castle was allowed to decay after the Black Death, and after 1408 it was replaced by a fortified manor built by the powerful Neville family, who took over the manor. Stone from the manor house was later used to build the Toll Booth in the centre of town. The Nevilles replaced the original residence with a late medieval hunting lodge known locally as Neville Castle. The Castle was seized by the Crown when Charles Neville, Earl of Westmoreland, rebelled against Elizabeth I in 1569. Much of the castle is beneath the ground but several sections of masonry walls remain. The largest of the surviving wall sections can be found by the path that leads from the end of Castlegate, by the edge of Manor Vale. Duke of Buckingham died in 1687 All Saints Church The parish church of Kirkbymoorside dates to the 13th century but was heavily restored by Sir George Gilbert Scott from 1873. The history of All Saints goes back much further in time, however, for there was probably a place of Christian worship here as early as the 9th century, on the site of a pagan temple. The early timber church was destroyed by Viking raiders in the 9th century. The Vikings left behind fragments of crosses, now on show in the Ryedale Folk Museum in Hutton-le-Hole. Records show a church definitely existed by the 10th century. One of the oldest features is the 14th-century double sedilia in the chancel. A more modern feature is the chancel screen and cross, designed by Temple Moor as a memorial to the dead of World War One. There are 2 early Norman windows, easily discerned by their wide, splayed openings. Look for the memorial brass to Lady Brooke (d. 1600). One unusual historic building is Windmill Tower, built in 1839 of red brick and intended to be an active windmill. An argument between the mill towner and a neighbour meant that the sails were never attached to the tower. It was used briefly as a corn mill, with the grinding wheels driven by an oil engine. Kirkbymoorside is famed for its brass band, formed over 200 years ago and a regular performer at the nearby Ryedale Show. Most photos are available for licensing, please contact Britain Express image library. Address: Kirkbymoorside, North York Moors, Yorkshire, England Attraction Type: Town Photo Credit: David Ross and Britain Express We've 'tagged' this attraction information to help you find related historic attractions and learn more about major time periods mentioned. Historic Time Periods: Find other attractions tagged with: NEARBY HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS Heritage Rated from 1- 5 (low-exceptional) on historic interest Kirkbymoorside, All Saints Church - 0.3 miles (Historic Church) Kirkdale, St Gregory's Minster - 1.2 miles (Historic Church) Hutton-le-Hole, St Chad's Church - 2.4 miles (Historic Church) Ryedale Folk Museum - 2.5 miles (Museum) Lastingham, St Mary's Church - 3.4 miles (Historic Church) Nunnington Hall - 4.6 miles (Historic Building) Nunnington, All Saints and St James Church - 4.6 miles (Historic Church) Helmsley, All Saints Church - 5.4 miles (Historic Church) Nearest Accommodation to Kirkbymoorside:
Architecture has evolved from culture, technology, material and political will. Recently it is seen that culture has cult missing because as a community we have crossed boundaries of Nations and acquired a global culture. Hence, buildings no longer seems to be rooted to local customs.Local customs are no longer strong enough to impress. Technology is computer based, from election to production of goods,we rely for accuracy and hard work on computer. Soon our construction will be handed over to robots,that will assure constant and perfect construction. All the risk in construction will shift from human to robots.It will encourage architects to have intricate details on louver or doors etc. Labour costs will be reduced substantially. An era of facade decoration and interiors will find it’s way in years to come. Materials that are reusable or sustainable with custom made forms and patterns will become norm. Buildings will have systems monitored via mobile phone. Smart home and smartphone will replace domestic help. Architecture will change in expression and impression. Artificial intelligence will give many alternatives to a single land with details of cost, construction time, aesthetics, materials selection etc. Human factors will be reduced as solutions will float by a single click. Architects will have just one supremacy the mind that has innovation, this will be an edge. Architecture will change because very few clients hire architects as their services are expensive and exclusive. People want to get services that are faster and cheaper. The new era or style in Architecture will have a new slogan. Sustainable development with renewable energy sources. Energy efficient buildings will survive and energy consuming will become extinction. - Tomorrow is a beautiful day and I want it to be happy.
A recent study, published in the Royal Society Open Science , researched the global-scale potential for carnivore rewilding. Kate Priestman finds out more… Rewilding seeks to provide connected spaces at landscape scales, that are given the freedom to operate as fully functioning, healthy ecosystems, governed and sustained by natural processes. In order to succeed, it is necessary in some cases to reintroduce those features of an ecosystem that are missing, but that are essential to achieving and maintaining ecosystem balance. The end result being that areas are created where both humans, flora and fauna co-exist and thrive alongside each other. Rewilding is a concept that is now well established in conservation circles. Rewilding has also been brought to the public’s attention via news headlines associated with reintroductions of animals such as the lynx and wolf. Due to their size and requirements for sustaining life, large carnivores are globally under threat from human encroachment and competition for resources. Animals such as bears, wolves and big cats have suffered both targeted and indirect persecution and eradication by humans over sustained periods, through means such as hunting and habitat loss / fragmentation. This has led, in some cases, to species being forced into direct conflict with humans as they try desperately to source the habitat requirements necessary for their survival. The decline in large carnivore presence has had dramatic, and in some cases catastrophic, effects for other plants and animals within ecosystems. Large carnivores, amongst other things, limit the numbers of herbivores, this in turn has effects on plant structure and community. Take the carnivores out of the equation and the whole system loses its’ balance. In some areas, there has been progress towards restoring ecosystem function; Wolf & Ripple note that there are instances where there has been a gradual expansion of large carnivores. When the conditions are right in terms of tolerance, policy and absence / reduction of competition for resources, humans and large predators may be able to coexist; this is illustrated by the natural range expansions of the grey wolf, brown bear and Eurasian lynx in parts of Europe, and of the grey wolf in the USA. A concerted approach towards rewilding is necessary in order to restore ecosystem function, conserve species, habitats and resources. We now have a greater awareness regarding the means by which potential human / animal conflict may be minimised, resulting in an increase in successful reintroductions of large carnivores. This knowledge can be used to support the process of rewilding when extrapolated to other regions. A number of research projects that have looked at factors influencing successful reintroductions were used as a basis for Wolf & Ripple’s work. Factors such as critical reserve size, edge effects, availability of prey, presence of established competitors, and the ecology / life-cycle traits of species were taken into account. This particular research project was motivated by the urgent need to address carnivore decline. The primary goal being, for each large carnivore species selected for the project (25 in total), to identify specific protected areas and other areas where the likelihood of successful reintroduction may be high, providing data on likely predictors of reintroduction success for each region. Taken as a whole, the analysis serves as a “preliminary, data-driven assessment of global rewilding possibilities”. The carnivores selected for the research project comprised those where comprehensive information was available regarding their historic and current range. The areas where the species had previously been recorded but were no longer present, comprised the main geographic focus for the consideration of possible reintroductions. The first parallel analysis saw the researchers focus on protected areas that have been issued with the highest level of protection. They mapped where these areas overlapped a species’ previous range, using reserve size as the primary criterion to determine the protected areas best suited for reintroduction, in addition to current carnivore status within the individual reserve. The second strand of analysis looked at the 2009 global human footprint map . This map illustrates the impacts of humans on the environment, based on source data including maps of roads, night-time lights, land cover and human population density. The ‘last of the wild’ methodology was then used to determine large, relatively intact areas within the previous ranges of each large carnivore species (‘Last of the wild’ regions are defined as contiguous regions within a larger region that are in the bottom 10% in terms of human footprint). The researchers’ focused on the largest six regions for each carnivore species to match the protected area analysis that was undertaken. After identifying protected areas and low footprint regions for each large carnivore, Wolf & Ripple conducted parallel analyses using these two datasets to explore where reintroductions may have the greatest likelihood of success. For each large carnivore species, in addition to looking at the geographical area and average human footprint of each area, they determined whether or not the large carnivore guild (set of species) becomes complete (relative to approximately AD 1500) if that carnivore species were to be reintroduced there. The research also determined the country and broad-scale geographical region of the site, and finally, for the hyper carnivore species (large carnivores with diets containing at least 70% meat), where data was available, they reported the preferred prey species, threatened preferred prey species, and estimated total number of preferred prey species available at each site. Connectivity of protected areas was also taken into consideration, treating protected areas separated by more than 500km as non-adjacent, which reflects the dispersal distances possible for large carnivores. Six of the largest protected areas were identified for each large carnivore species (except the red wolf—only three protected areas were identified for this species) where reintroduction may be successful following the implementation of conservation programmes designed to limit ongoing threats to carnivores, possibly including the original causes of extirpation. These form a set of 130 different protected areas globally, covering all major regions of the world. The protected areas span 48 countries, and most commonly occur in Mongolia, Canada, Thailand, Namibia, Indonesia and Australia. Of the 147 protected area–large carnivore combinations (six for each species except the red wolf), 59 (40.1%) would result in an intact carnivore guild following reintroduction of the large carnivore. The research identified the six largest low footprint regions for each large carnivore. These form a set of 150 regions and as with the protected areas, these low footprint regions cover all the major regions of the world. The regions cover 40 countries, most commonly occurring in the USA, Russia, Canada, China and Mauritania. Of the 150 region–large carnivore combinations, 22 (14.7%) would result in an intact carnivore guild following reintroduction of the large carnivore species. In terms of corridor availability, large groups of connected protected areas were observed in much of the world, with regions of particularly high concentration including Mongolia, Central and Southern Africa and Canada. It is clear that whilst suitable areas have been identified for large carnivore reintroductions, the practical application of reintroductions is dependant on ground-truthing individual factors and needs to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. For example, protected areas in some instances, still have high incidents of hunting and poaching, which could undermine the success of any reintroductions through targeting of the introduced species or their prey. Findings of relatively high (≥10.0) average human footprint in protected areas for the Eurasian lynx, sloth bear and Asiatic black bear suggests that this may be a particularly serious issue for these species, although recent large carnivore recoveries in Europe indicate that carnivore persistence in heavily modified landscapes is possible in certain cases provided that prey are abundant and persecution is limited. Areas that have been identified as low footprint regions could be subject to other pressures that render them less suitable for reintroductions such as mineral extractions / industry, political instability and effects of climate change. Whilst there are limitations to the study, (e.g. uncertainty with regards to data reliance that underpins the research and on-the-ground practicalities), this research acts as an important first step in identifying much needed areas for future large carnivore rewilding across their former range. - Wolf, C. & Ripple, W.J. 2018. Rewilding the world’s large carnivores. R. Soc. open sci. 2018 5 172235; DOI: 10.1098/rsos.172235. Published 14 March 2018. - Venter O et al. 2016. Sixteen years of change in the global terrestrial human footprint and implications for biodiversity conservation. Nat. Commun. 7, 12558. Research findings re-published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. About the Author: Kate Priestman (CEnv, MCIEEM) has over sixteen years experience as an ecologist. Prior to setting up her own consultancy business in 2012, Kate worked in London for over a decade, providing the lead ecology role for a number of high profile projects. Kate works as an artist, author, writer and editor.
We recently referenced Kalambaka, Meteora in a previous post. In our Greece/Turkey trip, Kalambaka served as a logistically good overnight stay after leaving Athens, and en route to Thessaloniki. When we left Kalambaka early morning, there was eerie mist and fog as we drove past the stupendous rock formations, many of which are crowned with monasteries. Our photo here shows the Monastery of Rousanou. History of Rousanou Monastery Rousanou (Ρουσανου) Monastery was founded around 1545 by Maximos and Ioasaph of Ioannina. The reason for the monastery’s name is not known – it is actually dedicated to St. Barbara – but may reflect the name of a hermit who occupied the rock. It soon declined and became subject to Varlaam Monastery by 1614. The monastery once again fell into disrepair for the two centuries prior to the 1940s, when it was damaged in World War II then plundered by the Germans. It was later repaired by the regional archaeological service and since 1988 it has been occupied by a small community of 13 nuns. What to See at Rousanou Monastery Rousanou Monastery stands on a low rock and is easily accessible by a bridge built of wood in 1868 and replaced by more solid material in 1930. Despite this, its situation is still quite dramatic, with the rock dropping off sharply on all sides. The monastery covers the entire surface of the rock and consists of three levels: the church and cells occupy the ground floor, while the two upper floors house the guest quarters, reception halls, an exhibition room, and more cells. The frescoes in Rousanou’s Church of the Transfiguration of Christ, which is essentially a smaller version of Varlaam’s church, date from 1560. The narthex is decorated primarily with gruesome scenes of martyrdom, as at other Meteora monasteries. (http://www.sacred-destinations.com/greece/meteora-roussanou-monastery)
English langauage classes are available for pupils whose first language is not English. Mrs White is the English Language Support Teacher. Children are withdrawn from class for 30 minute lessons and work as individuals or in small groups. Activities include games, drama, computer work and oral and written practice. The aim is to help children improve their skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening so that they can acces the curriculum more effectiviely. Mrs White also coordinates with class teachers to pre-teach topic vocabulary and reinforce work covered in class. Read the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears in English, Polish and Lativian. (Click on links below) Two children made powerpoint presentations about moving to Northern Ireland, click below to have a look! The Three Little Pigs by P3 The boys acted out the story of the Three Little Pigs to the rest of their class! Mrs Wiggam was very proud of them! Come back soon and see what else we have been up to with Mrs White!
Many infectious diseases are spread via respiratory droplets that are transmitted when someone with a virus coughs or sneezes. When another person close by inhales the droplet or touches a contaminated surface and then touches their mouth, eyes, or nose, they run the risk of becoming infected. There are a few things that can help control the spread of infectious diseases. For instance, PPE equipment like face shields are an integral part of helping slow the spread of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19 and others. Let's address some of the ways a Marlin Steel face shield can be just what you need for infectious disease control. What Are Face Shields? Face shields are items of personal protective equipment (PPE) used to protect a person's face from hazardous materials, such as potentially infectious bodily fluids, chemical splashes, and other debris. Take a look at the video we provide to demonstrate the quality and flexibility of Marlin's disposable face shields. Face shields are often used in the medical and dental industries, as well as law enforcement. How Do Face Shields Facilitate Infectious Disease Control? Well-made Marlin Steel face shields have curved plastic panels that cover the wearer’s face so their mouth, eyes, and nose are protected from splatter that may be a threat to their health. Face shields ensure that the wearer doesn't touch their face to prevent further exposure to contaminants. Investigators with Duke University Medical Center recently argued in the article "Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology" that “face shields provide better coverage of the face, as compared to masks, thus reducing the risk of self-contamination." Face shields are also easy to wipe down with disinfectant cleaners in the event that they come into contact with droplets released when an infected person sneezes or coughs. If a wearer wants to reduce the risk of cross contamination by replacing their face shield with a new one after they come in contact with an infected person, they can easily toss one of Marlin Steel's disposable face shields in a hazardous waste basket. Then, they can pick up a fresh face shield to use before they come into contact with anyone else. With a PPE face shield, essential workers who are more likely to come into contact with a contaminated individual can stay protected. Marlin Steel Can Provide The PPE For Your Infectious Disease Control Solution Marlin Steel has prioritized making sturdy, comfortable, and safe PPE equipment to contribute to the COVID-19 pandemic response. They make their face shields readily available along with ventilator components, custom stainless steel test tube racks for testing, and PPE goggles. All Marlin products are made of high-quality materials that can aid in infectious disease control. Contact them today to get your American-made PPE equipment!
It is now revealed that 10 per cent of people feel that they don’t have any good days at work. This statistic was highlighted in recent research undertaken by business psychology company Robertson Cooper. Under the title What is a Good Day at Work?, the report, based on a survey of 1,500 adults in the private and public sector in the UK, also found that the average person has about 3.7 good days at work each week, and that only 18 per cent of people have a full five-day week of good days. The really interesting thing is that the research also established that people reporting good days at work are 31 per cent more creative and 28 per cent more productive, which really helps to support the business case for the development of workplace wellbeing programmes. Imagine what could be achieved if 10 per cent of the staff in your workplace could become 28 per cent more productive! The concept of wellbeing is one that still doesn’t sit comfortably in many organisations. It’s not easy to define, and people tend to approach it with significant preconceptions. For the research, Robertson Cooper chose to focus on the concept of ‘a good day at work’ as something that is more tangible and easier to define, but still flexible enough to take in personal factors and changing circumstances. While the factors that make up a ‘good day’ will be different for each of us, the end goal is something that we are able to define, and therefore also assess and measure. This means that we are better able to identify areas for improvement, take action to address them and make positive changes for the better. Many leaders and managers are concerned that focusing on workplace wellbeing requires the organisation to adopt a parental approach, allowing workers to abdicate responsibility for their personal health. Interestingly, the research suggests that workers have a very different view, they are keen to take personal responsibility for their wellbeing but don’t feel empowered to do so. This means that relatively minor changes in workplace culture, systems and approaches have the potential to empower workers to make positive decisions about their own wellbeing, and become significantly happier, healthier and more productive. The research examines the factors that workers feel are significant in delivering a ‘good day at work’. Surprisingly, these are not linked to benefits, initiatives or health promotion, but are actually much more focused on the ability to do a really good job and to be effective. Three factors were identified in the research as being very important in achieving a good day at work. These are: task attainment, workplace relationships and lack of barriers to getting the job done. So, the key to unlocking a 28 per cent improvement in productivity lies in the development of a really good workplace culture, effective systems, efficient processes and a sense of empowerment for workers. It is, of course, still a big ask, but it’s probably an easier concept to sell to senior leaders than that of a general wellbeing programme. Of course, people can only work effectively if they are healthy, well rested and well nourished. So, a good work-life balance, access to healthy food, fresh air and exercise are also important, but the research suggests that people who are experiencing good days at work are much more inclined to take personal responsibility for their own health and wellbeing. So how can you promote more good days in your business? It’s all about leadership, competence and culture. The research report sets out an approach to building a good day at work culture, and emphasises that this is not a piece of one-off project work. To be effective and deliver real benefits it is necessary to adopt a long-term strategy that reaches into every part of the business. People are at the heart of every successful business, and the world of work is changing. Jobs are increasingly focused on knowledge, skills and service delivery rather than repetitive manual tasks. Developing and retaining a flexible workforce of skilled individuals is a real priority for successful organisations. Many businesses are starting to focus on wellbeing as a key factor in delivering this, but the Robertson Cooper research proposes a different approach. Perhaps we will see ‘good days’ becoming a leading indicator for workplace wellbeing in the future. Louise Ward is director of policy, communications and standards at the British Safety Council By Royston Smith MP on 29 July 2021 The Building Safety Bill includes much to be welcomed and could be the way to ensure that a tragedy like Grenfell and the cladding and fire safety defect scandal never happen again. By Samantha Peters on 16 July 2021 I recently returned to Twitter after a long break. The atmosphere felt grimmer. The interaction angrier. Previously active colleagues were missing.
This engaging cultural history examines the emergence of a professional identity for American women artists. By focusing on individual sculptors, painters, and illustrators, Laura Prieto gives us a compelling picture of the prospects and constraints faced by women artists in the United States from the late eighteenth century through the 1930s. Prieto tracks the transformation from female artisans and ladies with genteel “artistic accomplishments” to middle-class professional artists. Domestic spaces and familial metaphors helped legitimate the production of art by women. Expression of sexuality and representation of the nude body, on the other hand, posed problems for these artists. Women artists at first worked within their separate sphere, but by the end of the nineteenth century “New Women” grew increasingly uncomfortable with separatism, wanting ungendered recognition. With the twentieth century came striking attempts to reconcile domestic lives and careers with new expectations; these decades also ruptured the women’s earlier sense of community with amateur women artists in favor of specifically professional allegiances. This study of a diverse group of women artists—diverse in critical reception, geographic location, race, and social background—reveals a forgotten aspect of art history and women’s history.
The heart is the superhero that keeps us alive. It is the most important structure of the circulatory system and acts as a pump that drives blood throughout the body. In this way, oxygen and nutrients reach all organs and tissues. It is the muscle that performs more physical work in the body. By pumping the blood with a speed of 1.6 meters, the human heart generates energy to move a vehicle for 32 kilometres. According to data from the Spanish Heart Foundation, it pumps 5 liters of blood every minute. And like every hero, the heart also has enemies that seek to end it. Among the most deadly, cardiologist Herbert Vides points to smoking, cholesterol and sedentary lifestyle. Its lethal characteristics are the following: Tobacco kills more people than if they join all deaths from HIV, alcoholism and traffic accidents around the world. One in five people dies from causes associated with smoking. Its toxins are what makes it so lethal. It contains more than 70 substances associated with cancer, including: - Carbon monoxide Tobacco reduces life expectancy by at least 10 years and triples the level of stress experienced in the daily trajín. Nicotine has a constrictor vessel effect, that is, it reduces the diameter of the blood vessels, therefore, hinders circulation. Tobacco also reduces concentrations of good cholesterol and increases those of bad cholesterol. This vice also favors the concentration of blood clots. Quitting smoking increases the life expectancy if this dangerous vice is abandoned before the age of 40. - Obesity predisposes and facilitates the development of diabetes. - Obese people handle high amounts of lipids and triglycerides in the blood. This makes them prone to suffer a heart attack. - Obesity also predisposes human being to suffer from high blood pressure. - Having a prominent abdomen is synonymous with the accumulation of fat in the abdomen. This releases excess fatty acids in the blood, which affects the metabolism of the liver. This, in turn, affects the ability of tissues to respond to insulin, which increases blood sugar levels. This, in turn, damages the innermost layer of blood vessels and hardens them. This hinders the passage of blood and increases the risk of suffering an arterial obstruction. - The zero physical activity generates obesity and obesity predisposes the human being to suffer a heart attack. - A heart that is not accustomed to physical activity will not be able to respond to a situation of stress or a lot of activity and could collapse. - An obese person tends to accumulate more inflammatory and harmful substances for the heart. - A sedentary person has a higher risk of hypertension and respiratory diseases. - It is also more likely to suffer from atherosclerosis, a condition in which plaque builds up within the arteries. Plaque is a sticky substance composed of fat, cholesterol and calcium, among other substances found in the blood. Read More: What happens if you smoke with Asthma? The cardiologist Herbert Vides emphasizes that the way to protect the heart against these attacks is a real life change. “Albert Einstein already said ‘madness is doing the same thing over and over again hoping to get different results. If you want different results, do not do the same’. Radically changing the lifestyle and harmful habits is the only way to escape from a fatal destiny”, concludes the expert.
Robert Frost is one of the most widely read, well loved, and misunderstood of modern writers. In his day, he was also an inveterate note-taker, penning thousands of intense aphoristic thoughts, observations, and meditations in small pocket pads and school theme books throughout his life. These notebooks, transcribed and presented here in their entirety for the first time, offer unprecedented insight into Frost’s complex and often highly contradictory thinking about poetics, politics, education, psychology, science, and religion—his attitude toward Marxism, the New Deal, World War—as well as Yeats, Pound, Santayana, and William James. Covering a period from the late 1890s to early 1960s, the notebooks reveal the full range of the mind of one of America’s greatest poets. Their depth and complexity convey the restless and probing quality of his thought, and show how the unruliness of chaotic modernity was always just beneath his appearance of supreme poetic control. Edited and annotated by Robert Faggen, the notebooks are cross-referenced to mark thematic connections within these and Frost’s other writings, including his poetry, letters, and other prose. This is a major new addition to the canon of Robert Frost’s writings.
Young athletes and scholars crowded into its dining hall and ran formations on the fields outside. The sturdy construction of the New Mexico Military Institute's Carrizo Summer Camp reflected its military origin and helped it withstand decades of wear, periods of decay and several renovations. Over the years, the thick walls of Carrizo Lodge have evolved from military tan to tones that reflect the red reed grass for which is was named. Bamboo sprouted so thickly from the shore of the nearby creek that the Mescalero Apache called it Carrizo. The structure that began as a summer camp transitioned over the years into a restaurant and art gallery. A registered historical landmark, the lodge has a history that goes back to the days of the Lincoln County War, according to several historical sources. In 1879, Rutherford B. Hayes signed a patent giving title to about 160 acres along Carrizo Creek to Col. George A Purington. Purington came to New Mexico to assume command of Fort Stanton. The Carrizozo land apparently intrigued him and he intended to retire there. But any time spent at the site was short, because he died in 1896, a year after his retirement from the Army. His widow kept the land until 1923, when she sold it to Horace Carter for $25 an acre. Carter then sold 40 acres to the New Mexico Military Institute in April 1925. The board of regents authorized the athletic association of the institute to construct a summer camp on Carrizo Creek in what was then called the White Mountain, about 80 miles west from Roswell. "There, a short distance from Ruidoso Junction, an attractive and spacious camp building with large lounging room, dormitory, kitchen and dining room was erected. Institute football teams, scientific field parties and summer students utilized the accommodations of Camp Carrizo in subsequent years," according to "A History of New Mexico Military Institute, 1891-1941." Carrizo Camp was supervised by Lt. Col. E. L. Lusk and officers of the institutes faculty. From June 13 to Aug. 6, 1927, the institute operated its first summer school at Carrizo Camp. A student could complete one year's work in one high school subject. He could be prepared for high school entrance, if deficient. Older boys could be tutored in college subjects or supervised in studies for college or West Point entrance examinations. The mornings were used for study and the afternoons for recreation, Nearby Ruidoso offered a bit of social life. The experience was a vacation combined with work for the boys who enrolled. Thirty boys from seven states attended that first year for the work and fun. According to the late Bill Hart, who was interviewed for a story on the camp in 1993, cadets spent about six weeks at the camp. Later the lodge was leased to someone who maintained it with a guard and rented it to groups that might come to the area. The Institute and the state of New Mexico owned the property until 1943. The Army often used the lodge for rest and relaxation of troops. From 1943 to 1952, the lodge and property were owned by Annie Coe Titsworth of Hondo Valley, an excellent roper and rider, and friend of Billy the Kid along with her uncle, George Coe. Hart recalled that about 1945, a couple living at the lodge put up tents for children who stayed there in the summer. In 1952, Herb Greggerson, a popular square dance caller, bought the lodge. The family moved its square dance operation from El Paso to the lodge and became a welcomed part of the community for the next 30 years. Reportedly, the lodge also served as a training camp for baton twirlers at one point. In 1956, a Polish-born artist named Frederic Taubes discovered the lodge and began teaching art there in the summer. Over the years, more artists flocked to the area and the lodge offered classes until the 1990s. In 1980, Michael Furman and Billy C. Taylor acted to preserve the historical old buildings on the site and bought the property, carefully renovating and restoring the main lodge. It was listed on the National Register of Historical Places and is designated as a New Mexico registered cultural property. The lodge went through several changes in ownership as more condominium units were built. In the early 1990s, the Mescalero reservation boundary that abuts Ruidoso was expanded and scooped in the main lodge and three other buildings. Six and a half buildings remain in private hands under the Carrizozo Lodge Homeowners Association. For a few years, the Mescalero used one building as an administration and meeting center. The old lodge became a high-end restaurant and nightclub, and later an art gallery. The structure still is used occasionally for special events.
In January, 13 sperm whales washed up dead on the German coast. Last week the necropsy results were released, and the whales’ stomachs were found full of plastic junk. The whales beached in shallow water on the coast of the region of Schleswig-Holstein. The cause of death was acute heart circulatory failure—on dry land the bodies of the huge 12 to 18 ton animals collapsed under their own weight, squeezing blood vessels closed, and crushing organs together. Four of the dead whales’ stomachs contained significant amounts of plastic waste, and not just small pieces of debris, either. The Germans found a 43-foot shrimp-fishing net, a two-foot plastic car engine cover, and the sharp-edged remains of a plastic bucket. “These findings show us the impact of our plastic society,” says the report. “Animals unintentionally take plastic and other plastic waste, suffer, in the worst case, some with full stomachs starve.” When whales eat plastic, the results are striking because they pieces are huge, and show just how much junk is in our oceans. But every animal that lives on, in or near the sea can suffer. For instance, by charting the rise of plastic ingestion in seabirds since the 1960s, researchers predict that 100% of seabirds will have plastic in their stomachs by 2050. The number is already at 90%. The world’s oceans already contain more than 5 trillion pieces of plastic, and we don’t notice it because so few of us live there. And the amount of trash rises every year (the 5 trillion figure is from 2014). The German sperm whales may not have starved to death because their stomachs were filled with plastic trash, but it won’t be long before that happens, and right now there doesn’t seem to be any way to stop it.
Nothing seems to stop America’s obesity epidemic. In the last three decades, we’ve grown progressively fatter as a nation, and all the messages about eating well and exercising more, seem to fall by the wayside. Many states now have three times as many obese people–that is, people with a body mass index of at least 30–than in the 1980s. At his site Flowing Data, data visualization virtuoso Nathan Yau brings life to these dour trends in the form of a colorful new graphic. You can see how most states are shaded in green–indicating 10% or less obesity–in 1985. And, then, how many states have gone purple, indicating obesity rates in the 30%-plus range. As we’ve seen before, there are marked regional trends to the obesity crisis. Most of the most obese states are in the South and Midwest (including Louisiana, which has a 36%+ rate). Most of the least obese are in the Southwest and West, including Hawaii (the least obese state) and Colorado (about 21%). The news on obesity among kids is better than for adults. Among kids aged two to five, there was a 8.4% fall from 13.9% in 2003-2004 to 2011-2012, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among kids aged 6 to 11, there was a drop from 18.8% to 17.7% over the same period. If we can stop kids getting fatter, they are less likely to be super-fat when they reach adulthood. But little seems to avert the aggregate trend among adults. Indeed, it could be time for more radical approaches to stemming obesity, including taxes on sugary drinks and fatty foods to make them more expensive (like Berkeley’s tax, which seems to be successful). A comparative analysis of 10 anti-obesity policies last year found that exercise and education funded by taxes are the most effective, and cost-effective, ideas. Have something to say about this article? You can email us and let us know. If it’s interesting and thoughtful, we may publish your response.
This article by Dr.Gerstenfeld was originally published at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies (BESA) and republished here with the author’s consent. Language as an anti-Israeli Tool Successive Israeli governments have never had comprehensive policies to systematically fight all multiple fronts of attacks against the country. Prime ministers and their ministerial colleagues never seemed to understand what any beginning strategist would comprehend: the fight against the Israeli state has many weapons and tools. Israel must combat them all. Nobody can ignore open warfare and terrorism attacks. The Israeli government thus gave that aspect of the battlefront much attention. The bodies created for this, the Israel Defense Forces and the intelligence agencies perform rather well. A few years ago, the Israeli government also understood that cyber-warfare was dangerous to the country and set up an agency to deal with this. In other areas of the battlefield, Israel has been performing less effectively and is often negligent. In confronting boycotts, Israel was and is less remarkable. The initial Arab boycott existed for decades.1 Israel tried to circumvent it in many ways, some successful, many others less. At the beginning of the 21st century, another form of boycott emerged now known as BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions). BDS started in the university world with an open letter in the Guardian on April 6, 2002, signed by more than 100 academics.2 It called for a moratorium on all cultural and research links with Israel at European or national levels until the Israeli government abided by UN resolutions and opened “serious peace negotiations with the Palestinians, along the lines proposed in many peace plans including most recently that sponsored by the Saudis and the Arab League.” The open letter was followed by other somewhat similar initiatives. Friends of Israel came out against it. The Israeli government took very little action for many years. Israel has largely ignored the huge war of words against it. Some nations are masters of the verbal combat. Nazi Germany was near the top and invented an almost entirely new language for the extreme criminal actions it was undertaking. Many synonyms for murder were developed.3 The Soviet Union was a competent second. Before it started to promote the term “anti-Zionism” this term didn’t exist in the dictionaries.4 Millennia earlier — in the first book of the Bible –the language issue was already present in a dramatic way. God destroyed the common language of those building the Tower of Babel. Thus, major confusion in communication was created. George Orwell understood the role language plays very well. In his book,1984 – published in 1949 — he invented Newspeak, which was characterized by the interchangeability of the meaning of words. This replaced traditional English. Frequently quoted are the expressions: “freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength” and very relevant to the Palestinians, “war is peace.”5 The Israeli left and even a number of mainstream Israelis have often promoted the fundamentally mistaken notion of “land for peace.” It radically misjudged how much the Palestinians have to gain from peace. This has now partly been replaced by “peace for peace.” The Israeli government may react from time to time – but far from always — if somebody prominent accuses Israel of ‘apartheid.’ Former German socialist foreign minister, Sigmar Gabriel, for instance used that expression and apologized afterwards for it.6 One of the most frequent distortions used against Israel is that it is an ‘occupier’ of the West Bank.7 Yet Israel is at most an occupier of part of the Golan, which formerly belonged to the Syrian state. The West Bank was in the hands of Jordan. Its sovereignty there was only recognized by the UK and Pakistan.8 There was never a Palestinian state so it could not be occupied. Dore Gold explained in detail that the status of the West Bank is “disputed territory.” He made this statement shortly after he became president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs in 2000.9 A ‘two-state solution’ is another deeply embedded term. It is difficult to deal with because US President Barack Obama exerted much pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept this concept. Netanyahu did so in his 2009 Bar Ilan speech, when he said: “If we receive this guarantee regarding demilitarization and Israel’s security needs, and if the Palestinians recognize Israel as the State of the Jewish people, then we will be ready in a future peace agreement to reach a solution where a demilitarized Palestinian state exists alongside the Jewish state.”10 A Palestinian state had already been accepted earlier by Israeli Prime Ministers Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert in their peace proposals to the Palestinians.11 12 In this context Israeli officials hardly ever mention that there are already two states on the former land of the Palestinian mandate: The first one was the Palestinian state of Jordan which occupies 75% of that territory and Israel. Another Palestinian state – assuming that Hamas and Fatah can agree on it – in the West Bank and in Gaza, would thus be a third state. Also, the Trump plan which Israel has accepted is based on a Palestinian state next to Israel.13 Several authors have stressed the dangerous use of semantics against Jews and Israel. Much work on this has been done by French linguist Georges-Elia Sarfati. He undertook a detailed analysis of the phenomenon. Sarfati pointed out that discourse is formulated on the basis of the ideological use of those who engage it. He said, “Rather than words being neutral, they serve to introduce a certain vision of the question they address.”14 This expression ‘two state solution’ is so deeply entrenched in the West that it will require an enormous effort to spread doubt about it. That is not because the message isn’t simple. Why would one upgrade the criminal Palestinian entity — which leaders glorify genocide, reward the murder of civilians and is permeated with a death cult — into a state? Isreal’s battle against the UN abuse of the word ‘Palestinian refugees’ has been fought only in a lukewarm way by Israel. There is a general definition of refugees, which says “someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.”15 Specifically for the Palestinians, the U.N. has expanded this definition to include descendants of refugees.16 This has undermined the meaning of the word and multiplied resulting problems. Almost all Palestinian “refugees” are not true refugees according to the original definition. They did not flee from Israel, though their surviving parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents may have done so and are genuine refugees. Yet not a single international journalist points this out or uses the expression “UN fake refugees” for them. Another abuse of language is to call Israelis “colonists.” That word was exclusively used for people who went to lands usually thousand of kilometers from their homeland. The 1967 partition lines which separated Israel from the Palestinian territories were armistice lines, yet they are frequently and mistakenly called 1967 ‘borders.’17 18 There are also many examples of the abuse of language in the antisemitism discourse. The French government often used to speak about “tension between communities.” It suggested that two communities, the Muslim and Jewish communities, were aggressive toward each other. The reality was one sided aggression and hatred toward the Jewish community originating in parts of the Muslim community.19 The Palestinians will probably wait to see if Biden will be elected president of the United States and whether he will abolish the Trump plan. It may well be that the Palestinians will then decide on trying to arrange a peace conference. That will deal with concrete issues such as final borders, the status of the Temple Mount, the demilitarization of a Palestinian state and so on. It is unlikely to address a crucial issue: how do the Palestinians intend to rid themselves of their cult of glorification of genocide and death, which permeates their society? This issue should be prominently put on the international agenda by Israel. Otherwise, if a Palestinian state is established it will be the upgrading of a criminal entity into a criminal nation state. 1 Dan S. Chill, The Arab Boycott of Israel: Economic Aggression and World Reaction (New York: Praeger, 1976) 2 www.euroisrael.huji.ac.il/original.html, “Protest against Call for European Boycott of Academic and Cultural Ties with Israel,” The Guardian, Original Press Release, 6 April 2002. 14 Manfred Gerstenfeld, interview with Georges-Elia Sarfati, “Language as a Tool against Jews and Israel,” Post-Holocaust and Anti-Semitism, 17, February 1, 2004. 19 See, e.g., Paul Ceaux, “Manif pro-palestinienne autorisée: les organisateurs critiquent Hollande,” L’Express, July 22, 2014 (French) ; Manfred Gerstenfeld, “Dutch Jews Wonder About Their Future,” Israel National News, August 8, 2014; Reuters and AP, “France vows harsh hand on anti-Semitic violence after Paris riots,” Haaretz, July 21, 2014.
The Museum is also the repository for hundreds of thousands of artifacts and historically significant items in its massive facility. H-E-B Science Center Kids will have hours of fun learning through play in the H-E-B Science Center! Designed for children ages 3 and up, activities in the 5,000 sq. ft. area include touch tables, a shadow wall, a giant set of imagination blocks, and more. Kids can also play outside on the shaded playground while parents relax nearby in areas set up with benches and picnic tables. Prehistoric Predators & Prey This new Prehistoric exhibit features up close and personal interaction with the giant prehistoric predators of sea, land, and air to include the mighty ocean dwelling Mosasaur and Megalodon, and more! Corpus Christi History Explore the evolving city of Corpus Christi and examine its many cultures, from the Karankawa tribe to today’s residents. See the transformation through time, from Colonel Kinney’s trading post to a modern city boasting the 5th largest port in America. Discover the diverse past of our great city and explore the history of some of Corpus Christi’s oldest families, as well as those who have made our city what it is today. Doc McGregor North Beach Gallery View our history-rich North Beach area through the lens of world-renowned photographer, Doc McGregor. His historic perspective of North Beach brings to life this historical and sprawling attraction. This collection of black-and-white photographs comes to life as you tour the gallery. Cultural Encounters tells the story of the famous explorer Sieur de La Salle and the Karankawa Indians of South Texas. The exhibit showcases artifacts from La Salle’s ship La Belle, which wrecked in Matagorda Bay in 1686. See artifacts recovered from the wreck, from pieces of the ship to the personal items of the sailors! The display also includes artifacts recovered from local Native American settlements, including items salvaged from La Belle, showing how cultures mixed in South Texas. See artifacts from the oldest scientifically excavated shipwreck in the Western Hemisphere! The Spanish ships San Esteban and Espíritu Santo wrecked off Padre Island in 1554. The exhibit includes a section of the ship’s wooden keel and verso guns as well as silver coins and gold bars from its cargo. Innovation Comes Home: New technology in the latter 1800’s completely transformed the way of life in Corpus Christi. These developments changed the way we connect to the world, industry, our community, and our family. The period between 1876 to 1893 saw great growth across the United States. The hardships of the Civil War and Reconstruction period quickly ended as industry boomed. Factories mass-produced goods for a growing consumer economy. Railroads connected communities enabling once isolated communities like Corpus Christi to grow. The rich culture, new technological inventions, and societal changes of the period helped shape the lives of residents and visitors, laying a foundation for modern Corpus Christi. Hall of Earth Science Discover the rocks and minerals that make up the Texas landscape, as well as the meteorites that have fallen from space! This hall presents a stunning variety including crystals, gems, and polished stones. The Hall of Earth Science also exhibits the importance of geology to the South Texas economy, displaying how man has learned to use earth’s resources. The centerpiece is a construction model for Southwest Refineries, used by engineers before the age of computers. See the scale model’s amazing details and learn about the oil-refining process. When you visit, also be sure to activate the moving oil pump-jack! Take a glimpse into the changing landscape of the Coastal Bend and the animals that call the coast their home. See birds that travel through the region and also those that depend on local wetlands for survival. Discover shells from around the world! Shells in this exhibit are natural works of art, from the tiny dove shell to the giant clam. The exhibit includes beautiful dioramas and rare, endangered species. Enjoy the beauty of South Texas in the Xeriscape Garden. Maintained by the City of Corpus Christi Water Department, the Garden is free to the public. Visit the Xeriscape Garden and learn water-saving landscape principles that will help your backyard grow. Exhibits show how rainwater is harvested in South Texas and which plants are the hardiest. The Xeriscape Garden has received the Beauty Spot Award of the Beautify Corpus Christi Association and has been designated a Texas Grown Area by the Texas Department of Agriculture. Foster an Exhibit Fostering an exhibit is a unique way to get involved in the Museum and help provide the funding needed to continue our mission. Artifacts and exhibits are essential in fulfilling the mission of the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History and play an important role in teaching museum visitors about cultural value. By fostering one of the exhibits, you help support the Museum in the preventative care and treatment of all objects in our collection and help to ensure their long-term preservation. The cost to foster an exhibit for one-year is $2,500.
Opportunity Updates: 2005 sol 675-681, Dec 22, 2005: Evaluating Arm Positions This week the Opportunity Instrument Arm Anomaly Team continued investigating the safety of different arm positions. The intent is to determine the safest position to leave the arm while the vehicle drives to new locations. The original position for the arm while driving was to tuck it underneath the rover, hooked on a small pin. This leaves the partially failed shoulder azimuth joint at 90 degrees to the direction of travel. If the arm stuck in this position we would be unable to use the arm. The current plan is to investigate different versions of driving with the instrument arm's "elbow" sticking out towards the front of the vehicle, with the arm's instrument cluster above the solar panels. From that position the instrument arm could still be used without using the suspect azimuth joint. The variations include leaving the instrument cluster in mid air, or resting one or another instrument on different portions of the rover for stability. These different positions are being evaluated on the test rover at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Meanwhile, on Mars, Opportunity is continuing to use the arm and its instruments to investigate rocks within its reach. The rover has also been acquiring images for a 360-degree, multi-filter panorama of "Erebus Crater." Sol 675 (Dec. 17, 2005): Opportunity completed a 17-hour reading with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and made observations with the panoramic camera. Sol 676: The rover used the Mössbauer spectrometer for five hours and observed the atmosphere and a target called "Bellemont" with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Sol 677: Opportunity completed a microscopic-imager mosaic of a target called "Williams," used the Mössbauer spectrometer for 11 hours, and observed targets with the panoramic camera. Sol 678: The Mössbauer collected data about Williams' composition for 22 hours and the panoramic camera made observations. Sol 679: Opportunity moved its robotic arm to a target called "Ted," which it began inspecting with the microscopic imager and the alpha proton X-ray spectrometer. The navigation camera took pictures of the rover's front deck. Sol 680: Planned activities include using the rock abrasion tool to brush Ted for about 11 minutes, then placing the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer onto the target again for about 20 hours of data collection. Sol 681 (Dec. 23, 2005): Plans for this and the following few sols are further inspection of Ted, plus targeted observations with the panoramic camera. Opportunity's total odometry remains at 6,502 meters (4.04 miles). sol 668-674, Dec 16, 2005: Robotic Arm Deployed Opportunity successfully deployed its robotic arm on sol 671 (Dec. 13, 2005) and used it to position the microscopic imager. The cause of a shoulder-joint motor stall during an attempt to deploy the arm on sol 654 appears to be a broken wire in the motor windings. The motor can still be operated by changing one of the parameters so that more current is delivered. However, the behavior is still being characterized, and stalls of the motor can still occur while the motor parameters are being adjusted. Analysis also continues for determining the best strategy for keeping the arm unstowed even when it is not in use, so that the arm could still position instruments on targets even if the motor with the broken wire becomes unusable. While parked at "Erebus Crater," Opportunity has completed a campaign of atmospheric science, with sky surveys, photometry observations at several times of day, and atmospheric observations with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover also observed ground targets with the panoramic camera and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Sol 668 (Dec. 10, 2005): The team had planned some targeted remote sensing and atmospheric observations, but the plan did not get uplinked due to issues with ground servers. Sol 669: The uplink succeeded, and Opportunity performed targeted remote sensing and atmospheric observations. Sol 670: Early in the morning, the rover performed an atmospheric observation. Later in the day, some stares with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer were completed. Sol 671: Results of diagnostic tests of the robotic arm were consistent with the performance of a motor with a broken wire in one of the windings. The motor can be operated in this configuration by modifying motor parameters. By making the necessary changes, the arm was successfully moved out of its stowed position. The team planned a two-image-by-two-image mosaic with the microscopic imager and a reading with the Mössbauer spectrometer. The first half of the mosaic completed as planned, but the arm sequence was halted after that due to a stall of the shoulder-joint motor. Sol 672: Opportunity made atmospheric and photometric observations. Sol 673: The plan was to complete the microscopic-imager mosaic that was started on sol 671 and place the Mössbauer spectrometer on a target called "Williams." However, the shoulder-joint motor stalled once again. Targeted observations with the panoramic camera were completed as planned. Sol 674 (Dec. 16, 2005): After analysis of the sol 673 stall, the team redelivered a command sequence to close the microscopic imager's dust cover and to position the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer for an overnight integration on Williams. Opportunity's total odometry remains at 6,502 meters (4.04 miles). sol 661-667, Dec 09, 2005: Encouraging Results from Shoulder-Motor Testing Opportunity is currently parked at "Erebus Crater," where it has continued remote-sensing science while the team made progress in diagnosing why a motor in the robotic arm stalled on sol 654. The motor turned successfully when supplied with more current on sol 666 (Dec. 8, 2005), an encouraging result. The arm was still in a stowed position after that testing. Further tests and analysis are planned for determining the best strategy for future use of the arm. The arm, which deploys four tools for examining rocks and soils, has already operated more than seven times as long as originally planned. This motor at the shoulder of the arm is necessary for getting the arm out of its stowed position. Earlier tests made some alternative explanations -- such as a physical obstruction or degraded lubrication -- appear unlikely. The sol 666 test established confidence in a hypothesis that a broken wire in the winding of the motor caused the sol 654 stall. The test rotated the motor four revolutions at each of three different applied voltages. Tests to characterize the motor's behavior will continue in the coming week. In the target-rich environment of outcrop exposed in and near Erebus, Opportunity has acquired a color panorama of the surroundings, a color mosaic of itself, and high-resolution images of several outcrop targets. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer successfully collected data on some high-priority science targets during sol 664 (Dec. 6, 2005). Informal names for targets examined in this vicinity by the panoramic camera include "Drake," "Chino Valley," "Bellemont," "Camp Verde," "Young," "Cherry," and "Paulden." Opportunity did not drive this week. The rover's odometry total as of sol 666 remained 6,502 meters (4.04 miles). sol 649-660, Dec 01, 2005: Stalled Motor, Stowed Arm Opportunity drove 43 meters on sol 649 (Nov. 20, 2005) and then bumped 10 meters to an outcrop for work with its robotic arm (instrument deployment device) over the Thanksgiving holidays. Opportunity's commands for sol 654 (Nov. 25, 2005) included unstowing the arm to begin using the tools on it for examining the layered outcrop that the rover had driven to three sols earlier. The arm is always stowed during drives. This time, a shoulder-joint motor that is needed for unstowing the arm stalled, and the arm stayed stowed. In subsequent sols, engineers worked to narrow the range of possibilities for the cause of the stall. Among the remaining possibilities is that, after working more than seven times longer than originally planned, the lubrication is degrading. One possible fix would be to increase the duration of the allowed motor start-up, to overcome the increased initial friction. The first diagnostic activity for the arm was performed sol 659, where a very small motion was recorded. Future diagnostic activities and continuing analysis will be performed to further characterize the shoulder-joint motor in upcoming sols. As of sol 659 (Nov. 30, 2005), Opportunity has driven 6,502 meters (4.04 miles). sol 641-648, Nov 18, 2005: Opportunity Gains Energy and Hits Four-Mile Mark Opportunity is healthy. The solar array was apparently cleaned again on sol 638. Average solar array energy is around 720 watt-hours after the cleaning event! Opportunity finished a campaign using the robotic arm on a cobble called "Antistasi." The Mössbauer spectrometer and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer data show that the cobble is very basaltic. On Sol 645 Opportunity drove 22 meters (about 72 feet) south on an outcrop path around "Erebus Crater." This drive pushed Opportunity's total driving distance past the four-mile mark. Sol 641 (Nov. 12, 2005): Opportunity unstowed the robotic arm, changed tools to the Mössbauer spectrometer and did a Mössbauer integration on a cobble called Antistasi. Sol 642: The rover continued the Mössbauer integration on Antistasi up to the afternoon Mars Odyssey pass. It changed tools to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and started an overnight integration on Antistasi. Sol 643: Opportunity changed tools to the Mössbauer spectrometer and started an integration. The rover then monitored dust with the panoramic camera and imaged surrounding cobbles. Sol 644: The Mössbauer integration on Antistasi continued and panoramic-camera imaging of the surrounding outcrops was conducted. Sol 645: Opportunity drove about 20 meters (about 66 feet) on an outcrop path so the rover would be able to analyze the outcrops more with the panoramic camera. Also, the panoramic camera was used for studying terrain for future drives. Sol 646: The rover did untargeted remote sensing. Sol 647: The plan for this sol is for Opportunity to check its composition and calibration target with the Mössbauer spectrometer, microscopic imager and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. Also planned are observations of outcrop targets called "Show Low" and "Sedona" with the panoramic camera. Sol 648 (Nov. 19, 2005): The plan is to conduct Mössbauer-spectrometer integration on the composition and calibration target, and to use the panoramic camera to observe an outcrop target called "Winslow" and a cobble target called "Snowflake." Opportunity has driven a total of 6,446.45 meters (4.01 miles). sol 633-640, Nov 11, 2005: Observing the Outcrops Opportunity is healthy and is observing outcrops of "Erebus Crater." The rover used the tools on its robotic arm to examine an outcrop area named "Olympia." Sol 633 (Nov. 4, 2005): Opportunity took microscopic images of target "Kalavrita" before using the rock abrasion tool to grind the surface off of the target. After the grind, the rover took microscopic images of the exposed interior and began using the Mössbauer spectrometer on the target. Sol 634: The rover examined Kalavrita with the Mössbauer spectrometer during the day and with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer at night. Sol 635: The Mössbauer spectrometer resumed an integration at Kalavrita. Sol 636: Opportunity successfully used the miniature thermal emission spectrometer for the first time since sol 609. Extra precautions were taken by the operations team to allow quick recovery in the case of a reset. Sol 637: Tasks were integration with the Mössbauer spectrometer and remote sensing with the panoramic camera. Sol 638: Opportunity used the microscopic imager, the rock abrasion tool's brush, and the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer at a target dubbed "Ziakas." Sol 639: Opportunity drove approximately 6 meters (about 20 feet) to a cluster of cobbles. Sol 640 (Nov. 11, 2005): The rover conducted untargeted remote sensing. Looking ahead: Sols 641 to 643 are planned as a robotic-arm campaign on a cobble target called "Agrafa." As of sol 639 (Nov. 10, 2005), Opportunity had driven 6,424 meters (3.99 miles). sol 631-634, Nov 04, 2005: Dusting Off and Getting Back to Work Having weathered a recent dust storm, Opportunity is back to business. Energy levels are on the rise as the rover prepares for its next investigative campaign. Sol 631 (Nov. 2, 2005): With images of the rover's current location in hand, rover planners were able to plan a drive of just over 39 meters (128 feet), which brought Opportunity to the edge of a large stretch of outcrop. Sol 632: Opportunity drove about 5 meters (16 feet) to a target called "Olympia." Sols 633 and 634 (Nov. 4 and 5, 2005): The two-sol plan is to kick off the robotic arm campaign at Olympia. The plan includes grinding a target called "Kalavrita" with the rock abrasion tool, inspecting the target with the microscopic imager both before and after the grind, and using the panoramic camera to take images for a mosaic. Output from the solar panels on sol 633 was 528 watt hours. Opportunity's total odometry, as of sol 633, is 6418.07 meters (3.99 miles). sol 627-630, Nov 02, 2005: Dusty Weekend The three-sol plan for Opportunity's sols 627 to 629 (Oct. 29 to 31, 2005) began well, with a drive of 51 meters (164 feet) on the first sol. To allow as much time as possible for driving on that sol, the rover's usual post-drive imaging from its new location had been planned for the following sol. Overnight, Opportunity went into the deep-sleep mode for saving energy. The morning after a deep sleep, the rover wakes up when solar panels start putting out a prescribed level of energy. However, a dust storm in the Meridiani region reduced sunshine enough on the morning of sol 628 that Opportunity did not wake from deep sleep early enough for the first scheduled activities of that sol. The rover's onboard software properly put Opportunity into self-protective automode for the day, so the rover did not take the post-drive images. Analysis continued on Sunday, and the team uplinked commands on Monday to resume activities. On sol 630, Opportunity successfully took pictures showing the terrain surrounding its new position. Dustiness of the atmosphere above Opportunity diminished a little on sol 630, as indicated by increased output from the solar panels. Sol 627 (Oct. 29, 2005): In the first sol of a three-sol plan, Opportunity drove 51 meters (164 feet). Wheel slippage averaged 3.7 percent, with a peak of 18 percent. Maximum tilt during the drive was 11.5 degrees. A dust storm in the Margaritifer region near Meridiani had been noticed before plans were set for sol 627, so researchers had told Opportunity to check the clarity of the atmosphere a few times during the sol. Those observations saw a maximum atmospheric opacity ("tau") of 1.6, on a scale where 0 is perfectly clear, 1.0 is about as obscured as a smoggy day in Los Angeles, and an earlier dust storm at Meridiani reached 2.0 on sol 489. Opportunity's solar panels generated 593 watt hours on sol 627. That is about 100 watt hours less than on recent days before the dust storm, but still more than typical daily output during winter. The rover used deep-sleep mode overnight. Sols 628 and 629: Output from the solar panels did not climb high enough to wake Opportunity from deep sleep until 7:38:50 in the morning, local solar time. This was nearly five minutes too late for its first scheduled activity of the day, turning on heaters to warm the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover realized it had woken up too late, so it properly put itself into protective automode. It remained in automode for sol 629. Solar panels' output was 479 watt hours on sol 628 and 470 watt hours on sol 629, indicating a diminished amount of sunlight getting through the dust. Sol 630: The team sent commands for activities originally planned for sol 628. Opportunity returned to normal operations and took images of the surroundings at the location it had reached on sol 627. Solar panels produced 496 watt hours, which was enough to support an overnight UHF communications pass in addition to the imaging activities. As of sol 630 (Nov. 1, 2005), Opportunity had driven a total of 6373.6 meters (3.96 miles). sol 619-626, Oct 31, 2005: Riding Ripples and Working Issues Opportunity is healthy and traversing around the northwest side of "Erebus Crater." The rover has driven on every sol possible, acquiring during and after each drive, and surveying the sky and horizon in the mornings with the panoramic camera. Sol 619 (Oct. 20, 2005): Opportunity drove 24 meters (79 feet) in a zigzag pattern to safely cross ripples. Sol 620: The rover's observations used its panoramic camera to observe a feature informally named "Mogollon Rim" (for an area in Arizona) and onboard magnets. It also checked for dust devils. Sol 621: Opportunity drove 30 meters (98 feet), mostly on sand. The average slip was only 2.5 percent. Sol 622: Untargeted observations included a panorama to examine the amount of light reflected from the surface and a ground survey. A software glitch resulted in losing the afternoon communication relay session with Mars Odyssey. The problem was a repeat of one experienced previously on Spirit's sols 131 and 209 and on Opportunity's sol 596. It occurs when a "write" command reaches an area of memory during a vulnerability period of a few microseconds when that memory location cannot accept a new write command. The rover team is investigating the problem. Sol 623: This was a recovery sol. Opportunity returned data directly to Earth during an X-band communication window after calibration of the high-gain antenna. It also performed a calibration of the panoramic camera mast assembly (the rover's "head") to regain use of it and to stow the camera. One of the rover's two batteries would not recharge, which at first puzzled the team. A switch that allows battery 1 to recharge was not enabled, so the battery was temporarily unable to recharge. On the following morning (sol 624), the switch was enabled and the battery subsequently operated normally. Engineers' analysis indicates that recharging was not enabled on sol 623 because the rover did not use enough electricity from the battery during the previous sol (622) to draw the battery's charge below a level pre-set as a threshold for allowing a recharge. Sol 624: The rover drove and used the panoramic camera to look at its tracks. It covered 27.3 meters (nearly 90 feet). Sol 625: At the end of sol 624, Opportunity found itself in an area with relatively small ripples. In this benign terrain, it was given commands for a drive that included a segment of autonomous navigation after an approximately 30-meter (98-foot) segment of blind driving. Preliminary analysis shows a total distance of 45.7 meters (150 feet) was traversed. Sol 626: For this sol the team planned another drive, with about 30 meters (98 feet) expected. Opportunity's total odometry as of sol 625 (Oct. 27, 2005) is 6,265 meters (3.89 miles). This week (sols 619 to 625), the rover drove 127 meters (417 feet). sol 613-618, Oct 21, 2005: Maneuvering Around Ripples Opportunity is healthy and has been making excellent progress around "Erebus Crater." At the beginning of the week, the rover was in automode as it was still recovering from a partial uplink, but on sol 614 the team sent a real-time activate command and the rover performed remote sensing. The team is no longer operating under restricted sols, and Opportunity traveled 101.65 meters (333 feet) in four sols. The rover is generally heading westward around the crater, but traveled northward on sol 618 to avoid some larger ripples to the west. Sol 613 (Oct. 14, 2005): The team planned untargeted remote sensing. However, the master sequence did not run because Opportunity was in automode. Sol 614: The team sent a real-time command to activate the sol 614 master sequence. The plan included remote sensing. Sol 615: Opportunity completed an 18.5-meter (61-foot) drive heading westward around Erebus Crater. Sol 616: Opportunity drove 24 meters (79 feet), with an average slip of 2.3 percent. Sol 617: The rover completed a 43.65-meter (143-foot) drive, zigzagging around low points in the ripples. Sol 618: Opportunity completed a 15.5-meter (51-foot) drive on outcrop, heading northward to find some lower ripples to cross. As of sol 618 (Oct. 19, 2005) Opportunity has driven 6,138.07 meters (3.81 miles). sol 606-612, Oct 17, 2005: Around 'Erebus' Opportunity is continuing to travel westward around "Erebus Crater." The rover completed a 26.18-meter (about 86-foot) drive on sol 608 (Oct. 9, 2005) with very little slip. On sol 610, the team planned another drive, but the spacecraft experienced a software reset at about 9:20 a.m., local solar time. That deactivated all sequences and left the spacecraft in automode before the sol 610 master sequence was active. On sol 611, the team sent a recovery sequence to reestablish a master sequence and reinitialize the panoramic camera mast assembly state (the position of the rover's "head"). The team received confirmation of success. The sol 612 plan included another attempt to do the drive originally planned for sol 610. However, the master sequence for 612 was not received properly by the spacecraft because of bad pointing or weather. So, the run-out plan from sol 611 was executed. Sol 606 (Oct. 7, 2005): Untargeted remote sensing. Sol 607: Targeted remote sensing during sol one of a three-sol plan. Sol 608: Second sol of a three-sol plan. Opportunity drove 26.18 meters (about 86 feet) westward around Erebus Crater, with an average slip of 1.7 percent. Sol 609: Untargeted remote sensing during the third sol of a three-sol plan. Sol 610: The team planned a drive of about 21 meters (69 feet), but a software reset Opportunity into automode so the drive was not carried out. The reset was very similar to one on Opportunity's sol 563. Since the miniature thermal emission spectrometer was the instrument in use during the reset, use of that instrument has been precluded, pending further analysis. Sol 611: Recovery sol. The master sequence was activated in real time and the panoramic camera mast assembly (the "head" of the rover) position was reinitialized. Data management sequences were run. Sol 612 (Oct. 13, 2005): Commands included a drive, the one originally planned for sol 610. However, the master sequence for 612 was not received properly by the spacecraft, because of bad pointing or weather, so Opportunity instead executed the run-out sequence from sol 611. Opportunity's total odometry, as of completion of the drive on sol 608 (Oct. 9, 2005) is 6,036.06 meters (3.75 miles) sol 599-605, Oct 11, 2005: Opportunity Backs Out of Potentially Sticky Situation Opportunity is healthy and traveling westward around 'Erebus Crater.' The rover is running in restricted sols, so the team is able to drive it only every other sol and has been doing so. On sol 601, Opportunity drove 34 meters (112 feet). On sol 603, the team planned a 45-meter (148-foot) drive. However, after the first 5-meter (16-foot) segment, the onboard slip check reported 44.5 percent slip. Because slip limits had been set to 40 percent, the drive was successfully stopped. On sol 605, the rover drove 5.3 meters (17 feet) back to outcrop material. Note: The onboard slip check uses visual odometry to compare nearby features and determine the actual distance traveled. Software computes the amount of slip based on the difference between the actual distance traveled versus commanded wheel rotations. The team has defined a maximum allowable percentage of slip, and if the computed slippage exceeds the maximum allowable, further driving is precluded. Sols 599 and 600 (Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, 2005): The team planned two sols of remote sensing, including coordinated observations by the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer and use of the navigation camera to complete a 360-degree panorama. Sols 601 and 602: Opportunity drove 34 meters (112 feet) on sol 601, heading northwest, to have a better view of the westward path. The drive was successful, and the maximum slip was reported at 2.5 percent. For sol 602, the team planned remote sensing. Sols 603 and 604: On sol 603, the team scheduled a 45-meter (148-foot) drive. The first portion of the drive was blind for 35 meters (115 feet) with slip checks every 5 meters (16 feet), followed by 10 meters (33 feet) of autonomous navigation. However, after the first 5-meter (16-foot) segment, the onboard slip check detected slippage higher than the limit that had been set as a precaution, and the rover properly stopped. Wheel sinkage was approximately 5 centimeters (about 2 inches) for the left front wheel and 4 centimeters (1.6 inches) for the right front wheel. On Sol 604 the rover performed untargeted remote sensing. Sol 605 (Oct. 6, 2005): The team analyzed the rover's position and the terrain and decided to back up Opportunity about 5 meters (16 feet) onto outcrop, the starting point of sol 603's drive. The sol 605 drive included slip checks and hazard-avoidance-camera movies of the wheels. Pre-drive, mid-drive, and post-drive imaging was acquired. The 5.3-meter (17-foot) drive was successful, and Opportunity reached the outcrop. Slippage during the drive ranged from 3 to 12 percent. Opportunity's total odometry as of sol 605 was 6,009.88 meters (3.73 miles). sol 592-598, Oct 03, 2005: Slight Hiccup Before Getting to 'Erebus Crater' Opportunity suffered a warm reboot last week. After the flight computer rebooted, the spacecraft went into 'safe mode'. This error caused the team to miss two Odyssey passes. The evening pass was missed because the reboot occurred during the Odyssey pass. The morning pass was missed because safe mode enforces the deep sleep behavior. Real-time commands were sent on sol 597 in order to access the state of the vehicle. Opportunity was healthy and the team regained control of the vehicle. A 'lite' master sequence was loaded and sol 597 became a stand down day. On sol 598, the initial system recovery steps were taken and subsystems were tested. All subsystems look good. This is the first time this fault has been seen on Opportunity. It was seen twice before on Spirit, in May and August of 2004. The decision at that time was to not fix the software bug that causes this problem, and accept the rare interruptions in operations. The bug allows a 51 microsecond window where two different requests to write to a memory area can collide. When the writes collide, the software protects itself and the vehicle by terminating activities. This week Opportunity will continue with nominal operations. The rover will continue to move west around Erebus Crater. Sol 592: Drover 1.75meter (69 inches) and approached target 'Deception' on the feature 'South Shetland' Sol 593: Unstowed the robotic arm, used rock abrasion tool brush, took a stereo microscopic image and then placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. Sol 594: Continued the robotic arm campaign. Placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, then changed tool to the Mössbauer spectrometer. Sol 595: Continued the robotic arm campaign. Placed alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on new target then change tool to the Mössbauer spectrometer on the next sol. Sol 596: Anomaly - warm reboot day Sol 597: Stand Down Day Sol 598: Recovery day, subsystem testing sol 586-591, Sept 22, 2005: Approaching 'Erebus' Opportunity is healthy and continuing its drive toward "Erebus Crater." Images taken this week show the interior of the crater. Plans for the next few sols are to get closer to the crater's edge and do extensive imaging. The team is also planning to use the tools on the robotic arm to examine a dark area of outcrop located on the way to the edge of the crater. Sol 586 (Sept. 16, 2005): Opportunity conducted remote sensing. Sol 587: More remote sensing. Sol 588: Drove about 20 meters (66 feet) at 208 degrees. Sol 589: Drove about 22 meters (72 feet). Sol 590: Drove 35 meters (115 feet). Sol 591 (Sept. 22, 2005): Drove about 17.5 meters (57 feet), turned for weekend work with robotic arm. As of sol 591, Opportunity has traveled 5,933.69 meters (3.69 miles). sol 580-585, Sept 19, 2005: Erebus Bound Opportunity has resumed normal operations this week. The rover is healthy and making progress towards "Erebus Crater." The rover team has been commanding Opportunity to drive every chance it gets. The last two sols this week have been remote sensing only, due to a lack of critical data. Sol-by sol summaries: Sols 580 and 581 (Sept. 10 and 11, 2005): The weekend included a 26.3-meter (86-foot) drive with observations before and after the drive. Sol 582: A 30-meter (98-foot) drive this sol brought the rover to the "Erebus Highway‚" an outcrop-rich area that extends south toward the crater. Sol 583: The previous sol's drive appears to have completed successfully, however no data was received due to an issue at the Deep Space Network station where the data is received from space and transmitted to JPL. Sol 584: Remote sensing was performed, which included as systematic foreground survey using the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The plan included commands for the rover to re-transmit the critical post-drive data to Earth, but these were not received due to a sequencing error. Sol 585 (Sept. 15, 2005): This sol's plan included commands for remote sensing and for re-transmission of the post-drive imaging. Total odometry as of sol 584 (Sept. 14, 2005): 5,874.32 meters or 3.65 miles. sol 574-579, Sept 19, 2005: Heading for the Highway A healthy Opportunity spent the week making progress east towards the "Erebus Highway." Since the sol 563 anomaly, the rover has been performing nominally. The team has now re-certified the use of driving with and without visual odometry. The team is still operating with additional post-anomaly restrictions, including shutting down after the morning uplink window to save the high-gain antenna position, napping before use of the miniature thermal emission, and a "keepout" time after wakeup to allow the flight software to boot without other activities in parallel. The sol 563 anomaly is still under investigation. Sol-by sol summaries: Sols 574 and 575 (Sept. 4 and 5, 2005): These were the first two sols of a three-sol plan. The rover performed targeted observations with the panoramic camera and navigation camera. Sol 576: Opportunity completed the three-sol plan. Since the team is running in restricted mode, this plan did not execute until Tuesday (Sept. 13, 2005). The drive sequence was bundled separately, so if another anomaly were to occur the drive could be pulled from the plan. After a nominal weekend, the drive sequence was uplinked. It resulted in a successful visual odometry drive of about 12 meters (39 feet). This was the first use of visual odometry since the sol 563 anomaly. Sol 577: Still in restricted mode, the rover performed untargeted remote sensing using the panoramic camera, navigation camera, and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. All sequences executed successfully. Sols 578 and 579 (Sept. 8 and 9, 2005): This two-sol plan included commands for a visual odometry drive of about 15 meters (49 feet) on sol 578 and untargeted remote sensing on sol 579. As of sol 577 (Sept. 7, 2005), Opportunity's total odometry was 5,767.11 meters (3.58 miles). sol 566-573, Sept 02, 2005: Cautious Recovery Recovery from the sol 563 power-off event is well underway. Each sol, the team has planned one new activity. By sol 570 (Aug. 31, 2005), the rover had successfully performed observations with the panoramic camera, navigation camera, and miniature thermal emission spectrometer and had completed a short alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration (with the robotic arm stowed) and a 6.5-meter (21-foot) blind drive. Additional precautions are being taken with each sol's plan, including shutting down after the morning uplink (to save the high-gain antenna position, thus preventing an X-band fault in case of another anomaly) and waiting 15 minutes after wakeup to start any science activities. Sol-by sol summaries: Sols 566 through 568 (Aug. 27 through Aug. 29, 2005) were devoted to engineering activities. Science activities were put on hold over the weekend while engineers investigated the sol 563 reset. Sol 569: Opportunity completed step two in the post-anomaly recovery plan: a short blind drive. (Step one, remote sensing with the panoramic camera and navigation camera, was performed on sol 565). The 6.5-meter (21-foot) drive executed perfectly, and all motor currents were nominal. Sol 570: This sol marked the first use of the miniature thermal emission spectrometer since the sol 563 reset, which was step three in recovery from the anomaly. After waking from a nap and waiting 15 minutes, the rover performed a short alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration with the robotic arm stowed. This was simply to test the payload service board, which controls the spectrometers. Five minutes after the end of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer test, a low-elevation raster was taken successfully with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The resulting data product has been received on Earth. Sol 571: Opportunity completed a blind drive of 11.8 meters (38.7 feet) designed to take it across some outcrop then over a small ripple. Sols 572 and 573 (Sept. 2 and Sept. 3, 2005): Commands sent for these sols are for observations with the panoramic camera and navigation camera. Opportunity's total distance driven on Mars, as of Sept. 2, 2005, is 5,755 meters (3.58 miles). sol 560-565, Aug 30, 2005: Recovering from a Reset On sol 560 (Aug. 21, 2005), Opportunity retracted the Mössbauer spectrometer from a rock target called "Lemon Rind" that had been brushed earlier with the rock abrasion tool. The rover then used the grinding bit of the abrasion tool to reveal a patch of Lemon Rind's interior and used the microscopic imager to inspect the abraded area. On sol 561, Opportunity stowed its robotic arm and backed up 85 centimeters (2.8 feet) for a view of the target. The rover drove about 7 meters (23 feet) on sol 562. Early in the morning of sol 563 (Aug. 21, 2005), Opportunity experienced a software reset. The rover shut down after the reset and woke up in what is called automode. While in automode, Opportunity responded as expected to planned communication sessions. The sol plan for sol 563 was not executed. The plan for sol 564 was executed, returning diagnostic data for further analysis into the cause of the reset and returning Opportunity to master sequence control. The plan for sol 565 included observations with the navigation camera and panoramic camera, but not with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The observations were completed successfully. Engineers believe Opportunity is in good health, although the team will refrain from using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer pending further analysis of the software reset. Opportunity's total odometry as of sol 565 (Aug. 26, 2005) is 5,737 meters (3.56 miles). sol 552-559, Aug 19, 2005: Opportunity Biting into 'Strawberry' Opportunity completed a study of the cobble area by taking a close look at the cobble "Arkansas" and a nearby soil target named "Reiner Gamma" with the instruments on the robotic arm. A 3-meter (10-foot) bump took the rover to an outcrop dubbed "Fruit Basket" for an intensive investigation of targets there. So far Opportunity has studied "Lemon Rind" with its complete suite of robotic arm instruments, and begun an inspection of "Strawberry." The plan is to drive east to the "Erebus Highway" after finishing work at Fruit Basket. Sol 552 (Aug. 12, 2005): Opportunity took pictures with the microscopic imager of soil target Reiner Gamma and took alpha particle X-ray spectrometer readings on cobble Arkansas. Sol 553 and 554: Opportunity took more Mössbauer spectrometer readings on Arkansas and took alpha particle X-ray spectrometer readings on Reiner Gamma. Sol 555: Opportunity finished work with the robotic arm on the cobble area and drove to a new outcrop, Fruit Basket. Sol 556 and 557: Opportunity performed robotic arm work on Lemon Rind, a target on Fruit Basket. The microscopic imager took pictures before and after the rock abrasion tool brushed the area. The rover also used the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and Mössbauer spectrometer. Sol 558: Opportunity performed robotic arm work on another target, Strawberry, taking pictures with the microscopic imager before and after a light grinding with the rock abrasion tool. Spirit also used the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. Sol 559 (Aug.19, 2005): The plan is to use the Mössbauer spectrometer on Lemon Rind. As of the end of its 558th sol on Mars, Opportunity has driven 5,729 meters (about 3.56 miles). sol 544-551, Aug 18, 2005: Opportunity Entering Cobble Field Opportunity had a busy week! The rover has been using the rock abrasion tool and all of its spectrometers and imaging instruments. It has been healthy but slightly constrained in the flash memory. Last week, the rover mission had to share its Odyssey memory allocation with a project named the Mars Bi-Static UHF Radar Experiment, which had the effect of reducing the buffer space available to the rovers. This caused a backlog of data onboard Opportunity. This week the team started to offload some of that data by taking advantage of overnight Odyssey passes. The rover buffer space is back to normal. The planning team is also making sure that experiments do not create too much new data this week. The planning team wants to ensure that Opportunity has enough flash memory for next week's operations since the plan calls for a continuation of the drive toward "Erebus." The general consensus is that the rover will take the easterly route to the Erebus highway. This route is longer by about 100 meters (328 feet), but should result in much more access to outcrop during the drive. The outcrop is attractive both for rover footing and for science targeting. During the first weekend in August, there was a sequencing error that failed to run the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. The team had added a miniature thermal emission spectrometer observation before starting the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, and the added sequence ran long. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer start sequence did not complete and the instrument did not collect any data. After discovering what happened on Monday, the team reacquired the observation on sol 548 (Aug. 9, 2005). On sol 549 (Aug. 10, 2005), there was a mobility fault. Under the "rules of the road," the team is required to stop the vehicle if any of the driving actuators draws more than 0.4 amperes of current for more than half a second. This protects the rover from digging into a "Purgatory Dune" situation. On sol 549, while the rover was turning into a position more favorable for communication, the front right driving actuator went above 0.4 amperes for more than half a second and stopped the drive. This is expected behavior. The turn for better communication was an optional move done at the very end of the drive. The front right drive actuator will sometimes (especially when performing a turn-in-place) pull more current than the other drive actuators. This is because the front right steering actuator is not working, and its drive motor is not turning in the same direction as the other five motors. On sols 550 and 551 (Aug. 10 and Aug. 11, 2005), Opportunity moved about 2 meters (nearly 7 feet) forward into a cobble field. The team has wanted to use Opportunity's alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and Mössbauer spectrometer on some cobbles, and there has never been a better chance than this location. Rover drivers were able to approach the targets in one sol and get multiple cobbles into the robotic arm's work volume. On sol 551, the rover planners successfully planted the Mössbauer on a cobble that is roughly 2.5 centimeters to 3 centimeters (1 inch to 1.2 inches) in size. This precision pointing was intended to allow the spectrometer to integrate for most of the weekend and tell the science team something new about cobbles. Sols 545 to 547 (Aug. 6 to Aug. 8, 2005):Sol 545 was used to grind a rock-abrasion-tool hole. On sol 546, Opportunity took a post-grind microscopic imager mosaic and planted the Mössbauer spectrometer in the expected rock-abrasion-tool hole. Sol 548: The rover retracted the Mössbauer spectrometer from the target called "OneScoop," and then performed a sequence of observations of the rock abrasion tool's grinding bit. Opportunity then placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer back down on the rock abrasion tool hole at OneScoop to re-acquire that spectral observation. Sol 549: The rover retracted the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and then retook the microscopic image of the rock-abrasion-tool hole. On the previous attempt, Opportunity had not made contact with the surface of the rock, so this sol it was commanded to overdrive 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) in order to ensure contact with the bottom of the 6-millimeter hole. After acquiring the microscopic image, the rover stowed its arm and bumped back 0.85 meters (2.8 feet) to image the rock-abrasion-tool hole. Opportunity then proceeded about 26 meters (85 feet) south towards a group of cobbles, taking a 360-degree panoramic image with the navigation camera at the halfway point. The team commanded the rover to turn to 215 degrees azimuth for communication at the end of the drive. Sol 550: Opportunity bumped about 1.8 meters (6 feet) over to the cobble field. The team planned to get two of the cobbles in the robotic arm work volume. Sol 551 (Aug. 11, 2005):On this sol, Opportunity un-stowed its arm and then took a microscopic imager mosaic of cobble target "Arkansas." The rover then used its microscopic imager to inspect a soil target, followed by a placement of the Mössbauer spectrometer on cobble target "Arkansas." As of the end of its 551st sol on Mars, Opportunity has driven 5,725 meters (3.56 miles). sol 538-543, Aug 09, 2005: On an Ice-Cream-Cone Outcrop Opportunity continues to make progress south toward "Erebus" crater. The rover planners are doing an excellent job keeping Opportunity safely within the confines of the ripple troughs and determining where the rover can cross from one ripple trough into another. The rover team tries to keep Opportunity inside the ripple troughs, and plans to follow the troughs south until Opportunity can safely move into a "better" trough. This week (July 29 to August 3), Opportunity has driven an additional 80 meters (262 feet). Opportunity's odometer now reads 5,696 meters (3.54 miles). As Opportunity continues a southward trek, team members are seeing more and more outcrop. Opportunity is still about about 50 meters (164 feet) north of the "Erebus highway" -- an area the team suspects to be highly populated with outcrop and perhaps easier to navigate. Opportunity is roughly 185 to 200 meters (607 to 656 feet) north of Erebus crater, the next large crater Opportunity will encounter. The team has been watching Opportunity's power very carefully. It seems that Opportunity is losing some of the power boost it received during the last cleaning event. The solar array wake up time has been getting later each day and is currently 9:48 Mars Local Solar Time. The team has been planning accordingly, taking steps to preserve power where appropriate. Sol 538 (July 29, 2005) to Sol 540 (July 31, 2005):Opportunity took pictures of the solar arrays and magnets with the microscopic imager, then did an overnight integration with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. On sol 539, Opportunity drove. On sol 540, it performed remote sensing. Sol 541:The rover drove 25 meters (82 feet). Sol 542:The rover drove 23 meters (75 feet). Sol 543 (August 3, 2005): Opportunity executed a very impressive 8-meter (26-foot) approach drive. Scott Maxwell and Jeng Yen were given the task to drive about 8 meters (26 feet) and place the rover on top of an ice-cream-cone-shaped plot of outcrop. Normally this would be a two-sol endeavor: an approach sol and a final bump to the robotic-arm target. But this single-sol drive worked perfectly. They managed to send Opportunity across a ripple and place the rover in exactly the location specified by the science team! To paraphrase Scott Maxwell while describing the drive: "We will cross over 'fudge ripple,' move along the 'Rocky Road,' and park right at the scoop." This is exactly what happened. sol 531-537, Aug 02, 2005: Opportunity Exploring Southward Opportunity continued its trek south toward "Erebus Crater," making 61 meters (200 feet) of progress over two sols of driving. The rover is approaching greater quantities of outcrop as it heads south, and the team is excited at the possibility of using the robotic arm before reaching Erebus. This week, restricted sols allowed the team to drive only every other sol. Next week, however, there will be a shift back to an early planning cycle that will allow driving every sol if desired. Sol 531 (July 22, 2005): Opportunity pointed its navigation camera rearward to shoot images for a seven-frame by one-frame mosaic. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer systematically observed the foreground. The panoramic camera took thumbnail images of the sky. Sol 532: This sol's remote-sensing work included a pre-sunset observation. Sol 533: The rover completed a successful drive of 34 meters (112 feet), including an attitude update. Sol 534: Opportunity looked rearward with its navigation camera from the new location and made observations with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Sol 535: The rover used the miniature thermal emission spectrometer for a large set of observations, jokingly referred to at the "Uberraster" because of its size. Sol 536: Opportunity drove 27 meters (89 feet), with approximately 10 percent slip. The drive duration was two hours, with a final heading of 155 degrees. Sol 537 (July 28, 2005): Planned work for this sol included another large raster by the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Opportunity's total odometry after the sol 536 drive is 5,617 meters (3.49 miles). sol 524-530, July 25, 2005: Rocks and Cobbles on the Way to 'Erebus' The Opportunity team's current strategy for driving alternates segments of using visual odometry to check for slippage with segments of blind driving for less than 5 meters (16 feet). The strategy and hard work designing and commanding drives through troughs between ripples contributed to the rover making 89 meters (292 feet) of progress over three drive plans. Rocks and cobbles have begun appearing in images of Opportunity's new surroundings, for the first time in many weeks of traversing through rippled terrain. The rover's power team reported a dust-cleaning event on Opportunity between sols 524 and 526. Daily power output from solar panels increased from about 500 watt hours to about 650 watt hours. Sol 524 (July 15, 2005): The uplink team planned and executed a successful 27-meter (89-foot) drive. This signified the first use of a combination of short segments of blind driving followed by small slip-check drive segments. One small rock was seen in imaging. Sol 525: Opportunity performed remote sensing and repeated a right-front steering actuator diagnostic test from sol 435. The actuator moved slightly more than in the last test, but there was no significant change. Sol 526: Rover planners used the drive technique established on sol 524 to complete a successful 32-meter (105-foot) drive. Small cobbles were seen in imaging. Sol 527: Opportunity used the sol for remote sensing and battery recharging. Sol 528: The uplink team planned a drive of 30 meters (98 feet), continuing in the troughs and crossing one ripple crest. The crest was estimated at 8.5 percent slope. However, the drive did not succeed because of a timeout on the first turn command. The duration was set to 15 seconds for a 15-degree turn. The rover made 14.9 degrees of progress before using up the allotted time. Sol 529: On this second sol of a two-sol plan, the rover performed remote sensing. Sol 530 (July 21, 2005): The uplink team repeated the planned drive from sol 528, with changes to the timeout durations of turn and waypoint commands. The drive succeeded in covering 30 meters (98 feet). It brought Opportunity's total odometry to 5,555 meters (3.45 miles). sol 518-524, July 15, 2005: Edging Toward 'Erebus' Opportunity made impressive progress toward "Erebus Crater" during the week. Four sols of driving totaled 57 meters (187 feet), while slipping less than 10 percent on each drive. A longer drive was plotted for the fifth day. The rover has continued to drive down ripple troughs. We have a series of checks in place to prevent excessive bogging down, including, tilt, roll, pitch limit checks, current checks and slip checks (set at 40 percent slip). We look forward to more progress south over the coming week. Sol 518 and 519 (July 9 and July 10, 2005): In light of extensive driving and data collection the previous week, these sols were designed to conduct light remote sensing, recharge batteries, and downlink data to free up memory space on the rover. Sol 520:The uplink team designed a 16-meter (52-foot) drive. Opportunity completed 10.34 meters (33.92 feet) of the drive before tripping a mobility-goal error. There was a bad position estimate given to the onboard slip-checking software, so it incorrectly thought the rover was 0.5 to 1 meters (1.6 to 3.3 feet) back from its actual position, thus making insufficient progress because it thought it was slipping excessively. However, analysis by the mobility team on the ground determined the true slip, and we were "go" to drive the following sol. Sol 521:Opportunity completed a successful drive of 15.2 meters (about 50 feet) without any faults. Sol 522:The rover completed another successful drive of 15 meters (49 feet), with only 6.4 percent reported slip. Sol 523:We drove 16.2 meters (53 feet) of a planned 20-meter (66-foot) drive. The drive stopped short because onboard slip-checking software was having difficulty tracking the rover's rear wheel tracks, which are used as a reference point to monitor the slip. Opportunity does not want to keep trying to drive if it is unsure of how much it is slipping, so the team sets a limit to this failure count. This prevents bogging down in the terrain. Sol 524 (July 15):The uplink team planned a drive of 27 meters (89 feet). The drive plan is the first in Opportunity's current terrain using a combination of short segments of blind driving followed by shorter segments (40 centimeters, or 16 inches) of slip-check driving. This drive strategy is designed to allow us to drive farther by using a less time-consuming drive option while still verifying every 5 meters that we are not bogging down. Odometry total after sol 523 drive: 5464.09 meters (3.39 miles). sol 510-517, July 11, 2005: Pushing Away from Purgatory This week Opportunity finished examining "Purgatory Dune" and started driving again. The first few drives were to the north so that possible paths to the south could be imaged and evaluated. The next few steps took the rover east, then southward down a wide trough. A new set of "rules of the road" have been developed and implemented to prevent the rover from getting bogged down again. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer has also been cleared for regular use, and has returned some useful science products during the last week. Sol 510 (June 30, 2005): Opportunity finished characterizing Purgatory ripple with microscopic imager pictures of soil (tracks and undisturbed), and took a first step back. The rover collected several images to document the 2.1-meter (6.9-foot) drive. Visual odometry confirmed that slip was less than 10 percent during the short traverse. After the drive, the rover took pictures of the surroundings to evaluate possible safe pathways to the south. Sol 511: Opportunity backed up 8.5 meters (28 feet), and again imaged the terrain to the south. The drive used visual odometry and slip checks to stop the rover if it failed to make progress. Sol 512: The long-term goal for Opportunity is to drive south and slightly east. Before continuing on this path the rover must either go east or west to sidestep Purgatory Dune. Extensive remote sensing with the panoramic camera and navigation camera was done this sol to assist in the decision. Sol 513: With all imaging needed for driving already acquired, Opportunity spent the sol doing atmospheric observations, dust monitoring, and also imaging of the magnets with the panoramic camera. Sol 514: The engineering and science team took an Independence Day break today, and the rover executed its planned runout science sequence, which included atmospheric observations with the panoramic camera. Sol 515: Imaging acquired over the weekend showed that the path to the east contained very small ripples (less than 6 centimeters or 2.4 inches), and led to a wide trough to the south. This sol, rover planners sequenced a 5.5-meter (18-foot) backwards drive over old tracks, then turned in short segments (less than 20 degrees), and drove east 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) over one small ripple. Tilt limits, visual odometry failure limits, and cycle limits were employed to prevent the rover from bogging down. The drive succeeded as planned. Sol 516: An 11-meter (36-foot) drive to the east crossed two small ripples and positioned the rover to enter the trough leading south. Limits and slip checks were used to ensure that Opportunity would not get stuck. Sol 517 (July 8, 2005): A new safety check was added to this drive: The drive current limits were lowered from 1 ampere to 0.4 amperes. The standard safety checks were also used on this drive, designed to take Opportunity 4 meters (13 feet) east to the north end of the trough, then 11 meters (36 feet) south through the trough. Opportunity's total odometry after sol 517 is 5,406.6 meters (3.36 miles). Opportunity will continue the drive south, more slowly than before to ensure a safe path. sol 503-509, July 11, 2005: Done with this Dune Opportunity spent the week positioning itself for robotic-arm work and studying the area at the base of "Purgatory Ripple." The rover has examined its tracks (which contain material carried out of Purgatory Dune by the wheels) and undisturbed dune material. Sols 503 and 504 (June 23 and 24, 2005): Opportunity drove partway to the position for robotic-arm work on Purgatory Dune. Remote sensing over these two sols included a panoramic camera image of the robotic-arm work volume, a navigation camera panorama, and a miniature thermal emission spectrometer raster. Sol 505 and 506: Opportunity acquired two microscopic imager mosaics and an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration on soil before a short drive to the position for examining the tracks. Sol 507: This was the first of three days using the robotic arm at Purgatory Dune. The rover completed two microscopic imager mosaics and an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration. Opportunity also fired up the miniature thermal emission spectrometer for an afternoon raster. Sol 508: The rover completed a 24-hour Mössbauer integration and collected more data with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Sol 509 (June 29, 2005): Opportunity collected data with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and made a late-night observation of the dune with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. sol 497-502, July 05, 2005: Back to 'Purgatory' Opportunity made its way back toward "Purgatory Dune" for a chance to explore its own tracks. During the drive the rover stopped along the way to study the soil at "North Dune." Sol 497 (June 16) This was the second sol of a two-sol plan. Today was dedicated to remote sensing, including panoramic camera usage with 13 filters and stares with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. On sol 498, Opportunity deployed its robotic arm to get a "taste" of the North Dune. The rover did this using both the microscopic imager and the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. The next sol, the rover moved slightly back (about 40 centimeters or 1.3 feet) and then slightly forward (the same distance) in a move designed to place it on an optimal approach, ready to drive to its destination on Purgatory Dune. The last sol of this three-sol plan was again spent as a remote-sensing sol. Sols 501 and 502 Opportunity had been trying to line itself up with the science target by performing arcs. Due to nature of this terrain, it had not been yawing as much as expected so its approach was slightly off. The team decided to have the rover try a turn in place. Engineers had been staying away from turning in place because Opportunity has a bad steering actuator on one wheel, and this makes turning in place more cumbersome. This turn in place, however, had some advantages because it was in the right direction and it was a small turn. The rover performed it perfectly. The turn in place churned up soil in front of Opportunity. This made the immediate area in front of the rover more prone to slippage. Opportunity detected excessive slippage (more than 30 percent) when it attempted to perform the first of two 25-centimeter (9.8-inch) arcs. The visual odometery system detected that the first arc went only 17.1 centimeters (6.7 inches). This constituted a 32 percent slip. The engineers had limited the acceptable amount of slippage to 30 percent, so the rover was not commanded to perform the second arc. The next sol was a remote-sensing day. Sols 503 and 504 (June 22 and 23) The team planned another drive consisting of three 25-centimeter (9.8-inch) arcs. This drive was calculated to bring the rover to its destination at Purgatory Dune. sol 490-496, June 17, 2005: Examining 'Purgatory' Opportunity is happy to be moving again and it's heading back to "Purgatory Dune." The rover's wheels dug wonderful trenches during its egress, and the science team is eager to get the robotic arm out and have a look at the soil inside and outside of the tracks. As you can imagine, Opportunity has been driving very carefully, backing away from the dune, turning around and then re-approaching it. 490: (June 9, 2005) Drive away from Purgatory Dune. 491-493: Over the weekend the rover team had a problem with the uplink. On sol 491 they were loading all files for sols 491, 492 and 493. Due to an error at the Deep Space Network antenna, the sol 492 master file was not loaded. A drive scheduled for 492 did not occur. The 491 master file performed the run out science submaster and then self-recovered on sol 493. The vehicle was never in any danger and autonomously continued its science objectives. 494: First half of turning around. The team must turn the rover around, using a "k-turn" maneuver (a three-point turn that mimics the sideways "v" formation of the letter "k") to approach the Purgatory Dune with the robotic arm. 496: Second half of the "k-turn." sol 484-489, June 10, 2005: Opportunity is out! Success! Opportunity made forward progress to free itself from the Purgatory Dune! Another exciting achievement for the week was the healthy return of data from the Mini-TES instrument, which the mission team turned back on for the first time in 47 sols. The rover also returned pancam and navcam images, and the team is now planning the rover's next drive on sol 490. Sol 484: 20 meters (65.62 feet) commanded; 14 meters (45.93 feet) executed, 98.4 centimeters (38.74 inches) progress. Opportunity is out of Purgatory Dune! Sol 485: This was the second sol of a 2-sol plan. The team planned to drive, but didn't send the drive sequences to the rover because the rover was already out of the dune. Sol 486: This was the third sol of a 3-sol plan. Again, the team planned to drive, but didn't send the drive sequences because Opportunity were already out of the dune. The team took post-drive imaging, including a navcam of the trench. Sol 487: The team took a pancam of the tracks and then turned on the Mini-TES for the first time after the sol 440 anomaly. Mini-TES rasters were taken of of Purgatory Dune and Ante-Purgatory Dune. The team was excited to receive healthy data products from this activity! Sol 488: On this remote-sensing sol, the rover took a 360-degree navcam panorama and a pancam image of the magnets, and then deep slept for the night. Sol 489: On this remote-sensing sol, the rover took a 13-filter pancam image of Purgatory tracks and deep slept for the night. As of sol 489, distance traveled is 5347.89 meters (3.32 miles). sol 476-483, June 03, 2005: Opportunity Working Its Way Out of Dune Opportunity continues to make progress out of the dune. Recent sols have seen a slight decrease in slip and a decrease of the bogie angles, which might indicate that the rover has crested a dune. The bogie supports the rear and middle wheels, allowing the wheels to move up and down in response to the terrain. The bogie angle is the angle that the support beam makes to the horizontal. Since the rover began making its way out of the sand trap last month, it has driven enough to have moved 177.2 meters (581 feet) if there were no slippage, and has made actual forward progress of 93 centimeters (3 feet). Weather report: Atmospheric opacity (measured as "tau") has increased over the past few sols, decreasing the amount of solar energy received by Opportunity. The rover has still been able to drive every sol, but has had to use the deep-sleep mode on most nights to save energy. Sol 476 (beginning on May 26, 2005): 12 meters (39 feet) commanded, 5.5 centimeters (2.2 inches) progress. Sol 477: 12 meters (39 feet) commanded, 11.2 meters (37 feet) executed, 4.9 centimeters (2 inches) progress. (Visual odometry indicated that the rover had gone farther than it had, and flight software stopped the drive early.) Sol 478: 12 meters (39 feet) commanded, 5.2 meters (17 feet) executed (due to the same issue with visual odometry), 2.2 centimeters (0.9 inch) progress. Sol 479: 12 meters (39 feet) commanded and executed, 5.9 centimeters (2.3 inches) progress. Sol 480: 12 meters (39 feet) commanded and executed, 6.3 centimeters (2.5 inches) progress. Sol 481: 20 meters (66 feet) commanded and executed, 12.9 centimeters (5.1 inches) progress. Sol 482: 20 meters (66 feet) commanded and executed, 10.7 centimeters (4.2 inches) progress. Sol 483 (ending on June 3, 2005): 20 meters (66 feet) commanded and executed, about 13 centimeters (5.1 inches) progress. sol 469-475, May 27, 2005: Still Progressing Through Dune Opportunity continues to make slow progress through the sand dune, at a slip rate of roughly 99.5 percent. From the time Opportunity resumed driving after digging into the dune until May 26, drives totaling 64.8 meters (about 213 feet) of wheel rotations have been commanded and executed, producing 34.8 centimeters (1.1 feet) of forward progress. Opportunity has also been performing atmospheric observations. Each sol the rover takes two measurements of how clear the sky is, checks for clouds, and does a Sun survey. A few sols ago a daily horizon survey was added, and Opportunity also imaged its magnets with the panoramic camera. Sol 469 (ending on May 20): Two meters (6.6 feet) of commanded motion, resulting in 1.1 centimeters (0.4 inch) of progress. Twelve meters (39 feet) of commanded motion; about 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) of progress. Twelve meters (39 feet) of commanded motion; about 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) of progress. Twelve meters (39 feet) of motions was commanded. Only the first 2 meters were executed. After that step, the rover stopped the drive by itself due to uncertainty about its own position. One centimeter (0.4 inch) of progress was made. Planning was suspended today due to issues with the ground data system. The rover executed a pre-loaded science sequence. Eight-meter (26-foot) drive planned, yielding 3.7 centimeter (1.5 inches) of progress. Sol 475 (ending on May 26, 2005): Ten-meter (33-foot) drive planned; 8.8 meters (29 feet) executed; 3.5 centimeters (1.4 inches) of progress Thursday, May 26, the team planned two sols (476 and 477), and Friday, May 27, the team is planning three sols to cover the holiday weekend. Sol 476 will command 12 meters (39 feet), and every other sol will require a "go/no-go" decision that will allow for 0 meters, 2 meters (7 feet), or 12 meters (39 feet) of commanded motion per sol. sol 467-470, May 20, 2005: Moving Slowly in the Dune Opportunity continues to make inch-by-inch progress toward getting out of the dune where it has been dug-in since sol 446 (April 26). Sol 467 (May 17): Opportunity was commanded to rotate its wheels enough to have rolled 4 meters (13 feet) if there were no slippage. It advanced 2.1 centimeters (0.8 inch) through the loose material of the dune. A commanded motion of 8 meters (26 feet) was executed this sol. Forward progress was about 4 centimeters (1.6 inches). A 2-meter (7-foot) drive was commanded, and Opportunity advanced about 1 centimeter (0.4 inch). Sol 470 (May 20): The rover was sent commands for a 12-meter (39-foot) drive. This drive incorporates larger step sizes, lower current limits for the drive motors, and a lower bogie angle limit. sol 465-466, May 17, 2005: Progress Inch-by-Inch for Opportunity On Opportunity's first three drives to get out of the sand trap, the rover has advanced a total of 7.4 centimeters (2.9 inches) in getting off the dune. Each of the first two drives -- one on sol 463 and one on sol 465 -- turned the wheels about two and a half rotations, enough to drive two meters (7 feet) if there were no slippage. Images from the hazard-avoidance cameras taken during the drives show that some of caked powder adhering to wheels between cleats had come off. The team was encouraged by the results, and decided go ahead with a 4-meter (13-foot) commanded drive for sol 466. Sol-by- sol summaries: Sol 465 (May 15, 2005): Opportunity rotated its wheels in a series of 10 steps, each step enough to roll 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) if there were no slippage. The wheels are slipping a great deal in the sand of the dune, but the rover advanced better than anticipated from simulated tests, covering 1.9 centimeters (0.7 inch). The rover used its panoramic camera for observations of the sky and dunes. Sol 466 (May 16, 2005): Results from the sol 465 drive were good (some wheel cleats are clean and the rover is making forward progress), so the team commanded a drive that, if there were no slippage, would roll 4 meters (13 feet), consisting of ten 40-centimeter (16 inch) steps. Opportunity gained an additional 2.7 centimeters (1.1 inch). The panoramic camera made more observations of the atmosphere and dunes. sol 464, May 14, 2005: Opportunity Begins Careful Rollout Opportunity rotated its wheels on sol 463 for the first time since the rover dug itself into a sand dune more than two weeks earlier. The wheels made about two and a half rotations, as commanded, and the results were a good match for what was expected from tests on Earth. In the loose footing, the rover advanced 2.8 centimeters (1.1 inch) forward, 4.8 millimeters (0.19 inch) sideways and 4.6 millimeters (0.18 inch) downward. After further analysis of the results, the rover team will decide whether to repeat the same careful movement again on sol 465. Meanwhile Opportunity's main tasks for sol 464 were remote-sensing observations. sol 456-463, May 13, 2005: Opportunity Mission Manager Report Opportunity has started moving its wheels again after a couple weeks of holding still while taking some amazing images. While waiting for the rover team to finish tests for planning the best strategy for driving out of a sand trap, Opportunity has been busy taking a comprehensive color panorama of the area. On sol 461 (May 11), Opportunity straightened its wheels. After checking data and images confirming the success of that move, the team planned commands for beginning to rotate the wheels on sol 463 (May 13). The rover is healthy and ready to go. Sol 456 - 460: The rover's situation, dug into a sand dune, limited in the amount and type of science possible. While sitting here, Opportunity has taken the opportunity to take a 360 panorama of the area called "Rub al Khali," a name meaning the "empty quarter," from a region of the Arabian Peninsula with that name. During sol 456, power engineer Eric Wood happily recognized a cleaning event. Winds removed some dust from solar panels and Opportunity's daily energy supply increased to about 650 watt-hours, from a recent range of about 620 to 630 watt-hours. Today Opportunity was allowed to position its wheels to their egress direction. The plan is for the rover to leave the sand trap with an arc, moving forward and slightly to the left. The wheels were placed in that position. Before this sol's steering move, the wheels were in position from a turn in place that was Opportunity's last attempted move on sol 446. Opportunity is still in restricted sols, and is precluded from driving today, so the rover spent the day taking some additional panoramic camera frames of Rub al Khali. Sol 463 (May 13): After confirming the new position of the wheels, the team proceeded with plans for Opportunity to rotate its wheels about two and a half times on sol 463. Results from that move will be evaluated before rotating them some more. sol 449-455, May 06, 2005: Testing on Earth Before Moving on Mars Opportunity is imaging the plains and performing atmospheric science observations while waiting for engineers on Earth to give it the go-ahead to move. The team is diligently working to determine why Opportunity dug itself into a small dune, the best way to exit the dune, and what added precautions to use during future driving. Sols 449 to 455 (April 29 to May 5, 2005): In JPL's In-situ Instrument Laboratory sandbox, engineers, scientists and even the project manager have been mixing sandy and powdery materials, digging holes and building dunes. A mixture was concocted to simulate properties of the soil underneath Opportunity, using sand, clay and diatomaceous earth (silica-rich powder composed mainly of microscopic plant shells, used in these tests for its texture, not its fossil origin). The team wants to have a full understanding of how Opportunity will respond before commanding it to back out of its current position. sol 447-448, May 03, 2005: Continuing Exit Plan The Opportunity team continues working with an engineering test rover on Earth to determine the safest way to attempt to drive the rover out of the dune where it's currently parked on Mars. In the meantime, Opportunity is collecting science data with its instruments and cameras. Sol 447 (April 27, 2005): Opportunity performed detailed remote sensing to support drive analysis, including images of the left and right tracks taken with the front hazard-avoidance camera, the rear hazard-avoidance camera and the panoramic camera. Opportunity also took panoramic camera images of the rippled dunes. Opportunity performed additional remote sensing. Opportunity used the panoramic camera to acquire images of the rover's far tracks, where Opportunity had performed a successful "K-turn" at the start of the drive on sol 446. A "K-turn" is the technique engineers have figured out for safely turning the rover 180 degrees while the right front wheel is stuck in a position of 7 degrees left of straight ahead. To turn 180 degrees, the rover makes smaller arcing movements without cranking the wheels as much as a normal during a 180-degree turn. These movements create a "K" shape in the soil. In addition, Opportunity acquired another panoramic camera image of the right track and a navigation camera image covering 360 degrees of the near deck of the rover. As of sol 448 (ending on April 28, 2005), Opportunity's odometry total is 5,346 meters (3.32 miles). sol 443-446, April 29, 2005: Testing Options to Exit Dune Opportunity used the spectrometers on its arm to examine the soil where the rover stayed for six sols, then resumed driving on sol 446. However, the drive ended after 40 meters when Opportunity was crossing a dune and dug into it. Engineers are using a test rover to evaluate options for getting off the dune. Sol 443 (ending on April 23, 2005): IDD campaign! We started off by unstowing the instrument deployment device -- the robotic arm -- and performing a joint stare of the sky using the microscopic imager and panoramic camera. We then changed tools to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and collected data for 5 hours and 41 minutes about the composition of the soil in front of the rover. Opportunity deep-slept overnight, and woke up to perform a sky survey while the Sun was high in the sky. We then changed tools to the Mössbauer spectrometer and started a 31-hour integration on the soil. In order to keep the Mössbauer integration running, the rover did not use the deep-sleep mode overnight. Today was devoted to continued Mössbauer integration on the soil. At last, we stopped the Mössbauer integration at 11:12 p.m. local time and Opportunity deep-slept for the rest of the night. We planned a drive of about 90 meters (295 feet). After driving about 40 meters (131 feet), Opportunity dug into soft dune material, impeding further progress. Imaging indicates all four corner wheels have dug in by more than a wheel radius as the rover attempted to climb over a dune about 30 centimeters (12 inches) tall. Opportunity is healthy and in a stable configuration but further analysis is needed to understand this event and plan future driving. Over next several sols, Opportunity will focus on remote sensing while on Earth a series of testbed runs are in progress to simulate terrain interaction and evaluate different egress options. As of sol 446 (ending on April 26, 2005), Opportunity's odometry total is 5,346 meters (3.32 miles). sol 438-442, April 26, 2005: Continuing Southward Opportunity keeps driving southward and studying new locations despite a disabled right-front steering motor. Opportunity has driven about 110 meters (361 feet) without use of that motor. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer began returning good data again. That instrument was in use when the rover stopped operating for a software reset on sol 440. The rover continues making scientific observations while engineers diagnose the cause of the reset. Sol 438 (April 17, 2005): Opportunity made remote-sensing observations. Opportunity performed a 13-filter panoramic camera observation to study soil in a trench that was scooped by a wheel when the rover turned to a good communications orientation after its sol 437 drive. Opportunity followed the camera observations with an 80-meter (262-foot) drive south. The team's plan was for Opportunity to make remote-sensing observations and then drive farther south. Panoramic camera imaging and some miniature thermal emission spectrometer observations were successfully completed. A miniature thermal emission spectrometer observation was underway when a software reset occurred at approximately 12:45 Mars local solar time. The team prepared a recovery plan responding to the software reset the sol before. The plan included transmission of data acquired prior to and during the sol 440 event. Some of this data was returned during a downlink through the Odyssey orbiter on sol 441. Additional data were requested for transmission on sol 442 in hopes of pinpointing the cause of the software reset. Opportunity is otherwise healthy. Sol 442: The team told Opportunity to perform remote science and study the surface at its present location while the engineering evaluation continued. As of sol 442 (April 22, 2005) Opportunity's odometry total is 5,306 meters (3.30 miles). sol 430-437, April 18, 2005: Steering Tests After a Long Drive The terrain that Opportunity is crossing has been steadily getting more wavy. After a long drive southward from "Voyager" crater, Opportunity's right-front steering motor stalled out on sol 433 during an end-of-drive turn. While performing tests to help the team diagnose the condition of that motor, the rover also continued to make remote-sensing observations. Testing in sol 435 did show motion in the steering motor, but analysis is still underway. The rover resumed normal science and driving operations on sol 436, but with restrictions on use of the right-front steering motor. It drove 30 meters on sol 437. Opportunity and Spirit are capable of driving with one or more steering motors disabled, though turns would be less precise. The latest revision in flight software on both rovers, uploaded in February, gives them improved capabilities for dealing with exactly this type of condition. It gives them upgraded ability to repeatedly evaluate how well they are following the intended course during a drive, and to adjust the steering autonomously if appropriate. Sols 430-432 (April 9-11, 2005): The weekend plan scheduled Opportunity to do some remote-sensing science on sol 430, a drive on sol 431 and more remote sensing on sol 432. However, the drive did not happen, due to a sequencing error that left the rover suspension limit active when it should not have been. Opportunity drove 151 meters (495 feet) on its continued trek southward. During a turn at the end of the drive, the steering motor (not the drive motor) faulted out. The rover completed some remote-sensing observations. Then it backed up 85 centimeters (33 inches) to see if the right-front wheel had bumped up against anything to cause the steering-motor stall. No rock or other obstacle was there. During the first attempt to straighten the wheels after backing up, the right-front steering motor stalled again. The wheel remained pointed about 8 degrees left of straight ahead. The sol's plan included more remote sensing, plus diagnostic tests using attempts to change the steering direction of the right-front wheel very slightly at different times of day and at different voltage levels. The testing did show motion in the steering motor. While analysis continues, the rover is resuming normal science and driving activities with restrictions on the use of the right-front steering motor. Opportunity used the panoramic camera for some ground and sky observations, and continued testing of the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The team planned a southward drive of about 45 meters, but Opportunity curved left, sensed it was off course, and ended the drive after 30 meters. The same driving commands produced the same results in a software testbed at JPL, indicating that the curving resulted from how software parameters were set, rather than a hardware problem. Observations with the panoramic camera were completed as planned. Odometry total as of sol 437 (April 16, 2005): 5,225 meters (3.25 miles). sol 421-429, April 12, 2005: Opportunity visits 'Viking' and 'Voyager' craters Opportunity drove to "Viking Crater," then continued to "Voyager Crater." The rover took panoramas of each crater. While this was happening on the surface, the Mars Odyssey orbiter had gone into safe mode. Relay operations were suspended. With no post-drive imaging from the weekend, and very little data volume available in flash, Opportunity executed a few sols of low-volume remote sensing. Driving resumed on sol 428 with data downlinked via the direct-to-Earth link. With the exception of the miniature thermal emission spectrometer (analysis is still in progress), Opportunity is in excellent health. Sol 421 (March 31, 2005): Opportunity stowed its robotic arm (instrument deployment device) and drove 71.2 meters (234 feet) to Viking Crater. On this restricted sol, only remote sensing was conducted. A panoramic camera mosaic of Viking Crater was acquired. Opportunity drove 109.2 meters (358 feet) to Voyager Crater. The rover used autonomous navigation to drive south 2.6 meters (about 9 feet). The drive ended early because the tilt limit of 12 degrees was reached, with Opportunity perched on the rim of Voyager Crater. Before this remote-sensing-only plan kicked off, the rover team learned that its main communication link, Mars Odyssey, had gone into safe mode and the latest data available was from the afternoon of sol 422. On April 2, Odyssey entered "safe mode," which is a protective state a spacecraft automatically enters when onboard fault protection software instructs the spacecraft to disregard its onboard sequence of commands and wait for instructions from the ground. As a result, relay communication with the rovers was suspended. The rover team was able to add a direct-to-Earth session to the plan, which confirmed that Opportunity was healthy. After a 90-minute direct-to-Earth pass, Opportunity performed a small amount of remote sensing. Operations were restricted because post-drive imaging had not yet been transmitted to Earth, and the team wanted to save the small amount of volume in flash memory for an eventual drive. Still operating in restricted mode, Opportunity again collected a small amount of remote-sensing data. It used the panoramic camera to assess the clarity of the atmosphere, tested the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and took a reading of air with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. A 90-minute direct-to-Earth pass during the day returned data for future planning. The Odyssey team brought the orbiter back on-line, and the Opportunity team received 50 megabits of data. The Odyssey team is investigating the cause behind the fault protection software sending the orbiter into safe mode. The sol 427 direct-to-Earth pass returned enough data to plan a long drive. Opportunity drove 48.4 meters (159 feet), which put it over the 5-kilometer mark. The odometry total after this drive is 5,044 meters (3.13 miles). Sol 429 (April 8, 2005): Restricted sol; remote science only. sol 415-420, March 31, 2005: Soil Survey Sometimes Opportunity needs to stop and smell the roses … uh, or the soil as the case may be. This week, the science team chose to examine the mineral content of the rippled ground before continuing the southward trek. The team is interested in comparing the chemical makeup of the ripples' troughs to that of the ripples' crests. Opportunity stopped at a nice trough, extended its robotic arm and investigated the soil. It then drove up onto one of the ripples to examine the crest. Sols 415 to 417 (March 25-27, 2005): Zeroing in on a soil target called "Mobarak" in honor of Persian New Year, Opportunity has had its head down in a trough for three sols trying to figure out what the trough soil is made of. During an observation like this, it uses all of its in-situ instruments taking microscopic images, alpha particle X-ray spectrometer readings and Mössbauer spectrometer readings. After Opportunity had looked at the soil in the trough, it was time to examine the soil at the top of the ripple. The rover planners perfectly executed a 7-meter (23-foot) drive that placed the rover right at the top of the ripple. Opportunity deployed its arm once again and inspected the soil. Sols 419 and 420: Here, Opportunity has the chance to look at two targets, "Norooz" and "Mayberooz," again studying the soil properties. Sols 421 and 422 (March 31 and April 1, 2005): Actually, this is kind of neat. As this report is being written, Opportunity is on Mars driving away from this soil survey spot and heading toward the "Viking" crater. When it gets there, it will stop and image the crater for two days. sol 408-414, March 31, 2005: Opportunity Continues to Set Martian Records This is the martian rover that keeps going and going and going. This week Opportunity continued to move on, performing panoramic camera soil surveys and imaging the lay of the land as it progressed southward toward craters called "Viking" and "Voyager." On sol 408, Opportunity again broke the martian one-day driving record, traveling an impressive 190 meters (623 feet) in a single sol. However, this record did not stand very long. The rover surpassed it on sol 410 (March 20, 2005) and set the new record of 220 meters (722 feet). The rover is healthy and ready to take on yet another week of exploration. Continuing south, Opportunity broke a Mars driving-distance record. This time the rover made its way 190 meters (623 feet) toward "Viking" and "Voyager" craters. On this sol, the rover was able to image a small crater called "James Caird." The crater was informally named for the financier of Sir Ernest Shackleton's Endurance expedition. The rover imaged features on the ground, and then the team compared them to features taken by orbiting spacecraft. This technique allows us to pinpoint the location of the rover on Mars. Today Opportunity needed a rest. The rover has been driving long and hard since sol 405. In fact it has driven roughly 630 meters (2,067 feet - well over a quarter of a mile) in just 4 sols, and it's time to sit out a day, make some observations, recharge the batteries and clear out some of the memory by sending data back to Earth. Yestersol's rest day was just what the doctor ordered. The rover woke up ready to go, and boy did it go! Today the rover set a new (and likely long-standing) driving record of 220 meters (722 feet). This incredible vehicle navigated more than half of that drive by itself! After yestersol's marathon race, Opportunity took the day off to rest. Opportunity is all about the driving these days: on sol 412, 183 meters (600 feet); on sol 413, 175 meters (574 feet); on sol 414, 183 meters (600 feet). From sol 405 to sol 414 (just ten sols) Opportunity has traveled 1.394 kilometers (4,573 feet, approaching a mile). This is almost 30 percent of all the driving that Opportunity has done in its 414-sol career! The odometer total as of sol 414 (March 24, 2005) is 4.806 kilometers (just shy of three miles). sol 403-407, March 31, 2005: Opportunity's Cruisin'! This week Opportunity's engineering and science teams got some good news and some bad news. Unfavorable results were obtained when the engineering team ran some diagnostic observations on the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Very few of the readings obtained during these test were of nominal length; most were short. The team has decided to suspend the use of this spectrometer until further analysis can be performed. On the good side, the rover continues to make progress southward toward its next goal, a pair of craters referred to as "Viking" and "Voyager." Also, Opportunity has set a martian single sol drive-distance record of 183 meters (just over 600 feet)! Sol 403 (March 12, 2005): This sol, the rover used its microscopic imager to take pictures of a rock called "Gagarin," changed tools to the Mössbauer spectrometer, and placed it on rock-interior material exposed by the rock abrasion tool. The rover did not use the deep-sleep mode this night. Opportunity woke and resumed collecting Mössbauer data until a little before midnight. During the day, it was able to perform some remote sensing. Around midnight the rover went into a mini deep sleep. The spacecraft woke up this morning and continued to acquire data on Gagarin using the Mössbauer spectrometer. This sol the team tested the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to look at short readings the instrument has been making. Opportunity then bumped back from the crater and drove 100 meters (328 feet). After a long day, the rover used deep sleep overnight. Opportunity, guided by its rover planners, took an hour to drive 100 meters (328 feet). The rover then took control and used autonomous navigation to drive the next 83 meters (272 feet), setting a new one-sol driving record of 183 meters (600 feet)! This sol was another drive day. The rover drove 100 meters (328 feet) guided by rover planners and then 60 meters (197 feet) autonomously. Odometry total as of sol 407 (March 16, 2005) is 3,856 meters (2.4 miles). sol 396-402, March 17, 2005: Opportunity Arrives at 'Vostok' After a long, sustained series of traverses (with a few stops along the way to see the sights) Opportunity has reached "Vostok Crater." The rover began a set of in-situ measurements on the soil and rock of Vostok. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer instrument seems to be showing some symptoms of its age, resulting in some failed images; diagnostic observations using the instrument will be performed shortly. Opportunity otherwise continues to be in excellent health. Sols 396 and 397 (March 5 and 6) were designed as a two-sol plan, with two sols of driving toward Vostok. The intent was to cover about 130 meters (427 feet) through combined directed-drive segments and autonomous-navigation segments on sol 396, followed by another 60-meter (197-foot) autonomous-navigation drive on sol 397. However, due to a partially misdefined waypoint (correct coordinates, but with too small a radius) on the first sol, Opportunity drove farther in its directed drive than intended. A safety timeout was triggered, and no driving took place on sol 397. The issue was quickly analyzed and fully understood by the mobility team and the rover planners, so nominal traverse planning resumed on sol 398. In the meantime, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer failed some command executions, and a command was uplinked on sol 396 to prevent further use of this instrument until diagnostic testing is completed. Sol 398 was primarily a drive sol, with Opportunity covering 95 meters (312 feet) via a combination of directed drives and autonomous navigation. At the end of a 35-meter (115-foot) traverse, Opportunity finally reached Vostok during sol 399. The crater is almost completely buried in sand. On sol 400, thanks to fortuitous positioning of the rover, in-situ targets were already in the work volume of the robotic arm, eliminating the need for an approach sol. Opportunity proceeded to examine a soil target, "Laika," and a rock, "Gagarin," with its microscopic imager, then positioned the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer for later measurements on Gagarin. After taking a panoramic image of Vostok, the rover took a long nap, waking up for its afternoon downlink and to begin taking data with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. Opportunity awoke again before midnight to stop the integration, and then went into the deep-sleep mode until morning. Since the plan called for Opportunity to continue in-situ measurements, the team chose to combine sols 401 and 402 as a two-sol plan. For sol 401, the plan is to use the brush of the rock abrasion tool brush on Gagarin and capture a microscopic imager mosaic afterwards. This will be followed by an evening alpha particle X-ray spectrometer measurement of the brushed surface, and then by a mini-deep sleep. On sol 402, ending on March 11, the rover will grind Gagarin for two hours with the rock abrasion tool, then perform an early morning alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration on the resulting hole. sol 389-395, March 15, 2005: Examining a Little Crater Before Moving on Toward 'Vostok' The rover took some time away from driving and explored a little crater it approached last week. Once Opportunity is done with the crater, plans call for continuing toward a larger crater, "Vostok." With its front legs just on the lip of the small crater, Opportunity was able to extend its robotic arm to characterize some of the mineralogy found here. The last previous drive left Opportunity in a position where it could make its final approach to the lip of one of the craters in a cluster of three small craters. On sol 389 (Feb. 26, 2005) the rover took images of the site with its panoramic camera and its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. On sol 390, Opportunity took a panoramic camera mosaic of the crater, then bumped forward to the edge of the crater. Sol 391 was another day of remote-sensing science and rest. For sol 392, the team decided to take an in situ look at a rock target called "Normandy." The Mössbauer spectrometer was placed on the rock and it conducted a three-hour long integration. Then the rover switched to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and performed a very short (10-minute) measurement. The science team needed a sample reading, and by using this technique, the engineering team was able to give the scientists some idea of what they had in time for a communication window with Mars Odyssey. The science team used this data to determine if sol 393 would be a grinding day (with the rock abrasion tool). After getting the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer reading, the rover went to sleep, woke up at about 4:00 a.m. local solar time and started collecting data again with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. The instrument ran for about 6 hours. On sol 393, the rover switched back to the Mössbauer spectrometer and started a very long (about 12-hour) integration. The rover was able to use the mini-deep-sleep mode after the integration. Plans for sols 394 and 395, uplinked on March 3, call for the rover to stow its robotic arm and back away from the crater on sol 394. At this point the rover will take some remote-sensing images. After confirmation that these important images have been acquired, Opportunity will turn and drive toward Vostok. sol 380-388, March 07, 2005: Opportunity Continues South with New Mobility Software After a busy week of driving with new mobility software, Opportunity continues to be in excellent health. The rover has traveled 450 meters (just over a quarter of a mile) in 6 sols. Opportunity took a couple of breaks from the trek south to use the tools on its robotic arm for investigating of a rock called "Russet" and to image a crater triplet. Atmospheric opacity has been stable, with tau hovering between 0.85 and 0.90. On sol 380, Opportunity placed its Mössbauer spectrometer on Russet for a five-hour integration, with remote sensing in parallel. The rover then switched to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer for an eight-hour overnight integration. On sol 381 Opportunity took one microscopic image of Russet, stowed the arm and bumped back for some remote sensing of the same target, then went for an approximately 60-meter (197-foot) drive to the crater "Jason." Sol 382 was the second sol of a two-sol plan. Opportunity performed two hours of remote sensing. The plan for sols 383 through 385 contained a first-time activity: to drive on all three sols over the weekend. On sol 383 there was a record-breaking 105-meter (344-foot) blind drive, in which the rover follows a route determined in advance by rover planners, followed by 72 meters (236 feet) of autonomous navigation, in which the rover chooses its own route around any obstacles it recognizes in images taken along the way. Sol 384 continued with 104 meters (341 feet) of autonomous navigation. Finally, Sol 385 completed the plan with an additional 109 meters (358 feet) of autonomously. Autonomous navigation collects 15 megabytes to 25 megabytes of data per hour by imaging the passing terrain. (This would allow mobility engineers to reconstruct what happened if the drive faulted out.) As a result, flash memory was filled almost to the brim on sol 385, and sol 386 added only 6 megabytes of science data (all atmospheric science). On sol 387, with a bit more free data volume to work with, and the team planned an approximately 80-meter (262-foot) drive to end up at a group of three small craters. The team also told Opportunity to use its navigation camera after the drive to take images for providing a 360-degree panorama of the craters. The plan for sol 388, ending on Feb. 25, is to repeat the 6-megabyte atmospheric-science observations. Current odometry total: 3014.77 meters (1.87 miles) sol 374-379, February 22, 2005: Opportunity Gets New Flight Software Opportunity received a software tuneup that should improve its mobility capabilities. With the new load on board, Opportunity booted into it and began an initial checkout. After a short test drive with promising results, there remains more checkout to do before blessing the load and having the rover's sister craft, Spirit, boot up the new software. Atmospheric opacity has been stable, with tau around 0.9. Solar power is still relatively plentiful and Opportunity continues to be in excellent health. Sols 374 through 376 were used to load the files for the new flight software, so Opportunity did not move during this operation. There were a few hours of remote-sensing observations on sols 374 and 375. Opportunity successfully booted into the new flight software on sol 376. Starting out slowly, Opportunity performed three hours of remote-sensing activities on sol 377. Sol 378 was the first driving sol using the improved flight software. The drive employed various methods, such as blind driving, auto-navigation, and visual-odometry driving to exercise the rover's new software. Opportunity traversed approximately 25 meters (82 feet) this sol. After completing the drive on sol 378, Opportunity had a very nice rock target just outside its front right wheel. On sol 379, Opportunity performed two hours of remote sensing and then turned to 170 degrees, putting the rock target "Russet" perfectly in the rover's work volume. Sol 379 ended on Feb. 16, with Opportunity's total odometry at 2,559.88 meters (1.59 miles). sol 367-373, February 11, 2005: Examining a Trench and Scuff Opportunity is in good health after more than a year on the martian surface. The rover completed its investigation of a trench and soil materials on sol 373 and is ready for a software patch, which will be uploaded over next few sols. There have been no recent dust storm events, and tau -- a measurement of atmospheric opacity -- has remained close to 0.9 for the past two weeks. For sols 367 and 368, a two-sol plan focused on investigation of a trench that Spirit had dug with its wheels on sol 366. Opportunity awoke on sol 367 at about 7:30 a.m. local solar time after a night in the deep-sleep mode. It made some early-morning photometry measurements, then napped until the morning uplink window from 10:40 to 11:00 a.m. local solar time. After this, the rover acquired microscopic images of the trench wall, performed a short reading with the Mössbauer spectrometer, and then positioned the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer for data collection. After an afternoon communications relay session via Mars Odyssey, the rover slept until the sol 368 morning relay pass, at which time it started the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration. In the morning of sol 368, Opportunity acquired more photometry observations, gathered more microscopic images, performed another short Mössbauer integration, and then positioned the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer for an overnight integration. On sol 369, Opportunity completed more trench investigations. It gathered additional microscopic images on new targets in the trench, completed another short data-collection session with the Mössbauer spectrometer, and placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer for another overnight integration. On sol 370, the rover acquired more microscopic images, more Mössbauer data and a variety of remote-sensing observations before using the deep-sleep mode overnight. On sol 371, after waking from deep sleep, Opportunity restarted the Mössbauer integration. The rover made remote-sensing observations during the middle of the day. Later, it gathered the last microscopic images on the trench, stowed its robotic arm and used its left front wheel to scuff the soil. Opportunity then bumped backwards to put the scuffed area into the arm's work volume. On sol 372, Opportunity completed microscopic imaging of the scuffed area, collected Mössbauer data, and switched to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. The rover did not use the deep sleep mode overnight so that it could perform an overnight reading with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. On sol 373, Opportunity completed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer work and then changed tools back to the Mössbauer for more integration during the day. In the afternoon the rover acquired some final microscopic images of the scuff, used the hazard avoidance camera to inspect wear on the grinding teeth of the rock abrasion tool, and then stowed the arm. Opportunity then bumped back about 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) to position itself for observing the trench with the instruments on the mast. It turned to a heading of 250 degrees to be in good position for four hours of high-gain antenna tracking for receiving an upload of improved flight software. Sol 373 ended on Feb. 10. sol 360-366, February 04, 2005: Poking Around on the Plains Opportunity continues to be active and healthy, making good progress south across the Meridiani plains with a few hiccups along the way. Despite the early end of one autonomous traverse and a Deep Space Network problem that precluded sending commands on sol 364, the rover covered more than 300 meters (984 feet) in the past week, breaking its own one-sol distance records twice! Having scuffed and trenched in the sands of the plain, Opportunity is now examining the trench and nearby soil targets. Since the Opportunity team was operating in restricted-sol mode, the team chose to plan sols 360 and 361 together as a drive sol followed by a remote-sensing sol. On sol 360, Opportunity traversed a record 154.65 meters (507.4 feet), using a combination of blind drives and auto-navigation software. On the next sol, Opportunity carried out three hours of remote-sensing observations. Sols 362 and 363 were planned together as another two-sol plan, again with the basic intent of driving as far as possible. After a directed drive of 90 meters (295 feet), the rover turned 180 degrees and continued in auto-navigation mode, resulting in an impressive 156.55-meter (513.6-foot) traverse. That is a new record for a single sol of driving on Mars. Alternating the rover's drive direction is part of the engineering strategy for maintaining the long-term health of our wheel drives. For the second sol of the plan, Opportunity was commanded to continue driving for up to 120 meters (394 feet), as long as no drive errors had occurred on the first sol. However, due to a previously unidentified navigation software vulnerability, the sol 363 drive errored out at its start. The plan for sol 364 was to continue the series of long traverses south. Unfortunately, there was a problem with a coolant line at a Deep Space Network transmitter, most of the pass was lost, and the plan could not be uplinked in the couple of minutes remaining. So, for what may have been the first time during Opportunity's mission, a sol's worth of nominal activities was lost, and the science run-out sequence from earlier commands was executed instead. Run-out sequences give the rover some useful tasks to do in case it does not get a new set of commands. On sol 365, Opportunity used its panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer to observe a target dubbed "Strange Rock," then moved a few meters (several feet) to get in position for trenching through a dune ripple crest. For sol 366, rover planners worked very closely with the science team to choreograph a rover trenching dance: Opportunity moved, scuffed (dragging its front wheels backwards multiple times), and finally trenched in the sand, all while placing the rover in a good orientation for later communications. The rover then went into deep sleep in preparation for an early morning photometric observation. Sol 366 ended on Feb. 3. sol 353-359, January 28, 2005: Opportunity Continues on the Plains After Marking One Year on Mars After spending 25 sols at the heat shield and nearby meteorite, Opportunity has completed its investigation of both and has started a long migration south. The rover is currently heading for a small crater called "Argo." Dust storms in the vicinity of Meridiani Planum appear to be settling down, and solar power has stabilized. On Jan. 24, 2005, the rover team celebrated Opportunity's first anniversary (one Earth year) on Mars. The rover continues to be in excellent health for its long drives out on the plains of Meridiani. Sol 353 was a restricted sol. (Results of 352 drive were not known by the planning team in time to calculate the final heat shield approach). Opportunity performed over two hours of observations using the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. On sol 354, Opportunity performed 10 minutes of pre-drive remote-sensing observations, then moved forward to get in final position for extending its instrument deployment device (robotic arm) to the heat shield. A drive of 0.7 meter (2.3 feet) was successful, placing the heat shield in reach of the arm. Opportunity performed more than an hour of post-drive imaging. Sol 355 was a restricted sol. Opportunity performed over two hours of remote sensing. Sols 356 and 357 were planned in a single planning cycle. On sol 356, Opportunity used the microscopic imager to examine the heat shield. Using the arm to position the microscopic imager, Opportunity spent 90 minutes collecting high-resolution images of the heat shield. On sol 357, the rover performed thermal inertia measurements throughout the sol. Using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to image the same target at different times, Opportunity took measurements as late as 23:00 Mars local solar time. On sol 358, Opportunity retook some microscopic images of the heat shield with the dust cover open. The rover then stowed its arm and began its drive south, away from the heat shield. Opportunity is now headed for a small crater called Argo, which is approximately 300 meters (about 984 feet) away. Opportunity successfully covered 86.3 meters (283 feet) on this sol. Sol 359, which ended on Jan. 27, was another restricted sol. The rover was sent commands for over 2.5 hours of remote sensing. Total odometry as of sol 358 is 2,200.6 meters (1.37 miles). sol 347-352, January 24, 2005: Opportunity Checks Out the First Meteorite Found on Another Planet! Opportunity completed its work on "Heat Shield Rock" during sols 347 through 352, then got into position for more observations of the heat shield. This rock is now known to be an iron-rich meteorite, thanks to findings of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, Mössbauer spectrometer and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover remains in good health. The team continues to closely monitor orbital images for signs of dust storms. Tau, a measure of the sky opacity, has hovered in the 0.8 to 0.9 range for the past week; tau was roughly 0.5 before recent dust disturbances in the region. Since sol 331, a mottled pattern has been seen on sky portions of images from the rear hazard avoidance camera. The pattern was originally thought to be a sky pattern caused by the dust storm occurring at that time. After a closer look at the mottled pattern in subsequent images, it appears that there is actually a deposit of some sort on the rear hazard avoidance camera lenses. The deposit may be storm dust that blew in their direction. It might also be fine dust from the heat shield debris that blew onto them or was kicked up by Opportunity's wheels as it drove around the debris site. The team decided to go ahead with a final close-up imaging campaign of the heat shield despite the risk of further deposition on the camera lenses because of the rare opportunity to examine a spent heat shield on Mars. Rover drivers are taking extra precautions to drive around debris and to find safe orientations for the rover as it works. The team has decided to forgo observations at the heat shield divot due to the possibility of further contamination at that site. On sol 347, Opportunity unstowed its instrument deployment device (robotic arm) to take microscopic images of Heat Shield Rock, and then placed the Mössbauer spectrometer instrument on the rock for a 19-hour observation. Mössbauer integration times are longer now because the Mössbauer source has weakened as expected since landing. On sol 348, the rover placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer instrument on Heat Shield Rock during the afternoon for an overnight observation. That instrument provides best results when it is cold. On sol 349, the rover brushed an area on Heat Shield Rock using the rock abrasion tool, took microscopic images of the brushed spot, then placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the spot for another overnight observation. 350 - Opportunity changed tools on the arm to the Mössbauer instrument for another long observation on the brushed area. 351 - The rover changed tools on the arm back to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer instrument again, putting it in place for another overnight observation of Heat Shield Rock. 352 - Opportunity took some final microscopic images of the rock then backed away for observations with the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover then drove to within about 1 meter (about 3.3 feet) of the largest piece of the heat shield in preparation for more observations of spent heat shield material with the microscopic imager. sol 341-346, January 14, 2005: Hovering Near Heat Shield and a Holey Rock Opportunity is healthy. It acquired microscopic images of the fractured edge of the heat-shield wreckage and began a detailed investigation of an intriguing, pitted rock a few meters to the north, called "Heat Shield Rock." The team continues to closely monitor orbital images for dust storms. The opacity of the atmosphere above Opportunity has averaged 0.75 with a slight downward (clearing) trend over the past week. Sols 341 through 343 were combined in a three-sol plan for the Earth weekend. On sol 341, Opportunity used a morning Mars Odyssey pass for a communications relay at about 4 a.m. local solar time and then slept until solar-array wakeup at about 8:45 a.m. After another short nap, the rover did a bit of remote sensing and received its new commands for the sol. Opportunity deployed its robotic arm and acquired 96 microscopic images of the fractured edge of the heat shield. In the afternoon it used its Mössbauer spectrometer to analyze dust on the science filter magnet. It used the deep-sleep mode overnight. On sol 342, Opportunity woke from deep sleep at about 7 a.m. local solar time and restarted the Mössbauer integration on the magnet. It was a light day of activity with afternoon remote sensing, an evening Odyssey relay pass, and then deep-sleeping overnight. On sol 343, the rover restarted Mössbauer integration on the magnet and completed afternoon remote sensing before deep-sleeping. On sol 344, Opportunity stowed its instrument deployment device (robotic arm) and backed up about 4 meters (13 feet) before acquiring a panorama of the heat shield and other remote sensing. The rover did not deep-sleep overnight in order utilize the morning Odyssey relay and return as much data as possible. The flash memory is relatively full. On sol 345, Opportunity acquired additional navigation-camera images of the heat shield to support a future re-approach for additional microscopic imaging. It then turned and drove north toward "Heat Shield Rock," which has pits in its surface. The rover traversed about 10 meters (33 feet) and arrived at the desired 1-meter (about 3.3 feet) standoff distance to acquire remote sensing of the rock. Opportunity used the energy-conserving deep-sleep mode overnight. Sol 346 - Opportunity acquired additional remote sensing and then bumped forward, putting the rock within the work volume of the tools on the instrument deployment device. The rover took advantage of an early-morning communications pass, so it did not deep-sleep overnight. sol 333-340, January 14, 2005: More Heat Shield Observations The week saw Earthlings celebrate a new year and Spirit's first birthday on Mars (one Earth year) while Opportunity continued its trek around its own heat shield. On Earth, the operations team experienced a few tool problems, but the support team was in position to fix most problems as soon as they were discovered. A dust storm that affected Opportunity the previous week has slowly receded, allowing increasing solar exposure. To conserve energy, Opportunity has been going into the deep-sleep mode every night, but as power continues to improve, the team is planning to resume using some early-morning Mars Odyssey communication passes to reduce a backlog of unsent telemetry. Opportunity continues to be in excellent health as the rover team looks forward to the Jan. 24 anniversary of Opportunity's landing. Sol 333 was the second sol of a two-sol plan. The day was spent monitoring the opacity of the atmosphere and performing almost three hours of remote sensing. Atmospheric opacity peaked on sol 321 at 1.25. On sol 333 it was down to 0.97 and decreasing, indicating that the sky was clearing. The amount of power generated by Opportunity's solar panels increased from 546 watt-hours on sol 321 to 630 watt-hours on sol 333. Sols 334, 335 and 336 were planned in a single planning cycle. On Sol 334 (New Year's Eve), Opportunity performed 90 minutes of remote-sensing observations, inspected debris from the heat shield's flank with the microscopic imager, and then placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the capture magnet on the rover's solar panel. On New Year's Day, sol 335, Opportunity started taking data with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer early in the morning, napped several hours, awoke and turned off that spectrometer, performed another hour of remote sensing, and then went to sleep for the night. On sol 336, Opportunity collected another two hours of alpha particle X-ray spectrometer data on the capture magnet and made remote-sensing observations for an hour. On the morning of sol 337, Opportunity examined the flank portion of the heat shield wreckage with the microscopic imager, imaged the capture magnet, then stowed the arm and began its drive for the day. Opportunity banked up 2 meters (about 6.6 feet), turned and drove 10 meters (33 feet) to "East Point." At East Point, Opportunity performed 30 minutes of imaging, capturing a stereo image of the heat shield and a 360-degree view with the navigation camera. The rover then drove another 12.5 meters (41 feet) to a standoff point facing the heat shield seal. The team experienced a problem with onboard file deletion on sol 337. There was a bad parameter in one command, so Opportunity rejected the entire set of commands. The result of rejecting the command file was that Opportunity's flash memory filled up and the flight software began deleting lowest-priority data products. Approximately 150 megabits of stored data products were lost. Because many images were being acquired and processed at the same time auto-deleting was taking place, the rover's computer was running very slowly. When Opportunity attempted to perform a "Get Fine Attitude," (a command that updates the rover's knowledge of its tilt and orientation), it timed out. The rover monitors itself and cancels things that take longer than planned, the same way home computers cancel attempts to access the internet if the server doesn't respond within a certain time. Due to the time-out, Opportunity responded that it didn't know its exact attitude (setting the surface attitude pointing and positioning -- SAPP -- knowledge to "unknown"). As a result of this, subsequent commands for using the miniature thermal mission spectrometer images were rejected. Pointing the spectrometer at the Sun would severely damage it, so in order for the rover to point the instrument, it must know its attitude. Sol 338 became a restricted-operations sol due to a long latency in receiving relayed data. Telemetry was delayed more than seven hours, so Opportunity spent the sol performing more than four hours of remote sensing. The operations team was able to react to the failed Get Fine Attitude on sol 337 by creating a real-time command to reset the surface attitude pointing and positioning knowledge. The command was sent as part of the sol 338 uplink and worked as planned. Opportunity also performed both a left-eye and right-eye Get Fine Attitude. Sol 339 was another "image, drive, image, drive" sol. Opportunity performed 30 minutes of pre-drive imaging, drove about 10 meters (33 feet), performed 80 minutes of mid-drive imaging, drove another 13 meters (about 43 feet) toward the charred side of the heat shield, and performed 30 minutes of post-drive imaging. All operations worked as planned, leaving Opportunity in position to approach the heat shield to perform microscopic imaging over the weekend. Sol 339 ended on Jan. 6. Total odometry after sol 339 is 2075.52 meters (nearly 1.29 miles). Atmospheric opacity on sol 339 was 0.83; solar array energy was 836 watt-hours. sol 325-332, January 05, 2005: Sizing Up the Heat Shield Opportunity is healthy and has reached the site where its heat shield hit the ground. The rover will make detailed observations of the heat shield's remains, weather permitting. The rover experienced its first dust storm since landing, which has affected the amount of energy Opportunity gets each sol. When the rover landed nearly one Earth year ago, a dust storm was subsiding and the atmosphere had an opacity of 0.9 (the higher the number, the murkier the skies). Since then, the opacity had improved significantly and was roughly 0.5 on sol 327. On sol 328 the opacity jumped to 0.6 then to 0.8, 1.2, and 1.25 on sols 329-331. As of sol 332 it is at 1.2 and dropping. Images from Mars Global Surveyor orbiter have confirmed the presence of a few small dust storms in the region. The energy intake has decreased roughly 30 percent, leaving Opportunity with less energy for operations and communications but still enough, with comfortable margin, to continue with the plan to investigate the heat shield remains. The dust storms will be monitored carefully using the rover's own instruments and images from Mars Global Surveyor. The team will also be walking through low-energy contingencies should they become necessary. On sol 325, Opportunity drove 27 meters (about 89 feet) backward, to "West Point." It imaged the heat shield debris field from that vantage point. The engineers choose to occasionally drive the rover backward for convenience and to keep the wheel-motor lubrication more evenly distributed. Sol 326 was the second sol of a two-sol plan. This sol was spent imaging the heat shield debris field. On sols 327 to 329, the Mössbauer spectrometer was placed on the compositional calibration target for a series of observations over the Earth weekend. This is done periodically to calibrate the Mössbauer instrument. The rover continued routine atmospheric observations and remote sensing of the heat shield debris field. On sol 330, Opportunity used its panoramic camera to take images of the heat shield debris field, then drove 15 meters (about 49 feet) to a location called "South Point" for another look at the debris field. On sol 331, Opportunity drove roughly 10 meters (33 feet) to approach the flank portion of the heat shield remains. The heat shield broke into two main piece when it hit the ground. The flank is the smaller of those portions. On sol 332, which ended on Dec. 30, the rover made its final approach to the flank portion of the heat shield wreckage in preparation for close-up inspection of the heat shield material over the New Year's holiday weekend. The drive brought Opportunity's odometer total to 2,051 meters (1.27 miles). sol 320-324, January 05, 2005: Heading for the Heat Shield As of sol 324 (Dec. 21), a healthy Opportunity has driven to within about 30 meters (about 98 feet) from the remains of the heat shield that hit the ground about 250 meters (820 feet) south of "Endurance Crater." Ending this year exploring part of the rover's entry system is a great reminder of the tremendous year Opportunity and Spirit have had thanks to the dedication and hard work of so many. On sol 320, Opportunity completed a variety of observations including imaging toward the heat shield. It then went into deep sleep overnight. Sols 321, 322 and 323 were combined in a single activity plan for the Earth weekend. On the first sol of the three-sol plan, Opportunity looked at the front edge of its solar array with its microscopic imager to assess dust accumulation there. It then drove nearly 60 meters (about 197 feet) south toward the heat shield and acquired post-drive imagery to support planning of the next drive. Opportunity did not deep-sleep overnight so it could wake up to take advantage of a Mars Odyssey communications pass to return data during the night. On sol 322, Opportunity made some observations and then went into deep sleep overnight. On sol 323 it made more observations and did not deep-sleep overnight. On sol 324, Opportunity drove nearly 90 meters (about 295 feet), bringing it within 30 meters (98 feet) of the heat shield. This was a record length for a drive that did not use the rover's auto-navigation software. It was enabled by the team's ability to identify a hazard-free route in images that the navigation camera and panoramic camera had taken of the flat terrain to be covered in the drive. The rover also made use of low-level hazard-detection software that reads rocker-bogie ("rover leg") position and rover tilt to halt a drive if the rover encounters a hazard. This drive brings the odometer 1,998 meters (1.24 miles).
The Egyptian Museum Egyptian Museum, Arabic Al-Matḥaf al-Miṣrī, the museum of Egyptian antiquities in Cairo , founded in the 19th century by the French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette and housing the world’s most valuable collection of its kind. The Egyptian Museum was founded in 1858 at Būlāq, moved to Al-Jīzah (Giza), and moved to its present site in 1897–1902. It is unique in its presentation of the whole history of Egyptian civilization, especially of antiquities of the Pharaonic and Greco-Roman periods. The more than 100,000 items in the museum include some 1,700 items from the tomb of Tutankhamen, including the solid-gold mask that covered the pharaoh’s head. Other treasures include reliefs, sarcophagi, papyri, funerary art and the contents of various tombs (including that of Queen Hetepheb hers), jewelry, ornaments of all kinds, and other objects. There is a block statue of Queen Hetepheres, one of the earliest examples of its type, and there is also a black granite sculpture of Queen Nefertiti. A sculpture of Amenhotep I1 shows him as the god Tenen. There are also granite figures of Queen Hatshepsut , as well as colossal figures of Amenhotep IV (Akhenaton) from Karnak . The museum also houses a small but fine collection of Fayum portraits from Hellenistic and Roman times. Day Trip to Edfu Kom Ombo from Marsa AlamDuration 1 Day Enjoy a Day tour to Edfu temple and Kom Ombo temple from Marsa AlamThere is a no better way to see the delights of the River Nile in Upper Egypt than this day tour of Edfu and Kom Ombo from Marsa Alam to Edfu and Kom Ombo with the temples close to the River Bank. Day Trip to Edfu Kom Ombo from HurghadaDuration 1 Day Enjoy a Day tour to Edfu and Kom Ombo from Hurghada. There is a no better way to see the delights of the River Nile in Upper Egypt than this day tour of Edfu and Kom Ombo from Hurghada to Edfu and Kom Ombo with the temples close to the River Bank.
"What are calcium channel blockers (CCBs) and how do they work? Calcium channel blockers are drugs that block the entry of calcium into the muscle cells of the heart and arteries. - The entry of calcium is critical for"... PLENDIL is indicated for the treatment of hypertension, to lower blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure lowers the risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events, primarily strokes and myocardial infarctions. These benefits have been seen in controlled trials of antihypertensive drugs from a wide variety of pharmacologic classes including felodipine. Control of high blood pressure should be part of comprehensive cardiovascular risk management, including, as appropriate, lipid control, diabetes management, antithrombotic therapy, smoking cessation, exercise, and limited sodium intake. Many patients will require more than 1 drug to achieve blood pressure goals. For specific advice on goals and management, see published guidelines, such as those of the National High Blood Pressure Education Program's Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC). Numerous antihypertensive drugs, from a variety of pharmacologic classes and with different mechanisms of action, have been shown in randomized controlled trials to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and it can be concluded that it is blood pressure reduction, and not some other pharmacologic property of the drugs, that is largely responsible for those benefits. The largest and most consistent cardiovascular outcome benefit has been a reduction in the risk of stroke, but reductions in myocardial infarction and cardiovascular mortality also have been seen regularly. Elevated systolic or diastolic pressure causes increased cardiovascular risk, and the absolute risk increase per mmHg is greater at higher blood pressures, so that even modest reductions of severe hypertension can provide substantial benefit. Relative risk reduction from blood pressure reduction is similar across populations with varying absolute risk, so the absolute benefit is greater in patients who are at higher risk independent of their hypertension (for example, patients with diabetes or hyperlipidemia), and such patients would be expected to benefit from more aggressive treatment to a lower blood pressure goal. Some antihypertensive drugs have smaller blood pressure effects (as monotherapy) in black patients, and many antihypertensive drugs have additional approved indications and effects (eg, on angina, heart failure, or diabetic kidney disease). These considerations may guide selection of therapy. PLENDIL may be administered with other antihypertensive agents. DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION The recommended starting dose is 5 mg once a day. Depending on the patient's response, the dosage can be decreased to 2.5 mg or increased to 10 mg once a day. These adjustments should occur generally at intervals of not less than 2 weeks. The recommended dosage range is 2.5–10 mg once daily. In clinical trials, doses above 10 mg daily showed an increased blood pressure response but a large increase in the rate of peripheral edema and other vasodilatory adverse events (see ADVERSE REACTIONS). Modification of the recommended dosage is usually not required in patients with renal impairment. PLENDIL should regularly be taken either without food or with a light meal (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Pharmacokinetics and Metabolism). PLENDIL should be swallowed whole and not crushed or chewed. Patients over 65 years of age are likely to develop higher plasma concentrations of felodipine (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY). In general, dose selection for an elderly patient should be cautious, usually starting at the low end of the dosing range (2.5 mg daily). Elderly patients should have their blood pressure closely monitored during any dosage adjustment. Patients with Impaired Liver Function Patients with impaired liver function may have elevated plasma concentrations of felodipine and may respond to lower doses of PLENDIL; therefore, patients should have their blood pressure monitored closely during dosage adjustment of PLENDIL (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY). No. 3584 — Tablets PLENDIL, 2.5 mg, are sage green, round convex tablets, with code 450 on one side and PLENDIL on the other. They are supplied as follows: NDC 0186-0450-58 unit of use bottles of 100 No. 3585 — Tablets PLENDIL, 5 mg, are light red-brown, round convex tablets, with code 451 on one side and PLENDIL on the other. They are supplied as follows: NDC 0186-0451-58 unit of use bottles of 100 No. 3586 — Tablets PLENDIL, 10 mg, are red-brown, round convex tablets, with code 452 on one side and PLENDIL on the other. They are supplied as follows: NDC 0186-0452-58 unit of use bottles of 100 Store below 30°C (86°F). Keep container tightly closed. Protect from light. Distributed by: AstraZeneca LP Wilmington, DE 19850. Revised: 10/2012 Last reviewed on RxList: 11/9/2012 This monograph has been modified to include the generic and brand name in many instances. Additional Plendil Information Plendil - User Reviews Plendil User Reviews Now you can gain knowledge and insight about a drug treatment with Patient Discussions. Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Get tips on handling your hypertension.
The radical black left that played a crucial role in twentieth-century struggles for equality and justice has largely disappeared. Michael Dawson investigates the causes and consequences of the decline of black radicalism as a force in American politics and argues that the conventional left has failed to take race sufficiently seriously as a historical force in reshaping American institutions, politics, and civil society. African Americans have been in the vanguard of progressive social movements throughout American history, but they have been written out of many histories of social liberalism. Focusing on the 1920s and 1930s, as well as the Black Power movement, Dawson examines successive failures of socialists and Marxists to enlist sympathetic blacks, and white leftists’ refusal to fight for the cause of racial equality. Angered by the often outright hostility of the Socialist Party and similar social democratic organizations, black leftists separated themselves from these groups and either turned to the hard left or stayed independent. A generation later, the same phenomenon helped fueled the Black Power movement’s turn toward a variety of black nationalist, Maoist, and other radical political groups. The 2008 election of Barack Obama notwithstanding, many African Americans still believe they will not realize the fruits of American prosperity any time soon. This pervasive discontent, Dawson suggests, must be mobilized within the black community into active opposition to the social and economic status quo. Black politics needs to find its way back to its radical roots as a vital component of new American progressive movements.
The Triumph Handed Harry Wu BY arresting, mistreating, and expelling human-rights advocate Harry Wu, China's leadership has given him all that he sought when he entered China - and more. Through its ironhanded welcome of Mr. Wu, Beijing ensured that he again succeeded in dramatizing the sorry state of human rights in China. More important, the leadership also inadvertently revealed the emptiness of its claim of being open to the outside world. Wu's triumph shows that Beijing is correct in considering him a more formidable menace than the United States news media portray him to be. Reports cast Wu, a US citizen, as the victim of coincidental crises: a downturn in American relations with China and the leadership succession in Beijing. According to the reports, ambitious Chinese leaders, tussling over the power slipping away from ailing patriarch Deng Xiaoping, are determined to prove their hard-line credentials by crushing any internal or external political challenge. The leadership cracked down hard on Wu - he was sentenced to a 15-year prison term for spying - because it believes he is an agent for a US-led conspiracy against China. This popular portrayal is accurate enough, but incomplete. It overlooks the cosmopolitan traits that Wu shares with millions of Chinese and that so alarm hidebound leaders seeking to control change. Wu and other cosmopolitan Chinese embody in the extreme the post-Deng party leadership's two betes noires - the bourgeoisie and anything foreign. So rather than just reveal a systematic abuse of human rights, Wu also showed through his mission that Beijing has not lived up to its claim of opening China to the world. His expulsion highlights the ancient penchant of China's leadership to choose insularity over outwardness and what is traditional over what is modern. Like China's rulers for centuries, the Communists have repressed an independent mercantile class out of fear that a free and thriving stratum of entrepreneurs will weaken their tight hold over the economy and society. Moreover, the leaders have restricted foreign ideas and ways that would undermine their ideologically regimented rule. Wu epitomizes the qualities that China's leadership abhors. He was born in the 1930s to a wealthy Shanghai financier and, during his upbringing, was steeped in Chinese and Western cultural traditions. Raised in privilege, he was insulated from the poverty, injustice, and social ills of China during its revolution and war with Japan. He attended the Jesuit-run St. Francis Xavier's school and went to Beijing for undergraduate study. Although he believed patriotically in the Communist government, he ran afoul of the thought police by naively heeding Mao Zedong's 1958 call to criticize the political order - ''Let 100 flowers bloom.'' Wu was cast from the intellectual elite into the desolate obscurity of China's gulag. During 19 years as a political prisoner he endured hard labor, starvation, and torture. Wu's courage in venturing back to China to document abuses in his old labor camps is unusual. But his background and suffering are not. During more than five years reporting from China, I met many cosmopolitans like Wu. These outward-looking Chinese have suffered more than any other group for their openness to ideas from abroad. After taking power, the party rounded up many of them, banishing them to destitute villages, sentencing them to hard labor in remote prison camps, or executing them by the truckload. Today, as in decades past, cosmopolites like Wu pose a fundamental threat to China's regime. They are challenging party autocrats to ease their grip on how citizens think and act. By aggressively pursuing dreams of prosperity, encouraged by the Deng-era maxim, ''to get rich is glorious,'' they are part of a vast, grass-roots force propelling China's reform far beyond the party's original intent. They have discarded Mao's dogma of socialist cooperation and seized on Deng's creed of market competition, thereby making Chinese society increasingly vibrant and unruly. Cosmopolites and millions of other newly assertive Chinese have launched myriad interest groups to protect their hard-won wealth, celebrate their identity and beliefs, and limit state intrusions into their lives. Day by day, society splits further along the lines of class, region, and economic interest. Private entrepreneurs are setting up business and trade associations. Intellectuals are forming unofficial think tanks. And liberal students and workers are running underground unions. Confident of their identity and open to foreign influence, cosmopolitan Chinese like Wu form one of the leading social forces pushing for a free, outward-looking society. The mistreatment and expulsion of Wu must not be seen narrowly as a conflict between Washington and Beijing over human rights. Rather, Wu is the latest victim in China's ancient conflict between Great Wall isolationism and modern, cosmopolitan openness. Cosmopolitan Chinese like Wu are a leading social force pushing for a free, outward-looking society.
The National Curriculum is a set of subjects and standards used by primary and secondary schools so children learn the same things. It covers what subjects are taught and the standards children should reach in each subject. Other types of school like academies and private schools don’t have to follow the national curriculum. Academies must teach a broad and balanced curriculum including English, Maths and Science. They must also teach Religious Education.
A family of related, exotic particles, each made up of four quarks, has been discovered. The finding could hold clues about the evolution of the universe, the researchers said. The four newfound tetraquarks, now called X(4140), X(4274), X(4500) and X(4700), each are composed of two quarks and two antiquarks (the antimatter partners of quarks). Yet each of the newfound particles has a different mass and different subatomic properties. They are considered a family of tetraquark siblings because of having the same quark composition and arrangement.
Buy this Book at Amazon.com The Tao Teh King: A Short Study in Comparative Religion, by C. Spurgeon Medhurst, , at sacred-texts.com When about to inhale it is certainly necessary to open the mouth; when about to weaken it is certainly necessary to strengthen; when about to discard it is certainly necessary to promote; when about to take away it is certainly necessary to impart—this is atomic perception. The weak overcome the strong. Fish cannot leave the deeps. The innerness of the government cannot be shown to the people. "Though He was a Son, yet (He) learned obedience by the things which He suffered; and having been made perfect, He became unto all them that obey Him the cause of eternal salvation." Before the Christ could weaken the pride of the sinner and humble man's false exaltation He had to strengthen and uplift the sinner with the knowledge that He had Himself become for his sake "of no reputation." The intellect may fail to grasp the full meaning of this sacrifice but the spirit knows that its safety lies in surrendering before the surrender of God on its behalf, even as the security of the fish lies in the yielding water. Next: Chapter XXXVII
LDi Catalog Printable PDF10 A brief A to Z of pulsation and what to do about it – “don’t excite the system so much” Causes of pulsation, more details. An approach to excitation reduction and damping the residual. Modulating devices cause pressure pulsation: Relief valves bouncing on their seats Flow controllers in spill back loops, opening a tad, closing a bit, constantly changing the resistance to flow and so changing pressure Check valves clacking, “back pressure” valves hunting for position Pipes that are shaken cause liquid pressure pulsation: This is the highest pressure and lowest frequency when shaken along the pipe axis. Lower pressure pulsation, but at higher frequencies, come from shaking side to side and shaking up and down. The characteristics are greatly affected by the distance between pipe hangers, clamps, saddles and other forms of support. Pumps on the other hand, make flow. When the flow fluctuates because: The pump shaft deflects, impeller blades pass an opening, vanes cut off a flow slot, lobes nest between each other, worms take new gulps from their supply, diaphragms hesitate between strokes, peristaltic tubes and hose are squashed or rolls lift off them, gear teeth mesh, and the check valves from plunger and piston chambers flutter. The resistance of the system turns the flow fluctuation into acceleration head pressure change. This is the instigator, or exciter of pulsation. It is like the plectrum that plucks the string. This excitation is very easy to reduce (Note we did not say prevent): Simply provide a soft compressible place, close to the pump so that the pump can suck and blow without having to accelerate the whole of the mass in the pipes. Unless the soft cushion near the pump is infinitely large, there will be some residual acceleration head excitation. How much pressure pulsation this becomes depends on the system response, whether it resonates whether the system amplifies it. To address the resulting residual pressure pulsation, however small it may be, because it is now pressure traveling up and down the pipe at 1400 meters per second and not flow at a 300th of that velocity, it has to be intercepted. Fortunately, a cushion chamber that is also an in line through flow, in and out device, is smaller and costs less than purely a cushion or “accumulator”. The pressure waves can enter the through flow dampener and are not reflected away by elbows or by orifices neither resonance nor amplification will occur. Decoupling, isolating, exciters from system response with true dampeners is simple logic. Pulsation is usually a valve problem, occasionally pump related and least often caused by a reciprocating pump (because that is so simple to resolve).
“If the story-tellers could ha’ got decency and good morals from true stories, who’d have troubled to invent parables?” – Thomas Hardy, Under the Greenwood Tree Do all stories convey a moral? Stories, well most of them, are designed to relay a message about the thoughts and feelings of an author regarding a certain issue. I guess, to some extent, every story has a moral, whether hidden, cryptic, implied, or preachy, because every story wants to tell you something. Every story wants to give you a message, a little bit of wisdom, so that you might learn and become enlightened by it. Think about it; from the simplest children’s book to the most complex novel ever written, all of those stories relay messages about courage, love, faith, right and wrong, or how not to do things. Even the comedic books, although sometimes mostly gibberish, can relay the moral to not take life too seriously. So, yes, morals can be found in any story, I think. How to write a short story with a moral So, how do you write a short story with a moral? It’s really very simple. First off, know what you’re going to write about. The moral of a story usually revolves around the story’s theme. The theme is the element of the story which carries the central idea, motif, or belief in a story. It permeates the entire story and persists throughout the narrative. So, figure out what your theme is and you’ll more easily find your moral. Remember that the theme is different from the moral. For example, the theme of the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is courage, while the moral of the story could be “Strive to be brave enough to stand up for what is right and for what you believe in.” See? How should you present the moral? Also, think about how you want to relay the message or moral. Do you want to go the preachy route and have the moral so in-your-face that the reader is spoon-fed? Should the moral be implied, hidden, or adaptable? Once you’ve decided on all that, it becomes easier to paint the story fluidly with the moral intertwined. Don’t worry so much about making the moral come out because it usually does on its own. Honestly, having a specific moral in mind helps, but doesn’t truly matter much, because every reader has his own take-away from every story. Probably the best and simplest moral that people can get from any story is just the capacity to empathize with others, to care about the characters and their feelings. With that, it becomes apparent that an excessively preachy style is not necessary. Just write your story out with all your heart and soul. Make it fun and create characters that people can relate to and care about. In the end, if you’ve done your job well, your message will simply leap off the page, whether the reader realizes it or not, and he will become a better person as a result. So, just let it all flow and don’t worry about it. Someone will get it. Just write.
Reference: Abstract Algebra, 3rd edition, I. N. Herstein, Prentice Hall International Edition. - Let S be a set having an operation * which assigns an element ab of S for any . Let us assume that the following two rules hold: i) If a, b are any objects in S, then ii) If a, b are any objects in S, then Show that S can have at most one object. II. Let S be the set of all integers . For a, b in S, define by . Verify the following: (i) unless . (ii) in general. Under what conditions on a, b, c is ? (iii) the integer 0 has the property that for every a in S. (iv) For a in S, . III) Let S consist oif f the two objects and . We define the operation * on S by subjecting and to the following conditions: of verify by explicit calculations that if a, b, c are any elements of S (that is, a, b and c can be any of or then i) is in S iv) There is a particular a in S such that $la=latex ab=ba=b$ for all b in S. ,v) Given b in S, then where a is the parituclar element in part “iv” above.
This is such an important book--definitely the kind of book Faith Dance should have. It's not just that the myth that men are from mars and women are from venus is so entrenched as a popular fact and excuse for men and women gendered roles and expectations in society today, but there are some books are purporting from a scientific point of view. The myth is that men and women essentially differ when they use language to communicate. Here is usually what you are up against this myth: 1. Language and communication matter more to women than to men; women talk more than men. 2. Women are more verbally skilled than men. 3. Men's goals in using language tend to be more instrumental--about getting things done--whereas women's tend to be interpersonal or relational--about making connections to other people. Men talk more about things and facts, whereas women talk about people, relationships, and feelings. 4. Men's way of using language is competitive, reflecting their general interest in acquiring and maintaining status; women's use of language is cooperative, reflecting their preference for equality and harmony. Because of this, men's style of communicating also tends to be more direct and less polite than women's. 5. These differences routinely lead to 'miscommunication' between the sexes, with each sex misinterpreting the other's intentions. This causes problems in contexts where men and women regularly interact, and especially in hetereosexual relationships. Now, I am going to love any scientific specialist, such as a linguist like Cameron, who is going to call the Mars and Venus thing, a myth. Cameron thinks it is too easy to absorb stereotypyed patterns that are reinforced by "soundbite science." She gives on example: "In 2006, for instance, a popular science book called The Female Brain claimed that women on average utter 20,000 words a day, while men on average utter only 7,000...this was perfect material for soundbite science: it confirmed the popular belief that women are the more talkative sex, while suggesting that the magnitude of the difference was even greater than anyone had previously imagined." The 'fact' that women talk nearly three times as much as men was reoprted in newspapers around the world." Then she continues. She refers to one professor of phonetics who was skeptical of the claims from this book. He began to seriously look into the footnotes of the book and found not, scientific data to support the claim, but references to a popular self-help book. Apparently with no hard data, these numbers were picked out of thin air as it were. When the professor confronted the author, she conceded. I know I didn't hear any news about the retraction--but I did hear the initial 'fact.' Cameron's goal: she's not attempting to deny differences between men and women but to separate the sweeping generalizations impacting gender relations at every angle from what is hard data.
But What Is the Learning Objective? Posted December 6, 2016 By Guy A. Boysen Imagine a hotshot graduate student who fancies himself quite the professor-in-waiting. Given the opportunity to independently instruct a section of Introductory Psychology, he selects the perfect book, plans lectures, practices the lectures, practices the lectures, and then practices some more. What he produces is, in some cases, fairly impressive. For example, during the lesson on motivation, he uses the slide below to lecture on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, giving creative examples of people at each stage, and engaging students with some discussion questions. Clear? Professional? Engaging? Check, check, and check. “But what is the learning objective?” Despite the apparent quality of the lesson, if the graduate student could not answer this question, it would be some seriously bad pedagogical news. To illustrate why that would be such bad news, take a closer look at the graduate student’s lecture slide and reconsider how you would study it if you were preparing for a test. Would you memorize the stages? Would you test your ability to describe stages? Would you memorize the teacher’s examples or produce your own? Would you form an opinion about the theory’s validity? Now, switching to the teacher’s perspective, which one of those topics would be on the test? Without a learning objective, all options are equally right and wrong – hence, the very bad pedagogical news. Based on recent work sponsored by the Society for the Teaching of Psychology, being a model teacher is, at least partially, defined by the use of learning objectives (An Evidence-based Guide to College and University Teaching; Richmond, Boysen, & Gurung, 2016). After reading this post, you should know how to write a learning objective and be able to explain why they are essential to model teaching. Defining Learning Objectives Learning objectives are specific, behavioral definitions of the knowledge, skills, or attitudes that students are supposed to take away from a learning experience. Unlike learning goals, which are often so broad as to apply to an entire curriculum, learning objectives narrowly define what students should be able to do with regard to just one, specific educational experience. A course might have only a handful of broad learning goals – they are typically listed on the syllabus – but the number of learning objectives corresponds to the individual lessons that occur over the entire course. Yes, that means you may have 100 or more learning objectives for a course! Writing 100 or more objectives may seem like an insurmountable amount of work, but it is as easy as ABC: Audience, Behavior, and Condition (Boysen, 2012). Audience (A): Who will be learning? This is the easy part for most college teachers because it only has to be written once for each course. - Students in [fill in course name] will… Behavior (B): What will be learned? Here is where the hard work occurs. Teachers must decide what they want students to be able to do after each lesson and put it into terms that can be assessed. Bloom’s taxonomy is an essential tool for writing learning objectives because it defines the levels of cognitive complexity of the learning and can be associated with action verbs that are perfect for plugging into learning objective statements (see Figure). - Students in Introductory Psychology (A) will differentiate classical and operant conditioning (B); - Students in Statistics (A) will calculate t tests (B); and - Students in Biology (A) will construct pedigrees (B). Condition (C): In what situation will the behavior occur? Conditions help determine what information or tools students will use when they engage in the behavior. They are not always necessary but can add a much-needed level of specificity. For example, continuing with the objectives outlined above: - Students in Introductory Psychology (A) will differentiate classical and operant conditioning (B) when given real-world examples (C); - Students in Statistics (A) will calculate t tests (B) using SPSS (C); and - Students in Biology (A) will construct pedigrees (B) using human genetic information (C). Why Learning Objectives Matter Writing learning objectives is time consuming, but it is a worthwhile investment in model teaching. For the last few years, I have been part of a team effort to define model teaching (Richmond et al., 2016). We define model teaching as the possession of a set of evidence-based characteristics related to pedagogical training, instructional methods, course content, assessment, syllabus construction, and student evaluations. These characteristics are not the ineffable stuff that separates renown master teachers from the rest of us mere mortals (Buskist, Sikorski, Buckley, & Saville, 2002). Rather, it is a list of nuts and bolts fundamentals that anyone can develop and incorporate into their pedagogy. Why did we include the use of learning objectives as a characteristic of model teaching? Here are just a few of their advantages, with the best saved for last. Selection of teaching methods. Pop quiz: Why did you choose the specific pedagogical approach you took in the last class that you taught? If this was a difficult question to answer, learning objectives can help. Classes should be designed backwards; decide what students will learn first, then match the teaching method to the learning objective. Intentional selection of evaluation methods. Imagine that the learning objective for the graduate student’s lesson on Maslow was for students to devise improvements to the theory. What should the test question for this objective look like? Going back to Bloom’s taxonomy, the cognitive skill represented in a learning objective helps determine its evaluation. If the goal is memorization of facts, multiple choice might suffice; evaluation of those facts, however – a high-level cognitive ability – would likely require a detailed written response. Useful evaluations of learning. Have you ever tried to teach someone to shoot free throws while blindfolded? Me neither, because accurate feedback is needed for learning to occur. Both you and the learner need to know if efforts are hitting the mark. Teachers who have a list of learning objectives can directly evaluate achievement of objectives and then provide detailed feedback. For example, if the objective is to summarize all of Maslow’s stages and student can only summarize half, then the focus of future teaching and learning efforts is abundantly clear. Increased learning. The 1970s gave us more than classic rock, it also gave us classic educational research showing that students learn more when they have specific learning objectives (Duell, 1974; Kaplan & Simmons, 1975; Rothkopf & Kaplan, 1972). I told you I saved the best for last! How would you answer the question? How would the hotshot graduate student have answered the question “What is your learning objective?” In fact, he couldn’t have answered it. I know because it was me. Although I had enthusiasm and dedication at that point in my career, model teaching requires so much more. After many years of development, I can answer that important pedagogical question before I walk into any classroom – I hope you can as well! Guy A. Boysen is an Associate Professor of Psychology at McKendree University. He received his Bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN and his PhD from Iowa State University in Ames, IA. He is a generalist whose teaching emphasizes clinical topics and the mentorship of student research. Dr. Boysen has studied a wide variety of pedagogical topics included student teaching evaluations, bias in the classroom, and teacher training. Boysen, G. A. (2012). A guide to writing learning objectives for teachers of psychology. Society for the Teaching of Psychology Office of Teaching Resources in Psychology Online. Retrieved from http://teachpsych.org/otrp/resources/index.php?category=Outcomes Buskist, W., Sikorski, J., Buckley, T., & Saville, B. K. (2002). Elements of master teaching. In S. F. Davis & W. Buskist (Eds.), The teaching of psychology: Essays in honor of Wilbert J. McKeachie and Charles L. Brewer (pp. 27–39). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. Duell, O. P. (1974). Effect of type of objective, level of test questions, and the judged importance of tested materials upon posttest performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 66, 225-323. Kaplan, R., & Simmons, F. G. (1974). Effects of instructional objectives used as orienting stimuli or as summary/review upon prose learning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 66, 614-622. Richmond, A. S., Boysen, G. A., Gurung, R. A. R. (2016). An evidence-based guide for college and university teaching: Developing the model teacher. Routledge. Rothkopf, E. Z., & Kaplan, R. (1972). Exploration of the effect of density and specificity of instructional objectives on learning from text. Journal of Educational Psychology, 63, 295-302.
Mimosa (Beta Crucis) The second brightest star of in the constellation Crux; its relatively modern name, which comes from the Latin for "actor" (and is also a word used in botany), is of unknown origin. Mimosa is a hot giant B star and also a binary whose components are only about 8 AU apart – too close to resolve – and have an orbital period of 5 years. Mimosa is also a multiply-periodic Beta Cephei star that varies between magnitudes 1.23 and 1.31 with periods of 5.68, 3.87, and 2.91 hours. Related entry brightest stars Related category NOTABLE STARS Home • About • Copyright © The Worlds of David Darling • Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy • Contact
\|Product #: EMC5600048_TQ\| Fall Fair (addition facts for seven) (Resource Book Only) eBookKindergarten\|Grade 1 Please Note: This ebook is a digital download, NOT a physical product. After purchase, you will be provided a one time link to download ebooks to your computer. Orders paid by PayPal require up to 8 business hours to verify payment and release electronic media. For immediate downloads, payment with credit card is required. This math unit presents four activity pages in which students read a simple story about counting to seven, cut and paste sets of stars according to numbers, draw pictures to match number sentences, and answer questions about how many blocks a wagon can carry. Submit a review
“Self-care” has many meanings. It is a broad term that can refer to anything you do, or don’t do, to be good to yourself. Self-care is vital for us to perform at our optimal level. Most of us don’t think twice about the care we invest in others. But we can’t be so selfless that we neglect our own well-being. Self-care offers so many benefits, including: - Stress Relief –Common self-care activities such as meditation and mindful breathing are incredibly useful tools of self-care. By quieting the mind and staying present in the moment, you can almost effortlessly reduce stress levels, lower blood pressure, and improve your quality of sleep. Whether by chanting a personal mantra, visualizing your favorite color or natural setting, or simply sitting with your thoughts as they drift in and out of consciousness, you can come to a place of stillness that will fortify you with calm long after you resume the day’s hectic schedule. - Improved Physical Health – While there are many different forms of self-care, the majority involve taking better care of yourself. For example, exercising more, eating better, drinking more water, and getting adequate sleep are the kinds of lifestyle choices that naturally improve your state of physical health. These types of practices also stimulate the mind-body connection by helping to encourage positive mental health. A sound mind is one of the body’s best defenses against illness. - Higher Self Esteem – Taking time for your well-being tells your subconscious that you are worthy of that time. In other words, when you treat yourself like you matter, you will feel like you matter. Believing that you are valuable and worthy of love is the very essence of self-esteem and confidence. - Deeper Self-Knowledge – Self-care necessitates that you think about what makes you happy and what you love. This not only allows you to spend time doing those things, but it also helps you understand yourself. The more you know yourself, the easier it will be to find joy, strength, and passion in your life. Self-care activities generally fall into four main categories: sensory, emotional, spiritual, and physical. Start your self-care journey by identifying what makes you happy. Sensory self-care is focused on helping you relax your mind by stimulating one of your five senses. Try: - Walking barefoot in the grass - Listening to music with your eyes closed - Enjoying a piece of decadent chocolate - Sitting in the warm sunlight - Breathing in the aroma of your favorite essential oil or candle - Indulging in a KNESKO masking ritual regularly Emotional self-care is all about helping you engage with your emotions by doing activities such as: - Indulging your emotions: let yourself cry, laugh out loud, express yourself - Talking with a friend or a therapist Similarly, spiritual self-care is about engaging with your values. Try: - Reading poetry - Setting up a daily mindfulness or meditation practice - Practicing yoga - Attending religious services - Making a list of things you’re grateful for Physical self-care is centered on keeping your body and your mind healthy. Get creative with physical activities like: - Trying a new workout routine - Dancing to your favorite song - Going for a bike ride - Trying a new collagen face mask - Taking a long bath Take Time for Yourself Self-care falls to each of us to help us live our best life. Don’t be afraid to experiment! The options are virtually limitless. Do what feels good, and the rest will fall into place.
See also: Baptists; Church of England; Episcopal Church; Evolution, Teaching of; Fundamentalism; Great Awakening; Islam; Judaism; Lutheran Church; Methodist Church; Moravians; Pentecostal Holiness Church; Presbyterian Church; Quakers; Reformed Church; Roman Catholic Church; Overview of Religion in NC (NC Atas Revisited) Religion - Part 1: Introduction; Religion - Part 2: Native Beliefs and the Arrival and Spread of Christianity; Religion - Part 3: The Ascent and Influence of Evangelical Christianity in North Carolina Culture; Religion - Part 4: Religious Trends and Conflicts of the Twentieth Century; Religion - Part 5: Religious Pluralism in Modern-Day North Carolina; Religion - Part 6: References Part 4: Religious Trends and Conflicts of the Twentieth Century Religious life in twentieth-century North Carolina was conflicted on a range of issues created by scientific discovery, U.S. Supreme Court decisions, and changes in personal and public life. A key aspect of these conflicts was their roots in evangelical views of authority, personal independence, and revelation. Ultimately, differences in biblical interpretation and the meaning of subjective confirmation of faith-the twin bases of evangelical authority-continued to prevent Christian harmony regarding many issues. In the 1920s, as high school textbooks began exposing students to explanations of biological evolution through natural selection, some concerned believers tried to prevent this aspect of modern science from being taught; but North Carolina state legislators refused to acquiesce. In the early 1960s, the U.S. Supreme Court forbade prayer in public school assemblies (although the practice persists in defiance of the ban), and this led white conservative Christians to establish private academies-some of which were founded to avoid racial integration of schooling as much as to resist secularism. Less radical attempts to resist secular trends were continued by Christians fighting to restrict public school students' access to knowledge about birth control devices and frequently to dictate specified lesson plans on sexual behavior even beyond health classes. When the Equal Rights Amendment was introduced to extend constitutional rights to women during the 1970s, a group that included conservative Christians rallied to defeat it as a referendum on feminism. Christian denominations in North Carolina also continue to wrestle with the ordination of women, homosexuality, abortion, capital punishment, and ethnic differences. These issues and others emphasize the continued presence of conservative, moderate, and liberal factions within denominations. The religious style, cadences, music, and sensibility of the civil rights movement of the 1960s demonstrated the immense power of religion among North Carolinians. But religion, meaning, and obligation-what people held sacred and how they behaved in responding to the holy-was so affected by gender, race, class, and power that it could not meld North Carolinians into a cultural consensus. Sharing the same Bible and believing themselves responsible to the same God-sometimes even singing the same hymns-allowed the religious of both races to make common cause only in rare instances. Yet by the end of the twentieth century, blacks and whites were beginning to share more readily across the racial divide, relying on the religion they shared to struggle toward mutual understanding. Keep reading >> Religion - Part 5: Religious Pluralism in Modern-Day North Carolina: 1 January 2006 \| Macfie, John; Mathews, Donald G.
NIOSHTIC-2 Publications Search Gold Dissolution in Chloride Solutions. Metall Soc AIME Warrendale, Pennsylvania, 1986 :259-271 The Bureau of Mines investigated the dissolution of gold in chloride solutions by cyclic voltammetry. Voltammograms of gold were obtained and provided a means of determining the effects of chloride concentration and different ionic species on the redox potentials and reaction rates for dissolving gold in cacl2 solutions. The potentials for gold dissolution ranged for 1.102 to 0.880 V standard hydrogen electrode in 0.01 to 8.0N cacl2 solutions, respectively. The dissolution rate was increased by increasing the chloride concentration and was further enhanced in chloride solutions containing hydrochloric acid, cupric, ferric, or cobaltic chlorides. The cyclic voltammetry data correlated to the results in the actual leaching of gold from a complex sulfide concentrate and a hydrometallurgical process residue in a chloride system. Metall. Soc. AIME, Warrendale, Pennsylvania, 1986, PP. 259-271 Page last reviewed: September 2, 2020 Content source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Education and Information Division
Provide children with paper and pens/pencils/crayons to draw pictures, engage in writing - including practising letter formation, writing simple words, captions, lists, simple sentences. Provide opportunities for children to play boards games with adults or siblings, encouraging taking turns, communication, language and vocabulary skills and maths skills. For example dominoes, snakes and ladders, bingo, tiddly winks. Opportunities for children to play in outdoor spaces – gardens, backyards (not visiting parks or public places.) Games which involve throwing and catching, (soft items from indoors such as sponges, scarves, balloons, etc. bubbles using washing up liquid and wire to make a simple bubble blower, skipping, jumping, hopscotch, etc. The following websites are for parents to access with ideas of activities they can do with their child or activities they can set up to support their child’s continuing learning at home. www.playhooray.co.uk/blog/news/play-for-all-ages - this site has 10 practical ideas for parents for reception and Year groups 1-6 www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/help-your-child-with-maths - lots of ideas for practical maths activities to do at home www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people/4-to-5-year-old-child-development-activities - provides short videos on games and activities parents can engage in with their child, many of which the children can then play on their own or with a sibling. www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies - Numberblocks - activities for children to engage in to continue with important number skills such as counting, number recognition, simple calculation. hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/ – activities for children aged 0-5 www.literacytrust.org.uk chat, play read videos and activities for parents and children from 0-5 www.backyardnature.org.uk – lots of ideas for children to get involved in looking for nature in the garden /yard. Make a bug hotel using empty cardboard boxes left in a corner, and then look to see watch is hiding after a couple of days. Look on the internet to find out the names of the mini beasts hiding in your garden.
In Case You Missed It After Nine Long Years In a blog post for the Washington Post’s Answer Sheet, NEA President Dennis Van Roekel writes that “while NCLB was useful in providing data about different demographic groups, it didn’t achieve its goal of closing the achievement gaps. But in its emphasis on standardized multiple choice tests, NCLB has distorted our children’s experience in school. Students as young as 6 or 7 years old are now subjected to weeks of preparation for high stakes tests. Because math, reading and to a lesser extent science are the only subjects regularly tested, students are drilled in those topics. Meanwhile, subjects such as history, civics, music and art—which help develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills—are squeezed out of the school day.” Source: Washington Post’s Answer Sheet. - NEAToday.org - NEA President Dennis Van Roekl shares his thoughts on ESEA with the Washington Post - NEAToday.org - Must Reads—Class Size Myths - NEAToday.org - NCLB—The Next Generation - NEAToday.org - Must Reads—Stalled Progress with Achievement Gaps - NEAToday.org - Must Reads—Education Policy With New Congress - National Center for Education Statistics - Nation’s Report Card Independent Panel Formed NEA created a national, independent commission to study the teaching profession. The new Commission on Effective Teachers and Teaching (CETT) will consist of 21 teachers—supported by researchers, policymakers, and academicians—who will examine teaching policies and practices, then craft a teacher-centered vision of the profession. The commission, which will meet several times over the next year and conduct public hearings, will provide preliminary recommendations to the 2011 NEA Representative Assembly in Chicago. Long Work Days While the average school day in America may last 7-8 hours, the real work day for many teachers begins early and ends late in the evening, as lessons are prepared, papers and tests graded, and parents contacted. According to a recent poll conducted on EdVoices, NEA’s blogging community, roughly 46 percent of teachers say they work more than 20 hours per week outside the classroom. Nearly 31 percent say they work from 11 - 20 hours. That means more than three-quarters of respondents are putting in at least 11 hours of extra work each week outside the classroom. See responses to the EdVoices poll. Poverty is a Factor The recent release of international education rankings placing U.S. students in the middle of the pack for reading and science and below average in math overlooked the poverty level of students, a significant factor. The head of the National Association of Secondary School Principals examined how the U.S. reading scores compared with the rest of the world’s, overlaying them with statistics on how many of the tested students are in the government’s free and reduced lunch program for students below the poverty line. In schools where less than 10 percent of students get free or reduced lunch, the reading score is 551. That would place those U.S. students at No. 2 on the international ranking for reading. See more at: http://neatoday.org/category/article-by-topic/international-education NEA is excited to launch ClassroomSuperheroes.com, a new site that allows parents, students, and community members to support educators by highlighting their work and dedication. Nominate a teacher, education support professional, or other educator who you think deserves to be acknowledged for their performance at school, with the Association, or in the community. Learn more at: http://classroomsuperheroes.com
If I were to wager that at least two people in my classes do not share a common birthday, I would ‘almost surely’ be wrong. In my class of 28 students, there is about a 70% chance of two people sharing the same birthday. Let’s say I am to ask everyone their birthday. The second person I ask has a 365 out of 366 chance that they have a different birthday from the first person. That is about a 99.7% certainty that their birthday does not match. The third person also has a pretty good chance that his or her birthday does not match either one of the first two people (364 out of 366 chance). The 28th person has a 338 out of 366 chance of not sharing anyone else’s birthday (still a 92% chance of not having a matching birthday). Thus, each individual’s chance of missing everyone’s else birthday is pretty good. However, we want to know the likelihood of no one having matching birthdays. With all those chances combined, we actually have a very good chance of two people sharing the same birthday. To compute the likelihood that all of my students do not share a birthday, we can first determine the likelihood that two people share the same birthday. To calculate, we multiply together all the individual chances: 365/366 x 364/366 x 363/366 … x 338/366. In that case, we get a number around .345. Thus, we only have a 35% chance of two people not sharing the same birthday. That give me a 65% chance of being correct if I guess that two people share the same birthday. This example is quite interesting and fun to demonstrate at parties (I no longer get invited to fun parties). However, there is a much better application of these ideas. One example is applying for a job or internship. Let’s imagine that I am really an awful candidate and that I don’t fit well at any position. Maybe I have a 1 in a 100 chance of getting a job. Let’s say there are 50 places at which I have that same chance of getting a job. Amazingly I have about a 40% chance at getting at least 1 job if I apply to all 50 places. The first job I apply to I have a 1 in a 100 chance. The second one I also have that same chance. Now, if I multiple 1/100 x 1/100 x 1/100 x 1/100 x 1/100 x 1/100 x 1/100 x 1/100 x 1/100 x 1/100 x 1/100 x 1/100 x 1/100 x 1/100 x 1/100 x 1/100 x 1/100 x 1/100 x 1/100 x 1/100, I get the probability that I won’t find a job. If I subtract that number from 1, I get the probability of finding a job. Thus, I have above a 39.4% chance of getting at least one of those jobs. The simplest formula for these problems is: 1-p^n, where p is the probability of finding a job and n is the number of jobs of which I applied.

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