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Your Laptop Could Predict Earth Quakes The concept of distributed computing using personal computers has been around for a while. There have been fun applications but now we have one that could have mass appeal and actually save lives. A joint project between Stanford University and University of California at Riverside called the Quake-Catcher Network shows some real promise. The most popular distributed computing project for personal computers has been SETI@home. The goal of this project was to process all the narrow-bandwidth radio signals collected by SETI radio telescopes looking for specific patterns. “In 1995, David Gedye proposed doing radio SETI using a virtual supercomputer composed of large numbers of Internet-connected computers, and he organized the SETI@home project to explore this idea. SETI@home was originally launched in May 1999.” SETI@home created a screen saver application so it was only active when your computer was idle so computation wouldn’t conflict with other activities. Like many, I participated for a while in hopes I might be the one to prove there was intelligent life in space. The Quake Catcher Network would work in a similar distributed computing manner using an open-source platform called BOINC. QCN would take advantage of accelerometers which are commonly built into new laptops. The purpose of the laptop accelerometer is to detect if your laptop has been dropped so it can lock up any moving parts like your hard drive head. Accelerometers detect changes in the rate of motion. Last year I wrote how accelerometers are used in the Wii Remote. The Quake Catcher Network is still being alpha tested but I predict we’ll be hearing more about this innovative project more this year. If you don’t have a laptop with an accelerometer QCN will make them available for purchase. We don’t get much seismic activity here in Scotia, NY but I can’t wait to participate.
A GOAL IS A DESIRED RESULT OR PURPOSE; AN OBJECTIVE; SOMETHING YOU WISH, AND INTEND TO ACCOMPLISH Tips for Making Effective Goals: - For goals to be effective, they must be big to create excitement necessary for accomplishment. - Commit to goals on paper. List the obstacles you may encounter and ways to overcome them. - Set both long-term and short-term goals. - Goals must be specific. Being “better” or having “more” is too broad. Make your goals specific by giving details so you know where you are going and how to achieve it. - Setbacks in goals are stepping stones, not stumbling blocks. Believe you can do it. Visualize it! - Daily objectives build the foundation for reaching your goal. Never lose sight of it. As a coach, you should have your own set of goals, separate from your team. What you wish to accomplish will be quite different from what your athletes will want to focus on. Your team will need to decide what goals they want to achieve for the weeks to come and for the season as a whole. Write these goals on a poster and revisit them frequently to keep everyone on the same track. Use the three Rs as a guide to effective goal making: - REVISIT – On a regular basis, look back on your goals. See if you are any closer to accomplishing them or if you have surpassed them. - REVISE – If your goals seem too far-fetched, simplify them. You can always strive for more difficult ones later in the year. - REMODEL – If you have reached your goals, set new ones! Remember that you never stop growing and learning.
General Helmuth Pannwitz and his Cossack body guard regiment. During the Second World War, ethnic Cossacks fought on both sides of the conflict. Cossacks who had emigrated to the USA and the UK served with their military forces. Many Cossacks joined the Resistance. Though some Cossacks joined German armed forces, they did so usually to defect either to the western allies or to the Resistance, to liberate their co-patriots and family members from Nazi work and concentration camps. The vast majority of the ethnic Cossacks fought against the Nazis in the ranks of the Red Army and of the Red Navy on all war theaters. Their service was crucial on the Southern theater of the Eastern Front. They were used for frontal patrols and logistics on the open prairies (steppes), which they knew well. The first Cossacks units were formed as early as 1936; by 1942 there were 17 Cossack corps units in the Red Army (as opposed to two in the German forces). Later these corps units were increased in size and reduced to eight. Their distinction in battle eventually led all to be merited as Guards. Oka Gorodovikov formed 49 Cossack cavalry divisions during the war. Many ethnic Cossacks served in other divisions of the Red Army and in the Navy, including Boris Shaposhnikov, Markian Popov, Aksel Berg, Arseniy Golovko, Oka Gorodovikov, Lev Dovator, Pavel Belov, General Dmitry Karbyshev, Dmitry Lavrinenko, pilot Grigory Bakhchivandzhi and engineer Fedor Tokarev. A Cossack detachment of the 4th Guards Corps marched in Red Square during the Moscow Victory Parade of 1945. A substantial number of Cossacks served with the Germans, in response to the harsh repressions and genocide that their families had suffered under the policies pursued by Joseph Stalin. Like other people of the Soviet Union who suffered persecution under Stalin, some Cossacks mistakenly greeted the advancing German army as “liberators” from Stalinism. While some Cossacks in German service were former White Army refugees or related to them, many Soviet citizens, including rank-and-file Cossacks, defected from the Red Army to join the “Cossack units” of German armed forces. Native Cossacks usually served as officers. As early as 1941, the German leadership formed the first Cossack detachments from prisoners of war, defectors and volunteers. The Dubrovski Battalion formed of Don Cossacks in December 1941 was reorganised on July 30, 1942 into the Pavlov Regiment, numbering up to 350 men. The Germans used Cossacks for anti-partisan activity in the rear of the German army. The Cossack National Movement of Liberation hoped to gain an independent Cossack state, to be called Cossackia, after the war. In 1943, after the 1st Cossack Division was formed under the command of General Helmuth von Pannwitz, Cossack émigrés such as Andrei Shkuro and Pyotr Krasnov took leading positions in the movement. The 2nd Cossack Division, under the command of Colonel Hans-Joachim von Schultz, formed in 1944, existed for a year. Both Cossack divisions were made part of the XV Cossack Cavalry Corps, totalling some 25,000 men. They wore regular Wehrmacht uniforms and not Waffen-SS ones, as has occasionally been incorrectly alleged. Although in 1944 General von Pannwitz accepted loose affiliation with the Waffen-SS in order to gain access to their supply of superior arms and equipment, together with control over Cossack units in France, no pagan SS features had ever been implemented to respect the Christianity of Cossacks and the Corps command, structure, uniforms, ranks, etc. remained firmly Wehrmacht. The Corps contained regiments of different Cossack groups, who were Don, Kuban, Terek and Siberian Cossacks who had been fighting Tito’s guerrillas, the Ustashi and Domobranci in the former Yugoslavia. At the end of the war in 1945, they conducted a fighting retreat north-eastwards over the Karavanken Mountains into Carinthia, where they surrendered to the British Army in Allied-administered Austria. They hoped to join the British to fight Communism. At the time the Cossacks were seen as Nazi collaborators and they were reported to have committed atrocities against resistance fighters in Eastern Europe. As part of Operation Keelhaul, the British returned Cossack prisoners of war to Russia. On 28 May 1945, told they would be resettled in Canada or Australia, the Cossacks were transferred to SMERSH custody at the Soviet demarcation line at Judenburg. Also included in the transfer were civilian members of the Kazachi Stan, consisting of old folk, women, and children, as well as about 850 German officers and non-commissioned officers of the Corps. At the end of the war, the British repatriated between 40 to 50 thousand Cossacks, including families of military, to the Soviet Union. Many of those were reported as never having been Soviet citizens. An unknown number were subsequently executed or imprisoned. This episode is widely known as the Betrayal of the Cossacks.
Hemp Seeds: Are They Good for You? In this Article In this Article In this Article - Nutrition Information - Potential Health Benefits of Hemp Seeds - Potential Risks of Hemp Seeds Hemp seeds are a rich source of nutrients. Part of the hemp plant, these seeds are technically a nut that can be eaten raw or used to make milk, oil, cheese substitutes, or protein powder. While related to the cannabis plant, hemp seeds have little to none of the psychoactive compound THC found in marijuana. For centuries the seeds have been used for oral and topical applications to treat and prevent certain health issues. A growing body of modern clinical research is backing up many of these claims. Hemp seeds’ nutty flavor and versatility also make them a great substitute for the levels of protein, essential fatty acids, and other nutritional benefits found in meat and dairy products. Hemp seeds can be: - Eaten raw, roasted, or cooked - Shelled as hemp hearts - Cold-pressed to produce hemp seed oil - Used for non-dairy hemp milk and hemp cheese A 30 gram serving (three-tablespoons) of raw hemp seeds contains: - Calories: 166 - Protein: 9.47 grams - Fat: 14.6 grams - Carbohydrates: 2.6 grams - Fiber: 1.2 grams - Sugar: 0.45 grams Hemp seeds are also good source of: Hemp seeds also contain high levels of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. Studies have shown that the ideal ratio for the fatty acids in hemp seeds is 3 to 1. At this ratio, these fatty acids help to support healthy cholesterol levels, immune system function, and may help regulate your metabolism. Potential Health Benefits of Hemp Seeds Hemp seeds are an excellent source of plant-based protein. They contain all nine essential amino acids, and research suggests that hemp’s protein content is well-absorbed by our bodies. In addition to this protein load, hemp seeds history is tied to their potential health benefits. Many modern studies have backed up several of these claims. Hemp seeds’ health benefits include: Hemp seeds are a great source of magnesium, which helps regulate your heartbeat and is linked to the prevention of coronary heart disease. They also contain Linoleic acid, which one study found reduced participants’ cholesterol levels by 15% and may act to reduce blood pressure. One of the omega-6 fatty acids in hemp seeds is gamma-linolenic acid (GLA,) which may have anti-inflammatory effects similar to drugs like ibuprofen. One study found a 75% reduction in arthritis-associated pain in participants after nine months of GLA supplementation. Hemp oil can be used in cooking to add nutritional benefits to your meal, and it can also be applied topically to the skin. Studies have found that hemp seed oil can relieve the symptoms of eczema and improve dry or itchy skin. Research is ongoing, but hemp seed oil’s antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects may also help to treat acne. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in hemp seeds is the optimal level for nutritional benefit. This balance supports both heart and cognitive health and is often lacking in most diets.. Hemp seeds also contain plant compounds called terpenes. While research is ongoing, studies suggest that terpenes may help protect the brain and prevent tumor growth. Potential Risks of Hemp Seeds While the fat content in hemp seeds comes primarily from its healthy essential fatty acids, eat them in moderation to meet your recommended daily consumption of fat. High fat intake can also cause nausea or diarrhea. Other things to consider before adding hemp seeds to your diet include: Hemp seeds may interact with certain medications including anticoagulants. Studies have shown that hemp seeds reduce blood clotting, which can interact with blood-thinner prescriptions. There is not enough clinical research to show that hemp is safe either orally or topically for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, so it is not recommended. Hemp seed shells can contain trace amounts of THC, the active psychoactive compound in marijuana. People with a previous dependence on cannabis may consider looking for an alternative. The fiber content in hemp seeds can cause digestive discomfort like bloating, nausea, or constipation in large amounts. Make sure to drink plenty of water when eating hemp seeds to help avoid gut problems. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. “Cannabis sativa (Hemp) Seeds, Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, and Potential Overdose.” Biochemical Education: “The action of vitamin K and coumarin anticoagulants.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry: “Evaluating the Quality of Protein From Hemp Seed (Cannabis sativa L.) Products Through the Use of the Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score Method.” Journal of Dermatological Treatment: “Efficacy of dietary hempseed oil in patients with atopic dermatitis.” Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostatis: “Dietary hempseed reduces platelet aggregation.” Oilseeds and fats, Crops and Lipids:“A short review on sources and health benefits of GLA, The GOOD omega-6.” Mayo Clinic. Dietary fiber: Essential for a healthy diet.” Nutrients: “Dietary Magnesium and Cardiovascular Disease: A Review with Emphasis in Epidemiological Studies.” Nutrition & Metabolism: “The cardiac and haemostatic effects of dietary hempseed.” Plant Science: “Terpenes in Cannabis sativa – From plant genome to humans.” PLOS One: “The ameliorative effect of hemp seed hexane extracts on the Propionibacterium acnes-induced inflammation and lipogenesis in sebocytes.”> The British Medical Journal (BMJ): “The importance of a balanced ω-6 to ω-3 ratio in the prevention and management of obesity.” The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behaviour Letter: “FDA on CBD in pregnancy and breastfeeding” USDA FoodData Central: “Seeds, hemp seed, hulled.” Find out what the research says about hemp seeds, who should have them, and how they may affect your health. Hemp seeds come from the plant cannabis sativa and are considered one of the most nutritious seeds around, and for good reason. These amazing seeds have a wealth of well documented health benefits associated with them, making them an incredible food to add to your diet. They are a rich & a complete source of protein, high fibre content, as well as being packed full of vitamins & minerals. Hemp seeds, when compared to other seeds, are closer to being a complete source of essential amino acids than any other seed. One of the benefits of hemp seeds is that they can be a rich source of essential fatty acids that can help live a healthy lifestyle. They can be eaten in their raw form and sprinkled on salads, porridge and smoothie bowls, or ground into a hemp powder, or hemp meal as it can be referred to, so that they can easily be added to smoothies, cakes, muffins and other home baking. Why choose hemp seeds? Hemp seeds contain a rich nutrition profile including a number of benefits that could potentially improve your health. The shells of the organic hemp seeds can be quite hard but are a good source of fiber. There a number of reasons why you could consider consuming hemp seeds in your weekly diet – it’s an easy way to essential minerals, protein and fibre in your meals, and can be quickly and easily added to a variety of meals at any time of day. Hemp seeds contain over 50% more protein than chia seeds and are low in carbs. We have two types of hemp seeds available for you to buy online including shelled hemp seeds which have had the husk removed only leaving the hemp protein center. Both are rich in important nutrients that are required on a daily basis. Thanks to being rich in essential fatty acids, these tiny little seeds could help with maintaining healthy hair and skin. Just 30g of hemp seeds provides you with all of the omega-3 you are recommended to have per day. Hemp seeds are also high in fibre and a good source of magnesium. Can you eat raw hemp seeds? Yes, hemp seeds can be eaten raw. They have a nutty taste and crunchy texture and can be added to a whole range of meals. Think outside the box and get experimenting with hemp seeds – why not create a photo-worthy smoothie bowl to mix up your morning routine or sprinkle on salads for a an extra, nutty crunch! Hemp seeds are so versatile These amazing seeds are extremely versatile and given that they are high in protein they are perfect for snacking on and increasing the protein value of meals, particularly vegan meals and breakfasts where we can lack sufficient protein intake. They have a light and nutty flavour making them a great addition to your favourite meals. People worldwide use hemp seeds in salads, smoothies, porridge, stir frys, soups, homemade energy bars and sprinkled on top of the ever-so-trendy avocado on toast! How to use hemp seeds - Sprinkle on top of meals like salads and stir frys - Ground down to a powder form and add to smoothies and cake recipes - Use for environmentally friendly fishing bait - Use as an organic bird feed in your garden - Make your own hemp milk - Experiment with making a delicious hemp seed butter. You can buy hemp seeds online and choose from a range of options including organic varieties. We deliver to most of the UK and to Europe with fast efficient delivery times and a great customer services team. Hemp seeds, with or without the outer shell, are packed full of essential daily nutrients. Buy hemp seeds online for free delivery on UK orders over £30
“Welcome to this beautiful and holy ground—may you find it a place of tranquility and grace.” —The Reverend John Ohmer, Rector Welcome to the Churchyard We invite you to enjoy the beauty of this historic place. The benches throughout the churchyard and Memorial Garden were gifts to the church for your comfort, relaxation, and reflection. This site has been sacred ground for centuries—the location chosen by generations as the final resting place for their loved ones. As you wander, consider the history of some of the gravesites highlighted in this slideshow. A Tour of the Gravesites 1. John Carolin (1764–1803) has the oldest identifiable grave in the church graveyard. Rounded indentations in the headstone likely resulted from musket balls fired by soldiers quartered here during the Civil War. 2. Simon Sommers (1747–1836) was a Revolutionary War veteran and is the only known soldier from that conflict buried here. Sommers, his wife, and three other relatives were originally buried in a family plot on their property and were later reinterred here. 3. Henry Fairfax (1804–1847) financed the restoration of the church in the 1830s and 1840s. A graduate of West Point, he organized a volunteer regiment when the Mexican War broke out, and died in Saltillo, Mexico. The inscription on this marker is copied from the text of a lost plaque reported by a Civil War correspondent in Harper’s Weekly of August 31, 1861. 4. Artemesia Scott (1843–1908) was a Confederate spy.5. Ball-Dulaney is the largest family plot in the graveyard. The Balls were relatives of George Washington’s mother, Mary Ball Washington. Of particular interest are the grave of Daniel Dulaney (1780–1848), whose barn may have been used during the War of 1812 to store gunpowder to prevent its capture by the British when they attacked Washington, D.C., and the grave of Mottrom Dulaney Ball (1835–1887), a Confederate soldier who later served as U.S. District Attorney in the Territory of Alaska. 5. Ball-Dulaney is the largest family plot in the graveyard. The Balls were relatives of George Washington’s mother, Mary Ball Washington. Of particular interest are the grave of Daniel Dulaney (1780–1848), whose barn may have been used during the War of 1812 to store gunpowder to prevent its capture by the British when they attacked Washington, D.C., and the grave of Mottrom Dulaney Ball (1835–1887), a Confederate soldier who later served as U.S. District Attorney in the Territory of Alaska. 6.These two markers commemorate both Union and Confederate soldiers, known and unknown, buried on the grounds in unmarked graves during the Civil War. The remains of two Confederate soldiers were removed for reinterment in Richmond. 7.The Reverend Francis Wingate Hayes, Jr. (1914–1999) was the last person buried in the church graveyard. He was rector of The Falls Church Episcopal from 1945–1957. 8.The Mason family plot is the final resting place for several relatives of George Mason, who served on the Truro Parish Vestry, was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, and the primary drafter of the Bill of Rights. 9. Anti-slavery activist John D. Read (1812–1864) was a lay minister of Columbia Baptist Church. Before and during the Civil War, Read and his daughter Betsy helped run a school for free and enslaved African Americans in Falls Church. He was a member of the interracial Falls Church Home Guard, a militia of Union loyalists organized to protect villagers during the Civil War. Accused of being a Union spy by “Mosby’s Raiders,” under Confederate Colonel John Singleton Mosby, Read and his black companion Jacob Jackson were kidnapped, shot execution style, and left for dead on October 24, 1864. Jackson survived but Read succumbed. 10. These four rough-hewn gravestones from the late 18th century predate any standing gravestones. The graves and stones were moved here in the mid-20th century to clear the site for George Mason High School, 1.7 miles northwest of here. 11. The George Ives family plot has a small obelisk. Brothers George and Ruben were members of the interracial Falls Church Home Guard, a militia of Union loyalists organized to protect villagers during the Civil War. Comprised of unenlisted men and boys, the Falls Church Home Guard included an equal number of blacks and whites who were issued weapons, kept watch, and alerted the town to approaching Confederate troops. 12. The Bailey family plot contains members of the Bailey family, who ran a circus that would ultimately become known as the Barnum and Bailey Circus. The headstone at George F. Bailey’s grave is the tallest monument in The Falls Church Cemetery. 13. The Memorial Chapel is connected to the Memorial Garden with a stone path. Names of the interred are listed in the nearby cloister. History of the Churchyard The earliest burials on this property occurred in the 18th century, and records show payments in 1778 to the church sexton for mending gravestones. While many early 18th century landowners had family graveyards near their homes, this churchyard was the only large burial ground in the village of Falls Church for most of the 18th and 19th centuries. Church vestry minutes note many unauthorized burials throughout this period. As the graveyard became more crowded, the vestry was forced to limit burials to Episcopalians who already had family plots in the churchyard. In the late 19th century, vestry members approached the town council to ask for the creation of a town cemetery. In 1885, members of the parish helped establish Oakwood Cemetery one mile east of here, which still functions as a public cemetery today. Memorial Garden and Chapel In 1976, a Memorial Garden was established at the east end of the north yard for the burial of cremated remains. The people whose remains are buried here are memorialized in a large frame with individual metal name plates in the nearby cloister. The plantings in the garden represent Virginia native trees and flowers in a 19th century tradition. The small, brick Memorial Chapel, redesigned in 2004, provides a space for small worship gatherings, Bible study, or private reflection. The Oldest Tree The oldest tree on the grounds is a huge white oak, located in the south yard. Other large trees include a tulip poplar, hickory, silver maple, and American holly. Major trees are marked with common and botanical names.
James L. Franklin Chicago, Illinois, United States \|Edward Adrian Wilson\| Of the physicians associated with the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, only the name of Edward Adrian Wilson (1872-1912) might be recognized today. He was one of the four men of the Terra Nova Expedition to accompany Captain Robert Falcon Scott on his final dash to the South Pole. After man-hauling sledges 800 miles for over ten weeks, they reached the South Pole on January 17,1912 only to confront the disheartening sight of Roald Amundsen’s flag markers and black tent testifying that the Norwegian expedition had bested them, having arrived a month earlier. On their return journey all five men perished from scurvy, infection, trauma, malnutrition, frostbite, and physical exhaustion. Scott, Wilson, and “Birdie” Bowers were the last to die, in a tent eleven miles from a major resupply depot. It was almost a year before the world would learn of their heroic struggle. For Englishmen following the disasters of the Boer War and the ascendancy of German might their story provided a narrative of courage, self-sacrifice, and patriotism that overshadowed Amundsen’s accomplishment. Wilson is recognized for his expertise in ornithology and as an artist and physician explorer. He was deeply religious and his religious strength was a great comfort to the men with whom he served. In their letters home and in their personal diaries, Wilson was uniformly singled out for praise during both his first Antarctic expedition aboard the Discovery (1901-1904)and his final journey aboard the Terra Nova (1910-1912). He had a gift for defusing tensions and restoring confidence; and was a trusted and loyal friend to Captain Scott. During the Discovery Expedition, Scott chose Wilson and Ernest Shackleton to accompany him in an attempt to travel as far south as possible on the polar plateau. In no situation were Wilson’s skills as a mediator more severely tested than on this journey. All three men suffered from scurvy; Shackleton more so, and as a result, Scott ordered him home on a relief ship as medically unfit. Shackleton was determined to redeem his reputation and began assembling the Nimrod Expedition of 1907. He sought Wilson’s participation as co-expedition leader. Wilson declined because he was committed to solving the mystery of a disease that was decimating the red grouse population in Northern England and Scotland before English sportsmen had the opportunity to kill them. Edward Adrian Wilson was born in Cheltenham, England, on July 23, 1872. Like Frederick Cook, he was the son of a physician. At an early age Wilson manifested both a keen interest in natural history and a remarkable artistic talent. Though self-taught, he had a talent he cultivated throughout his life, using it professionally as a medical illustrator and expedition artist. Wilson was strongly influenced by John Ruskin (1819-1900) and the precepts on art expressed in Ruskin’s 1853 volume The Stones of Venice. Like Ruskin he was a passionate admirer of J. W. M. Turner (1781-1851), whose influence can be seen in the artwork completed during the expedition. In November 1904 his Antarctica paintings were exhibited in the Burton galleries on Bond Street along with 200 photographs taken by the expedition photographer, Reginald Skelton. Wilson’s contribution of 280 items included watercolors of birds, scenic watercolors, pencil drawings, and topographical sketches. The exhibition was a success and was seen by some 10,000 visitors. The public was fascinated by the first ever drawings of emperor penguin chicks. In her biography of Wilson Isobel Williams notes that his watercolor, Emperor Penguin Rookery, Cape Crozier,sold for more than 9,000 pounds at Christie’s in London in 2003 and his Last View of Mount Discovery sold for 5,000 pounds at the same auction. Wilson began his medical studies in 1894 at the age of twenty-two at St. George Hospital in London. Three years later he moved his lodgings to Caius Mission, serving slum-dwellers of the Battersea area. There he met his wife, Oriana Souper, who was staying with the warden of the mission. The two were instantly drawn to each other and shared very closely held spiritual values. They were married on July 16, 1901, two weeks before Wilson was due to leave England aboard the Discovery. Returning to England in 1904, the couple spent six years together before he joined Scott’s second expedition on the Terra Nova. Their household was modest and in keeping with current trends they did not employ any servants. They had no children and Oriana never remarried after Wilson’s death. Oriana survived her husband by thirty-three years, dying at the age of seventy-two. Following the Discovery Expedition, Wilson occupied himself with preparing his expedition paintings, lecturing, and completing reports from the voyage. The thought of returning to medicine was not appealing as he had been away from hospital work for too long. In March 1905 he was offered a post as field observer to investigate the grouse disease that was decimating the red grouse population. It was a paid position scheduled to last six months but in the end required five years to complete. It entailed grueling fieldwork and over 2,000 post-mortems on the grouse, a task Oriana willing shared with him. He eventually found that the disease was caused by a parasitic threadworm, Trichostrongylus pergracilis, which dwelt in dewdrops on the heather. When ingested by the grouse, it lodged and ulcerated the bird’s cecum. His work, The Grouse in Health and Disease, appeared posthumously. Wilson had written one third of the report and prepared the beautifully illustrated colored plates. The report and its recommendations on the management of the disease eventually saved the sport and added over two million pounds to the British economy. In 1909 Scott asked Wilson to join him as Chief of the Scientific Staff on his second expedition to the Antarctic. Wilson felt it important that he return to the Antarctic to further study the emperor penguins, whose lifecycle remained a mystery. Prior to the Discovery Expedition it had been assumed that all penguins left the Antarctic to breed. The finding of eggs at the Cape Crozier rookery had proved that the species had evolved to reproduce in the subzero temperatures of Antarctica. At the time, birds were thought to have evolved from dinosaurs sharing many unique skeletal features. Wilson wrongly believed that penguins were very primitive birds and that their embryology would provide useful information on their avian origins. The Discovery Expedition had failed to recover eggs suitable for study, and for Wilson this was an important objective in his returning to the Antarctic. In the darkness of the Antarctic winter of 1911, Wilson, Harry R. Bowers, and Apsley Cherry-Garrad made an extremely hazardous sledging journey of sixty-seven miles in blinding blizzards to a penguin rookery hoping to collect eggs at a precise stage of development. They braved winds of eighty miles per hour and temperatures of minus sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit. In the words of Cherry-Garrard: “It was . . . the worst journey in the world . . . the weirdest bird’s nesting expedition that has ever been or ever will be . . . no words can express the horror.” Barely escaping with their lives, they returned to the base camp at Hut Point with three precious eggs. Cherry-Garrard added: “And now the reader will ask what became of the three penguins’ eggs for which three human lives had been risked three hundred times a day, and three human frames strained to the utmost extremity of human endurance” before humorously describing the indifferent reception he received in 1913 when he presented the eggs to the Natural History Museum in South Kensington. Ultimately, the eggs were examined by Professor Cossar Ewart of Edinburgh University and the report was included as an appendix in Cherry-Garrard’s book. The embryos Wilson collected were too developed to test Haeckel’s Theory that ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny. There were no teeth or scales to connect the birds with reptiles. What Wilson could not know was that penguins were further down the evolutionary tree and had evolved from birds with flight rather than the reverse. Isobel Williams has reviewed several interesting medical episodes in Wilson’s life and career. In 1897, while still a student and working at the Caius Mission in Battersea, he contracted pulmonary tuberculosis. Treatment was entirely non-specific and included travel to Norway and to Davos in Switzerland. His voyage aboard the Discovery Expedition was almost derailed following a hand infection and a subsequent chronic axillary abscess requiring surgical drainage. Wilson along with Scott and Shackleton all suffered from scurvy during their fifty-two day journey toward the South Pole in 1902-1903. Wilson also survived a severe anaphylactic reaction to a wasp sting when he had returned to England following the Discovery Expedition. The diaries of Wilson and Robert Falcon Scott that were found along with their bodies provide documentation of the travails Scott, Wilson, Henry Bowers, Lawrence Oates, and Edgar Evans endured during their return from the South Pole. Williams notes that Wilson “developed a swelling of his tibialis anterior muscle (his shin) after twenty-two miles of difficult skiing. The front of the leg was swollen and tight, the skin was red and oedematous.” Wilson’s description of the anterior compartment syndrome following strenuous exercise is now recognized in athletes. When news of the death of Robert Falcon Scott and the men of his expedition reached London, there was a national outpouring of grief. In the presence of King George V, a memorial service was held in London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral. Wilson’s Christian faith and his death on an epic journey made him a “perfect hero” for Edwardian Britain. He was posthumously awarded the Patron’s Medal of the Royal Geographical Society in 1913. A statue of Wilson in polar garb carved by sculptress Kathleen Scott (1878-1947), Scott’s wife, was unveiled in Cheltenham’s Town Promenade in July 1914 and remains there today. - Brown, Kevin. “Edward Adrian Wilson (1872-1912): polar explorer and artist.” Journal of Medical Biography. 2012; 20:169-172. - Cherry-Garrard, Apsley. The Worst Journey in the World: Antarctic 1910-1913. Published in two volumes, Constable and Company Limited, Great Britain, 1922. - Swinton, W. E. “Physicians as explorers. Edward Wilson: Scott’s final Antarctic companion.” Canadian Medical Association Journal. 1977;117(8):959-974. - Schullinger, John N. “Edward Wilson – Explorer, Naturalist and Surgeon.” Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics. 1985;160:373-377. - Williams, Isobel. Edward Wilson: Explorer, Naturalist, Artist. Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press, 2008. - Williams, Isobel. “Dr. Edward Wilson (1872-1912): Antarctic Hero.” Journal of Medical Biography. June2009;17(2):111-115. - Williams, Isobel. “Edward Wilson: medical aspects of his life and career.” Polar Record. January 2008; 44(228):77-81. - Wilson, D.M. & Elder, D.B. Cheltenham in Antarctica: The Life of Edward Wilson. Reardon Publishing, U.K., 2012. JAMES L. FRANKLIN, MD is a gastroenterologist and associate professor emeritus at Rush University Medical Center. He also serves on the editorial board of Hektoen International and as the president of Hektoen’s Society of Medical History & Humanities.
Physicians use the following tests to get images of the brain: An EEG provides a record of the electrical activity going on in the brain. A technician connects an EEG machine to specific parts of a patient’s head using wires and electrodes. The electrodes pick up signals from the different parts of the brain and chart those signals as waves that change depending on activity. Epilepsy often produces abnormal brain waves not only during seizures, but also at other times. Physicians in the Epilepsy Center can interpret information from the charts to help make a diagnosis. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) An MRI makes detailed pictures of the brain by using a magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy. It can detect abnormal blood vessels, tumors, scar tissue, and other lesions that may be responsible for producing seizures. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) A PET scan uses a radioactive material called a tracer to highlight areas of concern in the brain. Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) Two scans of the brain are performed for this test: one during a seizure and another while the brain is functioning normally. Radioactive material is used to highlight the active sections of the brain and the two scans are compared. The seizure focus (the area that is producing seizures in the brain) is highlighted by subtracting the non-seizure scan from the seizure scan. This test often tremendously helps physicians to make surgical decisions.
Inverted Pendulum Tutorial - Part 3 If we measure the angle of the pendulum as well as the cart position, controlling the inverted pendulum system is much easier. To see this intuitively, try balancing a broom on the palm of your hand with your eyes shut (i.e. you know cart position only) and with your eyes open (i.e. you know both position and angle). Generally, the angle is measured using a potentiometer (a type of variable resistor). A block diagram of the system is: So we can form two control loops for the system, with the inner loop controlling the pendulum angle, and the outer loop controlling the cart position. First, we design the controller for the inner loop. Let us use the root-locus design method. Since the inner plant has poles at +4.4621 and -4.4721, the root locus will look like: If we use PD control, we have the controller C2 = kd s + kp, which allows us to place a zero on the real axis. If we place this zero on top of the stable pole, the root locus will have a single branch extending left from the unstable pole, so with a high enough gain, we can make the system stable. However, we never use a pure derivative in control (since it amplifies noise too much - look at its frequency response), instead we use a differentiator in series with a low pass filter. This low pass filter is chosen to have a bandwidth much larger than the system bandwidth. Thus, the implementation of the PD controller will be (with appropriate zero and gain choice): and the resulting root locus (with controller poles and zeros in purple) is: Note the effect of not cancelling the stable pole exactly. The effect of the added pole at -25 due to the low pass filter is to cause the root-locus branched to break away from the negative real axis. This could cause poorly damped oscillations if the gain of the controller is too high. For the design of the outer loop controller, we will use frequency response methods. A PD controller will be used, but such a controller is generally called a lead compensator when using this method. First, we look at the frequency response of the "plant" (which in this case is the closed inner loop system in series with the cart mechanics): Note that this frequency response has a negative phase margin (which is given by 180° + p, where p is the phase shift at the frequency at which the gain is 1). For stability, a phase margin of more than 0° is needed, but for robust stability, a phase margin of 50° or more is suggested. The compensator is thus chosen as The frequency response of this compensator is shown below. The lead compensator has three parameters which can be adjusted: the pole position, the zero position and the loop gain. Generally the pole and zero position differ by a factor of 10, which provides the desirable positive "bump" in the phase response. The positions of the pole and zero are chosen such that the compensator lead (or "bump") in the frequency response is at the optimal position relative to the plant's response (i.e. we are trying to boost the plant's phase response above 180°). The gain of the compensator is chosen to make the magnitude of the open loop system 0 dB at the peak of the phase response (to guarantee the phase margin). The frequency response of the entire open loop system is: Note that the gain margin is now about 55°, which is acceptable. The gain margin (in case you're interested) is 8 dB (which is also acceptable for robust stability). The next page shows a simulation of this cascaded system.
NCERT Solutions For Class 10 Download Chapter-wise PDF for NCERT Solutions Class 10 English NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Maths for all the exercises from Chapters 1 to 15 are provided here. These solutions are curated by our expert faculty to help students in their board exam preparations. Students looking for the NCERT Solutions for class 10th Maths can download all chapter-wise pdf to find a better approach to solve the problems. The answers to the questions present in the NCERT books are undoubtedly the best study material a student can get hold of. These CBSE NCERT Solutions of Class 10 Maths will also help students to build a deeper understanding of concepts covered in Class 10 Maths textbook. Practising the textbook questions will help students analyze their level of preparation and the understanding of concepts. The solutions to these questions present in the textbooks can help students to clear their doubts easily.
Based on the Listening on Bulan you will discover these: Look for a proverb in Lecture 5 with bulan. What are the differences between the two? Make two sentences to differentiate the meanings. 2. Listen for bulan Julai. What is the number for Julai in Malay? Identify a Malay proverb in Lecture 5 with this number. Explain the meaning of the proverb. 3. Based on Lecture 5 and Listening on Bulan, which month in the English calendar is popular for Malay wedding ceremony? Support your answer with a Malay proverb from the lecture. Use three proverbs in Lecture 5 to describe any aspect of a mariage.
Epoxy Resin Art Working with epoxy resin is like trying to control chaos, thus providing a formative substance that might be characterized as born entropy. There is an element of danger added as the fumes are sweet but deadly. The process begins with the mixing of the resin and its catalyst; a chemical reaction ensues and time becomes an important dimension in the work. The painting is planned, like a play, with Act I, Act II, etc. The painting you see represents the summation of many layers of chemical reactions, all moving with their own velocity to a final polymerized end. The challenge is to control the flow of resin using heat, cold, wind, gravity and viscosity as artistic tools. Syringes, needles and a propane torch help move the resin. The paintings are temperature dependent and exude an organicity that defies their inanimate status. The polymerized painting portrays its temporal history as it captures the slow flow of resin. These paintings continue to move for hours after the resin is applied. The final painting can’t be visualized until a day after starting the painting , when all Brownian motion has ceased and the flecks of paint are trapped like a fly in amber. The painting you see is the final scene of a moving picture whose history is encoded in layers of resin.
Magic mushrooms, also referred to as mushrooms or shrooms, belong to a relatively new household, the Hygrophoraceae. These fungi belong to the Phalangiophora suborder, which is the most important phalangiophoran order. Other members of this order include many mushroom species which can be cultivated in the United States. Psilobins, in any other case referred to as magic mushrooms, are an informal, polyphyletic group of fungi consisting of psilocybine, a metabolite derived from psilocin, a component of psilocins. The three most important biological genera of psilocin include Panaeolus (which belongs to the Gymnopilus subfamily), Copelandia (which is a composite of a number of Coplandia species), and Inocybe (which consists of some Inocybes). Psilophyll and pyrrolizidine are synthesized by micro organism and fungi present in the mushroom stems and trunks. So as to create psilophyll, pyrrolizidine-pyrazine compounds mix with one another. Several different compounds may be answerable for mushrooms growing, including quite a lot of amino acids and carboxylic teams. Magic mushrooms are commonly discovered growing outdoors and on timber; nevertheless, they will also be discovered rising indoors. Some individuals who grow them in their home gardens or in a basement, but many others grow them in their properties. The mushrooms develop underground in darkish damp places, akin to round basements, bathrooms, attics, and attics. They prefer moist, dark locations as a result of the expansion fee is slower. Because they develop below much less favorable situations, they are susceptible to diseases and insect infestations. Magic mushrooms haven’t been used historically by humans for a whole lot of years, but they’ve been used for medicinal purposes for a lot of centuries. They’re most frequently used as aphrodisiacs, though they are also utilized in food and medicine. According to a survey carried out within the 1960s, “psilocybin mushrooms are found in food, utilized by the Chinese, Tibetans, Egyptians, Greeks, Persians, Jews, Indians, and Americans to deal with excessive blood strain, hypertension, anxiety, liver ailments, arthritis, depression, anxiety, migraine headaches, and anxiety.” On its own, psilocinic acid can be utilized to treat all of these ailments, though it has not been studied extensively. Magic mushrooms additionally seem to have anti-cancer activity. One study indicates that sure strains of P. monilocularis mushrooms have a greater than fifty % inhibition of the event of tumors in laboratory rats and hamsters. According to the identical research, psilocin are discovered to inhibit the event of glioma, a cancer that begins in cells, has no other signs and is incurable. It isn’t recognized whether or not magic mushrooms also have antibiotic activity, but a study indicates that the psilobins found in them can penetrate and destroy most cancers cells. However, extra research is needed to verify this. Although this can be a possibility, studies are nonetheless being performed in this area. Such a mushroom is sometimes combined with antibiotics, which can cause diarrhea. Many of the psilocin utilized in mushrooms are toxic in excessive doses and should be consumed in average doses only. However, some individuals do experience negative effects from consuming these mushrooms. In rare circumstances, stomach irritation is a typical reaction. Other unintended effects include elevated coronary heart fee and blood strain, nausea, headaches, vomiting, and diarrhea, dizziness, lightheadedness, convulsions, and unconsciousness. The long term effects of ingesting magic mushrooms are unknown. There are not any known well being dangers and the possible unwanted side effects are nonetheless being researched. However, they do contain a small amount of psilocine, an alkaloid which may be toxic in excessive doses, but is harmless in small doses. If you are thinking about trying these mushrooms, be sure that to find a good provider and follow the instructions on the packaging to be secure. Although the medical group continues to be learning the attainable unwanted effects of ingesting magic mushrooms, many shoppers claim they have had positive experiences. Many customers claim they have been in a position to cure a wide range of illnesses and ailments. A number of websites even provide recipes for making your individual magic mushrooms. Although there usually are not any clinical trials to support these claims, many people swear by the results they declare to have experienced when consuming these mushrooms. The mushrooms will be eaten as a complete or as part of one other dish, and some desire to consume them uncooked, while others like them cooked. Some people also get pleasure from drinking them combined into their favorite drinks, resembling tea, coffee, chamomile, or lemonade. While these mushrooms have been used for thousands of years as medicines in Asia, it isn’t clear whether or not they’re actually medicinal. People use mushrooms for all kinds of causes, from weight reduction to curing sickness and the potential for better sexual efficiency. Whether or not they can deal with and cure a large number of illnesses is but to be decided. If you have any thoughts relating to the place and how to use Ramadan decorations https://eidcollective.com, you can get in touch with us at our own internet site. Terrific ideas relevant to the ideas in this article, you might like:
Hi! My name is Dr. Amy Bower. Welcome to my web page for students! I am an oceanographer. “What is an oceanographer?” you ask. An oceanographer is a scientist who studies the ocean to find out everything about it-- the water itself and the plants and animals that live there. I decided to become an oceanographer because I love science, especially science about our home, Planet Earth. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve wondered how the Earth works. At first I was curious about the weather—I tried to guess if the next snow storm would be bad enough to close school the next day! Later I found out that the oceans have their own weather—currents of water that flow from one place to another like the wind and large swirls of water that are like storms in the ocean. I loved the idea of going out to sea as an explorer, so I decided to be an oceanographer. As you explore this web site, not only will you find out what it is like to be an oceanographer, but what it is like to be an oceanographer who is legally blind. Check out all the cool technology I use to help me do my work and read about my scientific research and expeditions in the lab and at sea.
Brilliant theoretical Astrophysicist Ferenc Miskolczi dicovered [sic] that the Earth’s greenhouse is a self regulating system which balances the effects of the gases and vapours within it. His second paper was withdrawn from publication when his boss at NASA logged in to Ferenc’s PC using Ferenc’s credentials and withdrew the paper. When deniers mention that GHG theory is entirely wrong and that, in fact increased CO2 cancels out the GHG properties of water vapour thus creating a natural balance you know they have latched on to Ferenc Miskolczi’s theory. Other clues are the use of terms like ‘black body’ ‘thermo dynamics’ and various laws of physics. The usual argument goes something like this- [randomly trawled from the internet] Anybody who thinks there is significant CO2 contribution to the GHE via atmospheric warming demonstrates extreme scientific ignorance. Firstly most of the surface IR emission in the CO2-GHG band is switched off. Secondly, CO2 self-absorbs from ~200 ppmv so its absorptivity plateaus [below the AGW point]. Thirdly, the Law of Equipartition of Energy at Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium coupled with Gibbs’ Principle of Indistinguishability means that an incoming photon absorbed in a local volume cannot, as claimed by climate science, specifically Ramanathan, be converted to kinetic energy in the average time needed for it to be re-emitted. This is the most childish of climate science’s mistakes. Gibbs principle is that in a thermodynamic system, there is no memory. What really happens is that the concentration of activated CO2 molecules is set by the temperature through the bidirectional transfer of that energy to N2/O2 kinetic energy but is constant on average. Therefore, the incoming photon energy is lost by an already thermally activated molecule instantly ejecting a similar photon out of that volume, restoring LTE. These peripatetic energy packets diffuse to heterogeneities such as clouds and bare aerosols to be thermalised, much into grey body radiation, to space or back to the surface. The atmospheric window grey IR from the tops of clouds is a cooling process. blah blah blah…. See what they have just done?- randomly assemble some technical terminology that appears to be clever. The really clever ones throw in a few equations and who could possibly argue with that? It is the favourite denial argument of engineers as it appears to have a hint of science attached to the denial. So by default the claim is that CO2 is a GHG, there is an increase in CO2 caused by burning fossil fuels, that Earth has a natural balancing process leading to a small increase in temperature, but everything will be fine and 100 years of science is entirely wrong. How it started- Miskolczi, Ferenc M. 2007. “Greenhouse Effect in Semi-Transparent Planetary Atmospheres.” Időjárás 111, 1-40 (pdf) Miskolczi, Ferenc M. 2010. “THE STABLE STATIONARY VALUE OF THE EARTH’S GLOBAL AVERAGE ATMOSPHERIC PLANCK-WEIGHTED GREENHOUSE-GAS OPTICAL THICKNESS”, Energy and Environment, 21, 243-262 (pdf) In his own words- taken from this website. No one is denying that global warming has taken place, but it has nothing to do with the greenhouse effect or the burning of fossil fuels. Are man-made CO2 emissions the cause of global warming?-Apparently not. According to my research, increases in CO2 levels have not increased the global-average absorbing power of the atmosphere.Where does the traditional greenhouse theory make its fundamental mistake? The conventional greenhouse theory does not consider the newly discovered physical relationships involving infrared radiative fluxes. These relationships pose strong energetic constraints on an equilibrium system.Why has this error escaped notice until now? Nobody thought that a 100-year-old theory could be wrong. The original greenhouse formula, developed by an astrophysicist, applies only to the stars, not to finite, semi-transparent planetary atmospheres. New equations had to be formulated.According your theory, the greenhouse effect is self-regulating and stabilizes itself in response to rising CO2 levels. You identified (perhaps discovered) a “greenhouse constant” that keeps the greenhouse effect in equilibrium. Is that a fair assessment of your theory? Yes. Our atmosphere, with its infinite degree of freedom, is able to maintain its global average infrared absorption at an optimal level. In technical terms, this “greenhouse constant” is the total infrared optical thickness of the atmosphere, and its theoretical value is 1.87. Despite the 30 per cent increase of CO2 in the last 61 years, this value has not changed. The atmosphere is not increasing its absorption power as was predicted by the IPCC.Have your mathematical equations been challenged or disproved? Dr. Miskolczi: No. If your theory stands up to scientific scrutiny, it would collapse the CO2 global warming doctrine and render meaningless its predictions of climate catastrophe. Given its significance, why has your theory been met with silence and, in some instances, dismissal and derision? I can only guess. First of all, nobody likes to admit mistakes. Second, somebody has to explain to the taxpayers why millions of dollars were spent on AGW research. Third, some people are making a lot of money from the carbon trade and energy taxes.A huge industry has arisen out of the study and prevention of man-made global warming. Has the world been fooled?Dr. Miskolczi:Thanks to censored science and the complicity of the mainstream media, yes, totally. January 03- Another Scientist Silenced The deft hand of the socialism hasn’t really left us, as the following note received via email shows. Why Dr Ferenc Miskolczi and Dr Miklos Zagoni have been put under pressure to be silent about Miskolczi`s research concerning the atmosphere and the greenhouse effect. In 2004 Dr Ferenc Miskolczi published a paper ’The greenhouse effect and the spectral decomposition of the clear-sky terrestrial radiation’, in the Quarterly Journal of the Hungarian Meteorological Service (Vol. 108, No. 4, October–December 2004, pp. 209–251.). The co-author of the article was his boss at NASA (Martin Mlynczak). Mlynczak put his name to the paper but did no work on it. He thought that it was an important paper, but only in a technical way. When Miskolczi later informed the group at NASA there that he had more important results, they finally understood the whole story, and tried to withhold Miskolczi’s further material from publication. His boss for example, sat at Ferenc’s computer, logged in with Ferenc`s password, and canceled a recently submitted paper from a high-reputation journal as if Ferenc had withdrawn it himself. That was the reason that Ferenc finally resigned from his ($US 90.000 /year) job. I want to make it clear: NASA never falsified or even tried to falsify Ferenc`s results, on the contrary, they fully understand it. They know that it is correct and see how important it is. To make sense of their actions, they probably see a national security issue in it. Perhaps they think that AGW is the only way to stop, or to slow, the coal-based growth of China. In my circumstance where I have been dismissed from my Government paid position in Hungary, I think the information vacuum (in Hungary), has the same type of origin. I believe someone is in the background trying to convince the establishment (media, science, politics) that Miskolczi’s results are against our national security interests. First, they tried to frighten me, and then when that did not work, they kicked me out from my job. So now I am turning to the wider internet to publicise Miskolczi`s work, as I know that his results are valid and true. There is no way and no need to hold them back for the world to understand them. Tomorrow, for the first time in my life, I am jobless. Budapest, 31 Dec, 2009 Dr Miklos Zagoni His theory, despite being a peer-reviewed, ground breaking, theory changing yada yada yada- has met with little enthusiasm by mainstream physicists [who are in on the grand AGW hoax, so they would dismiss his findings]. Van Dorland, R and Forster, P, 2010, Rebuttal of Miskolczi’s alternative greenhouse theory (Layperson summary) Science of Doom, April-May 2011: - The Mystery of Tau – Miskolczi Part I - The Mystery of Tau – Miskolczi Part II - The Mystery of Tau – Miskolczi Part III - The Mystery of Tau – Miskolczi Part IV - The Mystery of Tau – Miskolczi Part V - The Mystery of Tau – Miskolczi Part VI I have not yet seen any compelling evidence that there exists a major flaw in the theory explaining the basic operation of the Earth’s natural Greenhouse Effect. I would love for there to be one. But I don’t see it yet. The post is followed up by hundreds of deniers desperate to get Roy to look again and join them in their straw clutching. The blogger Tallbloke who played a role in the Climategate email affair is a particular fan of Miskolczi.
Video is a technology to display images in sequence to be presented on a television. It captures, records, processes, stores, transmits and reconstructs full motion of the pictures and text electronically. Thus, it is the technology of electronically reconstructing sequence of still images representing scenes in full motion. It’s an offshoot of the cinema that was invented for the first time in 1895. A modern digital video is an offshoot of analog video. This technology was first invented and developed for a cathode ray tube back in 1950s. Charles Ginsburg was an inventor who developed a first tape recorder using the analog technology. In 1951, his first tape recorder captured images and text electronically from cameras and converted electrical impulses and saved the information on the magnetic tapes for the display on televisions. This invention revolutionized the whole world since the cameras and tape recorders recorded events in the history of mankind since then easily and economically. Video recorders were sold at $50,000 during that time – only wealthy could afford to own it. Invention of DVD in 1997 and Blue-ray in 2006 revolutionized the world of video recording, transmitting and displaying from analog recorders and screens to a dital recorder and very small digital screens. All these inventions have a social impact – the world became more transparent. Even an ordinary citizen with little money can capture a video today on their smart phones and other similar devices and successfully brought their voice heard in the noise. The recent video technologies have bright images of wars and peace to our living rooms. The ordinary men and women have successfully brought these social changes. All kinds of secrets that were limited to just few privileged have become transparent to every citizen. The activism gained momentum. The creativity flourished through images captured by creative, innovative and genius minds of the world. Distant education has brought the most advance education to doors of even the poorest and underprivileged people of the world. The latest digital technologies have brought more happiness than sorrows in the lives of millions. The most advance smart phone technologies and Internet technologies have brought billions of people from different part of the world together under the one roof and made them feel like one single family on. Instant transmission of images captured by cameras revolutionized the world of art, designs, music and performing art forever – this is the first time in the human history, the human civilization has witnessed intellects of the human reaching the highest apex. FashionAvenue.com provides tools and technologies to upload your videos for viewing by the creative members. Upload your videos of your latest creative projects, designs, arts, books, gifts, travels and movies on FashionAvenue.com and create context for the creativity.
The Industrial Internet of Things is based on communication — between machine, man and object. However, networking also opens up completely new possibilities for hackers. Cyber security strategies for data security in the virtual space address this challenge. The Industrial Internet of Things offers new opportunities to hackers permanently. They collect sensitive information, block business and administrative processes or enrich themselves at the expense of others. Cyber security is key to turning digitization into a success. However, a number of challenges must be overcome to ensure security in the virtual space. Cyber security begins with companies becoming aware of the fact that they are a potential target for hackers. Subsequently, all networked systems must be protected—both in production and in the office space. Companies need to continuously improve their security systems to be prepared to deal with emerging threats. Ideally, they should use intelligent systems that adapt to changing conditions.
Do you crave for a cup of coffee early in the morning? And a chocolate bar makes you feel good when you feel low? Now a study from Ohio University tells you why certain foods affect your moods. Just like alcohol , food and spices can excite, calm or rattle the brain. "The distinction of what is a drug and what is food is blurring completely. Natural things are also drugs," The New York Post quoted Gary Wenk, a professor at the Ohio State University and Medical Center and the author of the new book 'Your Brain on Food', as saying. Different foods stimulate different regions of the brain, releasing chemicals like dopamine that promote well-being. On the flip side, a lack of certain amino acids can cause depression and, in severe cases, madness. The glow created by chocolate and coffee isn't just caused by caffeine , but also by a rush of dopamine that triggers the brain's pleasure receptors, Wenk said. Chocolate also releases a form of opiate that causes that la-la feeling, along with a small amount of a substance akin to marijuana . With all that pleasure packed into a Hershey bar, it's a miracle the feds don't regulate the stuff, he joked. Potatoes calm people down by releasing glucose into the blood, as does milk, especially in babies. The downside is that the brain always wants too much of what is bad for the body, like sugar, to communicate with other neurons and is particularly ravenous for it in the morning. "Things that are often good for the brain aren't good for the body. You can't just live on Twinkies and doughnuts and beer," said Wenk. What different foods do to your brain: Nuts, eggs, milk: produce the amino acid tryptophan, which produces the happy-inducing substance serotonin. Without enough tryptophan, you tend to feel depressed and angry. Fava beans: In high doses, they enhance mood by helping to produce dopamine, the brain's reward chemical. , saffron, fennel, dill, cinnamon, and anise: They contain properties that are chemically similar to mescaline . In big quantities, the spices can cause feelings of euphoria Sugar: Vital to feed your brain, and helps you pay attention and learn new things. Its absence causes sensations of craving and desire. Chocolate: Contains compounds that contribute to a good mood, while also soothing and mellowing. Asian News International
May is officially Melanoma/Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and Coolibar kicks it off with another boost for awareness, detection and prevention of melanoma – the deadliest of skin cancers. Together, melanoma, squamous cell skin cancer and basal cell skin cancer make skin cancer the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in the U.S. February is African American History Month. Among much else, it can serve as a fitting reminder about a myth that has persisted for too long: African Americans (and those with darker skin tones) can’t get skin cancer. In fact, among the African American population, melanoma – the most serious kind of skin cancer – is much more deadly than among Caucasians.
New York City’s Health Department, the good folks who are fearlessly practicing public health policy, are at it again. Last year they warned us about soft drinks. This summer they are back, with a campaign warning parents about the dangers of fruit drinks. Wait a minute, aren’t fruit drinks supposed to be healthy? You would think that’s the case, but in fact, fruit drinks can have more sugar than soda pop. A fruit drink is usually made of water, sugar, and flavoring, and only a tiny amount of real fruit juice. Here’s the ingredient list of Minute Maid’s Pink Lemonade, a childhood favorite: CONTAINS PURE FILTERED WATER, SWEETENERS (HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, SUGAR), LEMON JUICE FROM CONCENTRATE, GRAPE JUICE FROM CONCENTRATE (FOR COLOR), LEMON PULP, NATURAL FLAVORS. The package boldly claims “100% NATURAL flavors”. What a joke, adding 7 teaspoons of sugar and expecting us to fall for it? Got it, but I give my child 100% fruit juice. That’s OK, right? The difference between 100% fruit juices and fruit drinks may not be as big as you think. While 100% fruit juice is made only from fruit, in many cases, the majority of the juice is either from apples or grapes. Eaten fresh, these fruits are great, but when squeezed into juice, their sugar content is highly concentrated and the fiber is lost. Kids (and adults) get accustomed to ingesting a large amount of sugar in seconds. This does not have a good effect on the body, spiking blood sugar levels. So what should my child be drinking? You already know the answer. Water. As hard as it sounds, investing the time and effort to get your family back to drinking water is the single most effective step you can take towards your family’s health (and weight loss). Here’s the NYC ad:
Here is a basic and crude introduction to Rhino: - First of all, make sure you “CLICK” for confirming your commands in Rhino (enter is to activate a command or get out of a command). - Make sure your start your drawing in the right unit setting (command: UNITS) - Rules of Thumb -Any Geometry with NO Length, Width or Height is a “0” dimension object or 0D -Any geometry with only Length is a 1 Dimensional object or 1D [example: lines, curves and anything under the curve menu in rhino’s top menu bar] -Geometries with Length and Width are 2 Dimensional or 2D [example: flat surfaces and most of the items in Surface top menu bar ] -Geometries with Length, Width and Height are 3 Dimensional or 3D [example: solids, polysurfaces and anything with volume, Solid and Mesh in top menu bar] - You can download cool plugins and add-ons for your rhino at : (example: in-place-block edit, or try Box Edit tool) - few shortcuts: F3: activates the properties menu (keep always on!) F9: Grid Snap F10: Control Points ON F11: Control Points OFF - in the beginning it’s not a bad idea to leave the “command help…” from the help menu on, this will guide you through commands and steps you need to take, it’s a helpful reference. - Right click is your best friend for orbiting and panning. - Use Shift and Ctrl keys while using the right click to Pan and Zoom on a dolly - Always be aware of where you are snapping, look at all viewports before you click. - Make sure your Planar function is on if you need lines on a consistent elevation (next to OSNAP on the bottom of the page) - Always read the command prompt as you go through the commands. - Start with lines, polylines and curves to start your geometries, simplify your model in your mind. (Analyze complex models as if you had to break them down into plans and sections.) - Always work with proper layering! You put the geometries in layers based on what they are and their materiality, this is key for rendering.(example: when modeling a door, there needs to be a layer for the door panel, the door frame(if different material from the door panel!) and a door knob, if there is glass in the door you need to have a Door_Glass layer as well.) - Use pictureframe command to bring in an image or scanned drawing that you need to scale (make sure it’s layered properly so you can lock the layer) - Don’t be shy to use guide lines and geometries that you can delete later, they save you time and help you work accurately! - Extrude a line you get a Surface (going from (1D to 2D) - Extrude a surface you get a Solid object (2D to 3D) - Use Slab command to make walls, steps etc - Use Revolve to make a door knob, bottle or any object you can make on a lathe. - Use CAP to close any planar open polysurface - Use surface tools to create a planar surface from a closed planar curve, command : PlanarSRF - · Use Edgesrf to create a surface with chosing lines,curves as surface edges - Use Loft to create an organic (or faceted) surface with sectional lines (example: if you wanted to design a Vase, a Gehry style tower or building.) - remember you can use edges of a polysurface, surface … as curves in your commands. (ex. If you wanted to extrude a glass from the edge of the wall; type extrudecrv (extrude curve), read the command prompt, select the edge that you need to extrude the glass from and give it the direction and height that it needs) - Use project and project to C plane commands to flatten your lines and geometries with different elevations, or get them projected on a surface of an object, make sure you are in the viewport that you want to project in before you hit the final enter. - Use the family of SEL… commands to filter your selection, examples: SELCRV=select curve, SELSRF=select surface, SELColor, etc … - Scale 1D , Scale 2D, and Scale ; changing the scale of an object only in one direction (ex. A line, only the length of an object), two directions (ex. Surface , change L*W or area)or globally make an object larger or smaller (ex. Any 3D objects that you need to make bigger or smaller like a door knob, chair, etc.) - Use trim, extend, fillet and other commands that you are familiar with from ACAD on lines and curves. There might a slight difference but if you read the command prompt you will be able figure it out. - Offset, distance, join and whole bunch of other commands are exactly like ACAD, be curious and explore their full-potential functions. - Boolean Union and Boolean Difference (and other Booleans) will allow you to modify your base solids (solid is a term used in rhino for enclosed 3D objects) - Turn control points on with F10, or from the side menu if needed to edit lines, curves and some surfaces. - You can use trim and split commands to modify curves (that includes polylines and lines) and surfaces. - You can explode polysurfaces into surface - Use blocks, name them appropriately. When you make a block make sure it is put in the corresponding layer. (ex. If you make a door block, it has to be on the “DOOR” layer and not on “Flowerbox_Grass” layer!) - Try Group command if you had to, it’s better to use blocks, they are more controllable but groups help in some sticky situations, this is the only command we have not covered but that was on purpose! - Inplaceblockedit is what you always need to use for editing blocks. - Use INSERT (from the file menu or type it.) to bring in an existing block or something you have downloaded from the internet. If you need them read as an XREF make sure you select Link at the bottom left corner. - Block Manager is how you keep an eye on your blocks, links (Xrefs) - Type UNITS to change and modify your unit settings.
The airplane with which most of his first presidential trips were carried out was a Boeing 314 Clipper. On this day the U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt flew to Morocco to attend the famous Allied Casablanca Conference. Historically, that is interesting because that was the first flight of any U.S. president in a plane during the term. Before Franklin D. Roosevelt, American presidents traveled in foreign visits exclusively by ships, and on land they used the older means of transportation – rail, car, and earlier also a carriage or even a riding horse. President Roosevelt’s trip to Casablanca was a risky mission, because it was in 1943, in the midst of World War II. Therefore, the flight was not directed straight from the United States to Morocco, but a more complex route was planned. Namely, the president first came from Washington to Florida by land, and then flew in a plane to the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean, and further to the Brazilian city of Belém. Only from there did he go on a flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to the Gambia in Africa, and then to Casablanca. The airplane with which most of this first presidential trip was carried out was a Boeing 314 Clipper. It was actually a seaplane, and is also known for being used by the British Prime Minister Churchill on his journeys. The famous name “Air Force One” for the U.S. presidential plane has been in use only since 1953. Regarding the aforementioned Casablanca Conference, it is interesting that the popular movie Casablanca was filmed a year before, in 1942, and mass theater projections began on 23 January 1943 i.e. exactly one day before the end of Casablanca Conference. This, of course, was no accident because the film companies wanted to take advantage of the media popularity of the conference to promote the film.
Nature is a wonderful place to spend your free hours like having a walk, riding a bike, running or hiking. Although it can be very relaxing and good for your health you need to take certain precautions when ticks are concerned. For them this is also their natural environment and because of that you can get easily bitten by them. Generally these bites are not dangerous if the tick is not infected by a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi. This corkscrew-shaped can transmit Lyme disease, and the consequences of this infection can start from a simple rash to a partial paralysis of the body. Therefore, we need to be extra careful when ticks are concerned. This creature is with eight legs that thrives on sucking blood (human or animal). It has variations of colors starting from white to brown which depends on its development and whether it is full of blood or not. Once it is fully developed, it becomes as big as a pea. It can easily attach to various clothing and thus get to your skin so that it bites and sucks the blood. As mentioned before their bites are not always dangerous unless they are not infected with the bacterium that transmits Lyme disease. These ticks place the bacteria very deep in the skin which enters the blood thereby causing infections. The tick is in fact a mite and there are several species of them, however the most common are the ones that affect the dogs or cats. Nonetheless, this micro-organism can attack humans and the person affected by their bite may not feel anything, but the body will send symptoms which you should not ignore them. Therefore, make sure to find out more about Lyme disease. Signs of Lyme disease The symptoms of a Lyme disease are different depending on the time the person has been bitten. The first symptoms of the bite are flu-like symptoms, fatigue, headache, fever, chills, nausea and rash around the bite area. Common symptoms that appear after several months or weeks after the actual bite are: stiffness in the neck, harsh headache, swollen lymph nodes, muscle spasms, swelling, tingling, sudden chills or night sweats, blurred vision, eye pain, numbness or throbbing pains in the arms and legs. In a severe case the most common symptoms are the following: convulsions and disorders of the nervous system, abnormal heart rhythm, partial paralysis of the body, problems with eating, breathing, sleeping and talking; intermittent pain in the muscles, tendons, bones and joints and memory loss, brain fog or confusion. Tips how to Protect Your Body from Tick Bites - You will notice ticks more easily if you wear light colored clothes. - Avoid walking in woods or areas with tall grass and bushes. - Wear long sleeved shirts. - Wear closed-toed shoes with your socks pulled on your pants. - Always use insect repellents. - Shower after your visit in the nature and inspect your body for any bites. - Check carefully your pets and children for any tick bites. Carefully inspect the hair, the ears in and around, the belly button, and the underarms. How to properly remove a tick? Once you are bitten with a tick it is most likely that the tick is still there on your skin. The more the tick is stuck on your skin the more are the chances of contracting a Lyme disease. Hence, make certain to remove it 12 hours after the bite. You should not either crush or destroy the tick because it can make a puncture in the skin, and the bacteria can be easily transferred to the fingers as well. Therefore, you should use ticks that are sold in pharmacies or tweezers which you must disinfect prior and after the use. Grab the tick near the skin and turn slowly till it comes off. Do not discard the tick in your garbage bin because it may still bite you, but once you have pulled it keep it in a tissue or a piece of tape. If you notice any symptom of a Lyme diseases visit your doctor along with the pulled tick.
As in the other calendar pages of the Belles Heures, the activity appropriate to the month appears within a quatrefoil frame at the top of each page, and the appropriate zodiacal sign within a corresponding frame at the bottom. The text in gold at the top of the page records that February has twenty-eight solar days; blue ink is used to indicate that the month has thirty lunar days. The column of feasts proper to February is recorded below. Candlemas (here, Chandeleur) on February 2 is rendered in gold and the saints days are in alternating red and blue ink. Both the Presentation in the Temple and the Purification of the Virgin were celebrated on February 2. The feast was popularly known as Candlemas because of the candlelit procession that came to be widely celebrated in the Western Church by the twelfth century, and the custom of blessing candles on that day, which then were imbued with apotropaic power: Then comes the Day wherein the Virgin offred Christ unto The Father chiefe, as Moyses law commaunded hir to do. Then numbers great of Tapers large, both men and women beare To Church, being halowed there with pomp, and dreadful words to heare. This done, eche man his Candell lightes where chiefest seemeth hee, Whose Taper greatest may be seene and fortunate to bee; Whose Candell burneth cleare and bright, a wondrous force and might Doth in these Candels lie, which if at any time they light, They sure beleve that neyther storme or tempest dare abide, Nor thunder in the skies be heard, nor any Devil’s spide, Nor fearefull sprites that walke by night, nor hurts of frost or haile. —The Popish Kingdom or Reigne of AntiChrist written in Latin Verse by Thomas Naogeorgus and Englished by Barnaby Googe 1570, ed. Robert Charles Hope (London, 1880). See the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History to learn more about manuscript illumination in Northern Europe, or see special exhibitions for information about the exhibition “The Art of Illumination: The Limbourg Brothers and the Belles Heures of Jean de France, Duc de Berry” (on view at the Main Building March 2 through June 13, 2010).
BEIJING, China, April 8, 2013 (ENS) – A new form of bird flu is alarming Chinese and World Health Organization officials. Since March 29, when human infection with the influenza A(H7N9) virus was first reported, a total of 24 cases have been confirmed; seven people have died. At a news conference Monday in Beijing, WHO representative in China Dr. Michael O’Leary called on the public to remain calm. “These recent reports from China are the first cases of human infection with H7N9 viruses. Although we do not know the source of the infection, at this time there is no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission,” he said. More than 530 close contacts of the confirmed cases are being closely monitored. In Jiangsu, investigation is ongoing into a contact of an earlier confirmed case who developed symptoms of illness. On Sunday, the Chinese health authorities notified WHO of three more laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with the influenza A(H7N9) virus. The first patient is a 59-year-old man resident of Shanghai, who became ill on March 25 and died Sunday night. The second patient is a 55-year-old man from Anhui who became ill on March 28 and is now in stable condition. The third patient is a 67-year-old man from Shanghai who became ill on March 29 and is considered a mild case. In addition to the death in Shanghai, two new cases of H7N9 virus infection were reported today in Jiangsu province. In Hong Kong, seven new suspected cases of H7N9 bird flu are being tested for confirmation. The Chinese government is investigating this event and has heightened disease surveillance. Testing of recently reported cases with severe respiratory infection may uncover additional cases that were previously unrecognized. An inter-government task force has been formally established, with the National Health and Family Planning Commission leading the coordination along with the Ministry of Agriculture and other key ministries. Liang Wannian, director of the H7N9 influenza prevention and control office under the National Health and Family Planning Commission, told reporters at the news conference that authorities have not ruled out the possibility of animal and human infections in other regions of the country. The animal health sector has intensified investigations into the possible sources and reservoirs of the virus. Dr. Leary told the news conference, “There has been some speculation that there could be a link between the death of thousands of pigs in eastern China, influenza in birds, and the human cases.” “However the deaths in pigs in the Huang Pu river may be caused by many factors, and we have not connected the pig deaths to human cases of influenza. Those pigs which have been tested were found negative for influenza viruses. The clinical syndrome in pigs is not compatible with influenza infection,” said O’Leary. “Some of the confirmed cases had contact with animals or with environments in which animals were located. The virus has been found in a pigeon in a market in Shanghai. These events gave possibility of animal-to-human transmission, for which investigations continue,” he said. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization on Friday commended China’s quick notification of human cases of the H7N9 bird flu virus. The quick response and release of detailed information on the nature of the virus allow the public to take precautions and give related institutions more time to evaluate its potential impact on humans and animals, FAO Chief Veterinary Officer Juan Lubroth said. He said the new virus is hard to detect in poultry as it causes few to no signs of disease in animals. “Unlike H5N1, where chickens were dying off on a large scale, with this virus we don’t have a red flag that immediately signals an infection,” said Lubroth. “This means farmers may not be aware that virus is circulating in their flock. Biosecurity and hygiene measures will help people protect themselves from virus circulating in seemingly healthy birds or other animals.” China has shut down several live bird markets and has culled more than 111,000 chickens in an effort to control the outbreak. The city of Shanghai has banned all trade of live fowl although no H7N9 virus has been found among locally raised poultry. The WHO-coordinated international response working with WHO Collaborating Centres for Reference and Research on Influenza and other partners to ensure that information is available and that materials are developed for diagnosis and treatment and vaccine development. Influenza A H7 viruses are a group of influenza viruses that normally circulate among birds. The influenza A(H7N9) virus is one subgroup among the larger group of H7 viruses. Although some H7 viruses (H7N2, H7N3 and H7N7) have occasionally been found to infect humans, no human infections with H7N9 viruses have been reported to the World Health Organization until recent reports from China. WHO says on its website that analysis of the genes of these viruses suggests that although they have evolved from bird viruses, they show signs of adaption to growth in mammalian species. These adaptations include an ability to bind to mammalian cells, and to grow at temperatures close to the normal body temperature of mammals, which is lower than that of birds. No vaccine is currently available for this subtype of the influenza virus. Preliminary test results provided by the WHO Collaborating Centre in China suggest that the virus is susceptible to the drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir. Liang told the news conference that China has started development research of vaccines for the H7N9 bird flu virus. But he said that “complications in the development and manufacturing process” mean it may take about six to eight months before a vaccine can be brought to market. WHO does not advise special screening at points of entry to China with regard to this event, nor does it recommend that any travel or trade restrictions be applied. The small number of infections means that there is no wide-ranging public health concern at the moment, said Dr. O’Leary. Rapid avian influenza tests will be implemented on April 11 in Hong Kong to ensure imported chickens are virus-free, the city’s Secretary for Food & Health Ko Wing-man told the media Monday. About 30 samples will be taken from every 1,000 chickens, and results will be released within four hours. Since 2010, all live poultry and poultry products bound for Hong Kong have been tested for H7 avian influenza, and no cases of the virus have been found. It will take more time to find out whether other countries have had H7N9 infections, Dr. O’Leary said. WHO expects authorities to test flu cases stemming from unidentified sources to determine whether they are H7N9 infections. In Taiwan, the disease control authority said Monday that four of seven suspected human infections of H7N9 bird flu reported over the last 24 hours have been ruled out. Three cases are still being tested. Twenty-seven suspected cases have been reported on Taiwan since April 3, with 24 of the patients testing negative for the virus, Dr. Chang Feng-yee, chief of the island’s National Defense Medical Center, said today at a press conference in Taipei. © 2013, . Environment News Service (ENS) © 2021 All Rights Reserved.
What can you say about Theodore Roosevelt that hasn’t been said already? After a series of increasingly weak presidents who followed the larger than life Lincoln, Roosevelt swept into the White House very much an accidental president. History was not on his side. John Tyler and Millard Fillmore alienated their party and never won the presidency in their own right. Andrew Johnson was very much a force of nature, but found his authority gutted by a vindictive Senate. Chester Arthur didn’t even want the job, and it may have killed him. But Roosevelt was different. Ascending to the presidency upon the assassination of William McKinley, he was a very different vice president. For starters, he confided that he wished it were him Leon Czolgosz had tried to shoot, describing how he would have killed the man bare-handed. Yes, Roosevelt was bragging, but anyone who knows anything about the former Rough Rider understands that he very likely would have done it. Alas, he would never get the chance to face down an assassin, not until 1912 when he ran as the candidate for the Progressive Party. Roosevelt became the first president to be surrounded by a swarm of Secret Service agents. It did not matter. Roosevelt had plenty of other opponents to fight bare-handed, many of them his friends and allies. One of the first things Roosevelt did was to up-end the racial status quo at the dawn of the twentieth century. He invited a black man to dinner at the White House, namely Booker T. Washington. The outrage in the South was instant and echoed the fire eaters from the eve of the Civil War forty years earlier. Roosevelt slowed his push for racial equality, he was unapologetic. In fact, he seldom apologized for anything he did. Now granted, the presidency went into something of a downward spiral when Andrew Johnson tried to defy the vengeance-minded Senate at the beginning of Reconstruction. It further withered away under Ulysses Grant’s negligence. So by the time Rutherford Hayes arrived in an election more controversial than George Bush’s 2000 Electoral College win, a weakened candidate entered the White House to find the office had been hamstrung. It took six administrations to rebuild the presidency to the point where someone like Theodore Roosevelt could step in and use it for his “bully pulpit.” We get presidents like Roosevelt maybe once in a generation, twice in a lifetime. Unlike his immediate predecessors, Roosevelt stepped in with his own vision for the nation. He introduced conservation as a duty of the federal government, expanded the role of the government in regulating interstate commerce, and made “trust,” “combination,” and “monopoly” dirty words in the American lexicon. Yet Roosevelt did not just spring into being. He began his national service career as Civil Service Commissioner under Benjamin Harrison. Under William McKinley, he served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, but abandoned this position to accept a commission as lieutenant colonel to serve in the Spanish-American War. After his time as a Rough Rider, he became the youngest governor in New York history. Yet Roosevelt had an independent streak that scared the Republican Old Guard. They sought to bury this brash young politico in the vice presidency, where political careers went to die. They actually did him a favor. He learned his lessons well serving under McKinley, upon whose death he inherited an impressive cabinet, including Secretary of War Elihu Root, Lincoln protege John Hay, and Attorney General Philander Knox. Roosevelt was, in fact, an imperialist. Many criticized his maneuvering in winning the right to build the Panama Canal, yet much of the blame for the Panamanian revolution actually lies at the feet of the Colombian government. The isthmus province longed for the canal linking Atlantic and Pacific, yet found itself stymied by the Bogota government, which kept amending the canal treaty demanding more and more money. However, Roosevelt’s justification for siding with the insurrection in Panama City was flimsy at best. At home, Roosevelt demanded accountability of the nation’s wealthiest few. He believed capitalism did not allow private entities to restrain trade. This made him unpopular on Wall Street but quite popular on Main Street. But one of the things he might have done is to postpone World War I and the Russian Revolution by a few years. In the case of the former, Roosevelt often found himself sparring with an increasingly unstable Kaiser Wilhelm, who had become more and more enamored with taking foreign nations into receivership, in one case as a means to circumvent the Monroe Doctrine. Roosevelt sparred and parried with the Kaiser, denying him Venezuela and Morocco, mainly by the mere presence of the ever-expanding Navy, one of his proudest achievements. The Czar was able to continue on his throne a few more years thanks to Roosevelt’s skillful negotiation for a treaty in the Russo-Japanese War. Though Roosevelt admired the Japanese, he also knew the Czar needed to save face after the loss of his navy and of Port Arthur in Manchuria. Roosevelt found a way for the Czar to save face while the Japanese declared victory. The effort won him a Nobel Peace Prize. In the end, Roosevelt left his country much changed. It would have changed with or without him as technology progressed at an alarming rate. Roosevelt opted to join in that change, expanding the government and forcing labor and big business to work together less contentiously. And his fingerprints are all over the office. Since FDR, Roosevelt’s fifth cousin, presidents have pointed at Theodore Roosevelt as their role model. Sometimes, emulating him hasn’t worked. Nixon, for instance, patterned his decisiveness after Roosevelt, yet it brought down his presidency. In the end, Roosevelt was probably the first president to approach Lincoln’s greatness. He is consistently ranked in the top ten presidents by history, and very often he is in the top five. Looking more recently, if you took Obama’s intelligence, Bush’s decisiveness, and Clinton’s insatiable appetite for knowledge, you would have Theodore Roosevelt. But like a Lincoln, an FDR, a Kennedy, or a Reagan, you only see such a president once or twice in a lifetime. And every time, the result is impossible to duplicate. Such a president today would scare the hell out of modern political pundits.
The United States has a complex national highway system that is roughly 160,000 miles long. For foreign visitors wishing to drive around, it is helpful to understand how the roads are named and numbered. You never know when this knowledge will come in handy. All major freeways that span across several states have one or two-digit numbers. Odd number means the freeway runs north-south, while even numbered freeways travel east and west. For example, interstate 5 (I-5) goes all the way from the Southern border in San Diego to the Northern border in Blaine, WA. I-10, on the other hand, connects the West Coast of San Diego and the East Coast of Jacksonville, FL. Odd freeway numbers start from the West Coast, and increase toward east. I-5 is the first major north/South freeway, and it sits right by the Pacific Ocean. The next one is I-15, then I-25, and all the way to I-95 which is located along the East Coast. Even freeway numbers start from south, and increase toward north. I-10 is the first interstate along the Southern border. Above I-10 is I-20, then I-30, and up until I-90. Three-digit highways connect to other major interstates. For example, 405 is a highway that is connected to I-5, while 215 is off I-15. If the first digit is an odd number, the highway is likely to have only one end connected to a major highway. For example, 710 is a "spur" route that leaves I-10 and goes into the city of Long Beach. If the first digit is an even number, the highway is usually connected to a major interstate at both ends. 405 splits from I-5 at one end (Lake Forest), but rejoins I-5 at the other end just north of Los Angeles. So they are often referred to as loops or "beltways." Other than the Interstate Highway System mentioned above, there is also a grid of U.S. highways, more often referred to as U.S. routes. Major U.S. routes are two-digit numbers. North-south routes are odd-numbered, and east-west even-numbered. However, what is different from the Interstate Highway System is that lowest odd numbers are in the east and highest numbers in the west. Similarly, the lowest even numbers are in the north and increase toward the south. For example, U.S. Route 1 runs north-south on the east coast, while Route 101 is located in California. Note that 101 is actually considered a two-digit highway. Three-digit U.S. routes are "spur" highways, but unlike the interstate system, they may or may not have direct connection to their parent routes. In general, U.S. routes are older roads and have largely been replaced by the newer and more functional Interstate Highway System. However, the grid of U.S. routes is still a major part of the country's transportation network, used by many local residents or as scenic drives. You may have noticed those mile markers along interstates. They can help you estimate how far you have traveled into a state and how far away you are from your destination. Mile markers always start at the state line in the south (for north-south highways), or in the west (for east-west highways). So if you enter Oregon from California, you will see mile 1 soon after you cross the state line, and then see increasing numbers as you travel north.
Lyme disease is a chronic and untreatable condition that is spread through ticks and other parasites. Named after the town in Connecticut in which it was first documented, this disease is reason enough to double check that you don't have any ticks, fleas or other outdoor parasites after making a trip through the forest. Lyme disease is manageable through a variety of different medicines and procedures, but the condition itself is permanent. Unfortunately for the purposes of using it as a symptom, weight gain and weight loss are both common affects of Lyme disease. Much more common, however, is chronic and steady weight gain. Although it is not clear exactly how the disease affects these changes in your body, doctors have a general idea about the causes of weight fluctuation as a result of Lyme disease. Lyme Disease and Weight Gain More often than not, if Lyme disease contributes to any change whatsoever in weight, it will likely lead to a period of weight gain. Generally speaking, this occurs because the Lyme disease pathogens affect the metabolic systems in your body. As the speed of your metabolism changes, it typically takes longer and longer to process the food that you eat. This means that excess food is stored by default as fat content throughout the rest of your body. If you fail to adjust your diet accordingly, as many people do, the Lyme disease changes to your metabolism will cause your weight levels to rise. Lyme Disease and Weight Loss Lyme disease can also lead to weight loss in some patients. It is believed that the cause of this weight loss is generally the same as the cause of the weight gain in that it is affected by a shift in metabolism. However, the total cause of the change and why it is in different polarities for certain people is not yet fully understood. Most often, Lyme disease will contribute to a more minor loss of weight than it will contribute to an increase in total weight. Lyme disease is a manageable disease, but it's important that you know how to properly adjust your metabolism and the foods that you eat accordingly. After your diagnosis, work with your doctor to examine how your weight has changed and what you can do to stabilize yourself at a healthy weight. This may involve certain dietary changes, including incorporating specific foods that help to either speed up or slow down your metabolism. It may also involve adding to or eliminating from the total calories that you generally ingest as a natural course for your meals. Through careful planning of this type and steady maintenance of a preplanned and well thought out diet structure, you can beat the metabolic changes that may come about in your body as a result of Lyme disease and maintain a healthy weight and a normal lifestyle. Ask your doctor for more information.
Armed with modern, sophisticated oil patch technology, it’s not at all unusual to see operators re-entering fields either long abandoned, ignored or on their last producing legs, so to speak. These folks begin drilling new wells from the get-go and/or revving up production using existing boreholes – most commonly via new gee-whiz technology applications either in known producing horizons or zones not yet identified as producers. Think unconventional, in some instances. The good times begin rolling once again in areas only recently considered to be essentially dried up and near death. One of the best-known examples of this kind of near-magical turnaround is the giant old Permian Basin in Texas. The longtime red-hot producing basin lost its luster for some time, never quite recovering from the disastrous crude oil price plunge in the 1980s. Today, the multi-field basin is rife with new activity, including both conventional and unconventional plays (RELATED STORY) . But far away from this region – and less familiar overall – the Cook Inlet, which extends about 180 miles from Anchorage to the Gulf of Alaska on Alaska’s southern coast, is a whole different environment currently attracting renewed attention. The general water depth in the offshore portion of the Cook Inlet area ranges from 20 feet to as much as 300 feet. Considered to be the birthplace of Alaska’s modern-day hydrocarbon exploration industry, the Cook Inlet initially became a big deal when the state’s first commercial oil discovery occurred there in 1957. About 23 gas fields and six oil fields have been discovered since 1957. Nearly all of the petroleum production has been obtained from conventional sandstone and conglomerate reservoirs of Tertiary age in structural traps on anticlines and faulted anticlines, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. After a number of years, Cook Inlet production began declining, along with the operators’ interest. This was understandable given that the North Slope, home to the giant Prudhoe Bay oil field, discovered in 1968, was beckoning. The oil finders and their money quickly headed north with the goal to latch on to some of the giant reserves in this largest oil field in the nation. But nothing lasts forever – and the Cook Inlet basin today is becoming a new old hot spot. Referring to Cook Inlet, Joe Balash, deputy commissioner of Alaska’s Natural Resources division, noted “we’re sitting on what, by any other measure, is a world-class basin.” Small Players in a Big Place In a new assessment of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources in the Cook Inlet region of south-central Alaska, the USGS estimates that mean undiscovered volumes of nearly 600 million barrels of oil, about 19 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 46 million barrels of natural gas liquids await discovery in this area. The agency used a geology-based assessment methodology. The natural gas estimate is roughly nine times as much as the agency’s last assessment done in 1995, and includes unconventional natural gas, which was not a part of the earlier study. This has great significance for the more highly populated southern part of Alaska. The region has morphed from its gas-rich supply status when the exodus to the North Slope occurred, to being dramatically gas short, according to Curtis Burton, CEO at Buccaneer Resources, which trades on the Australian Stock Exchange and has a U.S. base with activity/production in disparate regions of the country, including Alaska. “Today, utilities in lower Alaska are warning of brownouts by 2012 because of an inadequate gas supply,” Burton emphasized. Combine this situation with the USGS numbers and significant tax incentives from the state, and it’s no surprise that operators are scrambling to get back to the Cook Inlet. In fact, in 2007, then-governor Sarah Palin authored legislation to up the tax on North Slope production to create an incentive for operators to return to the Cook Inlet, according to Burton. An added appeal here is that producers reportedly can sell the natural gas at a premium compared to that in the “Lower 48,” where the price of the commodity has essentially been on life support for some time, struggling to cling to $4/Mcf or thereabouts. Buccaneer’s modus operandi is to look for hydrocarbons where the majors have departed, on the premise that there are prizes remaining in these areas that can turn small independents into large ones, if done right. For example, they never go into a basin without regional expertise from the people there. “What’s not a meal for an 800 pound gorilla is a pretty tasty feast for companies like us,” Burton noted. Buccaneer is completing its second onshore well in Alaska and has completed permitting two well sites offshore in the Cook Inlet. Four onshore wells reportedly were drilled along the Inlet’s banks in the past year. There are challenges in the offshore environment of the Inlet, but they are surmountable. “There are high currents – up to five or six knots – and significant tides,” Burton said. “From late November to April, you can have ice floes from broken sheet ice in the northern part of the Inlet, but it’s a manageable process.” Burton emphasized the big reason for no drillbit action in the offshore here since 1993 can be attributed to the lack of a jackup rig that could move around in the Inlet and drill the wells. This entails major money, and it makes a big difference when the Big Guns offer their help. The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority has stepped up to the plate to lend Buccaneer and rig-operator cohort Ezion Holdings Ltd. between 24 and 30 million dollars to purchase a rig and bring it to Alaska. The plan is to have the rig in place by next April for the new drilling season. “It’s an exciting basin to be in,” Burton exclaimed. “There’s been so much change in technology and capabilities since 1993.” The region also has caught the eye of large independent Apache Corp., which has an established reputation for going into older near-worn-out fields worldwide and bringing them soaring back to life, principally via applying technology not used there earlier. The company currently holds about 800,000 acres in the Cook Inlet region, which makes it the basin’s largest leaseholder. During an August conference call, Apache CEO Steven Farris said, “It’s an exploration play, but the guys have wowed me enough for me to believe it’s a real opportunity.” Considering the patchy yet successful drilling history – in combo with the USGS numbers – the opinion of many geologists that the region hasn’t been adequately explored carries considerable weight. “Our interest in Cook Inlet stems from the fact that several large fields have been discovered, but very few wells have been drilled that test all of the horizons,” said AAPG member Dave Allard, new ventures exploration manager for North America and Caribbean at Apache. The company is said to be interested principally in oil – but recognizes the ready local market for natural gas. High quality seismic data is key to exploration in new plays in the Cook Inlet basin, and Apache is on board with that. “We believe this is a play that is just ripe for exploitation utilizing modern seismic technology,” said Apache CEO and AAPG member Rod Eichler during investor day in New York May 17. Nodal Technology’s Impact Apache clearly walks the walk, beginning with a 2-D seismic test survey in Cook Inlet last spring. Apache contracted NES LLC (now SA Exploration, or SAE) to test a variety of seismic recording and source systems to identify the premier equipment and acquisition parameters to best enable future exploration across their area lease holdings. Node recording equipment was employed, as well as traditional cable digital telemetry seismic technology. The node technology recording equipment used in the test project included FairfieldNodal’s ZLand and Z700 cable-free systems. The Z700 marine system is designed for use in water depths as much as 700 meters. Owing to restrictive state and federal permits, the test occurred within a condensed time frame from mid-March to early April. Unpredictable ice and ground conditions placed added demands on the equipment, according to Keith Matthews, sales director of systems division at FairfieldNodal. For the limited test, the company supplied 725 ZLand nodes and 200 Z700 nodes, including support and operations personnel. The Z700 deployment/retrieval system was installed on a local vessel. “Operationally, our components and support performed nearly flawlessly, which is a tribute to the suitability of these two node systems for work in harsh environments,” Matthews said. “In this case, it was one of the world’s most challenging regions for seismic operations. “For instance, the temperature was -29 degrees centigrade, with seven-knot tidal currents and a 24-foot tidal range,” he noted. When all was said and done, the totally cable-free, self-contained nodes proved to be the system of choice for the multi-year 3-D seismic program Apache plans to implement in the difficult Cook Inlet once it completes acquiring all of the necessary federal permits. The planned acquisition includes marine, transition zone and land environments. Marine offshore operations reportedly will occur from April to November, with transition zone activities spanning September to December and March to May, depending on sea ice. Onshore activity generally will take place from September to April. “To have Apache specify our nodes for such a difficult and important project shows how confident they are that our cable-free systems are up to the task,” said AAPG member Gary Bartlett, regional sales manager for FairfieldNodal in North America. The lightweight, flexible, easy-to-deploy autonomous nodes with their minimal footprint record continuously and are a high profile example of how new innovative technology is spurring new exploration. For the 3-D program, FairfieldNodal sold $30 million worth of node seismic equipment to SAE on behalf of Apache Corp. “This thirty million dollar purchase of recording nodes marks the first time both offshore and onshore versions of the equipment will be used in combination,” said Steve Mitchell, vice-president of the systems division at FairfieldNodal.
Fact Sheet: Meet the Family Presenter: Angus Stewart, 26/04/2014 SERIES 25 Episode 06 Angus meets an expert to talk about in one of the best-known plant families Paul Nicholson is a senior horticulturalist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney and is an expert on the Solanaceae - sometimes known as the potato family. Its members range from the humble tomato to the stunningly beautiful Angel's Trumpet. "The Solanaceae family contains some of the world's most important food plants," says Paul. "It also contains many wonderful ornamentals, but many plants in this family are poisonous and one in particular has killed more people than any other plant on earth - Nicotiana tabacum or tobacco and it's obviously the basis of cigarettes which have been responsible for so many deaths in modern society." "Some of the world's most important food plants are in the Solanaceae - like tomatoes, potatoes, the capsicums and the chillies, that all came from South America to Europe in the 16th Century and didn't get a very good reception when they first arrived," says Paul. "But gradually they became just an integral part of the European diet." "The cuisine must have been a bit dull without them, really!" says Angus. "I think so," says Paul, "because even if you think about the eggplant, that didn't arrive in Europe until the Middle Ages and that probably came from India, through Africa." Paul shows Angus some of his favourites. "We've got some Chillies (Capsicum chinense 'Scotch Bonnet') and we've got the tree tomato or Tamarillo (Solanum betaceum) - it fruits in winter time. We've also got some Hungarian Capsicums (Capsicum annuum 'Hungarian')." He shows Angus the flowers - one of the defining characteristics of the Solanaceae family. "They've got five-petalled flowers, with the petals fused at the base. There are Solanaceae plants that don't quite follow the rule, but that is what you mostly see in what is a very big family of plants. There are 90 genera, over 2700 species and it's a cosmopolitan family because it's on every continent except Antarctica," says Paul. "If the family is so widespread, that would suggest they evolved fairly early in the piece in the history of flowering plants?" asks Angus. "Yeah, that's right," says Paul. "They're one of the early flowering plant families and their centre of diversity's really on the equator. They would have survived the Ice Ages and then been able to spread to continents all around the world. We've got one over here (Ground Cherry or Chinese Lantern, Physalis alkekengi) that's adapted to growing in the cooler parts of the northern hemisphere - as far North as Japan." "In Australian terms, I know we have probably about 20 different genera," says Angus. "This is probably one of the more common ones - the Kangaroo Apple (Solanum aviculare)." "Yeah, you see it a lot in disturbed sites, wasteland areas, road verges. It's a very vigorous, fast-growing shrub that was an important food source for Aboriginal people," Paul says. "Over here we have another species - a tree called Corkwood or Duboisia myoporoides and this was also used by Aboriginal people. Some of the alkaloids in the leaves and also the fruit were used to stun fish. During the Second World War, there was a lot of interest in this plant for its other properties - particularly for a chemical compound hyoscine - which was useful for a range of treatments and disorders." Other chemicals have been important in the Solanaceae as well. The Brugmansia or Angel's Trumpet is one of the more distinctive members of the family. Paul shows off some of the most successful ornamentals. "We've got this variety 'Frosty Pink'; a variegated form, 'Maya'; and a double-flowered form 'Knightii'. You can pick the difference between the Brugmansia and the Daturas because the Daturas have a much more erect flower." Among the other ornamental members of the family some of the most popular are Brunfelsia or Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow; the small trees and shrubs of Iochroma; small annuals like Browallia; and one of the world's favourite bedding plants, the humble petunia. The tubular flowers shared by most of these ornamentals usually indicate a specific form of pollination. "A lot of the Solanaceae plants - particularly the garden plants - come originally from the mountains of South America. Some of those were pollinated by hummingbirds," explains Paul. As well as the ornamental forms, there are quite a few species that have become weedy. "Solanaceaes are a very successful plant family - particularly amongst the Blackberry Nightshades (Solanum nigrum)", says Paul. "A lot of those are weedy in Sydney in particular, so you need to be careful about having them in your garden and preferably, we'd like you to pull them out." "So much food, ornamental beauty and so many pharmaceuticals coming from just one family of plants! The world would be a poorer place indeed without the Solanaceae," ends Angus. Information contained in this fact sheet is a summary of material included in the program. If further information is required, please contact your local nursery or garden centre. Copyright Restrictions: This fact sheet is for private and domestic information purposes only. It may not be copied, reproduced, sold or used for any other purpose without the express permission of the ABC.
Spring has arrived and with a variety of landscape plantings all waking up to a new growing season, insects and diseases need to be monitored and dealt with when appropriate. Lace bugs are a problem on azaleas each year in Louisiana and these little pests are now beginning to emerge. Lace bugs cause the upper surface of the foliage to appear stripped and gray in color and once damaged the leaves will appear this way all season. To examine plants for lace bugs, knock the azalea leaves against a white sheet of paper. If present, they will fall onto the paper and can be easily seen. The insecticides acephate, Malathion, Bayer Advanced Garden with imidaclorpid, summer horticulture oil and spinosad are all effective materials for managing this pest. Fire ants are already becoming a problem with worker ants building mounds high above ground due to the saturated soil. As there is an arsenal of fire ant treatments, many of the fire ant baits work great and provide a very good control. It is a good practice to broadcast baits across your lawn each March and September. Entomosporium leaf spot is a common disease problem on Indian hawthorn and red tip photinia. Initial symptoms include the appearance of circular, reddish to purple spots on the new foliage that quickly develop light-gray to dark-gray centers. Defoliation of severely diseased leaves often follows. Pruning to allow more air circulation, spraying with copper fungicides, keeping leaf litter picked up in beds and selecting resistant varieties are keys to managing this disease. One of the best defenses against pest problems is keeping your plants in tip-top condition by providing good cultural practices. This includes proper plant spacing and planting in the right location with the proper soil, drainage, water, light and nutrients. An excellent way to avoid insect and disease problems is through plant selection. Choose plants that are well adapted to our climate – especially selections that have been bred and chosen for insect and disease resistance and as well, those plants that are simply not prone to major problems. If you have a plant or plants that constantly seem to have something attacking them despite your best efforts, then consider removing them and replacing with plants you have found to require less care. Rene’ Schmit is the LSU AgCenter County Agent for St. Charles Parish and can be reached at 985-785-4473.
Adverbs of Frequency! Learn what are adverbs of frequency, types of these adverbs and how to use them in English sentences with interesting examples and free ESL picture. Adverbs of Frequency Definition These Adverbs are used to show the duration or timing of the action that is happening/had happened/will happen. They also tell us how often and how long these actions would be. There are two types: An adverb that describes definite frequency is one such as weekly/every week, daily/every day, or yearly/every year, etc. An adverb describing indefinite frequency doesn’t specify an exact time frame; examples are always, usually, sometimes, often, etc. Types of Adverbs of Frequency Adverbs of Definite Frequency Adverbs of definite frequency occur at the beginning or the end of a sentence. Let’s look at the following examples: - He likes to watch TV every day. Here, the Adverb is every day and it is telling about the amount of time spent in doing the Verb, which is watch. The question in this sentence is: How often does he watch TV? - They meet every week. The Adverb here is every week and it is telling the frequency and the Verb is meet. The sentence is telling us: How often do they meet? - The library is open every day. - Every day, some employees go out for lunch. - He visits his grandpapa every two weeks. - The moon waxes and wanes every month. - This medicine is to be taken hourly. Adverbs of Indefinite Frequency Adverbs of indefinite frequency occur in the middle of the sentence. Where exactly it is placed depends on the type of verbs in the sentence. 1. Subject + adverb + main verb - I often see her in the garden. - I rarely have time to read a magazine. 2. Subject + Auxiliary verb/ Helping verb + adverb + main verb - I have never seen her before. - We might never see each other again. 3. Subject + to be + adverb - I am seldom late for work. - Tom is never been able to admit to his mistakes. Here is the list of adverbs of frequency with example sentences: \|100%\|\|Always\|\|It’s always cold in this room.\| \|90%\|\|Usually\|\|I usually get home about 6 o’clock.\| \|80%\|\|Normally/Generally\|\|She doesn’t normally arrive until ten.\| \|70%\|\|Often/Frequently\|\|I don’t often drink beer.\| \|50%\|\|Sometimes\|\|I sometimes think I’m going mad.\| \|30%\|\|Occasionally\|\|I see him occasionally in town.\| \|10%\|\|Seldom\|\|I seldom read the newspaper.\| \|5%\|\|Hardly ever/Rarely\|\|We hardly ever go to concerts.\| \|0%\|\|Never\|\|We’ve never been to New York.\| Adverbs of Frequency \| Infographic
Filed under: small news UPDATED AUGUST 18TH 2014 There over 600 prison camps in the United States, all fully operational and ready to receive prisoners. They are all staffed and even surrounded by full-time guards, but they are all empty. These camps are to be operated by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) should Martial Law need to be implemented in the United States. U.S. CONCENTRATION CAMPS: FEMA AND THE REX 84 PROGRAM In a revealing admission the Director of Resource Management for the U.S. Army confirmed the validity of a memorandum relating to the establishment of a civilian inmate labor program under development by the Department of the Army. The document states, “Enclosed for your review and comment is the draft Army regulation on civilian inmate labor utilization” and the procedure to “establish civilian prison camps on installations.” Cherith Chronicle, June 1997. CIVILIAN INTERNMENT CAMPS UP FOR REVIEW The word “Holocaust.” People use it quite freely, about as freely as other words such as, “corner store,” or “airplane,”. It no big deal. Unless, of course, you happen to be a “survivor,” then the word is associated with terrible memories of what they experienced. For such people, whenever they say or hear the word “Holocaust,” they feel its meaning: terrible suffering of millions of Jews, and the cruel murder of 6,000,000 from amongst them. No, our hearts do not feel what it really means, for if we did, then we’d be a lot more concerned about the situation today, even paranoid about the direction that history is going — again. It is quite understandable. We weren’t there, And, not only did most of us today not live through the Holocaust, but we didn’t even see World War II. Rather, so many of us were born after the war, after the killing fields were cleaned up and the dead were long ago buried. Many of us are generations away from those who went to war. The concentration camps that were preserved can only betray what occurred within them to a certain degree, leaving “visitors” to use their imagination in order to feel the impact of what the camps mean to history, if they dare. For they represent not just what once happened during a dark time in history, but what has happened, and God forbid, will happen during every dark period of history. But does this have to do with us, it cant happen again, can it. ?Well maybe it wont only be Jews only this time who knows. Once again, there is a lot of “chatter”. When the FBI or the CIA tap phone lines, etc., they listen for “chatter,” that is, a lot of talk about things and events by suspected terrorists that might indicate an upcoming attack, to thwart them, or to at least better prepare themselves for what might be coming. Likewise, it is wise to pay attention to what is being spoken about in the world in terms of Holocaust type events, because, you never know what might be coming. To start with what’s all this talk about Marshal Law. Our biggest concern is another manufactured crisis from the Obama camp and the potential for Martial Law. would give the usurper, Obama, nearly total control, especially when he is losing control over the American public and some in Congress. The following article is from The Progressive, a site that many of those following this blog would normally not agree with on many subjects. However, we can find common ground in this article: “The Pentagon Wants Authority to Post Almost 400,000 Military Personnel in U.S. “The Pentagon has approached Congress to grant the Secretary of Defense the authority to post almost 400,000 military personnel throughout the United States in times of emergency or a major disaster. This request has already occasioned a dispute with the nation’s governors. And it raises the prospect of U.S. military personnel patrolling the streets of the United States, in conflict with the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. In June, the U.S. Northern Command distributed a “Congressional Fact Sheet” entitled “Legislative Proposal for Activation of Federal Reserve Forces for Disasters.” That proposal would amend current law, thereby “authorizing the Secretary of Defense to order any unit or member of the Army Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Navy Reserve, and the Marine Corps Reserve, to active duty for a major disaster or emergency.” Taken together, these reserve units would amount to “more than 379,000 military personnel in thousands of communities across the United States,” explained Paul Stockton, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and America’s Security Affairs, in a letter to the National Governors Association, dated July 20. The governors were not happy about this proposal, since they want to maintain control of their own National Guard forces, as well as military personnel acting in a domestic capacity in their states. “We are concerned that the legislative proposal you discuss in your letter would invite confusion on critical command and control issues,” Governor James H. Douglas of Vermont and Governor Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, the president and vice president of the governors’ association, wrote in a letter back to Stockton on August 7. The governors asserted that they “must have tactical control over all . . . active duty and reserve military forces engaged in domestic operations within the governor’s state or territory.”” “But NorthCom’s Congressional fact sheet refers not just to a “major disaster” but also to “emergencies.” And it says, “Those terms are defined in section 5122 of title 42, U.S. Code.” That section gives the President the sole discretion to designate an event as an “emergency” or a “major disaster.” Both are “in the determination of the President” alone.” According to CNN, the Pentagon is “to establish regional teams of military personnel to assist civilian authorities in the event of a significant outbreak of the H1N1 virus this fall, according to Defense Department officials.” “The proposal is awaiting final approval from Defense Secretary Robert Gates. The officials would not be identified because the proposal from U.S. Northern Command’s Gen. Victor Renuart has not been approved by the secretary. The plan calls for military task forces to work in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. There is no final decision on how the military effort would be manned, but one source said it would likely include personnel from all branches of the military. It has yet to be determined how many troops would be needed and whether they would come from the active duty or the National Guard and Reserve forces. Civilian authorities would lead any relief efforts in the event of a major outbreak, the official said. The military, as they would for a natural disaster or other significant emergency situation, could provide support and fulfill any tasks that civilian authorities could not, such as air transport or testing of large numbers of viral samples from infected patients. As a first step, Gates is being asked to sign a so-called “execution order” that would authorize the military to begin to conduct the detailed planning to execute the proposed plan. Orders to deploy actual forces would be reviewed later, depending on how much of a health threat the flu poses this fall, the officials said.” (CNN, Military planning for possible H1N1 outbreak, July 2009, emphasis added) In House debate on the banker “rescue” bill, Rep. Brad Sherman told his fellow Congress critters the government will declare martial law and the stock market will drop 3,000 points if the bill is not passed. “The panic-mongers were to the point of telling people the market would drop 3,000 points and there would be martial law,” said Sherman. Sherman’s comment was not in the same context as a comment issued by Rep. Michael Burgess earlier in the week. Burgess, who appeared on the Alex Jones Show, said Pelosi threatened to invoke House rule XIII(6)(a), described as “martial law,” intended to suspend normal procedures and safeguards and thus allowing the House leadership to operate in a more authoritarian fashion. Sherman, however, said martial law would be declared on Wall Street, not in the House. Rep. Sherman said the “exaggerated fear-mongering turned out not to be true” and the House “can draft a good bill,” regardless of the pressure put on representatives to pass the banker bailout bill. Army Times reported last month, a battle-hardened “homeland” brigade is now “going domestic” after spending time in Iraq. It appears this illegal deployment (under Posse Comitatus) is designed to respond to “public disorder” as the economy is deliberately and cynically dismantled at the behest of our rulers who are now investing in the Treasury and the executive, with the complicity of Congress, dictatorial powers heretofore unheard of in America. Thats a lot of “chatter”………………………………………………….. “There’s a real question at stake now. Is President Obama creating a civil war in our own country?” Mr. Voight tells Inside the Beltway. We are witnessing a slow, steady takeover of our true freedoms. We are becoming a socialist nation, and whoever can’t see this is probably hoping it isn’t true. If we permit Mr. Obama to take over all our industries, if we permit him to raise our taxes to support unconstitutional causes, then we will be in default. This great America will become a paralyzed nation. The real truth is that the Obama administration is professional at bullying, as we have witnessed with ACORN at work during the presidential campaign. It seems to me they are sending down their bullies to create fist fights among average American citizens who don’t want a government-run health care plan forced upon them and what about all the talk about, the Fema trains and Coffins 3) over millions of Fema coffins for us citizens after they kill us at the camps 4) foreign soldiers are in the US 5) gigantic ovens at these camps 6) barbed wire fences are pointing inward to keep people in 7) a brigade of soldiers were pulled out of the war and are walking around in civilian suburban areas. 8) the whole world will become ONE government 9) if the economy crashes, the so called amero will be used as money just as we use dollar bills to this day. 10) US, Canada, and Mexico will merge in to the NAU ( NORTH AMERICAN UNION) i was able to get a hold of this one guy on youtube that posted a video regarding the fema trains. this is what he said: “Mark, I think thats your name. I respect you. Your comment was a first for my video for the FEMA paranoia. You admitted to it, and didn’t claim to be a know-it-all. Im not trying to start a war with those who are paranoid over this FEMA thing, it all started out because I was tired of the Auto-Max auto carrier being called a FEMA car, just because it is painted white. Didn’t think that people would get so offended over it! I have a love for trains, as you could probably tell, and alot of these things that places FEMA with the railroads are not true. Like the facility in Beach Grove,IND. Its the main shop for Amtrak, Nothing sinister about that. The Facility is a former New York Central (Later Penn Central, then Conrail then sold to Amtrak in 1979) and has been repairing Rolling Stock and locomotives there for sometime. That video that you saw of the Beach Grove with the US Army GE 44-tonner? That unit was just there for some wheel work, and was on the Interchange track getting ready to go back to its home base in Kentucky. This whole talk of FEMA death trains I find funny, because 99.9% of those paranoid by FEMA dont have an understanding of the railroads or their operations. Im not trying to sound like an *** or anything, but I honestly think the those who are overly paranoid dont get it. I have not seen any real proof except videos of empty warehouses, Amtrak Facilities, Railroad Signals and Railroad Crossing Signals (wtf! Why would a Railroad Crossing device with Gates be be called a “FEMA Satellite with Human counter?”) and even the Edward Jones Dome in Downtown St. Louis, where the St. Louis Rams NFL team plays. Again, Being a railroad buff for 22 of my 24 years and a Railroad employee for 6 months on a Shortline in the East St. Louis area, I can tell you for a fact, that FEMA has no part in the railroad industry. This Martial Law? Its a Hoax. Everything will shut down causing unrest in the world. People think they KNOW everything, I found alot of videos on youtube regarding coffins. and i came a cross this one comment saying that it is just as storage containers. and i found alot of stuff about this on google. from my point of view i think that this hasn’t been shown by the media because it would cause chaos causing riots which leads to martial law. some people say that these camps are for illegal immigrants, criminals, and the homeless, Jews or conservatives. So there is a lot of “Chatter” Now that Holocaust is a “household word” could it ……………………………. It has already begun watch this video Leave a Comment so far Leave a comment
Epidemiology is ‘the study of the occurrence, distribution and control of disease in populations. The risk of infection is not just dependent upon an individual’s susceptibility but on the level of disease within the population, the degree of population mixing and herd immunity, as well as specific features such as the communicable period, route and ease (infectiousness) of transmission. Route of transmission For an infectious agent to persist within a population there must be a cycle of transmission from a contaminated source, through a portal of entry, into a susceptible host and on again. • Direct transmission, the most common and important route, involves all forms of physical contact between humans, including sexual transmission, faecal-oral spread, and direct respiratory spread via large droplets. • Vector-borne transmission is mediated by arthropods or insects; it is mechanical if the vector is simply a source of contamination, but biological if it is necessary for the multiplication or maturation of the infectious agent. • Vehicle-borne transmission describes the spread from all contaminated inanimate objects. Vehicles include clothing, food, water, surgical instruments and also biological substances such as blood and tissues. • Airborne transmission is mediated by aerosols suspended in the air for long periods. • A zoonosis is any infection spread from a vertebrate animal to a human. Disease in the population Prevalence is ‘the number of cases of infection per unit of population at a single point in time’. Incidence refers to ‘the number of new cases of infection per unit of population over a specified period of time’. For acute infections, lasting only a few days or possibly weeks, the incidence may be very high but the prevalence relatively low. However, for chronic infections, lasting months or years, the prevalence may be relatively high even though the incidence is low. Infections like urinary tract infections occur at roughly steady levels throughout the year, although others may vary – for example the rise in respiratory tract infections during the winter. The periodicity of some infections is measured over a much longer scale, for example the roughly 4-yearly cycle in mycoplasma pneumonias. Infections that have a stable incidence within the population are described as endemic (or hyperendemic if the incidence is extremely high). Cases are frequently unconnected and are therefore referred to as sporadic. A number of terms are used to describe situations in which the number of infections is greater than that which might be anticipated from previous experience: • A cluster of cases in a single household or over a small area is described as an outbreak. It may relate to exposure to a local source, and suitable detective work and control procedures may prevent further transmission. • An increase in cases over a larger region, perhaps an entire country, is described as an epidemic. This is less likely to be due to a single source, and more extensive measures will be required to control the spread. • If the increase occurs over a larger area still, for example several countries, it is described as a pandemic. The burden of infectious diseases varies enormously throughout the world , dependent upon factors such as environmental conditions, wealth and nutritional status, local human behaviour and the efficiency of health care. Health service managers clearly need this information to plan for the future; however, it is vital that every clinician be aware of regional patterns of disease for the effective diagnosis, treatment and control of infection within their own practice of medicine. For serious communicable diseases in the UK, surveillance is achieved through a legal requirement for medical practitioners to inform the local ‘consultant in communicable disease control’ (or the ‘consultant in public health medicine’ in Scotland) of all cases of notifiable disease . For less serious infections, individual general practices or hospital units may volunteer to report their cases of infection through government or professional association programmes.
It’s been an unusually cold winter here in the upper left-hand corner of the USA, so it’s pleasant to recall the warm days of June 2016. That month, the plant news topics ranged from ancient plants to new, exciting uses for plant biotechnology. But as plant breeding technology becomes more complicated, farmers and scientists want specific data. They want to know exactly how tall the plants are, or exactly how green the leaves are In a large test field, getting exact numbers means hours or even days of labor for a plant breeder.“ “The fight against polio has been one of the great success stories of modern medicine, with the disease already eliminated in much of the world. However, current immunisation programmes use attenuated ‘live’ or ‘killed’ virus vaccines, both of which carry a risk of live virus escaping back into the wild.“ “Tobacco, the plant responsible for the most preventable deaths worldwide, may soon become the primary weapon against one of the world’s deadliest diseases. Researchers have engineered tobacco plants to produce the chemical precursor to artemisinin, the best antimalarial drug on the market.” We’re half way through the “greatest hits” of plant research news of 2016, and July produced one of the most surprising plant news stories of the year. Be seeing you…. HowPlantsWork © 2008-2017 All Rights Reserved.
When Barack Obama recently gave a speech on the subject of immigration, he spoke not only of the importance of learning English as an essential part for obtaining citizenship in the United States for all newcomers, he also emphasized the benefits of learning other languages in general. In this increasingly globalized world, we all should learn at least one language other than our own, so he argued. Such ideas seem only logical for someone of his international ancestry and upbringing. For most Americans, they are not. Ours is a big country that stretches over a vast continent. We have no interior borders and there are arguably no real cultural differences within our society. The fact that we speak a common language is considered by many a central component for the unity of our nation. By contrast, people in most other parts of the world are used to living in much more culturally diverse environments. All that may change over time. I remember traveling to Europe as a young woman, not too long after World War II. I was astounded by the degree of normalcy that had seemingly returned to a continent that was once torn to pieces by century-old hostilities between neighboring nations. I took a bicycle tour around beautiful Lake Constance whose shores are shared by no less than four countries. Even back then, people crossed borders to go to work or shop and were able to switch languages almost effortlessly. In today’s united Europe, it is not uncommon for people to converse in two or three languages at a time. With diminishing language barriers come new business and job opportunities resulting in international exchanges at levels that were unimaginable only a short while ago. Few would dispute that today’s Europe is a better place than it once was, despite the difficulties that may persist among its member-states to forge a truly integrated society. Besides social and economical benefits, learning different languages apparently has other positive “side effects” as well. In a newly conducted study called “Health and Retirement” by the University of Michigan Medical School based on a national survey of older Americans, the researchers concluded that the rate of “cognitive impairment,” such as memory loss and thinking problems, is significantly lower among the higher educated compared to the general population. Although, the reasons for this discrepancy in cognitive ability have not all been determined yet, there is evidence that not only a solid formal education early in life makes a difference but also a lifetime of continued learning. Other studies to the subject have pointed out that enhanced intellectual stimulation – such as studying, travel or learning of foreign languages – can be particularly useful for delaying age-related mental decline. In other words, the “use-it-or-lose-it” rule is very much a part of keeping a healthy mind. None of this should come as a surprise. Learning in general, but especially learning languages where one is forced to commit vast vocabularies and grammatical rules to memory, keeps the mind active like little else. If you have the privilege to spend extended periods of time in a foreign country, you can reap even more benefits from your efforts, because you are not only able to express yourself in new ways, but you can also listen to voices you’ve never heard before. The impact on your own world views can be enormous. You probably won’t be the same person you were before. It was the great Mark Twain who once said: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness – and many of us need it sorely on these accounts.” Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, available in bookstores, at http://www.timigustafson.com and at Amazon.com. You can also follow Timi on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TimiGustafsonRD
The myth of racial discrimination in pay in the United States The analyses of the General Social Survey data from 1974 to 2000 replicate earlier findings from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth that racial disparity in earnings disappears once cognitive ability is controlled for. The results are robust across many alternative specifications, and further show that blacks receive significantly greater returns to their cognitive ability than nonblacks. The trend data show that there was no sign of racial discrimination in the United States as early as 1970s. The analyses call into question the necessity of and justification for preferential treatment of ethnic minorities. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Volume (Year): 26 (2005) Issue (Month): 5 () \|Contact details of provider:\|\| Web page: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/7976 \| When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:mgtdec:v:26:y:2005:i:5:p:285-294. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc. For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: (Wiley-Blackwell Digital Licensing)or (Christopher F. Baum) If references are entirely missing, you can add them using this form.
Mentally sick persons are often discriminated against and prejudiced. This attitude towards them is mainly as a result of the society beliefs and attitudes towards the disease and also the symptoms. The stigma that these people face are a major barrier to their ability to seek help. They sometimes feel that they cannot be listened to or that people will run away from them. The society also fails to recognize the condition as a disease and hence does not accord them the necessary support (Knifton, 2012). Background of the Problem Stigma associated with mental illness is present in all societies, in the world. The source of this stigma has been identified by researchers as knowledge deficiency which is replaced by traditional beliefs and attitudes (Evans-Lacko et al., 2012); (Bemak, 2013). Many researchers identify stigma as having negative beliefs and attitudes towards a person or a situation and directly showing them. Stigmatization negatively affects social relations and socialization. Mental health patients are mainly stigmatized due to the accompanying behavioral change, especially as a result of cognitive and thoughts impairment characterizing their conditions (Covarrubias & Han, 2011). The people living around them often set themselves aside and do not want to be associated with the patients. It is in this situation that the society labels them “mad” or “crazy.” Whenever these words are used in any community, most people are not empathetic on the patient being referred. Some societies, even reverts to victim blaming, counting the patients responsible for their problems (Moses, 2010). When segregated and discriminated, the mental health patients lose the important contact with people who could help (Bathje & Pryor, 2011). Some, in their impaired cognitive status, cannot make for themselves the important decisions such as seeking medical attention for the disease and also for any other health issue. Lack of support thus impairs their health seeking behavior. Therefore, when a mental health patient has been segregated from the rest of the community, their mental and general health condition is impaired, they become vulnerable to many infective and lifestyle diseases as well as other dangers to personal and community health. It is for this reason that the problem requires serious attention (O’Mahony & Donnelly, 2007). The attention so described is to come from the society leaders, the healthcare providers, the sociologists and anthropologists. The leaders in the society should plan and educate the society on the issue of mental health (Rae Olmsted et al., 2011). These activities should involve all the other stakeholders to ensure that the community is guided to abandon retrogressive beliefs and attitudes that create the stigma. This society focused approach towards the issue of stigma is important because it helps to alleviate the problem from its source (Kobau, Diiorio, Chapman, & Delvecchio, 2010). The purpose of the approach is not so much to condemn negative attitude, but rather to fill the knowledge gap which leads to the development of these attitudes among the members of the society. When this is done, stigma will reduce and the health seeking behavior of the patients will be improved (Pescosolido, Medina, Martin, & Long, 2013). A PICOT question for this study could be; for patients with mental health problems, comprehensive society, education and involvement is more effective than confinement in psychiatric wards in enhancing their health seeking behavior. The rationale of this study is, therefore, to identify the effects of social stigma on the health seeking behaviors of mental health patients. The research objectives include; - To identify the societal beliefs concerning mental health. - To find out how these beliefs result to the stigmatization of mental health patients. - To assess the health seeking behavior of mental health patients in the society. - To relate the level of stigmatization and the health seeking behavior.
Abdominal pain Microchapters Abdominal pain On the Web American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Abdominal pain Acute abdomen refers to a sudden, severe pain in the abdomen that is less than 24 hours in duration. It is in many cases an emergency condition requiring urgent and specific diagnosis, and the treatment usually involves surgery. Acute abdomen is occasionally used synonymously with peritonitis. This is not incorrect; however, peritonitis is the more specific term, referring to inflammation of the peritoneum. It is diagnosed on physical examination as rebound tenderness, or pain upon removal of pressure rather than application of pressure to the abdomen. Peritonitis may result from several diseases, notably appendicitis and pancreatitis. Ischemic Acute abdomen Vascular disorders are more likely to affect the small bowel than the large bowel. Arterial supply to the intestines is provided by the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries, (SMA and IMA respectively) both of which are direct branches of the aorta. The superior mesenteric artery supplies: The inferior mesenteric artery supplies: Of note, the splenic flexure, or the junction between the transverse and descending colon, is supplied by the most distal portions of both the inferior mesenteric artery and superior mesenteric artery. It is referred to medically as a watershed area, or an area especially vulnerable to ischemia during periods of systemic hypoperfusion, such as in shock (medical). Acute abdomen of the ischemic variety is usually due to: - A thromboembolism from the left side of the heart, such as may be generated during atrial fibrillation, occluding the SMA. - Nonocclusive ischemia, such as that seen in hypotension secondary to heart failure may also contribute, but usually results in a mucosal or mural infarct, as contrasted with the typically transmural infarct seen in thromboembolus of the SMA. - Primary mesenteric vein thromboses may also cause ischemic acute abdomen, usually precipitated by hypercoagulable states such as polycythemia vera. Life Threatening Causes - Acute appendicitis - Acute peptic ulcer and its complications - Acute cholecystitis - Acute pancreatitis - Acute intestinal ischemia - Diabetic ketoacidosis - Acute diverticulitis - Ectopic pregnancy with tubal rupture - Acute peritonitis - Bowel perforation with free air or bowel contents in the abdominal cavity - Acute ureteral colic - Bowel volvulus Causes by Organ System \|Cardiovascular\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Chemical/Poisoning\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Dental\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Dermatologic\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Drug Side Effect\|\|Clomifene\| \|Ear Nose Throat\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Endocrine\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Environmental\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Gastroenterologic\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Genetic\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Hematologic\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Iatrogenic\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Infectious Disease\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Musculoskeletal/Orthopedic\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Neurologic\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Nutritional/Metabolic\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Obstetric/Gynecologic\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Oncologic\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Ophthalmologic\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Overdose/Toxicity\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Psychiatric\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Pulmonary\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Renal/Electrolyte\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Rheumatology/Immunology/Allergy\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Sexual\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Trauma\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Urologic\|\|No underlying causes\| \|Miscellaneous\|\|No underlying causes\| Causes in Alphabetical Order History and Symptoms Patients with an Ischemic type of acute abdomen present with symptoms of: In cases of ischemic acute abdomen, bowel sounds will be absent. In cases of ischemic acute abdomen, laboratory tests reveal: - Neutrophilic leukocytosis, sometimes with a left shift assessed through a complete blood count - Increased serum amylase. A CT scan can provide a differential diagnosis between simple and complex pathologies causing the Acute abdomen. The scan can also provide evidence to the doctor whether surgical intervention is necessary. Other Imaging Findings In cases of ischemic acute abdomen, abdominal radiography will show many air-fluid levels, as well as widespread edema. Acute ischemic abdomen is a surgical emergency. Typically, treatment involves removal of the region of the bowel that has undergone infarction, and subsequent anastomosis of the remaining healthy tissue.
The CES Production FunctionPosted: March 5, 2010 In many fields of economics, a particular class of functions called Constant Elasticity of Substitution (CES) functions are privileged because of their invariant characteristic, namely that the elasticity of substitution between the parameters is constant on their domains (for a definition of elasticity, take a glance at this post). A standard production function, linking the production factors to output is of the form: where Y is the total production, L the quantity of human capital (labour, measured in a unit like man-hours) used and K the quantity of phyisical capital used (measured in a unit like machine-hours). Generally speaking, the production function for production factors is of the form: Where is the quantity of factor i used. The factors generalized CES production function (also called the Armington aggregator) is: With . First and foremost, to study the returns to scale (refer to the link if you are not familiar with a formal definition of returns to scale) of the function, we shall study its homogeneity. In other words, the CES function is homogeneous of degree . Hence: - If , the returns to scale are increasing. - If , the returns to scale are decreasing. - If , the returns to scale are constant. The other parameters are: - Relative weight: The parameter associated with each production factor represents its relative distributional weight, i.e. the significance in the production. - Elasticity of substitution: The elasticity of substitution, as the function indicates, is constant. It is: (see the addendum to this post). What is so interesting about this function is that one can derive special cases from it: - If , we obtain the perfect substitutes production function: . - If , we obtain the Leontief production function, also known as the perfect complements production function: - If , we obtain the Cobb-Douglas production function, also known as the imperfect complements production function: . Proving such assertions is far from trivial and my next blog post will be dedicated to deriving the Cobb-Douglas production function from the CES function.
We searched for different types of bears outside and then counted up the number of bears by using a tally chart. Next, we travelled through the deep cold river and explored our school pond to see what creatures live in there. We created different sounds in water and investigated which objects would float or sink. Then, we travelled through thick oozy mud and explored the different textures of wet and dry mud. The children said it felt 'squidgy', 'squashy', 'hard' and 'crumbly'. We also made fantastic 'mud bomb' artwork, inspired by the work of Jackson Pollock. a hotel for mini beasts using natural and man-made resources. We had lots of fun making bow and arrows using sticks, leaves and wool. We created bark rubbings and looked at the patterns we could see on the bark. built dens and pretended they were narrow gloomy caves. We also We were all very excited to travel on a bus to the new Queens Park Sports Centre to compete in the Early Riders competition. Back in November and December, we carried out our balance bike training in school. We practised moving and controlling our balance bikes. We learnt about how to be safe on our bikes. We also learnt to glide on our bikes and how to come to a stop safely. We had a fantastic morning riding the different balance bikes and trikes and watching the children from other schools compete. We went on a winter welly walk to look for signs of winter. We noted that the leaves had fallen off the trees, some buds were beginning to grow and the ground was hard, crunchy and sparkly when we walked on it. We learnt about the need for warm winter clothing and we experimented with colour mixing and shading whilst painting hats and scarves. We learnt about the arctic and looked at how it was different to where we live. We used books and computers to find out information about polar bears and other arctic animals. The Reception and Nursery children were fantastic performing and singing in our Christmas play 'A wriggly nativity'. The children who had speaking parts were all superstars and were very brave standing up and speaking in front of the huge audience of mummies, daddies and family members. Mary's solo was beautiful and there wasn't a dry eye in the hall - fantastic job Evie! We are very proud of you all. Well done and Merry Christmas! What kind of creature do you think has laid the egg? Our Reception children, had some fantastic ideas... 'It's a blue dragon.' 'A colourful dragon.' ' A big flying creature.' 'A lizard with a long tail.' 'A pterodactyl.' 'A t-rex.' 'A big fat owl.' The police arrived to take notes and report the incident. A representative came from the Museum of Strange objects to take the egg away for investigations...
Dry Eye Syndrome, medically known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca, is a very common eye condition experienced by people of all ages. In its most basic form, Dry Eye Syndrome occurs because the tear glands either do not produce enough moisture for the eye or produce tears of poor quality. This, in turn, leads to decreased levels of moisture and lubrication for the eye. The Importance of Tears Tears are needed to lubricate and protect the surface of the eye. They are like a natural eye wash to cleanse the eye and to allow the eyelids to slide effortlessly over the eye’s surface or cornea. When too few tears are produced there is inadequate lubrication and hydration for the eye. Rapid drainage of the tears from the eye’s surface can also cause problems with Dry Eye. Tears are actually made up of three different components. The outer layer of the tear is oil, which prevents the tears from simply evaporating off of the surface of the eye. The second layer is water, which provides the hydration to the eye’s surface to prevent it from becoming dry or irritated. The inner layer or component of the tear is a very thin mucus layer that ensures that the tears will spread over the entire surface area. If any of these layers are out of balance and not corrected then the poor quality of tears will lead to difficulties with vision over time. Dry Eye Syndrome is most often caused when the water layer of the tears is insufficient. Common Traits of Dry Eye Syndrom Dry Eye Syndrome is frequently diagnosed in adults, particularly women. The syndrome is often more prevalent among people that live in very dry and windy areas and those that are frequently smoky environments. There is also a link between Dry Eye Syndrome and specific medical conditions such as diabetes, chronic eye infections and people with thyroid conditions. Symptoms Of Dry Eye Syndrome: - Gritty or scratchy feeling to the surface of the eye - Blurred vision - Sensations that there is a foreign object in the eye - Excessive tearing or watering of the eyes - Burning or irritation over the entire eye surface It is important to realize that this condition is more than just irritating; it can have a serious long-term impact on your vision. Management Of Dry Eye Syndrome The most commonly prescribed treatment and management options include: - Nutritional supplements – recent research indicates that supplements, including Omega-3 fatty acids can help with tear quality and production. In addition medicated eye drops, available by prescription only, can help support natural tear generation. - Blocking tear ducts – this is done with a very tiny gel plugs that prevent the tears from being drained out of the eye. This helps to keep the natural tears on the eyes surface for longer, providing the lubrication needed. - Reducing inflammation – antibiotics and prescription eye drops combined with eye-washes and rinses can minimize any infection or inflammation and promote normal tear gland functioning. Working with your optometrist is an important first step in treating Dry Eye Syndrome. While you may be able to use an over-the-counter (OTC) artificial tear solution this may not be the most effective measure.
Depression is one of the world's leading public health issues, with approximately 300 million people suffering from depression worldwide as noted by the World Health Organization. While its root causes can vary based on individual situations (included but not limited to both genetic predispositions as well as external accumulation of stress caused by the environment) extrapolated by the diathesis-stress model, depression works at a biochemical level by causing an imbalance of serotonin, a tryptophan-derivative neurotransmitter that is crucial in maintaining our sense of well-being. The methodologies for how serotonin expression is reduced can vary, from a reduction in overall brain cell production of serotonin (potentially by diminished tryptophan levels) to a lack of receptor sites capable of binding the serotonin produced, but the same feelings of anxiety and panic, as well as symptoms that would indicate an onset of mood disorder, result from the central reduction of serotonin expression and activity. Some common developments related to an onset of depression include major depressive disorder (MDD), which is characterized by pervasive and persistent low mood that is accompanied by low self-esteem and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. In addition, other persistent depressive disorders such as chronic major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder (characterized by chronic sadness and other symptoms of major depression) may arise if treatment is not administered within a six-month time frame of initial occurrence, while other types of depression can occur after specific events, such as postpartum depression taking root four to six weeks after childbirth. Treatment for depression includes psychotherapy and electroconvulsive therapy, as well as the administration of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) designed to block the reabsorption of serotonin in the brain in order to maintain circulating levels to combat depressive symptoms, such as Prozac. Recently, the FDA approved of a new nasal spray known as Esketamine, designed by Janssen Pharmaceutica, to combat depression. Derived from ketamine and sold under the brand name Ketanest as well as Spravato, the spray has been shown to elevate a patient's mood within 24 hours of administration by targeting glutamate, an excitatory amino-acid derived neurotransmitter that plays a key role in long-term potentiation as well as learning and memory. The spray is absorbed through the nose into the bloodstream and must be taken alongside another oral anti-depressant. While such an exciting breakthrough is cause for celebration, doctors have cautioned the utilization of this drug due to its potential "boxed warning" of causing suicidal thoughts and dissociation, a sense of detachment from one's memory and sense of identity, which has required patients to be monitored for at least two hours every time they use the spray. In addition, the high cost of the drug (currently at $885 per treatment) has raised questions about its general affordability to the wider public. Nevertheless, such medication may be effective for patients who had previously struggled with antidepressants, and may help to stabilize their condition in order to reduce the impact that depression would otherwise continue to have on their lives, paving the way for a more concrete cure.
Send the link below via email or IMCopy Present to your audienceStart remote presentation - Invited audience members will follow you as you navigate and present - People invited to a presentation do not need a Prezi account - This link expires 10 minutes after you close the presentation - A maximum of 30 users can follow your presentation - Learn more about this feature in our knowledge base article Do you really want to delete this prezi? Neither you, nor the coeditors you shared it with will be able to recover it again. Make your likes visible on Facebook? You can change this under Settings & Account at any time. Transcript of Mitosis This is when the cell is finally divided into two daughter cells. This is the end of cell division. Once mitosis and cytokinesis is completed, the cell returns back to Interphase to continue to grow once again. Model Project BIO 202 Cell's Life Cycle In this stage the chromosome coils and the spindle fibers are formed between the centriole pairs. Microtubules that are smaller are called astral rays. The astral rays radiate into cytoplasm. In late prophase, two copies of chromosomes exist which are called chromatid. At this stage the cetomere is the point where the chromatid is connected to. Kinetochores are on protein-bound area and attach to the spindle fibers which form chromosomal microtubules. During Metaphase the chromosomes lined up in the middle, called the metaphase plate. During this stage the spindle fibers connect to chromosomes. This is the last stage of mitosis. It is when the chromosomes uncoil back into a chromatin. Chromatin is one of the copies of the two chromosomes that exist due to the DNA replication that happens during the S phase. When they uncoil they are forming 2 new nucleus. This stage the spindle fibers disappear. Is a process in which a cell goes through fertilization into maturity. And split up into 2 cells. During fertilization there is only one single cell. However there is about 75 trillion cells during maturity. The cell life cycle is a process in which cell goes through to grow and divide. This cycle goes through 3 stages Interphase, Mitosis and Cytokinesis. DNA replication occurs during this phase. Reasons why cells need to divide. They need to repair damaged tissue. Also because when divided each new daughter cell will have a nucleus with a complete set of chromosomes Cells will grow by being divided which will produce more cells. And because if the cell gets too large, they won't be able to receive enough nutrients. It is the first phase of interphase. May last up to 8 hours or more. In this phase there is cell growth and normal cell functions. It can last up to 6 to 8 hours. Last up to 2 to 5 hours. Protein synthesis Cells spends most of their life cycle in this stage. During this stage the chromatids separated. They are separated by the spindle fibers which pull them apart. When the chromatids are pulled apart they become two daughter chromosomes. Centrioles in centrosome chromosome with two sister chromatids This stage is when the cell grows and develops. The cell also carries out normal cell activities and it replicates all the other organelles. DNA copying, occurs during this stage. Mitosis process can last up from 1 to 3 hours. The process of daughter cells: Before a cell is a daughter cell it first has to be a parent cell. A parent cell is an original cell. The daughter cell is 2 new cells that first were parents cells due to cell division. For cell division to occur the cell first has to copy all of its own DNA. Each daughter cell is exactly the same as the parent cell. It is same due the same kind and amount of chromosomes as the parents cells. A chromosome is a short version of DNA, it is coiled and double. The chromosome has two parts, the chromatid and the centromere. The centromere is the area in the middle that connects two identical chromatids. A long thread-like structure in a non-dividing cell is known as a chromatin. DNA controls all the cell activities and is located in the nucleus. The Final Process Steps within Interphase Mitosis occurs in all somatic cells.
How Will The Pandemic Impact Positive Peace? The pandemic and its subsequent economic crises are likely to radically change the way some countries operate. The long-term responses of countries to COVID-19 will be shaped by Positive Peace, but will also shape the Positive Peace landscape of the future, according to the COVID19 and Peace report. On one hand, pre-existing high levels of Positive Peace are a measure of resilience within countries. Because of that, Positive Peace can be used as a mechanism to understand which countries are likely to manage the epidemic best, which ones will better adapt to future changed conditions and which countries are better able to implement strong recoveries. Systems are reflexive, therefore, although Positive Peace impacts on the responses to the pandemic, the pandemic will also change Positive Peace. IEP has created a framework for the statistical analysis of Positive Peace and its eight Pillars, which embody aspects of social development, including Well-Functioning Government, Sound Business Environment, Equitable Distribution of Resources, Acceptance of the Rights of Others, Good Relations with Neighbours, Free Flowing Information, High-levels of Human Capital, Low Level of Corruption. THE PANDEMIC’S IMPACT ON POSITIVE PEACE PILLARS The pandemic may lead to deteriorations in some areas of Positive Peace. This means that socio-economic development may recede as a result of the health crisis and its economic consequences. Some countries will be more adversely impacted than others. Good Relations with Neighbours and Sound Business Environment are likely to be the Pillars most affected. However, all Pillars will be influenced in the long term. Good Relations with Neighbours This is the Pillar most likely to record significant deteriorations as a consequence of COVID-19, as all three of its indicators have already been negatively affected. Hostility to foreigners: The immigration bans as a result of COVID-19 were acts of epidemiological control, rather than social hostility. However, in some regions, these initiatives fuelled perceptions of foreigners as dangerous and undesirable, with some countries recording increases in cases of xenophobia and ethnic profiling. The extent of regional integration: Regional trade will be reduced as a consequence of lower consumption and the interruption of international and domestic travel. The Dry Baltic Index – which gauges the cost of and demand for international maritime shipping of dry goods – fell by almost 80% between December 2019 and March 2020. Participation in regional trade alliances may not decline substantially, as countries hope to resume activity post-pandemic. However, there is a deterioration in international cooperation at many levels. The WTO is under pressure, while the WHO is in direct conflict with the US. Some countries, especially the US and China, are using trade sanctions and are increasing protectionism and unilateralism. Sound Business Environment The disruption in economic activity is likely to have a negative impact on this Pillar. GDP per capita: the global average GDP growth for 2020 has been revised down from 2.9% to – 3% as a result of the pandemic. On a per-capita basis, GDP will also retract. In the developed world GDP is forecasted to contract by 6%. While contractions in the developing world will be less, they will push a substantial number of households below the poverty line. The business environment is likely to be one of the indicators most adversely impacted by COVID-19. However, this impact will not be homogeneous across all sectors. Aviation, hospitality, tourism, recreation, travel, retail, energy and mineral resources, shipping, education, banking and finance are likely to be particularly negatively affected. Business sectors that may avoid major disruptions are healthcare, telecommunications, information technology and food production. Once the pandemic abates, many governments will attempt to kick-start economic activity, possibly by initiating large infrastructure projects, which could buoy the construction and industrial machinery sectors. High Levels of Human Capital The COVID-19 pandemic potentially deteriorates High Levels of Human Capital, as youth unemployment will increase severely in 2020. Share of youth not in employment, education or training (NEET): Traditionally, youth unemployment rates are higher than for the average of the population. In addition, youth tend to be over-represented in areas such as hospitality and retail trade – two areas severely impacted by social isolation and distancing. These factors suggest a possible collapse in youth employment in 2020. The overall share of youth out of schooling and training is likely to increase substantially from 2019 levels. Equitable Distribution of Resources Poverty levels are expected to rise this year, possibly leading to a substantial deterioration in Equitable Distribution of Resources. Poverty headcount ratio at $5.50 a day: The global economic downturn and the disruption of international trade will increase poverty rates in developed and emerging economies. In developed countries that had a relatively benign fiscal position before the crisis, governments will borrow in order to increase welfare payments and support businesses. This will potentially mitigate some of the impact of the pandemic on poverty rates. However, in countries that were already heavily indebted prior to the pandemic, the capacity to support economic activity is limited. In some cases, deprivation may deteriorate into food insecurity and famines, as discussed in the section ‘Economic Sovereignty and Food Security’ later in this paper. Free Flow of Information There have been isolated efforts to prevent media from divulging the true severity of the crisis in some countries. Yet, the overall impact of COVID-19 on this Pillar is still unclear. Freedom of the press: The pandemic has seen cases of press freedoms being suppressed as some authorities attempted to prevent the reporting of case numbers. In addition, many governments have acted with considerable speed in implementing contagion reduction measures. If the press is limited in its opportunity to scrutinise the measures implemented, the lower accountability is likely to affect the robustness of responses. Acceptance of the Rights of Others Since the pandemic onset, there have been many examples of communities coming together to support members and front line health workers. Conversely, there have been examples of a rise in xenophobia. Thus, the long-term impact of the pandemic on Acceptance of the Rights of Others is yet to be determined. About the author: The article has been written by the Vision of Humanity Editorial staff – brought to you by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP). The IEP investigates the impact of COVID-19 and future trends in economics, politics, social dynamics, conflict and development. Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by Impakter.com columnists are their own, not those of Impakter.com. In the Featured Photo: A student goes to school wearing a mask to protect him from the smoke that blankets the city of Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan. Featured Photo Credit: Aulia Erlangga/CIFOR
Easter lilies are a beautiful, welcoming sign of spring, but you may not want to bring them inside unless you can put them out of reach of pets and small children. Most members of the lily family are toxic if ingested, and a flower's beauty is not worth the harm it may bring to your family. According to a guide to poisonous plants found on the North Dakota State University College of Agriculture, Food Systems and Natural Resources website, all parts of the Easter lily plant--leaves, stems and flowers--are considered toxic and should not be ingested. Symptoms include dizziness, stomach pain and possible collapse. The University of California Davis Department of Plant Sciences considers most lilies to have minor toxicity, which means they would cause discomfort, but would not be fatal unless large amounts were ingested. Some lilies will cause minor skin irritations in humans, but not to the extent of poison ivy or oak. Washing the irritated area with soap and water will usually take away the itch. Consult a physician if severe swelling or rash appears. Pets and Plants Most plants that are poisonous to humans will also be poisonous to pets, but they may affect animals differently. Easter lilies are known to be extremely toxic to cats, causing liver failure if not treated immediately, whereas dogs are not as affected. It is best to keep all plants and flowers out of reach of children and pets to avoid ingestion, whether the plant is considered poisonous or not. If any part of a plant has been ingested and the victim is experiencing difficulty breathing, swelling of the mouth or throat, burning pain, vomiting or severe stomach pains, call 911 immediately. Keep the number for poison control by your phone at all times. The number is (800) 222-1222.
ALTITUDE IN TIBET Tibet is often called The Roof of The World due to its high elevation. The average altitude on the Tibetan Plateau is 4,500 meters/ 14,750 ft. TOPOGRAPHY MAP OF TIBET The lowest elevation is in the Eastern part of Tibet, in the Nyingchi province. The area is famous for its incredibly beautiful landscapes and is often compared to Switzerland. You can see dense forests, alpine lakes and vast rivers there. Nyingchi becomes very popular in Spring, as the Peach Blossom festival is celebrated there in March and you can see the blooming trees throughout April. The highest altitude area is in Ngari, the Western part of Tibet. This area is famous for its rigid climate and distinct landscape: muddy mountains with lots of caves that Tibetans used for meditation One of the main attraction of Ngari is the sacred Mount Kailash 6,638m/ 21,778 ft high. Every year thousands of pilgrims challenge themselves walking the kora or circumlocution route around Kailash, with the highest point of the trek reaching 5,640 meters/ 18,000 ft. WHAT HIGH ALTITUDE MEANS FOR VISITORS With an altitude gain, the air becomes thinner and the level of oxygen in the air decreases. At the elevation above 3,000 meters, most of the people will need some time to acclimatize to it. The level of oxygen at a sea level is 20.9%, at 3,000 meters it is 14.3% and at 5,000 meters it lowers to 11.2%. If you are spending a night at the Everest Base Camp (5,050 m), the oxygen level there is only 11%. The good news is that usually visitors fully acclimatize in a couple of days and are ready to ascent higher. The higher you are planning to go, the more time it will take for your body to adjust and the slower you should move higher. The Lhasa altitude is 3,650 meters/ 11,995 ft. When visitors arrive in Lhasa it is not uncommon to experience some light effects of the high altitude sickness: shortness of breath, light headache, insomnia. However, it only takes a few days to acclimatize to Lhasa altitude. After that visitors are prepared to go to the higher areas of Tibet. That is one of the reasons why most of the tours in Tibet begin in Lhasa. If you are planning to visit some areas above 5,000 meters or trek in some high altitude areas of Tibet, you can spend more time in Lhasa. You can go on a day trip or a short hike to areas near Lhasa above 4,000 meters to prepare for high elevation treks. TIPS FOR SAFE ELEVATION GAIN High altitude has a different effect on people. There is no way to tell in advance how you will feel in Tibet, unless you’ve already traveled in high altitude areas. Luckily, there are some ways to speed up acclimatization and prevent altitude sickness. The general rule is to start at approximately 3,000 meters and acclimatize before going further. Below are some tips to help you acclimatize to high altitude: Diamox is a brand name of the tablet where the active ingredient is Acetazolamide. It is currently the most widely used medicine, and scientifically proven to work for altitude sickness. It can prevent altitude sickness or reduce its symptoms. You generally need a prescription for Diamox, but rules can vary in different countries. It is essential to discuss the dosage with your doctor. The common side effects (especially with higher dosage) are dizziness and lightheadedness. In addition, you have to drink plenty of water when taking Diamox. It often causes dehydration and dehydration can worsen symptoms of high altitude sickness. For some groups of people, especially with certain pre-existing conditions (such as asthma, hypertension, certain heart conditions) taking Diamox can be beneficial. MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ALTITUDE Altitude sickness: symptoms and prevention Learn how to recognize altitude sickness, its symptoms and how to cope with high altitude. 7 Tips for Altitude Sickness Prevention Learn about the seven natural ways to acclimatize to high altitude. TOURS YOU MIGHT LIKE This tour starts in Nyingchi, at the elevation just below 3,000 meters. We will spend two days there, traveling through one of the most beautiful regions in Tibet. It is often called “Tibetan Switzerland” for its forested mountains, river canyons, and alpine lakes. After that, we will head to Lhasa, where we will spend another two days acclimatizing. We will visit Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera and Drepung monastery. Finally, we will drive to the Everest Base Camp through Gyantse and Shigatse. We make stops at Gyantse monastery and Kumbum stupa, Yamdrok Lake, Karola glaciers and many of the high mountain passes and viewpoints. A beautiful and exciting journey, starting in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet and going to the Everest Base Camp. The tour visits Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera, Drepung and Tashilhunpo monasteries, Kumbum Stupa, Yamdrok Lake and Karola glaciers. Both group and private tours are available. This slow-paced private tour takes you from Lhasa to Gyantse and Shigatse, where we spend the first few days acclimatizing. We will visit many of the historical and religious places, such as Potala Palace, Jokhang temple, Gyantse monastery, and Kumbum Stupa. We will make stops by the most beautiful natural spots: Yamdrok Lake, Karola glaciers and many of the high mountain passes and viewpoints. Finally, we will reach Everest Base Camp, where we stay for the night. This private tour takes you from Lhasa to Yarlung Valley and Samye Monastery. Yarlung valley is the birthplace of Tibetan civilization. You can see Yumbulakhang, an ancient fort and the first surviving building in Tibet. After that, you will visit Samye, the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet.
!! History Commons Alert, Exciting News Profile: Marcia Fudge Marcia Fudge was a participant or observer in the following events: Ohio Governor John Kasich (R-OH) signs a sweeping election measure that may, if it goes into effect, prevent hundreds of thousands of Ohio citizens from voting in November. Parts of the law are being challenged in court, and an effort to repeal it via a voter referendum is underway. The law shortens Ohio’s early voting period, bans in-person early voting on Sunday (a measure many believe is designed to thwart the historic “Souls to the Polls” activities often used by African-American churches to help their congregations vote), and prohibits boards of election from mailing absentee ballot requests to voters. Democrats in the Ohio legislature fought against the bill, but were outvoted in the final votes in both chambers. Former Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner (D-OH) says the law places undue barriers on voters and must be repealed. “It’s an accumulation of small procedural changes that add up to be the potential for long lines, dissatisfied voters, and less certainty on election results,” she says. Many of the law’s provisions came from current Secretary of State Jon Husted (R-OH). He has argued that Ohio’s 88 counties need uniform voter procedures. He claims the law has no political aspects nor any political ramifications. Brunner and other critics admit that parts of the bill are positive, particularly language that brings Ohio’s elections laws in line with federal court decisions, and they do not intend to challenge the law’s moving the state’s presidential primary from March to May. Provisions being challenged include: reducing the early-voting window from the current 35 days before Election Day to 21 days for voting by mail and 17 days for voting in person, eliminating the so-called “golden week” when people could register and vote on the same day; limiting Saturday in-person, early voting from 8 a.m. to noon and banning Sunday voting outright; prohibiting in-person early voting the weekend before Election Day; banning local boards of elections from mailing unsolicited absentee ballot requests to voters and prohibiting the boards from paying the return postage on the applications or ballots; and specifying that poll workers may—but are not required—to tell voters they are in the wrong precinct. [American Civil Liberties Union, 2011; Associated Press, 7/15/2011; Columbus Dispatch, 7/29/2011] The law does not contain a controversial voter ID provision, but House Republicans want the Senate to pass a separate photo ID requirement later in July. The Senate seems to be leaning towards allowing a voter ID provision, but giving voters without the “proper” identification the alternative of casting a provisional ballot, a measure supported by Husted. Representative Lou Blessing (R-OH) says, “It’s almost ludicrous to think anyone is being suppressed” by the bill. [Columbus Dispatch, 7/29/2011] Many critics find the provision that allows poll workers to refuse to help voters to be particularly onerous. State Senator Nina Turner (D-OH) notes, “Voting in the wrong precinct led to over 14,000 registered voters statewide [losing] their vote in 2008,” a statement rated “true” by the nonpartisan fact-checking organization PolitiFact. Most of those votes were cast in what the Cleveland Plain Dealer called “urban and impoverished areas of the state,” which traditionally lean Democratic. Turner says of state Republicans, “I guess the loss of votes for some doesn’t matter.” [Think Progress, 7/5/2011] Overall, the Columbus Dispatch will conclude that some 234,000 voters in Columbus alone who successfully cast their ballots in 2008 would find themselves either entirely disenfranchised by the new law or facing new hurdles to casting their votes. Representative Marcia Fudge (D-OH) says the law overturns many of the reform measures passed after the 2004 elections, when many critics believe voter restrictions had a huge impact on the outcome in the presidential election in Ohio. “The only reason to limit these requirements is to limit voting and to strip targeted populations of their right to vote,” she says. “Anyone who values our democracy can understand why it is necessary to make voting easier for citizens, not more difficult.” Ohio Board of Elections chairman Doug Preisse, who chairs the Franklin County Republican Party, is also concerned about the new bill. “I could quibble with a few aspects because I’m looking at it from the challenge of running elections in a big county,” he says. “Did they get it right this time? I’m not sure.” [Think Progress, 7/25/2011] Receive weekly email updates summarizing what contributors have added to the History Commons database Developing and maintaining this site is very labor intensive. 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We tend to think of poor countries as rural places and more economically advanced nations as places that are more urbanized. That impression influences the way local politicians and foreign aid donors discuss and design programs to address the health care, infrastructure, and other social and economic needs of impoverished people. Click on a promotional video for a global health charity or flip through a glossy brochure for an international development NGO and you will find they tend to feature the same sort of images: hopeful children and grateful parents in a dusty, rural village under a big blue African (or South Asian) sky. Cities and towns don’t fit that picture. Aid programs in sectors such as water, sanitation and hygiene historically have not been designed with the needs of the urban poor in mind. There has been less international assistance for health conditions prevalent in urban settings, such as noncommunicable diseases and pollution-related illnesses, relative to the diseases and conditions more generally associated with the rural poor. ‘A new harmonised method estimates that the world is 74 percent urban, while the UN estimate is 55 percent.’ New research from the European Commission (EC) and several international organizations suggests, however, that the United Nations (UN) World Urbanization Prospects, long considered the authoritative measure of global urbanicity, has grossly underestimated the share of people in Africa and Asia who live in towns and cities. Using a combination of high-resolution satellite imagery, remote sensing, and census data and a new method called the Degree of Urbanization, a team of researchers led by Lewis Dijkstra, estimates that East Africa and Southern Asia are roughly twice as urban as the UN data indicate. In contrast, these researchers find the national definitions of urbanicity in the Americas and Europe differ little from those produced with the geospatial data. The same is true for cities with more than 300,000 inhabitants—both the UN and this new method produce similar numbers. The gap between this new harmonized method and UN data estimates comes down to their differing classifications of smaller cities and towns, primarily in Africa and Asia. But, the people in these smaller settlements add up to large numbers. Overall, the new method finds that the world is 74 percent urban with 5.4 billion living in towns and cities, while the United Nations estimates that the global share of city and town dwellers is 55 percent and includes 1.3 billion fewer people than this harmonized estimate. What is a City? What explains the differences between the UN and European Commission classifications of smaller cities and towns? The UN World Urbanization Prospects relies on data that countries self-report based on their own national definitions of urban settlement, and those definitions vary widely from country to country. Most countries have administrative designations for the boundaries of cities, which do not necessarily reflect the on-the-ground demographic reality of those urban settlements and cannot be compared across countries. Some nations supplement these administrative designations with other statistical requirements. For example, India defines an urban area as a settlement of 5,000 inhabitants where at least 75 percent of males are not working in the agricultural sector. While the United States starts classifying settlements as urban when they exceed a population threshold of 2,500, China and Egypt set their minimum threshold for their cities at 100,000. The practical differences in these national definitions were well-illustrated when Dijkstra and his European Commission colleagues sought to match the national self-reports of urbanicity with their estimates of population density, which were generated with high-resolution satellite imagery and national census data. To match India’s self-reported level of urbanicity (33 percent), these researchers had to apply a minimum population density threshold of 16,705 people per square kilometer—a high level of urban density that many global cities (such as my city of Washington, DC) do not meet. In contrast, a population density threshold that is seventy-five times lower (222 residents per square kilometer) reproduced the U.S. self-reported level of urbanicity—82 percent. ‘An effort to develop a more globally consistent definition of cities and settlements...’ In 2016, European Commission researchers, working with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank, launched an effort to develop a more globally consistent definition of cities and settlements. Their project layers a global population grid on top of geospatial census data, using satellite imagery and remote sensing to detect buildings and estimate population size and density. The European Commission applies a global definition of settlements to a global population grid with one square kilometer cells, based on the following criteria: - Cities have the majority of their population in urban centers, which are defined as having a total population of at least 50,000 and consisting of contiguous grid cells with a density of at least 1,500 inhabitants per square kilometer. - Towns and suburbs do not meet the thresholds for being cities, but have a majority of their population in urban clusters, which are defined as having a total population of at least 5,000 and consisting of contiguous grid cells with a density of at least 300 inhabitants per square kilometer. - Rural grid cells have the majority of their population outside of urban clusters. This standardized global definition produces substantially different results than those of the UN World Urbanization Prospects. Overall levels of urbanization in many African and Asian nations are not much different from Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. There are limitations to these results. The European Commission researchers acknowledge that their results may be less reliable in areas where census data are of poor quality because remote sensing and satellite imagery cannot confirm census counts. In an email communication to me, Dijkstra pushed back, however, on critiques of the European Commission results that argue cities cannot have higher levels of farm employment or croplands “because agriculture also occurs outside rural areas… [and croplands] are normal features of peri-urban areas.” In 2020, the UN Statistical Commission is expected to consider formally recommending the Degree of Urbanisation to be used for international comparisons. A Global Definition of Cities Means Better Understanding of Local Urban Health While small cities and towns of Africa and Asia have not been "lost" to their inhabitants and governments, when classified as rural, these urban settlements have been missing from the data that drive our understanding of health, social, and economic consequences of urbanization in these low- and middle-income nations. When these small cities and towns are included in those analyses, a better picture of the drivers and consequences of urban-rural differences emerges. A forthcoming report by Vernon Henderson, Vivian Liu, Cong Peng, and Adam Storeygard uses these geospatial data on urbanization to assess the differences in health, education, and fertility outcomes in rural areas, towns, and cities in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. This analysis is based on demographic health survey data for these regions, which are also linked to GPS coordinates for the clusters of survey respondents. Some of the results from this study align with the expectations of health researchers. In sub-Saharan Africa, urban households are three times as likely to have access to safe water and electricity and twice as likely to have access to improved sanitation as their rural counterparts. Except for piped water, where provision is not keeping up the rapid population growth in African cities and towns, access to essential infrastructure is improving on most measures. ‘Obesity rates were 2.3 times greater and fertility was 50 percent lower in sub-Saharan Africa cities.’ Some of the study results, however, are more surprising. There were only modest differences between rural and urban settings in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia on many traditional measures of global health: infant mortality, deaths from diarrheal disease, and vaccination rates. When controlling for individual and household levels of education, gender, and age, those differences largely disappeared, suggesting that urbanization is neither the cause nor solution for those conditions. In contrast, obesity rates were 2.3 times greater and fertility was 50 percent lower in sub-Saharan Africa cities than in rural areas, and controlling for educational, age, and gender differences did not fundamentally change those results. Global Health is Urban Health There is one area where the UN and this new harmonized approach agree: the share of population in cities and towns globally is growing and likely to continue to do so. The United Nations projects the population of city dwellers globally to grow by 2.5 billion by 2050, with nearly 90 percent of growth occurring in lower-income nations in Africa and Asia. The UN Sustainable Development Goals include targets for making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. It is past time that the international aid programs adapt their rural-focused programs and narratives to reflect that objective. The residents of the hidden cities of Africa and Asia deserve the same lifesaving support afforded to those children in that rural, dusty village. EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was updated from an earlier version to reflect the larger group of organizations that collaborated on the new harmonized approach to a globally-consistent definition of cities.
Today, the University of Chicago announced plans to construct the William Eckhardt Research Center, an innovative new building along Ellis Avenue that will be home to many researchers in the physical sciences. But just as newsworthy as the new building is one of its prominent tenants: the Institute for Molecular Engineering, the largest new department launched at the University since the Harris School of Public Policy in 1988. The Institute, called the IME for short, will serve as a bridge between the Physical Sciences Division and the Biological Sciences Division for shared goals in research and education. But what exactly is molecular engineering? The specific mission of the IME will be set next year when a director is named, but the general direction of this exciting new discipline was summarized last year by a faculty committee appointed to evaluate the IME’s creation. ScienceLife talked to a few of those committee members to learn about what molecular engineering is, what kinds of problems it might solve, and what kind of students it will create. Biology and medicine is increasingly focused on how small scale interactions are important for both normal function and disease. Simultaneously, engineers grounded in physics and chemistry are looking toward biological systems for ideas and solutions. Increasingly, physical and biological sciences are speaking the same language, said Raphael Lee, Paul and Ailene Russell Professor of Surgery, Medicine, and Organismal Biology & Anatomy. “On the molecular scale, behavior is described by laws of physics and chemistry,” Lee said “The rules of biology and physics are identical at the molecule scale. That’s where the fields boundaries blur and overlap.” At this common ground, molecular engineering provides a skill set for the next generation of scientists to address the world’s biggest problems. The knowledge gathered through basic science in biology, chemistry, and physics laboratories can be combined and applied to major issues, such as providing clean water to undeveloped countries, or developing more efficient energy sources. “This is making the science much more applied: we know how it works, so let’s try to make it better. How do we apply that knowledge to these problems that we see,” said Erin Adams, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics. Molecular engineering innovation may also lead to the development of new technologies for medical care. Scaffolds for stem cell treatment might be designed through engineering, chemistry, and biology collaboration. Animals that have evolved natural self-healing abilities could inform the design of materials that repair themselves, which could in turn be used for the design of industrial products and medical devices. “I think it’s entirely possible that new kinds of tools could be generated in molecular engineering that would have therapeutic implications,” said Julian Solway, Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics. “The problems that we’re addressing are the same problems, and the solutions that we want to find are well-suited to be approached by both camps.” A future goal of the Institute for Molecular Engineering will be to establish an academic program for undergraduates and graduate students. Such a curriculum would prepare new scientists to navigate the new discipline, producing “bilingual” or “trilingual” experts, equally comfortable with the languages of physics, chemistry, and biology. “I think people are starting to speak multiple languages which allows us to communicate with each other much better,” Adams said. “You need to break those boundaries to get to the next level of engineering.” Perhaps the most exciting thing about molecular engineering is that nobody is yet quite clear what that next level will be: what problems it will solve, and what tools it will develop to solve them. But with biology, medicine, physics, and chemistry finding more and more common ground, facilitating their interaction while defining a nascent field could bring unexpected benefits. “Engineering is about solving problems, and we are in the business of solving problems,” Solway said. “It’s refreshing and hopefully this will expand the University’s horizons.” For more information on the Eckhardt Center and the Institute for Molecular Engineering (including more renderings and video), see Steve Koppes’ story at the University of Chicago website.
Globalization has various dimensions which are basic and important part for study of Globalization, International Business or Foreign Trade Management. Globalization is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon. Here we are trying to explain the concept of dimensions of globalization. We are also giving some examples to simplify the concept Dimensions of Globalization Now a days, Cross border transactions of Goods, Services, capital, technology, labour, Information and other things is increasing rapidly. Due to this, interdependence of of nations is increasing and now we can say, its almost impossible to survive for a country without import/export or cross border transactions. the emergence of a new global economic order the internationalization of trade and finance the changing power of transnational corporations the enhanced role of international economic institutions. There are various factors which affects on cultural environment and trends of International Business. Some of them are attitude to wealth, marriage status and culture, family, religion, ethics, human relation, people to work etc. Today we have main question associated to cultural globalization: Whether globalization increases or decreases cultural diversity/homogenization. Due to technological advancements, anyone can learn, adopt and share cultural values, beliefs and trends of other countries and people. We have seen lots of changes, may be positive or negative, in culture of developing countries since last few years.
Today I would like you to play 10 Studio games on TTRS. This will give you an updated speed time and show you how you are improving with your times tables knowledge. Your tme will only change if you do all 10 games. After you have done these, log on to Prodigy and play for 20 minutes. If you can't remember your log in for either of these websites, either send me (je38) a message on J2e or email the school office ([email protected]) and I'll try and get the information to as you soon as I can. In this lesson, the children will recap the features of a non-fiction text and the vocabulary learnt in this reading unit. They will then have an opportunity to create their own imaginary deep sea fish. Lastly, some non-fiction texts will be recommended for further reading. Click this link to get to today's lesson
The importance of iron in baby’s diet. Iron is critical for babies’ brain development and cognitive function so read more below on what foods boost the iron intake. The importance of iron in baby’s’ diet. LET’S TALK IRON EVERYONE! Lisa Hewitt from http://healthybrightbeginnings.com/ is a holistic infant nutritionist and she is going to share with us today a very important subject. The importance of iron in baby’s’ diet. Iron is critical for brain development and cognitive function. Babies begin to store iron in-utero during 3rd trimester of pregnancy; approximately enough to last them 6-months. E-coli along with other unhealthy bacteria depend on iron for food therefore, as an inherent way of protecting the baby, milk from all mammals is low in iron by design. According to WHO the recommended daily allowance for babies ages 6 – 12 months is 11mg. This is 3mg higher than the RDA for adult males revealing the necessity of including iron-rich foods in baby’s diet on a regular basis. However, nutritionally speaking if a child requires a certain nutrient at a certain time then fortified foods are only a modern solution. My preference over synthetic sources of iron is to include iron-rich foods, from whole-food sources: Preferred Sources of Iron: Non-Vegetarian (heme – best absorbed): - Organic liver (pasture-raised) - wild salmon - egg yolk - Steamed spinach / leafy greens - legumes / lentils - pumpkin / sunflower seeds - quinoa / amaranth - raisins / prunes / figs - blackstrap molasses - sea vegetables. Vitamin C rich foods increase absorption of all iron: Berries, Broccoli, Leafy Greens, Squash, Sauerkraut Besides iron there are many other important nutrients to include over the next 18-months. Maintain a primary focus on nutritionally-rich whole-foods to ensure baby is getting the wide spectrum of nutrition to best support growth + healthy development in the first two years of life. You will find tons of recipes on this website that is iron rich, so make sure you check these off on your ”to do” list for your baby’s meal planning. Thank you for reading with us we hope this was useful!
People, not tsunami, damaged reef the most Human misuse has caused more damage to coral reefs off the northwest coast of Aceh, Indonesia, than the recent tsunami, new research shows. Ecologists visited a number of reefs closest to the epicentre of the Sumatra-Andanaman earthquake and found that while the damage caused by the tsunami was sometimes spectacular, it was surprisingly limited, particularly compared to the damage inflicted by humans in recent years. The Australian and Indonesian researchers publish their findings in this week's Current Biology journal. Less than 100 days after the 26 December 2004 tsunami, researchers visited a number of reefs within 300 kilometres of the epicentre of the earthquake. They assessed the coral reefs and then compared their findings with data gathered at a 2003 visit to some of the same reefs. What they found surprised them, says Australian researcher, Dr Andrew Baird of James Cook University in Queensland. "I think it was the impression of all ecologists, having seen the devastation from the satellite images and media footage that came in, and knowing the size of the waves that came in, that the reefs would essentially be destroyed," he says. "So when we got over there and found that particularly the shallow water corals were still largely intact, it was a surprise." But Baird says there is a good ecological explanation for it. "Tsunamis are very different beasts than wind-generated waves. The typical pattern following large storms is for the shallow coral reefs to be smashed up quite badly because the force of wind waves is all in the surface of the water. "[But] the tsunami was essentially three major wave fronts and was more like a rising tide. Rather than smashing the corals it just sort of dragged on it, so the corals that were firmly attached stayed firmly attached." Baird says damage caused by overfishing, reef 'bombing' and cyanide fishing, methods used by Indonesian fisherman in recent years to catch fish for the aquarium and live fish trade, has had greater impact on the reef. But the authors conclude human activities on the reef, including positive measures, did not contribute to the magnitude of damage on land.
An individual is said to be malnourished, or suffer from malnutrition if his diet does not consist of the required protein and calories essential for the growth and maintenance of the body or if one cannot fully utilize the food he consumes due to illness. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), malnutrition is the gravest single threat to global public health. People can be prone to malnourishment for a long or short period of time and the condition may be mild or acute. People who are malnourished are more liable to get sick and, in severe cases, it may lead to death. A malnourished child’s growth may be undersized, which makes him much shorter than average. In developing countries, 1 out of 4 children younger than age 5 are underweight. Malnutrition affects more than 147 million children in developing nations according to the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) and is also the major factor for mental retardation and even brain damage in some children. National Nutrition Week is observed from September 1 to 7 and its focus is on better nutrition and steps that should be taken to reduce malnutrition in children. Signs and symptoms of malnutrition in children The vital question is how to detect whether your child is prone to malnutrition? Listed below are some of the signs and symptoms of malnutrition: - If your child fails to grow at a normal expected rate in terms of weight, height or both - If your child is prone to illness and falls sick time and again - If your child does not consume adequate food and eats small amount - If your child’s skin is dry and flaky and hair is dry, dull and straw like in appearance - If your child is irritated, sluggish and cries excessively along with behavioral changes like anxiety and attention deficit - If your child experiences weight loss - If there is swelling or fluid accumulation in your child’s body, especially in abdomen and legs - If your child’s limbs may appear stick like - If your child has slow behavioral development How to prevent malnutrition in children? It is a dire necessity to prevent malnutrition in children. The following steps should be taken to prevent malnutrition in children: - Pregnant lady should be given a proper and balanced nutritious diet - New born baby should be fed on breast milk for the first six months - A child should be having a well-balanced diet consisting of all the vital nutrients required for the body development such as: - fruit and vegetables - bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, cereals and other starchy foods - milk and dairy foods – such as cheese and yoghurt - meat, fish, eggs, beans, nuts, and other non-dairy sources of protein - Body Mass Index should be regularly scrutinized to check for improvement or responsiveness to dietary interventions Apart from all these, if a child is suffering from malnutrition due to an underlying health condition, he may need a complex diet needs or additional items in his diet such as nutritional supplements. You should consult a doctor in charge who will be able to guide and advise you and refer you to a registered dietitian. Please like FamiLife’s page on Facebook so that you get all our articles and others may find us.
Parents and education professionals have been hearing a lot about Title I lately. It is taking the school systems by storm, and the government promises that is a good thing for students and American education. Many are still in the dark about what Title I is and how it shapes the world of different academic areas, especially the dynamic and complex subject of mathematics. Here is an overview of what Title I means for math teachers. Related resource: Top 10 Online Master’s in Education Degrees What is Title I? It is first important to understand what it means to work for a Title I school overall. Title I is a federal grant that was created in response to the needs of underprivileged children and schools. The amount of funding a school receives is determined by the number of children whose parents sign them up for free or reduced-cost lunch. This gives parents some power over their school resources, and also ensures that the grant remains need-based. Since the grant is aimed at improving the academic performance of every child who struggles, schools that qualify for Title I must follow academic guidelines in order to maintain participation. Generally speaking, the guidelines allow teachers to be more creative in instruction so that they can provide each individual student with his and her unique needs. Below are the guidelines that Title I math teachers must follow. First and foremost, the creators of Title I understand that while mathematics is pretty cut and dried, each student process the material differently and at a different pace. Some children are visual or auditory learners, while others must learn by doing. Some need bright colors and physical tools, while others need to write it out. Title I, therefore, requires that math teachers create individualized instruction plans. While this sounds like a lot of work at first, Title I makes it easier by providing the classroom resources. It is also important to remember that meeting children where they are helps them to learn faster, saving the time it takes to pull them aside later to review and remediate. The U.S. Department of Education provides detailed background information on the creation of this approach. Integration of Technology The way the world works becomes more digital every day, and the education system is not exempt from that shift. The creators of Title I knew that part of the reason children fell behind academically was due to lack of access to and knowledge about how to use technology. Title I math teachers are therefore required to integrate technology into their pedagogy. As with other Title I guidelines, there is a certain amount of freedom in how they accomplish this task. There are technological resources available for instructing, as well as the administrative tasks of teaching and improving communication with the school, the district, and the parents. A study out of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas investigates the integration of technology in elementary schools. Outside the Classroom The creators of Title I understood that students spend only a small portion of their lives inside the classroom. It was important to implement stronger systems outside the classroom to maintain learning and increase progress. Title I teachers must hold regular student conferences to check in on individual learning outcomes and make necessary changes to individualized learning plans. They must also hold regular collaboration meetings with parents. This is especially important in a dynamic subject such as mathematics. Title I also provides funding for after-school programs, which address parents’ need for after-school care and also provide students with structured homework assistance and extracurricular activities. These Title I guidelines are structured so as to be evolutionary. Title I provides the funding for teachers to keep up with the ever-changing needs of their students. Title I Math teaches, in particular, are undergoing a vast array of changes, all with the intention of an individual student and districtwide achievement.
This photo shows Smithsonian naturalist Robert Kennicott around 1860, during his first expedition north through Canada and into Russian America (the Alaskan territory). He is dressed in the kind of clothes worn by French Canadian trappers, whose paths he followed. This photograph was made as a carte-de-visite, a calling card given to friends and visitors. Kennicott once lived in the Smithsonian Castle, his bones are in the National Museum of Natural History and his 175 birthday was Nov. 13. To learn more about this fascinating 19th century naturalist, click this LINK. Image courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
White watercress (Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum syn. Nasturtium nasturtium-aquaticum, Nasturtium officinale, Sisymbrium nasturtium-aquaticum) Family name: Mustard family (Brassicaceae) Native range: Europe General: Aquatic or semiaquatic perennial. White watercress can grow while submerged or prostrate on wet soil. The stems root from the nodes. Stems hollow. Leaves: Alternate, nearly toothless, pinnately lobed with 3 to 9 leaflets. The terminal leaflet is larger than the side ones. Leaflets oval shaped. Flowers: White, small, 0.2 inches wide, 4 petalled flowers borne on long stems, appearing April through September. Fruit: Slender pods are about 0.4 to 0.6 inches long. The seeds within the pod are small and are contained in two rows. Look-alikes: Onerow yellowcress (Rorippa microphylla), a non-native, is very difficult to distinguish from white watercress in the field. They both occur in moist soils and behave similarly. Onerow yellowcress seed appear in one row in the pod and a slightly larger and more prolific than white watercress seeds. Habitat: Lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, springs, moist ground Threats to native habitats: White watercress rapidly forms dense stands that exclude native plants. It is highly threatening to natural plant communities. All detected occurrences should be eradicated. Commercial Availability: White watercress is an edible green that is widely cultivated.
The Three Components of Self-Compassion Self-Compassion is a form of acceptance, one of the four options you have no matter what the problem you face (see previous post, No Matter What the Problem, There Are Only Four Things You Can Do). Kristin Neff in her book Self-Compassion: Stop Beating Yourself Up and Leave Insecurity Behind, lists three core components of self-compassion: self-kindness, recognition of our common humanity, and mindfulness. These components are all helpful for the emotionally sensitive person. Self-kindness is being gentle and understanding with yourself. This concept means more than not beating up on yourself and stopping harsh judgments. Self-kindness means to understand and comfort yourself, like you would a good friend. Self-kindness means comforting yourself even when you make mistakes and especially when you make embarrassing ones. Self-kindness seems to be a form of self-soothing. Taking a bubble bath, listening to uplifting music, smelling roses and petting a dog are external ways of self-soothing while self-kindness is an internal method. Maybe you have an individual in your life who is naturally comforting. When you don’t get a job you wanted or have an argument with your significant other, this person is there to soothe you. She may just sit with you or she may help you put the situation in perspective, but most of all she is there to remind you that your value as a human being is not based on one event in your life. She offers acceptance and cares about your pain. She doesn’t add to your upset by blaming you or telling you what you did wrong. Self-kindness is about being that person for yourself. By realizing that the last thing you need when you’ve had a difficult experience is to be lectured to or criticized. Being kind to yourself helps you get through the sadness and hurt and move on. Some individuals do not believe they deserve kindness. This may be the result of not having caregivers who were able to give consistent nurturing or of experiencing hurtful relationships with other people. Or perhaps being kind to the self is a new experience. For these individuals, self-kindness can feel foreign and uncomfortable. Though self-kindness may not seem natural for those who tend to be harsh with themselves, habits and comfort levels can change with repeated practice. Practicing self-kindness leads to your being able to give yourself the same nurturing and emotional support that you get from that special person who is your biggest comfort. The advantage is that you can give it to yourself at any time and you don’t have to worry about losing it for any reason. Giving yourself the comfort of kindness can help you build a sense of safety and security. Nurturance by others releases chemicals that are calming and increase feelings of trust, generosity, and connectedness. Neff points out that there is good reason to believe that self-kindness has the same effect. Recognition of Our Common Humanity means remembering that all human beings are imperfect. This means that embarrassing moments, disappointment, shame, rejection, fear, and anger are all shared experiences. Every human being has experienced those situations and those emotions. Every human being has struggles. Remembering what we have in common helps us feel connected, a part of the whole. Seeing ourselves as alone in our struggle, believing that life is smooth and easy for others, leads to feeling alone and separate, a feeling of not belonging. Neff points out that one of the ways people separate themselves from their common humanity is by comparing themselves to others. When you do this the success of others will lead to negative feelings about yourself instead of being happiness for the other person. Comparing is about competition rather than cooperation. Mindfulness is accepting what is, in the moment, without judgment. Being able to see what is real and true is a critical part of coping well with intense emotions. Mindfulness will be discussed in a future post. The benefits of self-compassion, according to Neff, include improved emotional resiliency, better ability to maintain emotional balance, better coping skills, and faster healing of emotional trauma. Self-compassion seems to be a key skill for emotionally sensitive people. Hall, K. (2012). The Three Components of Self-Compassion. Psych Central. Retrieved on August 28, 2015, from http://blogs.psychcentral.com/emotionally-sensitive/2012/01/the-three-components-of-self-compassion/
- Which language has the most cases? - Is Hungarian a dead language? - What language do Hungarians speak? - What is the hardest language in the world? - What is the hardest word to say? - Which language has the easiest grammar? - How many Hungarian speakers are there in the world? - Is German harder than English? - What is the sweetest language in the world? Which language has the most cases? HungarianHungarian has the highest amount of cases than any language with 18 grammatical cases.. Is Hungarian a dead language? Hungarian is a Uralic language of the Ugric group. It has been spoken in the region of modern-day Hungary since the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin in the late 9th century. Hungarian’s ancestral language probably separated from the Ob-Ugric languages during the Bronze Age. What language do Hungarians speak? BBC – Languages – Languages. The official language of Hungarian is spoken by 98% of the 10.3m population. Minority languages have become more prominent in recent years, and they include German, Croatian, Romani, Slovak, Romanian, Serbian and Slovene. What is the hardest language in the world? Mandarin Chinese1. Mandarin Chinese. Interestingly, the hardest language to learn is also the most widely spoken native language in the world. What is the hardest word to say? The Most Difficult English Word To PronounceColonel.Penguin.Sixth.Isthmus.Anemone.Squirrel.Choir.Worcestershire.More items…• Which language has the easiest grammar? Languages with Simple Grammar Rules1) Esperanto. It is the widely-spoken artificial language in the world. … 2) Mandarin Chinese. You did not see this one coming, right? … 3) Malay. … 4) Afrikaans. … 5) French. … 6) Haitian Creole. … 7) Tagalog. … 8) Spanish.More items… How many Hungarian speakers are there in the world? 13 million speakersWith 13 million speakers, it is the Uralic family’s largest member by number of speakers. Is German harder than English? English Grammar is easier than German Grammar. English is 50% of Grammar and 50% or vocabulary. Whereas German is 75% Grammar and 25% vocabulary ( which is equally difficult). … Whereas English Grammar is extremely simple, not many rules, easy rules, easy use of articles. What is the sweetest language in the world? BengaliAccording to a UNESCO survey, Bengali has been voted the sweetest language in the world; positioning Spanish and Dutch as the second and third sweetest tongues.
- How can I test water quality at home without a kit? - What are the 6 main indicators of water quality? - What is a sign of poor quality water? - What are water quality parameters? - Are home water test kits accurate? - What is the most accurate pool test kit? - How do you know if water is safe to drink? - What should I look for in drinking water? - How do you test the quality of water in your home? - How do you test water quality in a river? How can I test water quality at home without a kit? You can do a simple pH water test without a pH testing kit. A water pH test kit typically contains pH test strips, indicator drops, and a pH test meter. If you do not have a kit, purchase a fresh red cabbage and a bottle of distilled water to make a pH indicator.. What are the 6 main indicators of water quality? Physico-chemical indicators are the traditional ‘water quality’ indicators that most people are familiar with. They include dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, salinity and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus). They also include measures of toxicants such as insecticides, herbicides and metals. What is a sign of poor quality water? Symptoms of common water problems include the following: stains: brownish stains, bathtub ring, blue or blue-green stains. poor water pressure. unclear water:cloudy water, particles in water. odor in water. What are water quality parameters? Water quality parameters include chemical, physical, and biological properties and can be tested or monitored based on the desired water parameters of concern. Parameters that are frequently sampled or monitored for water quality include temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, ORP, and turbidity. Are home water test kits accurate? Home water test kits may be different than lab tests, but they still do their job properly. Therefore, not only that you will find out whether your water is contaminated or not, but you will also know exactly what the contaminants are. What is the most accurate pool test kit? The best digital pool test kit currently on the market is the LaMotte ColorQ Pro 7. This kit comes in a water-resistant case and includes seven liquid reagents and a photometer that provides an accurate digital reading of your chemical ranges. How do you know if water is safe to drink? Often county health departments will help you test for bacteria or nitrates. If not, you can have your water tested by a state certified laboratory. You can find one in your area by calling the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791 or visiting www.epa.gov/safewater/labs. What should I look for in drinking water? Your local health department can assist in selecting tests important for assessing your drinking water. Include tests for coliform bacteria, nitrates, pH, sodium, chloride, fluoride, sulphate, iron, manganese, total dissolved solids, and hardness. How do you test the quality of water in your home? Purchase a home water quality test kit.Look for a test kit that contains different strips for bacteria, lead, pesticides, nitrites/nitrates, chlorine, hardness, and pH.If a kit contains only a single kind of strip, it will likely be for testing pH only. How do you test water quality in a river? 7 Ways to Measure, Monitor, and Evaluate Water QualityCDOM/FDOM Monitoring.Chlorophyll Fluorescence Analysis.Conductivity, Salinity, and TDS Monitoring.Recording the Water Temperature.Measuring the Dissolved Oxygen Levels.pH and KH Testing.Assessing the Turbidity, TSS and Clarity.
The recently released UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (IGME) Report on child mortality shows that despite significant improvements made in this sphere, child deaths remain a major global concern and more so in the developing economies of the world. It is estimated that in 2018, 6.2 million child (under 15 years) deaths occurred globally – down 56% from 1990 estimates. 85% of these deaths (5.3 million) were of children below 5 years, of which 2.5 million occurred within the first 4 weeks of life (neo-natal), 1.5 million between months 1 and 11 and 1.3 million between years 1 and 4. As can be observed from the above figures, risks to a child’s life remains highest in the first month after birth. The global mortality rate among children below 5 (1-4+ years) and neo-natal stage was observed to be as below: In 2018, 121 countries had already achieved the sustainable development goal (SDG) target rate of 25 or fewer child deaths per 1000 before the age of 5. If all countries achieve the target by 2030, 11 million lives under 5 will be saved globally – more than 1/2 of them in sub-Saharan Africa alone. Unfortunately, at current rate, 53 countries will fail to meet the target by 2030 – 2/3rd of these are in sub-Saharan Africa. However, there are widespread regional variations in the above. In sub-Saharan Africa, under-five mortality rate in 2018 was 78/1000 live births – double of the global average. It translates 1 in every 13 child born in this region not surviving till his or her 5th birthday. Sub-Saharan Africa and central & south Asia together account for more than 80% of all below 5 deaths. Same holds true for all casualties below 15 years of age. Half of all the deaths under-five (1-4+ years age) in 2018 occurred in 5 countries – India, Nigeria, Pakistan, DR Congo and Ethiopia. India and Nigeria together account for about a third of all child deaths below 5. In terms of infant (less than 1 year) deaths and neo-natal (28 days from birth) deaths also, these 5 countries register the maximum numbers in 2018. India has made dramatic improvements over the last 3 decades in bringing down the mortality among children below 5 years. However, the fight is far from over. The present mortality rate for below 5 years and neo-natal are both still short of the SDG targets (under 5: 37 in India against UN target of 25 or below / neo-natal: 23 in India against UN target of 12 or below). Every child death is an unimaginable human tragedy. What makes it even sadder is that majority deaths below 5 occur due to preventable and treatable causes. India’s under 5 mortality rate came down from 126 in 1990 to 37 in 2018 – a remarkable progress. This shows that with the right commitment, concerted efforts and political will, targets that appear impossible can also be achieved. IPD sincerely hopes and prays that in the near future, child deaths are nearly eliminated not just from India but across the globe.
Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has warned that despite "showing a remarkable resilience in the face of the global financial crisis", poverty levels in Africa are still "unacceptably high". Lagarde said that poverty affects 45% of Sub-Saharan African households and that inequality is high, with some countries struggling to recover from endemic conflict. "Africa's success journey has been truly remarkable. But if the global crisis has taught us anything, it is the importance of making the benefits of growth more broadly shared. When everyone benefits, growth is more durable," she said, addressing a conference in Mozambique. She warned that slower growth in both advanced and emerging economies could hit African development, while lower commodity prices and monetary policy normalisation (such as the repeal of quantitative easing and Federal tapering) could dampen future economic prospects. Lagarde was speaking at the Africa Rising event in Maputo, Mozambique's capital, addressing policymakers from across Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa grew by 4.7% last year, according to World Bank data. Growth is forecast to rise to 5.3% this year and 5.4% in 2015. However, the World Bank warns that rising public debt could also prove to be a problem in the long-term. Lagarde commended Africa for two decades of "uninterrupted growth" but said the region's future success will be based on a three-pronged improvement programme: "Build infrastructure, build institutions, and build people." Closing Africa's infrastructure gap will be crucial, she said. Only 16% of African roads are paved, compared to 58% in South Asia. Analysts commonly agree that the infrastructure gap is one of the major impediments to investment in Africa. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) says that 65% of Africans (around 600 million people) are not on the electricity grid. Lagarde urged African governments to put the "governance, transparency and sound economic frameworks" in place to build functioning institutions. While there has been some progress in this area multilaterals such as the African Trade Insurance Agency (ATI) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) have been growing in influence and productivity, transparency remains a real issue. A report released by Global Financial Integrity (GFI) showed that some African countries are losing more than 10% of national GDP because of misinvoicing of trade, a practice which is allowed to fester due to regulatory opacity. On education, Lagarde said: "Africa's greatest potential is its people. By some estimates 1% increase in the working age population can boost GDP growth by 0.5%. This is huge." The education gap between boys and girls, she said, costs Africa's economy up to $90bn a year.
New data released on Tuesday shows India has over 50 million diabetics out of the world's 285 million. The disease is affecting more people in the working age group and is proving to be an economic burden, according to the figures released by the International Diabetes Federation. "This epidemic is getting out of control. We are losing ground in the struggle to contain diabetes," warned federation president Jean Claude Mbanya while releasing the report at the 20th World Diabetes Congress in Montreal. "No country is immune and no country is fully equipped to repel this common enemy." Dr Anoop Misra, chief scientific adviser, Diabetes Foundation ( India), who is attending the conference, said diabetes should be deemed more important than infectious diseases and even HIV. Almost every household in the country has one or two diabetics. "The projected figures are only one estimate in the climbing curve. The rising curve will not level off anytime soon. Unless countrywide initiative is taken in the right earnest, this disease is going to affect many more and severely dent the country's economy," Misra said. With 50.8 million diabetics, India tops the global tally. China with 43.2 million patients comes second, followed by the US where 26.8 million people suffer from the disease. Diabetes is threatening global health and economic prosperity. The disease will cost the world economy at least $ 376 billion ( over Rs 17 lakh crore) in 2010. This is 11.6 per cent of the world's total healthcare expenditure. By 2030, this amount is expected to rise to over $ 490 billion ( over Rs 22 lakh crore). While 80 per cent of diabetes- spending is done by the richest countries, over 70 per cent of diabetics are from poorer countries. India spends $ 2.8 billion ( over Rs 13,000 crore) on diabetes, which is just one per cent of global spending. The US spends the maximum at $ 198 billion ( over Rs 92 lakh crore) This accounts for 52.7 per cent of the world's total spending. The report says India will be a major driving force for the increase of diabetes in South- East Asia to 8.4 per cent in 2030 from the current seven per cent. This will be mainly because of increasing life expectancy and urbanisation in India. The proportion of those over 50 years is expected to increase from 16 per cent in 2010 to 23 per cent in 2030. The proportion of the urban Indian population will also increase from 33 per cent to 46 per cent. Studies indicate diabetes prevalence in smaller urban centres tends to be about half of that in the larger cities, but it is still twice that of rural areas. More than half the world's total diabetics are aged between 20 and 60, the report says. Diabetes affects seven per cent of the world's adult population. The regions with the highest comparative prevalence rates are North America, where 10.2 per cent of the adult population has diabetes, followed by West Asia and North Africa with 9.3 per cent prevalence respectively. The regions with the highest number of diabetics are Western Pacific - about 77 million - and South- East Asia with 59 million. In virtually every high- income country, the report says, diabetes is ranked among the leading causes of blindness, kidney failure and lower limb amputation. It is also one of the leading causes of death, largely because of the increased risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. Courtesy: Mail Today
That's the subject of the second annual Algae Biomass Summit starting today in Seattle. The conference will explore the great question of whether microscopic plants could cut out the geologic middleman of time and pressure and just deliver fuel directly. The number of companies pursuing this idea is exceeded in magnitude only by the number of different strains of algae and the ways to genetically manipulate it. Solazyme in San Francisco grows its puny plants in the dark and Fort Collins, Colo.–based Solix partners with breweries to keep costs down. GreenFuel Technologies in Cambridge, Mass., meantime, plans to build the first "commercial scale" algae farm near Jerez in southern Spain—in an effort to turn carbon dioxide spewed by a cement plant into renewable fuel. The question is whether GreenFuel can actually pull it off. The company ran into problems in 2007 when it tried to harvest all the algae it had grown at a coal-fired power plant outside Phoenix, Arizona. And it takes a lot of a of water and land (GreenFuel's plant will ultimately cover 247 acres) to grow the stuff and a load of energy to separate the algae from the water. The solution: algae that thrives in waste water or even seawater, which is where much of it grows naturally (and can bloom out of control to cause dead zones). Less pond scum and more sea slime--and then algae fuel might even take flight.
Blogging from the United Nations Millennium Development Goals Summit in New York City. New research by Chris Murray at the University of Washington gives us powerful evidence of the importance of achieving MDG 2 -- education for all. Murray found that half the reduction in child deaths over the past 40 years can be attributed to better education of girls. For every one-year increase in the average education of reproductive-age women, a country experienced a 9.5 percent decrease in child deaths. Fifty countries have already achieved universal primary education, but there are still 70 million school-aged children who are out-of-school - more than half are girls. Girls also lag behind boys in completing school. This is unacceptable. World Bank President Bob Zoellick just announced an additional $750 million in IDA support over the next five years to help girls and boys - mostly in Africa - to get in school, stay in school and learn. This money will help address some of the biggest obstacles to education in poor countries, including hiring more qualified teachers, bonuses for high-performing teachers and schools, scholarships, early childhood development and nutrition programs, and cash transfers to families which depend on sending their girls to school. We know these interventions work: for example, in Malawi, a conditional cash transfer program reduced the dropout rate among adolescent girls by more than 40 percent. The Malawi study is only the most recent evidence of the effectiveness of similar interventions in Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Mexico. A good quality education is the most powerful tool we can give our children to help them escap poverty and lead happier, healthier and more productive lives. Photo credit: Alfredo Srur / World Bank
- A term used to describe the combined continental landmass of Europe and Asia - the land mass formed by the continents of Europe and Asia - (eurasian) a person of mixed European and Asian descent - (eurasian) relating to, or coming from, Europe and Asia; “His mother was Eurasian, and his father Chinese”; “the Eurasian landmass is the largest in the world” - a diagrammatic representation of the earth’s surface (or part of it) - A diagrammatic representation of an area of land or sea showing physical features, cities, roads, etc - function: (mathematics) a mathematical relation such that each element of a given set (the domain of the function) is associated with an element of another set (the range of the function) - A two-dimensional representation of the positions of stars or other astronomical objects - A diagram or collection of data showing the spatial arrangement or distribution of something over an area - make a map of; show or establish the features of details of; “map the surface of Venus” map of eurasia – EURASIA: Region South Caucasus Map Near East Map map of eurasia The objective of this multimedia/exploration program is for students to learn about avian behavior, anatomy, challenges to survival, and remarkable roles in mythology and art. Students take a guided tour through a virtual natural history museum. The museum has three main rooms., corridors, and various galleries. Each room groups graphics and artifacts by topic, and all displays include text. Visit the section on Birds of Prey and see a ten-second video of the world’s largest bird of prey, the Andean Condor; learn about the importance of the falcon to the Egyptian culture; or turn a stuffed Eurasia Kestrel 360 degrees for 16 different views. See the world from a vulture’s viewpoint where the central portion of the visual field is magnified 2.5 times. Learn about bird habitats from around the globe. Learn about courtship, nesting, feeding, or anatomy. Other galleries hold exhibits on flight patterns with migration maps, environmental factors affecting bird population, endangered species, songs and calls where users can listen to birds like canaries and owls, and birds in art where some artwork can be rotated to view all sides. A navigation icon displays a map of the current location and can be used to move to another part of the museum. A visit to the Museum Store lets the user create screen savers, printable stationery and gift tags, and save sound files for use in other programs. Users can access a fully searchable index, assemble slide shows, and copy or print display windows. There is an option for turning the sound on and off. This museum can be expanded with additional CD-ROM titles that act as floors Joined by a common elevator. The Multimedia Education Lab Pack provides you with a 5 pack (5 Copies of the Bird CD) so you can use within your cl
What is pathology and what is ordinary suffering? In most cases, a few weeks of intense grief following the death of a loved one is ordinary suffering, according to the handbook psychologists and psychiatrists use to classify mental illness. But the same grief following, say, the loss of a job or the end of a marriage could be classified as depression, a form of mentall illness. A study published today in the Archives of General Psychiatry takes issue with that distinction. “Historical precedent, common sense, and research on loss responses all suggest that many types of losses can trigger intense normal sadness,” the authors write, listing a few garden-variety forms of loss: “not only bereavement but also romantic betrayal and rejection, economic misfortune, severe physical illness, loss of cherished possessions, and failure to attain important goals, among others.” In the study, researchers looked at data from a national mental-health survey and identified respondents who met the standardized criteria for major depressive disorder (which requires multiple symptoms such as gloomy mood, feelings of guilt, and changed eating or sleep patterns), and whose depressive epidodes were triggered by bereavement or other specific forms of loss. They found, perhaps not surprisingly, that the bereavement-triggered group was almost identical to the group whose grief was triggered by other forms of loss. If the handbook, called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, were to expand the boundaries of ordinary grief to include forms of loss besides bereavement, it could reduce by 25% the number of people classified with major depressive disorder, according to the paper. That revision could cut down on how often doctors prescribe antidepressants. “If someone has a normal grief reaction, you wouldn’t give that person an antidepressant, you would favor counseling,” Michael First, an author of the paper and an editor of the DSM, told the Washington Post. “If someone has major depression you would be more likely to medicate.” Your thoughts? WSJ.com columnist Benjamin Brewer writes about the challenges in diagnosing depression in his family practice. Visit his online forum to discuss the community resources available for supporting and treating depression. (We’ve turned off the comments feature on this post to encourage participation in the forum.)
food-based recommendations for the generally healthy U.S. and Canadian populations. That was not the task of this committee for whom the focus has been the quantitative nutrient requirements and upper levels of intake. Currently, the mainstays of DRI development are the EAR, and the Tolerable Upper Intake Level, or UL (also referred to at times as Upper Levels of Intake). The RDA is to be derived from the EAR and reflects an estimate of an intake that meets the needs of 97.5 percent of the population’s requirements. It is not a target intended to be met by all individuals, and intakes below the RDA cannot be assumed to be inadequate because the RDA by definition exceeds the actual requirements of all but 2 to 3 percent of the population. The Adequate Intake (AI) was originally incorporated into the framework to address the inevitable uncertainties associated with specifying requirements for infants, given the challenges in obtaining sufficient information for this group, but has expanded to include use when available data for any life stage group are too limited to establish a requirement. The AI is the subject of some debate, given that it does not appear to readily “fit” into the probability assumptions for DRI use (Taylor, 2008). There are also other reference values, as described in other IOM documents (IOM, 2006), but as these are not relevant to this report, they are not described here. The EAR is the average daily nutrient intake level that is estimated to meet the nutrient needs of half of the healthy individuals in a life stage or gender group. Although the term “average” is used, the EAR is actually an estimated median requirement (IOM, 2006). Therefore, by definition, the EAR exceeds the needs of half of the population and is less than the needs of the other half (Taylor, 2008). The 1994 to 2004 DRI process placed emphasis on the distribution of requirements for a population, rather than focusing on a single value constructed to “cover” the great majority of the population, as had been the case in earlier efforts (Taylor, 2008). This, along with the development of newer methodologies for assessing and planning adequate intakes for groups, made the EAR a central reference value, along with the UL. The 10 years of DRI development moved the process from a black-and-white cutoff in the form of an RDA to consideration of a probability model. Doing so made it clear that there is a distribution of requirements in the population (Taylor, 2008). The EAR itself presents little controversy as an expressed reference value. Beyond the question of how to handle EAR estimation in the face of limited data, most of the issues that surround EAR development are
I moved here my old post on history of graphed paper from my old blog. My question was: who, when and where printed the first sheet of graphed paper – and what was the motivation? This was what my readers told me: Between 1890 and 1910, the number of U.S. high school students quadrupled. Research mathematicians took an active interest in improving high school education. E. H. Moore, a distinguished mathematician at the University of Chicago, served on mathematics education panels and wrote at length on the advantages of teaching students to graph curves using paper with “squared lines.” (from “Teaching Math in America“) Graph paper, a math class staple, was developed between 1890 and 1910. During this period the number of high school students in the U.S. quadrupled, and by 1920, according to E.L Thorndike, one of every three teenagers in America “enters High School”, compared to one in ten in 1890. The population of “high school age” people had also grown so that the total number of people entering HS was six times as great as only three decades before. Research mathematicians and educators took an active interest in improving high school education. E. H. Moore, a distinguished mathematician at the University of Chicago, served on mathematics education panels and wrote at length on the advantages of teaching students to graph curves using paper with “squared lines.” When the University of Chicago opened in 1892 E.H. Moore was the acting head of the mathematics department. “Moore was born in Marietta, Ohio, in 1862, and graduated from Woodward High School in Cincinnati. “(from Milestones in (Ohio) Mathematics, by David E. Kullman) Moore was President of the American Mathematical Society in 1902. The Fourth Yearbook of the NCTM, Significant Changes and Trends in the Teaching of Mathematics Throughout the World Since 1910, published in 1929, has on page 159, “The graph, of great and growing importance, began to receive the attention of mathematics teachers during the first decade of the present century (20th)” . Later on page 160 they continue, “The graph appeared somewhat prior to 108, and although used to excess for a time, has held its position about as long and as successfully as any proposed reform. Owing to the prominence of the statistical graph, and the increased interest in educational statistics, graphic work is assured a permanent place in our courses in mathematics.” [emphasis added] The actual date of the first commercially published “coordinate paper” is usually attributed to Dr. Buxton of England in 1795 (if you know more about this man, let me know). The earlist record I know of the use of coordinate paper in published research was in 1800. Luke Howard (who is remembered for creating the names of clouds.. cumulus, nimbus, and such) included a graph of barometric variations. [On a periodical variation of the barometer, apparently due to the influence of the sun and moon on the atmosphere. Philosophical Magazine, 7 :355-363. ] The increased use of graphs and graph paper around the turn of the century is supported by a Preface to the “New Edition” of Algebra for Beginners by Hall and Knight. The book, which was reprinted yearly between the original edition and 1904 had no graphs appearing anywhere. When the “New Edition” appeared in 1906 it had an appendix on “Easy Graphs”, and the cover had been changed to include the subhead, “Including Easy Graphs”. The preface includes a strong statement that “the squared paper should be of good quality and accurately ruled to inches and tenths of an inch. Experience shews that anything on a smaller scale (such as ‘millimeter’ paper) is practically worthless in the hands of beginners.” He finishes with the admonition that, “The growing fashion of introducing graphs into all kinds of elementary work, where they are not wanted, and where they serve no purpose – either in illustration of guiding principles or in curtailing calculation – cannot be too strongley deprecated. (H. S. Hall, 1906)” The appendix continued to be the only place where graphs appeared as late as the 1928 edition. The term “graph paper seems not to have caught on quickly. I have a Hall (the same H S Hall as before) and Stevens A school Arithmetic, printed in 1919 that has a chapter on graphing on “squared paper”. Even later is a 1937 D. C. Heath text, Analytic Geometry by W. A. Wilson and J. A. Tracey, that uses the phrase “coordinate paper” (page 223, topic 153). Even in 1919 Practical mathematics for Home Study by Claude Irwin Palmer introduced a section on “Area Found by the Use of Squared Paper” and then defined “paper accurately ruled into small squares” (pg 183). It may be that the term squared paper hung on much longer in England than in the US. I have a 1961 copy of Public School Arithmetic (“Thirty-sixth impression, First published in 1910) by Baker and Bourne published in London that still uses the term “squared paper” but uses graphs extensively.
Basic Cheerleading Fitness Cheerleading is a very physically demanding sport and cheerleaders must be in excellent shape to perform all of the necessary skills. Different fitness activities that help improve overall strength and endurance can be incorporated into practice or they can be done on the athlete’s own time. Either way, maintaining a healthy diet and a workout routine is an important part of being a successful cheerleader. Major Muscles Needed Due to the mix of stunting and tumbling, cheerleaders tend to use a lot of different muscles. Below is a list of the specific muscle groups you should focus on exercising and strengthening: Upper Legs & Hips This large group of muscles, including the gluteals, hamstrings and quadriceps are used most often in stunting, especially if you are a side base. The muscles of the lower leg are tested during tumbling and jumping routines. The gastrocnemis, tibialis anterior and soleus must be strong and flexible. Core muscles, like the obliques, abdominals and spinal erectors (lower back muscles) are used in almost every skill that a cheerleader will perform, including stunts and jumps. Shoulders & Arms Whether you are stunting, tumbling or cheering on the sidelines, you are using the muscles of your upper body. Cheerleaders will especially need strong deltoids, biceps, pectorals and triceps. Hot Tip: Exercising to Avoid Injuries The stronger your body is, the less likely you are to get hurt. Some of the most common cheerleading injuries are ankle fractures, torn muscles and knee strains. In order to avoid these injuries, you must strengthen your legs and core. You will put less strain on your joints and ligaments if your muscles provide a solid foundation and can endure the stress of daily cheerleading practice. Stretching and Warming Up Before you start cheering, you must get your body ready. Take at least 10 minutes to warm up and stretch before you start stunting and tumbling. Everyone knows that they should stretch and warm up before intense exercise, but a lot of people skip it anyway. This oversight, however, can lead to injury or fatigue. If you jump right into cheering without warming up, you will fade fast or get hurt! Start each practice by stretching. Have one person lead the team through a routine that works every part of the body, holding the positions for a minimum of 20 seconds each. Next, get your body warmed up and ready to work. Pick something that is not strenuous, but that gets your whole body moving like jogging or jumping jacks. Cardio and Aerobic Training All cheerleaders must incorporate cardio and aerobic training into their workouts. These exercises will help you build endurance and stamina, which cheerleaders must have if they want to maintain form throughout their routines and performances. Some ways to incorporate cardio and/or aerobic training into your workout or practice are: - Running or jogging for 20+ minutes: Try starting practice with a two mile run. - Riding a bicycle: An easy way to add this exercise into your routine is to ride your bike to and from practice. - Jumping rope: Take a few minutes to jump rope at every practice. - Stair climbing: You probably have stairs at your school, so use them. - Swimming: This is a great way to start the day, so add it into your morning routine. Adding these activities into your weekly workout routine will help you stay strong and maintain form during long games and grueling competitions. Strength training is essential aspect of cheerleading fitness: If you want to reach your tumbling and stunting potential, you have to work on strengthening your entire body. It will improve bone, muscle, tendon and ligament strength, as well as joint function and flexibility. It can also improve your cardiovascular health and increase metabolism. Strength training should be added to your normal workout and practice routine a couple of times a week. Always ask an expert before you start working with weights to ensure that you are properly using the equipment and targeting the right areas. Hot Tip: Team Weight Training Team workouts are a great way to stay motivated and on track! If you are a coach, consider weight training as a team at least once a week. Bring in a certified trainer and have them show your team how to use the equipment and what exercises to do to target the key areas. If you coach a school-affiliated team, reserve your school’s weight room and ask the P.E. teacher to give the team a strength training orientation. You should always maintain a healthy diet and take care of your body, even if you don’t play sports. As a cheerleader, you have to keep your body in tip top shape because the sport requires you to be very active and athletic. This means being aware of what you put into your body. You burn a lot of calories while cheerleading, so it is important to eat before practice and drink a lot of water. You need enough substance (via complex carbohydrates and protein) to endure long practices and competitions. If you know you are going to be cheering at a game for an extended period of time, bring some snacks to replenish your energy. As a cheerleader, you need to stay healthy and in shape. Practice alone is not enough, so create a workout routine and stick to it!
Phasors, NOT Phasers! But the Phasers look like more fun! (only when they are set to stun) We have looked at the phase difference between the Inductor’s voltage against circuit current, which is 90 degrees. Also we found that the Inductor voltage leads the Supply voltage in an inductive circuit. And finally, we discovered that the Supply voltage leads the circuit current by an angle which we like to call theta. So how about Capacitors? Let’s see if they exhibit the same phenomenon.
I’m currently in Paris, presenting at the UbD by the Seine conference at the American School of Paris, and am really enjoying the school, the learning and sharing, and, of course, the food. I gave a three-hour session today on Models by Design work I’ve been doing, specifically how to use models by the teacher and models by the students to facilitate meaning-making and transfer in the classroom. We started a little late because the morning session ran a bit long (or was it the cheese platter and wine offered at lunch? Ah, Paris…), so I didn’t get to the last part of my presentation, which is on using Essential Questions as models of meaning-making and transfer. So I thought I’d post it here for everyone. Basically, it breaks down my more deliberate work with EQs in the classroom and how to use them as tools for transfer — the holy grail of educators (transfer = effectively applying all your skills, knowledge, and resources to new and unfamiliar situations; it implies that the training wheels are off and the student has learned to bike alone on a new street.) Below is a handout I give in my MbD workshop on how EQs make good models for meaning-making and transfer. Feel free to share any ideas or EQs you use in the comments section. As usual, you’ll find these are also an excellent resource for SPIDER Web Discussions in that they can be the starting point for a discussion or a nice link for students to come back to as they continue to make meaning of a text or topic. You may have read an earlier post on how I’m currently using EQs in my teaching, but if not, a quick refresher: I frame my courses with five or six EQs that we as a class come back to over and over again. I post them visibly and colorfully in the classroom and print them on the course syllabus and wiki so students are quite conscious of them. I try to work them into formative and summative assessments often (see below). I’m really pleased with how well this has worked in my classroom for the past two years and plan to do even more with them in the future. For now, enjoy some model EQs in English/Language Arts. Models of Essential Questions for Making Meaning and Transfer Content/theme-based EQs for ELA: 1. What if my right is your wrong? 2. Are humans inherently good or evil? 3. Do parents always know what’s best for their children? 4. Who is a hero? Can a hero do bad things and still be a hero? 5. Who is a child? Who is an adult? 6. Do we have free will? 7. Can we escape our social class? Should we try? 8. Who are the most powerful people? 9. Is women’s power inextricably linked to their bodies (and how they use them)? 10. Who is telling the story? How is he/she manipulating me? 11. Do we have a responsibility to others or only ourselves? 12. When is a story true? 13. Is language a weapon or a tool? 14. How does language reveal identity? Is it a reliable indicator? 15. When is it OK to borrow someone else’s idea? Process/Skills-based EQs for ELA: 1. When is it OK to borrow someone else’s idea? 2. What lies beneath the surface of this text? How can I uncover it? 3. When and how should I speak? When and how should I listen? 4. Who is my audience and what am I trying to make them think or feel? Example of how to use an Essential Question for making meaning and transfer: 1. September: Assign a journal response for homework: Why do people do bad things? Give some reasons and a few real-life examples or from texts last year. Bullet-points are fine. 2. September: Assign an essay on the EQ: Are humans inherently good or evil? Students use examples from the real world and their own life to support their argument. 3. October: The class discusses the EQ (perhaps in a SPIDER Web Discussion) 4. Semester 1: Students read The Lord of the Flies, Macbeth, and study the Stanford Prison Experiment. 5. January: Semester exam essay question on the same EQ: Are humans inherently good or evil? Students should use examples from semester texts to support their argument. 6. Semester 2: Students read The Kiterunner, What Is the What, or a selection of stories and poetry by Ursula Leguin, Tim O’Brien, Siegfried Sassoon, etc.; they also do a service project in the local community, identifying a local unsung hero and interviewing him/her for a presentation or project. 7. June: Final exam essay question on the same EQ: Are humans inherently good or evil? Students should use examples from the year’s texts and projects to support their argument. The texts or question are not the central focus here – choose any texts and EQ that offer chances to think critically and deeply. The key idea is that students are offered opportunity to make meaning by approaching the same EQ in a variety of ways with increasing depth at each stage. They are also offered opportunities to transfer their knowledge, paradoxically, through using the same EQ throughout the year because each essay will draw from new and more varied sources to make a cogent essay. * Feedback is key in this process, especially for transfer – at several points throughout the year and especially after each journal, discussion, essay, and project, give students clear feedback on how better to answer the question given the assessment task.
Christmas Eve a bright star shone over a lowly stable–or so all the pictures and videos and Christmas cards would lead us to believe. A busy star, that, because the same legends have it leading the wisemen from wherever they lived in the East to that same ramshackle stable, with a little side trip into Jerusalem. Even when I was young, I had some serious questions about this popular notion about the Christmas star. First, why did the star lead the wisemen to the wrong place before it led them to the right place? And secondly, if it was so bright, why didn’t other people go see what it was pointing to? I mean, would they ignore such a dramatic heavenly sight? As it turns out, much of our ideas about the star are legend, not Biblical fact. Take the first point–the idea that the wisemen followed the star from their home in the somewhere East to the wrong place, Jerusalem. A careful reading of Scripture shows that initially there was no star following. Rather, the magi–another name for astrologers who studied the heavens–saw the star that indicated a king had been born in Judea. They decided to pay homage to this king, so they packed up their caravan and went to the most likely place you’d find the heir to the throne–the capital city. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” (Matthew 2:1-2) Upon arrival, of course, they learned that, oops, no heir had been born to Herod, which could only mean one of two things–either a coup would occur overthrowing Herod, which was unlikely since Rome ultimately oversaw who sat on the throne, or the promised Messiah of Scripture had been born. Most Jews, it seems, believed He wouldn’t unseat Herod, but Rome, at least as far as it held jurisdiction in Judea. Herod checked with the scholars familiar with the prophets. From them he learned that the promised Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, and that’s the information he passed on to the magi, all the while making his own plans to do away with this child that just might be a threat to his own rule. When the magi packed up and headed out of Jerusalem, that’s when they saw the special star again. They recognized it as the same one they’d seen in the East, and this time it moved in front of them, only to stop when it came to the place where Jesus was–not a manger any longer but a house. So why didn’t others join the wisemen and follow this star too? I mean, Scripture says “all Jerusalem” was troubled–unnerved, perturbed, perplexed–by what the wisemen had to say. A star, a king, magi come to worship? Wouldn’t “all Jerusalem” then be only too eager to see where that bright star was going? They’d been waiting for generations. Couldn’t this be it??? Well, the thing is, nowhere in Scripture does it say this star was bright. The wisemen saw it and recognized it because they were wise men. They made it their business to study the heavens, to learn the secrets of God. Here’s what Strong’s Concordance says about the magi: the name given by the Babylonians (Chaldeans), Medes, Persians, and others, to the wise men, teachers, priests, physicians, astrologers, seers, interpreters of dreams, augers, soothsayers, sorcerers etc. It’s uncomfortable to think that God spoke to these non-Jews in a way that seems so different from the one He used with the Jews and later with the Church. No sorcery, He said. No divination, no interpreting of omens: There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. (Deut 18:10-11) Yet clearly the magi saw in the heavens the proclamation of the birth of God’s Son. This brings to mind a verse in Colossians in which Paul says “… the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation ” (1:23b – emphasis mine). So what if the star declaring Jesus’s birth wasn’t an isolated incident? What if God, through His omnipotence, put the gospel message out there in any number of ways for men who wished to worship Him? But that’s speculation on my part. What isn’t speculation is that the star didn’t lead the wisemen to Jerusalem and Scripture says nothing about the star being particularly bright. And this is important because … ? For one thing it illustrates how easily we come to believe something we’ve heard over and over and seen time and time again, regardless of its Scriptural underpinnings. For me, the star is a reminder to be cautious. The faddish interpretations of Biblical events just might be built upon a legend, so it’s imperative to examine ideas in light of what Scripture actually says. Secondly, it shows that even the wisemen needed to verify their findings with Scripture. God didn’t send them an errant sign that inadvertently took them to Jerusalem instead of Bethlehem. No, they made that mistake all by themselves. Thirdly, if God had wanted the whole area to drop everything and run to see the baby Jesus, I don’t doubt that He would have made the star particularly bright or sent the host of angels to Jerusalem instead of to a handful of shepherds going about their regular duties. In His divine wisdom, though, He chose a small reception party–actually two separate parties by two divergent groups: lowly shepherds and foreigners. The latter were not Jews. They were people from Somewhere Else. Above all, it seems to me that the star, which apparently the Jews laden with Scripture completely missed, shows that God intended His Son to be the Savior of the world. He was not the political powerhouse the Jews were looking for. He was and is the King available to all who wish to bow the knee, to worship and adore Incarnate God, born to save.
The Booted Bantam, also known as the Sabelpoot, is an ancient European true bantam breed with origins in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Britain. It has no large fowl counterpart and is a proud bird with a jaunty character making it a very beautiful and friendly breed to keep. They have a short, stocky build but an upright stance making them look rather slender. The term ‘booted’ stems from the long stiff leg hocks or ‘sabels’ which can be seen on both males and females. Despite its size it is quite hardy and makes a very good bird for beginners or a small garden. Their feathered feet mean limited damage to the garden if you free range them, but they are not suitable for muddy conditions. They are an inquisitive breed and seem to seek out the company of their keepers resulting in them becoming reasonably tame. The hens lay a good number of eggs of a fair size (38g) and occasionally become broody. The cock birds are fairly tolerant and not prone to aggressive behaviour. They also have a relatively quiet crow compared with other breeds. Plumage/Colours: Soft feather; Black, White, Porcelain, Black Mottled, Millefleur. Eyes: Red, dark red, dark brown. Comb: Single, upright, well serrated. Feet & legs: Well feathered; white Cock: 30oz (850g), Hen: 27oz (750g) Egg production: Medium, Egg Colour: Tinted Classification: True Bantam (Show classification: True Bantam; Rare)
In present day central Arizona’s Gila River Valley there stands a remnant of what was once a thriving ancient and “pre-Columbian” civilization. The People today known as Hohokam, a derivation of the Pima word huhugam which means “those who have vanished,” disappeared as much as a century before Columbus ‘discovered’ what the world today knows as the Americas, the lands of the Western Hemisphere. The Hohokam were, like many of the First Peoples of the western world, advanced both culturally and scientifically. They were desert agriculturalists whose major surviving physical remnant is the Casa Grande, an edifice already abandoned and in ruin when the Spanish discovered and named it, perhaps as early as the sixteenth century of the Common Era, while on their two-fingered northern explorations of New Spain in search both of (confiscatable) gold and silver riches and, of course, (confiscatable) souls presumed to be potentially convertible to Christianity. In any case, the Spaniards presumed that because of its size the Casa Grande was an abandoned “apartment” building of some sort, standing as the centerpiece amidst a dozen or so smaller structures, each also constructed mainly of desert clays, of caliche. The reality is, however, that The Great House was likely far more than simply a dwelling, that it was at least an abode of royalty, and most likely also an astronomical observatory. There are, for example, portals — “observation holes” — in the adobe walls which precisely line up with and mark the position of the sun on solstices and equinoxes. There is also the academic surmise that the Hohokam (along with numerous other “primitive” peoples in both today’s American Southwest and in Mexico as well) were intimately familiar with lunar cycles, with constellation migrations across nighttime skies, as well as with the ‘practical’ impact of astronomical realities on climate and weather patterns necessary to sustain their agricultural practices. As an aside, it’s an interesting exercise to ponder the reasons that today, the greater share of this country’s post-Hohokam population is not only unaware of “astronomical realities” of most any type, but is also unwilling (or unable) to comprehend the potential impact of climate change on the human population. Many are, however, still interested in Christianizing the heathen (or, in the case of Muslims, simply killing them is also a favored option). One does, indeed, wonder if/when humanity will ever advance, perhaps even to the level once attained by “primitive” peoples. Time will reveal all, assuming someone remains alive to carry forth the evaluation. Below are a handful of photographs from the Casa Grande and of some Hohokam artifacts, accompanied by some excerpts of actual writings by early Spanish visitors including Fr. Eusebio Kino, the pioneer Jesuit missionary in Sonora’s Pimeria Alta who conducted a mass inside the Casa Grande in 1694, by New Spain military leaders Captain Juan Mateo Manje and Lieutenant Cristóbal Martín Bernal in 1697, also in 1775 by Franciscan Padre Pedro Font who was in the company of Spanish Commandant Juan Bautista de Anza of the Tubac Presidio in the Pimeria Alta. Anza shortly thereafter led an expedition to Alta California where settlements and missions were established and called, resp., San Gabriel, Monterrey, San Francisco, and San Jose. Upon his return from California, Anza was assigned (1779) to the Presido at Santa Fe in Nuevo Mexico and charged with finding and killing the Comanche chieftain named Tabivo Naritgant, aka Cuerno Verde (see https://tpzoo.wordpress.com/2012/09/03/233-years-ago-today/). Fig. 1: Casa Grande, The Great House; Gila River Valley, Arizona Excerpt From the journal of Fr. Eusebio Kino, Jesuit missionary in Pimeria Alta (1694) “In November, 1694, I went inland with my servants and some justices of this Pimeria, as far as the casa grande, as these Pimas call it, which is on the large River of Hila [Gila] that flows out of Nuevo Mexico and has its source near Acoma. This river and this large house and the neighboring houses are forty-three leagues beyond and to the northwest of the Sobaipuris of San Francisco del Bac . . . the casa grande is a four-story building as large as a castle and equal to the largest church in these lands of Sonora . . . . Close to this casa grande there are thirteen smaller houses, somewhat more dilapidated, and the ruins of many others, which makes it evident that in ancient times there had been a city here. On this occasion and on later ones I have learned and heard, and at times have seen, that further to the east, north, and west there are seven or eight more of these large old houses and the ruins of whole cities.” Fig 2: Interior Portal, Casa Grande Excerpt From the Diary of “Lieutenant Cristóbal Martín Bernal, presently of the Compaña Volante [Flying Company] of this Province of Sonora . . . “ “The following day, the 18th, I set out marching, looking for the Casa Grande, leaving the river to the right. About two leagues we came upon it again. This valley is very wide and dry without pasture for the horses. Continuing the march through the valley . . . and having traveled four leagues, we arrived at the Casa Grande which is away from the river about a league where our Father Kino said Mass at 11 o’clock in the morning. Because there was much wind from the north he did not say it in the place he should have. We saw all the rooms of the building, which is very large, four stories high, the walls forming a square, and very thick about two yards in width, of the previously mentioned white clay. Although the heathens had burned it at different times, the four stories can be seen with very good rooms, apartments and windows, curiously plastered inside and out in such a way the walls are washed and smoothed with a somewhat red clay, the doorways similarly. There are also in the immediate area outside eleven somewhat smaller houses built with peculiar curiousness of the large high one. Also it is seen that it was greatly populated and that they had a government and in a large area is seen a lot of broken, painted pottery. Also is seen a main irrigation canal, ten yards wide and four deep and with very thick sides made of the same earth, which goes to the house through a plain.” Fig 3: Wall remnant of secondary building, Casa Grande National Monument “[The walls] are so smooth on the inside that they look like planed boards . . . and shine like Puebla earthenware . . . the same is true of their doors, although these are narrow . . . . The building is 36 paces long and 21 paces wide – of good architecture . . . . A crossbow shot farther on 12 other houses and all with roofs burnt, except one room beneath one house, with round beams, smooth and not thick, which appear to be of cedar or savin, and over them reeds very similar to them and a layer of mortar and hard clay making a ceiling or story of very peculiar character. In the neighborhood many other ruins may be noted . . . “ All those buildings at Casa Grande were built by people whose chief was called el Siba, which in their language means ‘The cruel and bitter man.’” Fig. 4: Hohokam Sun Petroglyph at Painted Rock, Gila Valley Arizona Eighty-two years following Kino’s discovery of the Casa Grande, Commandant Juan Bautista de Anza of Tubac, accompanied by Franciscan Padres Font, Garcés, and Eixarch visited the area on October 30, 1775; Font wrote: “We made an exact inspection of the edifice, and of its situation, and we measured it with a lance for the nonce, which measurement I reduced afterward to geometrical feet, and a little more or less it is the following: The Casa is a quadrilonga-un carre long [oblong square] and perfectly to the four cardinal winds, east, west, north and south. “The woodwork was of pine, apparently, and the sierra most near, which has pines, is distant some twenty and five leagues and also has some mesquite. All the edifice is of earth, and according to the signs, it is a mud-wall made with boxes of various sizes. . . . To give light to the apartments there is nothing but the doors and some circular openings in the midst of the walls which face to the east and west, and the Indians said that though these openings (which are pretty large) the Prince, whom they call El Hombre Amargo (the Bitter Man), looked out on the sun when it rose and set, to salute it.” Fig 5: Hohokam Axe head, Approx. 900 Yrs. Old Voices in the Wind Though modern ears seem deaf to primal song, Ideas seek – and probe – subconscious minds. Where spirits walk, old muted voices long To search – as dust now gathered by the winds - To speak in silence, whispering to souls Their sacred manifests of unsung dreams. Then Suffrage of the land – through Gray Wolf’s howls And breath of noiseless Deer – expresses themes As surely as the murmur of the trees Announces wind and wingéd life, in kind. And silently as Eagle rides the breeze, These messages – the Sum of Life – remind: Man’s aimless, modern Din shall ne’er transcend The Wild – and Ancient – Voices – in the Wind.
This is a extremely simple project that kids can do and great tool for learning on "how to read time" I know there are digital clocks, which is extremely easy to read.. But I am old school and wanted my son to make one... This takes about 10 to 15 minutes and helps kids build some diy skills... Step 1: What Do We Need ? - paper plates for younger kids - Sketch pens - paper pin, - paper tape One can use decorative materials as well Step 2: Clock Draw a circle on cardboard and ask your kids to cut it along the lines. Draw a crown and get to cut too.. Mark 12 equidistant points as shown and ask the kids to write numbers 1 to 12, draw eyes, nose and mouth One can leave it to kids imagination to decorate as they like... Younger kids who cannot cut, can use a paper plate Step 3: Hands Now measure a popsicle stick for the hour and minute hands.. Cut then and make small hole using a paper pin. Note that the popsicle stick can split.. try again... or use use think strips of cardboard Colour the hands and fix it at the center as shown Step 4: Play Time Set a time and play quiz ... Enjoy time together I extended with other kids in my apartment and they enjoyed...
Starting climate models from measured data helps simulate the early-2000s global warming hiatus better, and reduces projections for warming through to 2035. Jerry Meehl and Haiyan Teng have compared such ‘initialised’ model runs against more common ‘uninitialised’ ones starting without real-life conditions. The scientists, from the US National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado, find initialised runs get closer to modelling that hiatus and surprisingly rapid warming in the 1970s. Using the same approach, admittedly rough 30-year predictions for Earth’s surface air temperature initialised in 2006 are about one-sixth less than uninitialised projections. “We have evidence that if we would have had this methodology in the 1990s, we could have predicted the early-2000s hiatus,” Jerry told me. The hiatus Jerry and Haiyan studied – an easing off in the rate of global warming since 1998 – is perhaps the aspect of climate change most hotly debated today. But hiatus is a slippery word, whose meaning depends on who is highlighting what points on which graph. Climate skeptics will often infer that it’s evidence that global warming is not a problem, or that it shows we know too little to act on climate change. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change puts it in plain numbers: the rate of warming from 1998-2012 was 0.05°C per decade; from 1951 to 2012, it was 0.12°C per decade. “In addition to robust multi-decadal warming, global mean surface temperature exhibits substantial decadal and interannual variability,” it adds. “Due to natural variability, trends based on short records are very sensitive to the beginning and end dates and do not in general reflect long-term climate trends.” In a paper published online in the journal Geophysical Research Letters last week, Jerry and Haiyan touch on the current best explanations of the let-up. These include the chilling effect of recent volcano eruptions, but mostly focus on cooling in the Pacific as part of a natural cycle. Called the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO), this regular wobble in sea surface temperatures has likely partly masked greenhouse-gas driven warming. The IPO has also been linked to a larger warming than might have been expected from greenhouse gases alone in the 1970s, the NCAR researchers add. 10-year weather forecasts Conventional climate models deliberately don’t start from actual observations of climate so that they smooth these kinds of short-term effects, Jerry pointed out. “Uninitialised projections are designed to simulate the response to external forcings like increasing greenhouse gases,” he said. “They are intended to run multiple ensemble members [many different possible conditions] to average out internally generated climate variability. Initialised predictions are designed to simulate both the response to external forcings and the internally generated variability.” Though collecting the data for initialised climate predictions clearly requires extra work, in some ways it just extends science we’ve long seen on TV. “They’ve been doing it for numerical weather prediction for over 50 years,” Jerry noted. He’s trying to model decades into the future and, whereas weather forecasting just uses atmospheric data, this ideally needs data from land, oceans and sea ice as well. “It’s much more challenging for decadal climate prediction, mainly due to the limitations of subsurface ocean data,” the scientists admitted. “We only have decent upper ocean data from the ARGO ocean float observing period of the 2000s, though there is other scattered ocean data from previous decades that we use for hindcasts to assess model skill.” In 2012, Jerry and Haiyan had showed that initialisation got closer to simulating rapid warming in the 1970s and the 2000s hiatus using just one model. In their latest paper they wanted to check that result using larger sets of models, devised by groups around the world and pulled together by the CMIP5 project. First they analysed two 10-year ‘hindcast’ simulations starting in 1976 and 2005 using 16 models, with and without initialisation. For the initialised set the average temperature change across all the models was nearer to actual temperatures than the uninitialised set. “Predictions initialised now during the hiatus are starting at a somewhat cooler initial state than the uninitialised projections,” Jerry told me. “The latter are only capturing the response to increasing greenhouse gases, the former are resolving the internally generated variability that has produced the hiatus. For those reasons and others the initialised predictions produce somewhat less global warming than uninitialised.” The outlook will clear up Cutting down to 14 models the scientists then analysed one 30-year hindcast starting in 1981 and one 30-year prediction starting in 2006, again with and without initialisation. Although the initialised models generally simulated lower temperatures than the uninitialised ones, they realised it wasn’t down to the initialisation itself in these longer runs. They tweaked the models to remove systematic errors in initialised runs, and when they did the same to uninitialised runs, they couldn’t tell the difference between the two. “The model will drift away from the observed initial state just due to its inherent limitations in simulating the climate,” Jerry explained. “This model drift can be corrected by so-called bias adjustments – similar techniques were used in the early days of numerical weather prediction with atmospheric models. As models continue to improve, model error will be reduced and the need for bias adjustment will also be reduced.” The NCAR team are now writing a paper that will show that decadal climate prediction techniques could have forecasted the hiatus. Jerry also underlined the approach’s broader importance in climate problems. “Decadal climate prediction has only been around since about 2007, so it’s a brand new field for climate science,” he enthused. “This is exciting because the area of science is tackling two very challenging problems. The science problem is: How can we predict near-term climate which is a combination of internally-generated climate variability and the response to increasing greenhouse gases? And the compelling stakeholder problem is where stakeholders are very keen for climate information on the timeframe of a decade or two in the future, not the end of the century.” Easterling, D., & Wehner, M. (2009). Is the climate warming or cooling? Geophysical Research Letters, 36 (8) DOI: 10.1029/2009GL037810 Meehl, G., & Teng, H. (2012). Case studies for initialized decadal hindcasts and predictions for the Pacific region Geophysical Research Letters, 39 (22) DOI: 10.1029/2012GL053423 Meehl, G., & Teng, H. (2014). CMIP5 multi-model hindcasts for the mid-1970s shift and early 2000s hiatus and predictions for 2016-2035 Geophysical Research Letters DOI: 10.1002/2014GL059256
A small piece of low-tech metalwork from a University of Iowa researcher demonstrates just how beautifully simple positive environmental change can be. Particularly given that the dominant approach to cooking over fire in Iowa isn’t usually associated with ‘small’. An inexpensive metal insert for primitive cookstoves created by a University of Iowa researcher may decrease global warming and potentially save the lives of thousands of women and children. The study authored by UI professor of mechanical and industrial engineering H.S. Udaykumar was published in the November issue of Solutions. Udaykumar spent several weeks earlier this year in the western India region of Rajasthan investigating ways to decrease the amount of firewood used for daily cooking by women in the village. His goal was to help prevent deforestation in developing countries, but he discovered two secondary benefits that have proven extremely significant. The rural village is on the edge of a national forest and wildlife refuge, where women and girls trek each day to gather firewood for cooking on the traditional three-stone hearth stoves, called chulhas. The amount of wood harvested from the forest for cooking has “been devastating” and has begun to alter the habitat. When using firewood to cook on the poorly ventilated and inefficient chulhas, which do not have chimneys, smoke and soot settles inside the home. But more important than finding a way to decrease wood consumption, he says, is decreasing the black carbon emissions, which are known to cause respiratory disease. “Also, black carbon goes into the atmosphere and some people think it is the No. 2 reason for global warming,” he says. “All that soot goes up in the air and settles on ice and darkens the ice, which causes it to absorb more solar radiation and subsequently warms the earth.” After failed attempts at getting women in the village to use high-efficiency cookstoves made of metal – partly because of their $30 cost — researchers came up with the idea of a metal grate insert for the three-stone hearths the women refused to abandon. The insert, called Mewar Angithi, is made from a steel plate with air holes punched in it. The device costs about $1. “It’s a glorified grate, really. And so it’s simple to make,” Udaykumar said. The insert separates the ash from the wood and allows air flow from under the burning wood, which increases its efficiency. Researchers found that using the metal insert decreased wood consumption by about 60 percent and anecdotally observed a significant reduction of smoke, although no formal emissions measurements were taken in the homes. Further testing on soot emissions was later conducted in a national lab in India, and Udaykumar and his team found that the metal insert actually decreased emissions by 90 percent. The World Health Organization estimates that some 2.7 billion people worldwide still rely on food cooked by burning wood and more than 4 million people die prematurely each year from illness connected to household air pollution from that method of cooking. About 2,000 of the inserts are in use at the present time, and additional research will take place in India this winter, Udaykumar said. Source: Eurekalert/University of Iowa Photo: H.S. Udaykumar/University of Iowa
Having a pet dog during pregnancy and just after birth can help reduce the child’s chances of developing allergies and becoming obese in later years, according to a new medical study. Microbes found in the fur of man’s best friend lead to two types of friendly bacteria in humans that are associated with a lower risk of both allergies including asthma and obesity. But the timing could be vital, particularly to get the bacteria working early in life, said researchers for the specialist journal Microbiome. It found that having a dog around while the baby is in the womb and for three months after birth increases the likelihood of these bacteria working. The theory with allergies is a long established one. Children who are exposed to dirt and bugs end up developing an immunity to them, so it is good to get them to play outside when young. Now epidemiologists from the University of Alberta in Canada have connected the same effect to families with pets and, in particular, dogs. They studied stool samples from 746 children that were collected as part of a government health programmes over two decades. They found higher levels of gut microbes Ruminococcus and Oscillospira in those children whose family had a pet and in 70 per cent of cases, a dog. The microbes are microorganisms or bacteria that live in the digestive tracts of both humans and animals and are linked to lower levels of allergies and obesity. Researcher, pediatric epidemiologist Anna Kozyrskyj, said: “There’s definitely a critical window of time when gut immunity and microbes co-develop, and when disruptions to the process result in changes to gut immunity.” The microbes may be passed from animal to human by stroking the fur or simply being in the same environment and can even affect an unborn baby during pregnancy. Kozyrskyj added: “The abundance of these two bacteria were increased twofold when there was a pet in the house.” Even if the family owned a dog during pregnancy but gave it away before birth, it increased the chances of the baby having the immunity. And for those who don’t like dogs and want the same effect, the research may provide a way of developing a ‘dog in a pill’ to help children develop an immunity to allergies and obesity. Kozyrskyj said: “It’s not far-fetched that the pharmaceutical industry will try to create a supplement of these microbiomes, much like was done with probiotics.”
In an Oct. 17 letter, G. Slater contends Georgia Southern University scientists have purposefully misrepresented the anatomy of the fossil whale collected at Plant Vogtle and now called Georgiacetus vogtlensts. First, our work has been carefully judged by outside experts in what is known as the peer-review process, published in a major, international scientific journal and presented to numerous scientific audiences. Our interpretations have never been questioned by professional scientists. Second, Mr. Slater is incorrect in his allegation that there "...are no fossil remains of any type of whale found anywhere in the world that demonstrates this theory (that at one time whales had feet)." In the past decade, paleontologists have discovered several different fossil whales that preserve the bones forming the limbs and feet. These include reports of hind limbs (including foot and toe bones) in fossil whales that are both older than Georgiacetus (Ambulocetus from Pakistan) and younger than Georgiacetus (Basilosaurus from Egypt). Both of these studies were published in the prestigious journal Science, which is published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Third, Mr. Slater contends thatGeorgiacetus would have lacked a femur (the upper bone of the leg). If that was indeed the case, why does the pelvis of Georgiacetus have a perfectly formed socket joint for a femur, and why does it bear the marks caused by the attachment of various leg muscles? Because whales that are older and more primitive than Georgiacetus are known to have hind legs, as well as whales that are younger and more advanced; then the absence of a femur in Georgiacetus would be surprising even if we did not have the evidence from the pelvis. Fourth, Mr. Slater cites the book Whales by E. J. Slijper, which is still an important reference book on modern whales, even though it was first published many decades ago. Mr. Slijper noted that some living whales have a vestigial pelvis, and on rare occasions other hind limb bones. The presence of vestigial organs, such as the human appendix and the pelvic bones found in some whales and snakes, is taken by most scientists as strong evidence in support of biologic evolution and is found in almost every basic biology textbook. Finally, Mr. Slater argues against an evolution transition from a land-dwelling animal to an aquatic form, and states that if this occurs then there should be many fossils of them, which "...is not the case." Even within the modern world, we observe a broad range of adaptations to living in water by a variety of "land animals" from beavers, otters, turtles and alligators to more highly adapted types such as penguins, seals, manatees and whales. The fossil record has produced dozens of additional samples, including the famous marine reptiles of the Mesozoic (Dinosaur) Era, the ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and mosasaurs. ... Richard C. Hulbert, Jr., Statesboro (Editor's note: The writer is associate professor of Geology at GSU. The whale exhibit at the GSU museum ends tomorrow.)
Keeping a light on: ordinary heroes of Syria’s eight-year war Syria’s displaced millions struggle to eat, wash, sleep and work. Ireland must aid them Syrian refugees in Mohammara, Akkar province in northern Lebanon on March 9th, 2019: It’s hard to imagine what it means, to drop everything and run with your family. Photograph: Nabil Mounzer/EPA This month the war in Syria will turn eight years old. Children have been born, raised and lost since those first peaceful protests in 2011 calling for regime change. No one could have imagined then that what followed would be so brutal or last so long. Today, millions of ordinary people are still bearing the brunt of that conflict and nowhere is the situation more acute than in Idlib province. Here, in an area the size of Co Clare, over three million civilians are trapped between the advancing pro-government forces and the closed Turkish border. Half of these people are families who have already fled other parts of Syria, in one of most unimaginable upheavals in recent history. They now have nowhere else to go. It’s hard to imagine what it means, to drop everything and run with your family. To be in your own country, but far from your home – far from the place where you once planted roses, or walked to the baker’s each morning, or knew all your neighbours by name. Three million shopkeepers, nurses, university students, teachers, tailors, former factory workers. Many do not even have the benefit of a space in a proper camp, living only in a tent on a bare patch of land. No water, no toilets. No school or clinic or way to earn a living. Many more are people who, having already fled their home once, tried to create a new home among strangers. They sowed wheat and barley and tried to put down roots. Then they had to move again, as the fighting came closer and the bombs kept their children awake, forcing them to leave everything behind a second time. “I do not know what is going to happen next,” a kindergarten teacher called Haifa says. Haifa has a six year old and a three year old, and worries about the toll any more upheaval would have on her elderly parents. Eight years of air strikes and sieges. Eight years of watching your child’s school be bombed; eight years of food shortages and listening out for air strikes at night. Eight years of wondering what the rest of the world is doing to help. Bassam, a secondary school teacher, tells of how he felt: “I can say the international community, both governments and people, have let the Syrian people down.” Eight years of watching your child’s school be bombed; eight years of food shortages. Eight years of wondering what the rest of the world is doing to help In the face of that, it is extraordinary how many stories contain the seeds of hope. Unpaid volunteers have opened schools in camps to try and give children there some semblance of an education. A teenager is making prosthetics for those who have lost limbs in the bombings. Parents doing their very best to keep their children clean, safe, and clothed. In particular, I keep thinking about the father who bought a battery with the minimal wage he earns, so that his children will have a light to comfort them at night. These are the millions of civilians who face abandonment if lifesaving aid is withdrawn or a new military offensive is launched. Idlib is one of the last areas not controlled by the Assad government. According to the UN, there are approximately 30,000 rebel fighters in the province, of whom 10,000 are designated by the UN as terrorists. This complicates things enormously. Though all the main humanitarian agencies in Idlib have put strict measures in place to ensure aid only goes to the most vulnerable, and is not stolen or co-opted by armed groups, some European governments have been considering suspending aid to the region. The 173 members of the Syrian NGO League recently warned of the “devastating” consequences this would have for emergency medical and humanitarian assistance. We should not abandon people simply because their territory is controlled by an armed group In the words of Dan Altman, head of the main government aid watchdog in the US, “These are really, really complicated environments.” But that should not mean we abandon people, simply because their territory is controlled by an armed group they did not choose and have likely suffered under themselves. A gathering in Brussels this week renewed aid pledges to Syria. But a peaceful political resolution to the war is still needed, to avert what UN secretary-general António Guterres has warned would be “a humanitarian nightmare” in Idlib if a large-scale military assault was launched. Closer to home, Ireland promised in 2015 to accept 4,000 mainly Syrian refugees. Four years later, we have taken in only 2,152. To put these numbers into perspective, Lebanon, a country seven times smaller than Ireland, has taken in approximately one million Syrian refugees. There is a common accusation made that Middle Eastern countries should be doing more about Syrian refugees. But countries like Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan are bearing the brunt of the crisis – along with all those Syrians still inside Syria, who have taken in millions of their displaced fellow citizens. We can and should do better. The war has gone on so long and been so devastating that many of us feel exhausted simply hearing about it. But it is unimaginably worse for those at its epicentre. In all of the politics, it is crucial to remember that this is a war with human beings at its heart. After eight years, they are still there, trying their best to find work and plant vegetables and raise a family; to keep a light on for their children in the dark. The very least we can do is not abandon them. Riona Judge McCormack is currently working with the Syria programme of People in Need, one of the first humanitarian organisations to respond to the conflict there
The Truth About Behaviour Management In One Word Updated: Jun 29, 2020 From a young age, we are told to respect this word. Follow it. Obey it without question. Great minds like Oscar Wilde and Albert Einstein told us to resist it. Defy it. Stand up and fight it. We like it when we have it, but hate it when it’s used against us. What is that term, I hear you ask? That word is ‘authority.’ In our civilised societies, we don’t do authority well. We have a really dysfunctional, ‘Ross-and-Rachel-from-Friends’ type relationship with it without the happy ending. Teachers have it, but either use it poorly or wield it like Thanos with his Infinity Gauntlet. But this lack of understanding makes us poor at managing classroom behaviour - and we need to fix that. Dear teachers, in this blogpost, we will take a deep dive into this tricky term. We will look at: What authority actually is. The different parts that make-up authority and how they work together. And most importantly, How we can build our authority and use it to become respected leaders of our classrooms. With this new understanding, you will be one step closer to becoming a behaviour management master. Let’s proceed. What is Authority? Think of a famous historical leader who had authority. Who came to mind? Adolf Hitler? Saddam Hussein? Groundskeeper Willie from The Simpsons? These folks tend not to be the cute and cuddly types... ‘Authority’ has become the naughty nickname of ‘power’ and now receives the same distrust. In our time, societies around the world have become more sensitive to people and institutions that abuse their position. More than ever, people are more prepared to question and challenge the-powers-that-be and hold them to account — which of course is the right thing to do. But before we kick ‘Authority’ out of the house, change the door locks and talk to our lawyers, let’s take a closer look at what the word actually means. The Oxford Dictionary Online has several definitions of the term1: 1. The power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience. Yikes. This is the ‘scary’ authority that we were talking about. But wait, there’s more. 3. The power to influence others, especially because of one's commanding manner or one's recognised knowledge about something. ‘he has the natural authority of one who is used to being obeyed’ 3.1 The confidence resulting from personal expertise. ‘he hit the ball with authority’ 3.2 A person with extensive or specialised knowledge about a subject; an expert. ‘he was an authority on the stock market’ I love those definitions. ‘Authority’ is so much more than barking orders and making people kneel before you. Your authority includes your expertise, wisdom and your ability to pass on your knowledge to your students. If you want further proof about the power of positive authority, I want you to imagine you are on your way to work and you see a stranger lying in the road, unconscious and clearly in a bad way. You freeze — apart from the basic First Aid training you learnt at the Cadets, you don’t know how you can help this person. All of a sudden, a stranger sprints up to you, explaining she’s a doctor. She checks the patient at lightning speed and reassures him that help is on the way. She tells you to help her treat the victim while instructing people in the crowd to call the ambulance. When help does arrive, she perfectly relays to the paramedics his prognosis, all in a graceful and efficient manner. The Doctor was calm, assertive and totally in control of the situation. Throughout the crisis, she kept it together and lead a team of strangers to save the person’s life. She went beyond having authority — she became a leader. Many men and women a lot smarter than me, have discussed and wrote about this subject for centuries. But for this blogpost, I just want to talk about two flavours: Positional Authority and Personal Authority. This is also known as ‘Institutional Authority.’ This is the authority that is bestowed on you by having a certain position, title or social standing. Positional Authority is very closely related to power, which is the ability to make people do what you want, whether they like it or not. In most societies, the more Positional Power you have, the more money, connections and fame you receive. This type of authority is external — other people can see it and in some cases, must obey it. For example, The UK Prime Minister has more Positional Authority than the Mayor of London. Authority doesn’t only exist in Politics but anywhere where there is a group of people. Wherever you get a coalition of individuals acting together, there will always be a leader and others that must follow. As a teacher in charge of students, you are naturally in a position of authority. You are responsible for their wellbeing and safety and you are the ‘top dog’ in your class. But Positional Authority is not enough by itself to lead successfully in the long term. With the internet, our tech-savvy students have been given a platform to voice their opinions more than any youths in human history and they expect to be listened to — whether we, the adults, like it or not. If you only use Positional Authority to ‘get your way,’ the most you will ever get is compliance. The moment your Positional Authority waivers, they will rebel against you. But that’s not the end of the story. Personal Authority is an entirely different beast. Leadership expert Robert C. Maxwell called this ‘influence’ in his book “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.” Maxwell describes it as follows: “Character - who you are Relationships - who you know Knowledge - what you know Intuition - what you feel Experience - where you have been Past success — what you’ve done Ability - what you can do2.” Personal Authority is the quieter, but just as confident sibling, to Positional Authority. This authority comes from who you are as a person, rather than the title that you hold. Personal Authority is internal - it may not be seen but can be felt by the people in the room. The beautiful thing about Personal Authority is you don’t need anyone to give it to you - you can build it wherever you are. Plus, if you get really master it, your Personal Authority can outshine those who are higher up the totem pole than you are. Greta Thunberg is a 16-year-old environmental activist, who doesn’t hold a political office, yet her passionate speeches and extraordinary ability to connect to the youth has swept her into the highest corridors of power, addressing world leaders and celebrities alike. What did you do when you were 16? Here’s how to turbocharge your Personal Authority. 1) Become a better communicator - You have to learn to be able to communicate your ideas and thoughts in a confident and engaging way. Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr and President Barack Obama changed the course of history by speaking brilliantly. If you speak with the excitement of a librarian ordering a new pack of handwriting pens, your students will start an uprising. You need to be able to tell compelling stories, sell your ideas and use your body and voice to inspire and motivate your learners. 2) Build better relationships - The more you get to know and understand your students, the more opportunities that you will have to influence them. It’s that simple. As my mentor once said to me, “no one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” You have to be able to get into the skin of the people that you teach and know how they tick. Do this well and your students will think you are Professor Xavier, but with better hair. Positional Authority may get you to the front of the house but its Personal Authority that unlocks the door. If you are a teacher, lecturer or mentor you already have bags of Positional Authority. To promote positive behaviour in the long term, you need to build your personal authority like an athlete builds their body in the gym. If you master both parts of authority, you will not only have their attention but their hearts and minds as well. So remember this equation: AUTHORITY = Position (your role) + Personality (who you are, what you do and how you do it). We've covered one area but a single blogpost is not enough. This is just the garlic bread at the beginning of a three-course meal. Subscribe to this blog below to get the latest updates, freebies and giveaways to make you the action hero of your classroom. Karl from the actionheroteacher.com 1. Oxford Dictionary. 2018. Definition of authority in English. [ONLINE] Available at: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/authority. 2. Maxwell, R., 2007. The 21 Irrefutable Laws Of Leadership. 2nd ed. Nashville, Tennesse, USA: Thomas Nelson. Page 21
Scans reveal how we change memories Changing memories Reminiscing about old times with your friends is fun, but it may rewrite history according to a new study. Research reported in this week's edition of the journal Science suggests that comparing memories with other people sometimes alters the stored memory in the brain. It has been known for some time that, when people reminisce in a group, an error in memory held by one group member may be transferred to others in the group. Sometimes, people genuinely believe the new erroneous version of events, a process known as 'rewriting'. In other circumstances, people will outwardly agree with the incorrect story, but inwardly hang on to their original true memory. They are 'pretending' they share the memory. "Humans are very social animals," says Edelson. "We are exposed to social influences constantly; whether it is talking to friends or going to the grocery shop. So, it is important that we understand how our brains are wired to deal with socially-affected memories." Edelson divided 30 volunteers into small groups to watch a TV documentary. Three days later, he individually tested their memories about the program with a 400-item questionnaire. Four days after that, the subjects were tested again, while lying in a functional magnetic resonance imager (fMRI). This time, they were shown fabricated information for some questions, suggesting that all the other members of their group had come up with an answer contradicting their own. The subjects changed their answers to fit with the majority view on almost 70 per cent of occasions. Changes in the brain Further tests suggested that for most of the altered questions, people still had their original memory intact and were just pretending or 'fitting in'. However, in about 40 per cent of cases, the memory seemed to have been rewritten to adopt the majority view. The two different routes, rewriting and pretending, showed up quite differently on the brain scans. When the participants 'rewrote' their memories to incorporate the false information, there was heightened activity in the hippocampus and the amygdala. When they were pretending, greater activity was recorded in part of the cingulate cortex. The hippocampus is known to be important in memory, but heightened activity in the brain's emotional centre, the amygdala, was unexpected. Edelson thinks the work could have implications for eyewitness testimony in law. "A British study suggested that [the majority] of eye-witnesses to a crime are not alone, and that many eye-witnesses talk to each other. Our study suggests that this may sometimes influence their memories of the event." Not always a bad thing Commenting on the study, Professor Henry Roediger and Associate Professor Kathleen McDermott of Washington University in St Louis say the results are, in some ways, surprising. "The observation that amygdala activation occurred disproportionately on occasions when social influence consistently changed memory ... suggests a previously unrecognised function for this brain region," they write. Roediger and McDermott also believe that "memory conformity may typically be beneficial". "If one individual in a group forgets critical information (about food resources or dangers, for instance), then it is wise to get an updated memory from another group member."
green is not a primary color….red, yellow and blue are primary, green, orange and purple are secondary because green is made from the combination of yellow and blue, therefore secondary to those two primary colors!! Originally posted on Thirdeyemom: “Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.” -Pedro Calderon de la Barca It is hard to visit Guatemala and not become completely entranced by her greenery. The color green can be found in every place you look- from the verdant terraced farmlands, to the lush fertile peaks of the volcanoes. After a long, cold colorless winter arriving in Green Guatemala almost hurts your eyes and reminds me of the constant rebirth and cycle of life. View original 24 more words
PWC report says “Business as usual is not an option” as current rates of CO2 reduction point to 6C of global warming PwC – not an organisation normally thought to be a key advocate of limiting carbon emissions – has published its annual Low Carbon Economy Index report, which examined the progress of developed and emerging economies towards reducing their “carbon intensity”, or their emissions per unit of gross domestic product. It says that current rates of reduction of carbon intensity in major economies shows we’re heading for at least 6C degrees of warming rather than 2C by 2100. Even doubling our current annual rates of decarbonisation globally every year to 2050, would still lead to a 6C temperature rise. Global carbon intensity now needs to fall by an average of 5.1% a year for the next 39 years up to 2050 – a performance never achieved before. By contrast, only a 0.7% reduction in carbon intensity was achieved globally in 2011. and global carbon emissions went up over 3% in 2011 – which was a record high, according to the IEA. The PWC report warns that “governments and businesses can no longer assume that a 2C warming world is the default scenario.” With less than 4 weeks to the UN Climate Summit in Doha, the analysis illustrates the scale of the challenge facing negotiations. LONDON (Reuters) – The world will have to cut the rate of carbon emissions by an unprecedented rate to 2050 to stop global temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees this century, a report released by PwC on Monday showed. PwC’s annual Low Carbon Economy Index report examined the progress of developed and emerging economies towards reducing their carbon intensity, or their emissions per unit of gross domestic product. Global temperatures have already risen by about 0.8 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times. Almost 200 nations agreed in 2010 at United Nations climate talks to limit the rise to below 2 degrees C (3.6 Fahrenheit) to avoid dangerous impacts from climate change. Carbon intensity will have to be cut by over 5 % a year to achieve that goal, the study said. That compares with an annual rate of 0.8 percent from 2000 to 2011. “Because of this slow start, global carbon intensity now needs to be cut by an average of 5.1 percent a year from now to 2050. This rate of reduction has not been achieved in any of the past 50 years,” it added. Climate scientists have warned that the chance of limiting the rise to below 2C is getting smaller. Global carbon emissions went up over 3 percent in 2011 to a record high, according to the International Energy Agency. Even if the 5 percent rate is achievable in the long term, decarbonisation will not be ramped up immediately, meaning that future cuts would have to be far more. “Even doubling our current rate of decarbonisation would still lead to emissions consistent with 6C warming by the end of the century,” said Leo Johnson, PwC partner for sustainability and climate change. “To give ourselves a more than 50 percent chance of avoiding 2C will require a six-fold improvement in our rate of decarbonisation.” According to the study, European Union countries had the highest rates of decarbonisation, with Britain, France and Germany all cutting carbon intensity by over 6 percent in 2010-2011. “The irony is that a key reason for lower energy use was the milder winter in the region. Both the UK and France also witnessed increased generation in low-emissions nuclear power, whereas Germany’s exit from nuclear is reflected in its relatively lesser decline in emissions,” PwC said. The United States experienced a 3.5 percent decrease in carbon intensity in 2011, mostly due to a shift to shale gas from coal in its fuel mix and more efficient vehicles. Decarbonisation in China and India in the last decade seems to have stalled, while Australia’s carbon intensity grew by 6.7 percent last year and Japan’s was up 0.8 percent. Although major economies have promised to cut carbon dioxide emissions, the pledges combined are insufficient to meet the 2C target, PwC said. It questioned whether some of the pledges can be met due to economic pressures. Nations will meet in Qatar at the end of this month for the next round of U.N. climate talks when they are supposed to discuss ways of ramping up their climate targets. The analysis in the PwC Low Carbon Economy Index, measuring developed and emerging economies progress towards reducing emissions linked to economic output. It demonstrates that at current rates of emissions growth at least 6oC degrees of warming could be possible by the end of the century. Download file [ 5 Nov 2012 (PWC press release) - Current rates of reduction of carbon emissions per unit of GDP in major economies (“carbon intensity”) shows we’re heading for at least 6C degrees of warming rather than 2C. - Global carbon intensity now needs to fall by an average of 5.1% a year for the next 39 years – a performance never achieved before The annual rate of reduction of carbon emissions per unit of GDP needed to limit global warming to 2oC, has passed a critical threshold according to new analysis from PwC. The rate of reduction now required has never been achieved before. The analysis in the PwC Low Carbon Economy Index, measuring developed and emerging economies progress towards reducing emissions linked to economic output. It demonstrates that at current rates of emissions growth at least 6C degrees of warming could be possible by the end of the century. The report shows that while the increase in emissions intensity in 2010 has been reversed, with only a 0.7% reduction globally in 2011, it’s a fraction what is required against the international commitment to limit global warming to 2oC. To limit global warming to 2oC would now mean reducing global carbon intensity by an average of 5.1% a year – a performance never achieved since 1950, when these records began. The report warns that “governments and businesses can no longer assume that a 2oC warming world is the default scenario.” It adds that any investments in long term assets or infrastructure, particularly in coastal or low-lying regions need to address far more pessimistic scenarios. With less than four weeks to the UN Climate Summit in Doha, the analysis illustrates the scale of the challenge facing negotiations. The issue is further complicated by a slow market recovery in developed nations, but sustained growth in E7 economies which could lock economic growth into high carbon assets. Emerging markets’ previous trends on carbon emissions reductions linked to growth and productivity have stalled, and their total emissions grew by 7.4%. By contrast, the UK, France and Germany achieved record levels of annual carbon emissions intensity reductions, but were helped on by milder winters. Jonathan Grant, director, sustainability and climate change, PwC said: “The risk to business is that it faces more unpredictable and extreme weather, and disruptions to market and supply chains. Resilience will become a watch word in the boardroom – to policy responses as well as to the climate. More radical and disruptive policy reactions in the medium term could lead to high carbon assets being stranded. “The new reality is a much more challenging future in terms of planning, financing and predictability. Even doubling our current annual rates of decarbonisation globally every year to 2050, would still lead to 6C, making governments’ ambitions to limit warming to 2oC appear highly unrealistic.” The pace of reducing global carbon intensity has been slow despite growing international focus on climate change. The financial crisis has dampened progress further, with carbon intensity falling less than 1% in the four years since it began. Leo Johnson, partner, PwC said: “While we’ve reversed the increase in emissions intensity reported last year, we’re still seeing results that are simply too little too late. We’ve now got to achieve, for the next 39 years running, a target we’ve never achieved before.” “This isn’t about shock tactics, it’s simple maths. We’re heading into uncharted territory for the scale of transformation and technical innovations required. Whatever the scenario, or the response, business as usual is not an option.” Jonathan Grant, director, sustainability and climate change, PwC said: “The challenge now is to implement gigatonne scale reductions across the economy, in power generation, energy efficiency, transport and industry, as well as REDD+ in forested nations.” Examining the role of shale gas, PwC’s report suggests that at current rates of consumption, replacing 10% of global oil and coal consumption with gas could deliver emissions savings of around 3% a year (1gt C02e per annum). However the report warns that while it may “buy some time”, it reduces the incentive for investment in lower carbon technologies such as nuclear and renewables, and could lock in emerging economies with high energy demand to a dependence on fossil fuels. Notes to Editors: 1. Carbon intensity is our preferred metric for analysing countries’ movements towards a low carbon economy, as it accounts for expected economic growth, and can generate comparable targets. 2. The carbon intensity of an economy is the emissions per unit of GDP and is affected by a country’s fuel mix, energy efficiency and the proportion of industrial versus service sectors. 3. Despite achieving its highest levels of carbon intensity reduction annually, the UK still needs to reduce carbon emissions intensity 5.2% per year. Staying within the UK’s pledge of 34% reduction on 1990 emissions levels would require action on the scale of equivalent of shutting down all the UK’s coal – fired power plants. 4. View a discussion of the key findings with Leo Johnson, partner, PwC: Andrew Sentance, chief economic advisor, and Jonathan Grant, policy and carbon specialist, PwC sustainability and climate change. For more information contact: Corporate PR Senior Manager, PwC Tel:020 7213 4727 Mobile:07841 563 180 PwC firms provide industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to enhance value for their clients. More than 161,000 people in 154 countries in firms across the PwC network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice. See pwc.com for more information. Temperatures may rise 6c by 2100, says study by Steve Connor, (Independent) The world is destined for dangerous climate change this century – with global temperatures possibly rising by as much as 6C – because of the failure of governments to find alternatives to fossil fuels, a report by a group of economists has concluded. It will now be almost impossible to keep the increase in global average temperatures up to 2100 within the 2C target that scientists believe might avert dangerous and unpredictable climate change, according to a study by the accountancy giant PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). An analysis of how fast the major world economies are reducing their emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels suggests that it may already be too late to stay within the 2C target of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, it found. To keep within the 2C target, the global economy would have to reach a “decarbonisation” rate of at least 5.1% per year for the next 39 years. This has not happened since records began at the end of the Second World War, according to Leo Johnson, a PwC partner in sustainability and climate change. “Even doubling our current rate of decarbonisation would still lead to emissions consistent with 6C of warming by the end of the century. To give ourselves a more than 50% chance of avoiding 2C will require a sixfold improvement in our rate of decarbonisation,” he said. “It’s time to plan for a warmer world … We have passed a critical threshold,” he said. “This isn’t shock tactics, it’s simple maths. We’re heading into uncharted territory for the scale of transformation and technical innovations required. Whatever the scenario, or response, business as usual is not an option.”
\|[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note\| \|Here we are Peter, for your 7th anniversary\| my zoom was at the focal length of 70 mm The mountain gorilla is highly social, and lives in relatively stable, cohesive groups held together by long-term bonds between adult males and females. Relationships among females are relatively weak. These groups are nonterritorial; the silverback generally defends his group rather than his territory. In the Virunga mountain gorillas, the average length of tenure for a dominant silverback is 4.7 years. Silverback mountain gorilla with female 61% of groups are composed of one adult male and a number of females and 36% contain more than one adult male. The remaining gorillas are either lone males or exclusively male groups, usually made up of one mature male and a few younger males. Group sizes vary from five to thirty, with an average of ten individuals. A typical group contains: one dominant silverback, who is the group's undisputed leader; another subordinate silverback (usually a younger brother, half-brother, or even an adult son of the dominant silverback); one or two blackbacks, who act as sentries; three to four sexually mature females, who are ordinarily bonded to the dominant silverback for life; and from three to six juveniles and infants. Most males, and about 60% of females, leave their natal group. Males leave when they are about 11 years old, and often the separation process is slow: they spend more and more time on the edge of the group until they leave altogether. They may travel alone or with an all-male group for 2–5 years before they can attract females to join them and form a new group. Females typically emigrate when they are about 8 years old, either transferring directly to an established group or beginning a new one with a lone male. Females often transfer to a new group several times before they settle down with a certain silverback male. The dominant silverback generally determines the movements of the group, leading it to appropriate feeding sites throughout the year. He also mediates conflicts within the group and protects it from external threats. When the group is attacked by humans, leopards, or other gorillas, the silverback will protect them even at the cost of his own life. He is the center of attention during rest sessions, and young animals frequently stay close to him and include him in their games. If a mother dies or leaves the group, the silverback is usually the one who looks after her abandoned offspring, even allowing them to sleep in his nest. This is a form of alloparental care which is a common behavior and is seen in many other animal species such as the elephant and the wolf. Experienced silverbacks are capable of removing poachers' snares from the hands or feet of their group members. When the dominant silverback dies or is killed by disease, accident, or poachers, the family group may be severely disrupted. Unless he leaves behind a male descendant capable of taking over his position, the group will either split up or be taken over in its entirety by an unrelated male. When a new silverback takes control of a family group, he may kill all of the infants of the dead silverback. This practice of infanticide is an effective reproductive strategy, in that the newly acquired females are then able to conceive the new male's offspring. Infanticide has not been observed in stable groups. anel, Hotelcalifornia, CeltickRanger has marked this note useful Only registered TrekNature members may rate photo notes. \|You must be logged in to start a discussion.\| nice picture of a thinker, :) - [2013-12-04 8:04] Great photo of this silverback. Probably the same as I've seen twelve years ago. Beautiful animal with his impressive pose and expression. An excellent photo in marvellous quality. Thanks my friend. - [2013-12-04 12:06] What en encounter, a big Silverback, you must have been thrilled to see these Mountain gorillas. Lovely series of this interesting animals. I think I would be quite nervous to see them so close. I have seen a few months ago a documentary on Gorillas in Uganda, probably made in the same area where you have been. Beautiful picture of this Silver back.He is looking grumpy or thinking about future.Good details and colour. Thanks for sharing, Regards and have a nice time, Nice capture with fine details and very informative note you've presented. Excellent photo of the mountain gorilla in its natural habitat surrounded by the vegetation that are bringing a plus to the photo, fine POV on its expression with appropriate vertical framing, TFS
empower the world's poorest people to lift themselves out of poverty with dignity through access to financial services and to information. Grameen Foundation supports microfinance, commonly known as "banking for the poor.” Microfinance provides small loans, savings, other financial services and technology so poor people can start or grow businesses. As a borrower’s business grows, so does her self-esteem and family’s well-being. Grameen Foundation was founded in 1997 by individuals inspired by Professor Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank, Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. Professor Yunus is a founding and current board member of Grameen Foundation. Today, Grameen Foundation provides financing, technology and training to microfinance institutions that serve more than 3 million families across Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East. 1. To serve 5 million impoverished families by 2008 2. Ensure fifty percent of borrowers are crossing the poverty line within five years of joining a GFUSA partner 3. Introduce three innovations to the microfinance sector that will transform it
It doesn't matter if you look up famous actors reciting Shakespeare or ordinary people recording their own poem. Listen to videos or audio recordings of people performing poetry (optional). Name five, dead twentieth-century American (or British) poets. Mark it up; write in the margins; react to it; get involved with it. A poetry essay should include analysis of the topic, message, rhythm and word choice. I want to get placed into a reputed company where I join as an intern and finally being retained as a full-time employee. Before reciting the poem, the child should bow to everyone. Students can recite each section as it is due and the whole poem at the end of your unit. It should have both an introduction and a conclusion. My poem is YOUNG NIGHT THOUGHTS by Robert Louis Stevenson and it's true! I am also fond of writing random quotes, short poems. See more. Academic recitation. Fair or not, the opening lines of poems carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. Even if you have a vague idea of what you want to write your poem about, don’t rely wholly on it, and … If you'd like this lesson plan along with a copy of the poem, the vocabulary chart, and the "translation," you can get it here! for any recitation the child can say his name, class, section etc & mention the name of the author & title of the poem he is going to recite. I would like you to check my self introduction – Good afternoon everyone and thank you for all of your presence. “thank you,” or anything else before or after your recitation, will result in a lower accuracy score. Look at your notes only when and if necessary, and attempt to maintain eye contact with your audience members whenever possible. Points to remember before you attend this interview question: Assume, now you are sitting in front of the HR manager. And any introduction will probably start with these words. Ed. Other Ways to Recite a Poem. Students recite the poem. Recite definition, to repeat the words of, as from memory, especially in a formal manner: to recite a lesson. If you are teaching a long poem, break it into smaller chunks and assign doable sections for students to memorize. And any introduction will probably will start with these words. 8. This really helps to ingrain the poem in the child's mind. What is the best time for study? It will help if the poem being performed is the one you picked, or has a similar style (loud and dramatic, a realistic description, etc. It is not only a great medium for rendering information but children also find poems very delightful. It can be a fun school memory that can gain attention and a funny story will surely highlight you. Physical Presence Establish a strong stage presence by practising the following: Best Poems For Recitation Competition. The ability to read poetry aloud is a gift of immense value to your audience because the right poem, read well, expresses with grace and clarity thoughts and feelings that are often difficult to find appropriate words for in ordinary prose. no jab in 2021 means no entry to anything [yes] ? Writing a poem is about observing the world within or around you. For older kids and adults, we've gathered some poems above that are grade-level appropriate. The child should understand the meaning and the gamut of the poem so that he or she can use the right rhythm. If you can get a copy, it’s well worth the effort: Gorrell, Nancy. Note: I borrowed these questions long ago from an article in a book I can no longer find in print. Think of the details from that story or scenario that are most relevant to the work you will present, and write them down as reminders on the top of your printed speech, poem or debate introduction. For more ideas on how to start a unit on poetry, be sure to take a look at Introducing and Reading Poetry with English Language Learners. Get answers by asking now. Important disclaimer: This is not, nor does it purport to be, the ultimate authoritative source about poetry. Join Yahoo Answers and get 100 points today. For example, if I told a story about a woman I saw once in the grocery store who was denied service because of her elderly age, after telling the story, I would explain to the audience how this connects to what I will present. Hello and Nice to meet you in Hindi are a must-know phrases. I am working as a Soft Skill Trainer at Synergy School of Business Skills. The poem must be by a poet other than yourself. As you practise your poem, keep the following aspects of your performance in mind: ). You get the important English phrases. Read your poem through silently several times to familiarize yourself with its core ideas and images. Read a variety of poems first. It doesn't matter if you look up famous actors reciting Shakespeare or ordinary people recording their own poem. Can permission or pictures be a topic covered in a class ta law school? Still have questions? I just need 3 as I am doing a paper.? Here’s how you introduce yourself in English. Of course, a great poem should continue to build momentum and provide a satisfying conclusion. Circle important, or striking, or repeated words. Title: it includes the relevance of the title, its historical significance, etc. Speaker: Speaker could be the poet himself (like Wordsworth) or a hero (as in the poems of Keats) or a shepherd etc. Free verse for example can have lines of varying length that reflect everyday 21st century speech patterns; there is no traditional adherence to stress or metre (meter in American English) or syllable. Due to this factor, it is essential that you know how to introduce each … As far as my short term goal is concerned. first verify the author of the poem mentioned by you. National Council of Teachers of English… Give the important details; Make your information memorable; Get your audience (family, friends, colleagues or strangers) to agree, to take action, to change their mind, etc. Using this general outline for your introduction will help you prepare. Knowing about the speaker is important as every speaker speaks differently. Someone said that a good poem makes the ordinary and familiar seem extraordinary. I would recommend a couple of different kinds of poems before assigning any writing activities. e.g. Select a Poem If you are fortunate to have a choice in the selection process, it is always better to choose a poem that interests you. It will help if the poem being performed is the one you picked, or has a similar style (loud and dramatic, a realistic description, etc. Read through the poem several times, both silently and aloud, listening carefully to the sound and rhythm of the words. I might say, "Age discrimination is a huge problem in our current society, and I would like to address this issue further in my speech.". How to give introduction before reciting a poem in hindi for class activity 2 See answers perfect2003 perfect2003 Often when I mention poetry during a workshop, at least one teacher laments, "I would love to do more poetry with students, but there's so much else to teach in my curriculum!" ... You may have … Recite as much of it as you can remember, from the beginning. ... first let’s focus on what you need to include in your English introduction. Register now and publish your best poems or read and bookmark your favorite popular famous poems. Stand up and recite the Khutbat-ul-Haajjah. Begin with the story or scenario that you have made notes about, and try to tell it in the most compressed and precise way possible so that they understand the ground situation you are working from in your piece or argument. Start your recitation with the title of the poem and the poet’s name: “Heat” by Archibald Lampman « Clair de lune » de Victor Hugo Then begin your recitation. Poetry for them is something taught in English class. Memorize the poem. Recite definition: When someone recites a poem or other piece of writing , they say it aloud after they have... \| Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples This is only a basic introduction to a variety of common styles of poetry. 1) Hello, It’s nice to meet you. Hello and Nice to meet you in English are must-know phrases. Patricia Phelan. Before we get into the session I would like to quickly introduce myself. Launch as quickly as possible afterward into the body of what you will present. Each poem chosen for kids to memorize and recite is geared toward elementary level learners. That is, if the first line is the best line, a reader will leave the poem feeling unfulfilled--or even cheated! Below is the monthly archive for Poems For Kids To Recite. The Khutbat-ul-Haajjah is read in Arabic and is: Al-hamdu Lillaahi nahmaduhu wa nasta’eenahu wa nastaghfiruhu, wa na’oodhu billaahi min shuroori anfusinaa wa min sayi’aati a’maalinaa. You won't have to do any prep. 2. ... self-motivated, hard worker, I will never give up I try my best to give … http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/collection/international... for any recitation the child can say his name, class, section etc & mention the name of the author & title of the poem he is going to recite. Think of an anecdote or situation from which your poem, speech or debate arises. Step 2. Allow yourself to see the images created by the words in your imagination. Study the Poem It helps to get the basic idea of the poem. Just follow this lesson plan! How to Write a Poem. “Poetry to Engage the Person.” Literature and Life. A recitation in a general sense is the act of reciting from memory, or a formal reading of verse or other writing before an audience. Then introduce himself or herself with name and name of the poem.
Hi, please could someone help as I have got myself desperately confused with how radiation interacts with matter largely because of conflicting sources on the internet. Apparently there are 2 main types of interaction of radiation with matter; atomic/molecular vibrations and electron transitions. There are a few things I am confused with: 1) Most sources I have read say a photon frequency of infrared or lower mainly interacts via atomic/molecular vibration although some sources say infrared can cause energy level transitions but most say infrared does not have enough energy to cause a discrete transition. Could someone clarify/confirm this? 2) If humans absorb visible light photons why can't they emit visible light (as we emit in the infrared). This seems stupid and clearly we don't but if we absorb visible light photons which cause discrete electron transitions then couldn't the electron jump straight back down to the ground state and emit a visible photon. What am I missing here? 3) I'm a bit confused with the vibrational absorption of radiation. It seems to suggests that you need a change in the dipole moment to absorb say, an infrared photon and that it depends on the natural frequency vibration of the molecule in question. But surely ALL molecules must interact not just ones that have a matching natural frequency because all objects emit infrared otherwise they would be at absolute zero? Many thanks for any help anyone gives!!!
iSight Missions is a nonprofit charity that provides impoverished persons access to sustainable, affordable, quality eye care and vision-restoring surgeries, and trains eye care providers worldwide. These interventions are cost-effective solutions to reverse poverty & promote the fundamental right to sight. WHY CATARACT SURGERY? Unoperated cataracts are an important cause of low vision and the leading cause of blindness which is cured by a 30-minute surgery. According to the World Health Organization: Cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye which initially prevents clear vision and eventually progresses to blindness if left untreated. Although most cases of cataract are related to the aging process, occasionally children can be born with this condition, or a cataract may develop after eye injuries, inflammation, and some other eye diseases. The treatment of cataract is surgical and very successful in restoring sight. The opaque lens is removed and replaced by an artificial intraocular lens. Although cataracts can be surgically removed, in many remote parts of the developing world barriers exist that prevent access to this surgery. The World Health Organization estimates: - 285 million people are visually impaired worldwide - 246 million have low vision and 39 million are blind - Unoperated cataracts cause 33 percent of visual impairment and 50 percent of blindness worldwide - 19 million children are visually impaired - 90 percent of visually impaired persons live in developing countries 80% of all visual impairment can be prevented or cured! OUR IMPACT: 2018 GLOBAL REPORT EXAMINATIONS --> over 3,000 (3068 and counting!) SURGERIES --> over 1,000 (1035 and counting!) TRAINED --> over 500 physicians, ophthalmic assistants and nurses IMPROVED LIVES --> COUNTLESS! Each surgery has more than 6 orders of subsequent impact. The World Health Organization estimates: Over 7 million people become blind every year. One person becomes blind every 5 seconds. One child becomes blind every minute. Close your eyes for 5 seconds. Darkness surrounds you. Imagine a life in darkness. Blindness is usually an insurmountable burden on the individual as well as their family and community with no or few resources to care for their needs so many people suffering from impaired vision go hungry. Unable to care for themselves, they usually require a family member often a child to care for them all day instead of attending school which deprives the child's advancement and prolongs their family cycle of poverty. In developing countries, children born with congenital cataracts require surgery or frequently they will spend their entire lives as blind beggars. After corrective eye surgery, persons with low vision and blind persons are able to resume their independent lives, relieving their families of their previous need for care. These families become more productive which has an economic multiplier effect to the benefit of their entire Visit us on Facebook!
Some time ago I noticed that my fennel bush was crawling with caterpillars. They had distinctive green, yellow, and black stripes in a dot and dash formation somewhat like Morse code. Despite the fact that they were devouring my fennel fronds with glutonous ferocity, I found them quite pretty. When I took one down to Ward’s Nursery in Great Barrington and mentioned that I’d found it on the fennel, it was identified as the caterpillar of the Eastern Black Swallowtail butterfly which feeds off anything in the carrot family — parsley, dill, Queen Anne’s Lace, fennel, and anise. In fact, its western counterpart is called the Anise Swallowtail because — well — I think I’ve established its eating preferences. When I looked up Eastern Black Swallowtails in my Audubon Butterfly Guide, I discovered that they’re very common and smaller than most North American Swallowtails (the wingspan is only 3 inches across), but that doesn’t make them any less beautiful. Their wings are the black and blue of old stained glass windows with bright touches of yellow and orange dappling the outer edges. The female and male display subtle differences: the wings of the female have more blue, the males’ wings are spotted with two rows of yellow. Then, practically overnight, the caterpillars were gone from my garden, leaving my fennel plant stripped but still upright. The fronds began to grow back. But I missed watching the caterpillars feed. I missed this small but immediate reminder that nature is constantly performing an intricate balancing act. I’m not sure where they went to in the interim, but I recently noticed dozens of black wings in my sun garden, fluttering over the echinacea and competing with the hummingbirds for a turn at the monarda. There they were! The Eastern Black Swallowtail caterpillars had made the trip from vegetable bed to perennial border, transforming themselves into butterflies along the way. If you visit the new Butterfly House at Project Native in Housatonic, Mass. (http://projectnative.org), you’ll find out more about the critical symbiotic relationship between plants and butterflies. Here’s a poem about metamorphosis by the poet Stanley Kunitz who died at the age of 100 in 2006. He wrote this poem when he was in his late seventies:The Layers by Stanley Kunitz I have walked through many lives, some of them my own, and I am not who I was, though some principle of being abides, from which I struggle not to stray. When I look behind, as I am compelled to look before I can gather strength to proceed on my journey, I see the milestones dwindling toward the horizon and the slow fires trailing from the abandoned camp-sites, over which scavenger angels wheel on heavy wings. Oh, I have made myself a tribe out of my true affections, and my tribe is scattered! How shall the heart be reconciled to its feast of losses? In a rising wind the manic dust of my friends, those who fell along the way, bitterly stings my face. Yet I turn, I turn, exulting somewhat, with my will intact to go wherever I need to go, and every stone on the road precious to me. In my darkest night, when the moon was covered and I roamed through wreckage, a nimbus-clouded voice directed me: “Live in the layers, not on the litter.” Though I lack the art to decipher it, no doubt the next chapter in my book of transformations is already written. I am not done with my changes. You can find more poems by Stanley Kunitz at http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/stanley-kunitz
Climate change challenges our world in many ways, threatening us with rising seas, drought, floods, and strained food production, and yet we’ve barely started to address this problem, despite the efforts of many. Greenhouse gas emissions dipped during the Great Recession, but have since continued to soar, along with changes in our planet that are getting clearer every year. Why aren’t we doing more about this? It’s no secret that there’s a great deal of disagreement about climate change, but maybe not as much as we think, at least when it comes to the facts. According to surveys most people know about climate change and even agree that humans are causing it. Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication, wrote, “Since the year 2000, numerous public opinion polls demonstrate that large majorities of Americans are aware of global warming (92 percent), believe that global warming is real and already underway (74 percent).” Most Americans agree that climate change is a problem. We’re just not doing much to fix it. I’m sure part of the story is that people are busy and have other pressing issues in their daily lives, like working, paying bills, and taking care of our families. And since climate change doesn’t appear to be particularly threatening on most particular days, and most coastal cities are not underwater yet, it’s easy to put off taking action for later. Probably much later. Climate change plays right into our blind spot when it comes to how we see risks: it is spread out geographically, slow to develop (at least on a human time scale), and diffuse in responsibility, with no quick or easy answers for the most part. But there’s more to the story than this. A bigger reason why we’re not dealing with this problem may be that climate change is not just a technological problem or a political one, but a psychological challenge. A threat this great can generate a great deal of anxiety if we let it. So we don’t. When facing a threat like this, we can do one of three things. We can (1) take immediate action to fix the problem, (2) get anxious and stay anxious until the problem goes away on its own, or (3) harness the power of denial to turn off the anxiety and feel better. The answers to solve climate change are not quick and easy, and a state of constant anxiety is almost unbearable. Given the options, denial is an easy and immediately gratifying course, relieving the anxiety that threatens to overwhelm us. “Climate change is disturbing,” says Kari Norgaard, author of Living in Denial. “It’s something we don’t want to think about. So what we do in our everyday lives is create a world where it’s not there, and keep it distant.” Our failure to fight climate change is often blamed on climate change deniers, who have done their best to build doubt about whether climate change is a real problem. The Koch Brothers and others have been well documented to have carried out a campaign to create doubt about climate change in order to benefit those like themselves with financial interests in coal and oil. Really it’s not this simple, though. The success of the climate deniers stems from our own innate programming that makes us receptive to their message. If we don’t see an immediate threat and can’t easily fix it right here and right now, it’s in our nature to push the threat out our mind, to deny that it’s a problem. Climate deniers don’t invent how we think; they merely exploit our own desire to create a safe bubble of denial, to build a levee holding back the rising tide of uncertainty and allow ourselves to preserve a vision of a safe, happy, and stable world. It’s a nice vision, and helps us feel better, even it’s at odds sometimes with the world we live in. It seems that there is a little denier in all of us, and our inner denier comes out not just to deny climate change but also to deny many other risks as well, like heart disease, where a long hard effort is needed for a payoff (reduced risk of heart disease) in the future. If the biggest barriers to fighting climate change are psychological rather than technological, then the solutions might be psychological too. A change in strategy might be in order for those seeking to cultivate greater support for efforts to fight climate change. A further deluge of facts seeking to stir up fear and a greater response may only create a further retreat into denial. Strategies that reduce fear and create a sense that we can make a difference today with simple positive action might prove more successful. Maybe this is why the European Union is rebranding efforts to fight climate change with renewable energy, emphasizing the positive impacts for daily life rather than the doom and gloom of uncontrolled climate change. Moral arguments that emphasize shared values may also prove more effective, since decisions are often based on social interactions and values rather than scientific data. Unfortunately, denial might feel good, quickly relieving our anxiety, but is unlikely to provide a lasting solution for important long term problems we face like climate change. Better ways of dealing with climate change will alleviate the source of our anxiety, rather than simply removing the anxiety itself, and help build a better world for the future along the way. Glenn Croston is the author of The Real Story of Risk: Adventures in a Hazardous World, exploring the twisted ways we see risks and how this affects our lives and our world. You can read more at www.realstoryofrisk.com. He is also the author of Gifts from the Train Station, and 75 Green Businesses You Can Start to Make Money and Make a Difference.
If you are going above 20,000 ft, we need you! Most, if not all, plants in natural ecosystems are symbiotic with filamentous fungi (known as endophytes) that live inside plants and dramatically affect plant metabolism, adaptation and ecology. Some endophytes adapt plants to habitat-specific environmental stresses, allowing plants to colonize complex landscapes. For example, plants growing in geothermal soils are symbiotic with fungal endophytes that confer heat tolerance and coastal plants are symbiotic with endophytes that confer salt tolerance. We have designated this phenomenon as Habitat Adapted Symbiosis (HAB) and demonstrated that without the appropriate fungal endophyte, plants do not survive environmental stress. Therefore, fungal endophytes adapt plants to abiotic stress rather than the plants themselves. Remarkably, fungal endophytes are able to colonize a variety of plants including agricultural crops and confer stress tolerance as they do in native plants. We hypothesize that fungal endophytes can be used to mitigate impacts of climate change on agricultural and native plants by conferring abiotic stress tolerance. There is a moss plant that grows at 6480m on Mt Everest and is exposed to extreme temperatures, high ultraviolet radiation, desiccation and high winds. This is possibly the highest growing plant species on earth and it is likely that they have adapted to this high elevation habitat through symbiotic associations with fungal endophytes. In 2011, ASC connected the Benegas brothers with this project. They obtained moss samples from Mt Everest plants and scientists determined that they are symbiotic with a small number of fungal species. Currently, scientists are identifying the fungi to determine if they are new species and what ecological role they play. If these fungi confer cold tolerance to plants, it may allow for crop cultivation on marginal lands as part of a new symbiotic strategy to sustain agriculture in the 21st century. We need you to go to Everest, to K2, to any peak that may have this moss growing on it. We need samples of it, and we can't get there without your unique skills. Watch a video of Damian Benegas Collecting The Highest Known Plant On Earth!
(1863–1924). U.S. novelist and naturalist Gene Stratton Porter wrote fiction rooted in the belief that communion with nature held the key to moral goodness and spiritual enlightenment. Although she enjoyed some popular success, her work was not highly regarded by critics. She was born Geneva Stratton on Aug. 17, 1863, in Wabash County, Ind. Growing up in rural Indiana, she developed a deep appreciation for nature that was to stay with her through life. In 1886 she married Charles D. Porter; they settled in Geneva, Ind., and she continued her nature studies from their home, which she called Limberlost Cabin after a nearby wild swamp area. In about 1895 she began contributing a column on nature photography to Recreation magazine. Later she wrote a similar column in Outing magazine. After a few years she attempted a new type of writing, and, with the success of a short story published in Metropolitan magazine in 1901, she decided on a career in fiction. Porter’s first novel, The Song of the Cardinal, appeared in 1903. Freckles (1904), a sentimental tale of a poor and apparently orphaned boy who is the self-appointed guardian of the Limberlost Swamp, eventually sold nearly 2 million copies. Porter’s next three books, What I Have Done with Birds (1907), At the Foot of the Rainbow (1907), and Birds of the Bible (1909), met with a disappointing response, but A Girl of the Limberlost (1909) returned to the style and setting of Freckles and was another popular success. Among Porter’s later novels, only The Harvester (1911) was a best-seller. In 1920 Porter and her family moved to California. Two years later she organized a film company to produce movie versions of her stories that she hoped would be widely used in schools and churches. She also contributed regularly to the popular magazines Good Housekeeping and McCall’s. She died in Los Angeles on Dec. 6, 1924.
By Mark Twain Philadelphia North American (March 12, 1901). Will you allow me to say that I like those poems of yours very much? Especially the one which so vividly pictures the response of our young fellows when they were summoned to strike down an oppressor and set his victim free. Write a companion to it and show us how the young fellows respond when invited by the Government to go out to the Philippines on a land-stealing and liberty-crucifying crusade. I notice that they swarm to the recruiting office at the rate of 800 a month, out of an enthusiastic population of 75,000,000 free men; and that no American-born person can pronounce their names without damage to his jaw, nor spell them without a foreign education.
Two fossil animals are now part of the official “Kansas” animal and plant list: Tylosaurus, a giant mosasaur, as the Kansas marine fossil, and Pteranodon, a winged pterosaur, as the Kansas flight fossil. Geological deposits in Kansas provide among the most complete, fossilized skeletons of both Tylosaurus and Pteranodon, both found at the KU Natural History Museum, Fort Hays State University Sternberg Museum of Natural History and other major museums nationally and internationally. “What dinosaurs are to Wyoming and Montana, mosasaurs and pterosaurs are to Kansas,” said Leonard Krishtalka, director of the KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum. “For scientists and the public at large, Tylosaurus and Pteranodon represent Kansas science and paleontology worldwide better than any other fossil animal.” Although Tylosaurus and Pteranodon lived at the same time as the dinosaurs, neither of these extinct animals are dinosaurs. Tylosaurus was a giant predatory lizard-like denizen of the sea that grew to lengths of about 45 feet and was the top predator of the oceans of that time, according to a news release. Although Tylosaurus is found in many other places around the world, the most complete specimens have been recovered from the chalk beds in western Kansas that were deposited by the ancient ocean. Pteranodon is a genus of extinct, giant flying reptile called pterosaurs that lived on the cliffs and coastal areas beside the oceans covering Kansas during the late Cretaceous era and fed on fish and other marine life. KU Natural History Museum’s lobby features one of the largest mosasaurs ever found, a Tylosaurus excavated near Scott City. On the third floor of the museum, the newly renovated Pteranodon exhibit reveals the full wingspan of the animal. In Hays, the Sternberg museum features both the type specimen of Pteranodon sternbergi and a complete Tylosaurus collected and mounted by George Sternberg in its Cretaceous fossil gallery. Life-sized models of these creatures are also prominent in their Cretaceous dioramas. If you know of a person, event or topic pertaining to northeast Kansas that might be of interest to our readers, please let me know. You can call me at (785) 295-1292, email me at jan.biles@cjonline or post to my Capital-Journal-related Facebook page.
High temperature filter unit At the Process and Energy Department, Hot Gas Filtration is performed as part of the EU Infrastructures BRISK Project. A High Temperature Filter Unit made by Pall-Werk Schumacher is present and place downstream a circulating fluidized bed gasifier that is involved in the same project as well. People: Wiebren de Jong (contact person) The filter vessel contains 3 candles made of Silicon carbide (Dia-Schumalith). This is a silicon carbide porous structure coated with a mullite membrane (3Al2O32SiO2). Each candle has an outside diameter of 60 mm, 10 mm thickness and is 1.5 m long. The performance of the filter is tested by observing the pressure drop through the vessel while the dust cake layer builds up on the surface of the candles. The regeneration of the candles is performed by means of a novel method, the Coupled Pressure Pulse (CPP). With this system every candle is directly connected to the blow back gas reservoir tank through a valve and a safety fitler. Particles load in gas stream upstream and downstream the filter is evaluated with a cascade impactor (Pilat Mark 3 and Mark5, Pollution Control Systems Corp.), thus providing information on the filtration efficiency. Temperature sensors as well as a Dp sensor and an absolute pressure sensor are present in the unit that can operate at a temperature up to 900 °C. The dust is collected in a buffer tank at the bottom of the filter passing through a high temperature and a low temperature valve.
Impact of Air Pollutants on Southern Pine Forests The public's attitude toward air pollution in the United States evolved substantially during the 1960s. One of the results of the nation's emerging ... Show synopsis The public's attitude toward air pollution in the United States evolved substantially during the 1960s. One of the results of the nation's emerging environmental ethic was the creation of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in December of 1970. Prior to this time, research was focused on the impacts of air pollution on human health and welfare and was largely conducted by several federal research agencies, which included the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and the U. S. Department of Agricul- ture. After the creation of the EPA, much of this work was consolidated in one regulatory agency, which resulted in periodic evaluations of the various effects of atmospheric pollution on human health, materials, agriculture, and forest ecosystems. At the same time that environmental interest was growing in the United States, concern increased in the European scientific community and public over the ecological impacts of acidic deposition. As the magnitude of the damage to European lakes and streams and the widespread decline in Norway spruce and silver fir was reported, concern that similar problems were occurring in the United States increased substantially. This concern was heightened by press reports of high elevation spruce-fir forest declines in the Adirondack and Appalachian Mountains and the decline and death of sugar maples in the northeastern United States and Canada.
CHORIORETINAL INFLAMMATORY DISEASES - Noninfectious Causes The term "uveal" or "ciliochoroidal" effusion refers to an abnormal accumulation of serous fluid in the outer layer of the choroid and ciliary body. The fluid usually collects in the suprachoroidal layer, although in some cases this results in a true ciliochoroidal detachment from the sclera. A chronic accumulation of a protein-rich fluid in the choroid may result in an outer blood-retinal barrier breakdown, causing a non-rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Uveal effusion does not refer to a specific entity, but rather to an anatomic condition caused by a variety of ocular and systemic disorders. CLASSIFICATION OF UVEAL EFFUSION - Ciliary body dysfunction (traction, ischemia)
Antibiotic Use While Pregnant Antibiotics will usually fall under one of 5 categories: \|A\|\|Adequate, well-controlled studies in pregnant women have not shown an increased risk of fetal abnormalities.\| \|B\|\|Animal studies have revealed no evidence of harm to the fetus; however, there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. Or Animal studies have shown an adverse effect, but adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus.\| \|C\|\|Animal studies have shown an adverse effect and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. Or No animal studies have been conducted and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women.\| \|D\|\|Studies, adequate well-controlled or observational, in pregnant women have demonstrated a risk to the fetus. However, the benefits of therapy may outweigh the potential risk.\| \|X\|\|Studies, adequate well-controlled or observational, in animals or pregnant women have demonstrated positive evidence of fetal abnormalities. The use of the product is contraindicated in women who are or may become pregnant.\| Most antibiotics will fall somewhere in between. Risks associated with antibiotic use also depend on when you take it during your pregnancy, how much you take, and what form you are using. While some antibiotics may fall in the gray area, both mother and health provider must decide if the course of treatment benefits outweighs the risks. Penicillin, Cephalosporin, and Erythromycin are some of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics and are generally considered safe for use during pregnancy. Some antibiotics will block important nutrients from being absorbed during their use and it’s important to take your prenatal vitamins during this time. Discuss this with your health care provider and your pharmacist if you have any concerns.

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