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Zora Neale Hurston and her times come alive in this introduction for young readers. Living in the all-black town of Eatonville, Fla., Zora Neale Hurston never had to face the racism of her times. She grew up proud and confident, believing “the moon followed her wherever she went.” Early on, she cultivated the dream of becoming a famous writer, and though she faced many obstacles along the way, she succeeded with Their Eyes Were Watching God, which has sold over five million copies and is now a fixture of high school and college curricula. The volume is nicely designed, and the many photographs (captions not seen) make it feel like a Hurston scrapbook, though there are too many pages of dense text unbroken by images. Somehow, though, Hurston’s odyssey—through the Harlem Renaissance and the Prohibition era, as well as through the South collecting stories from former slaves, lumber workers near the Everglades and voodoo practitioners in New Orleans—comes off as dry and not especially interesting. Audience is an issue, too, since the volume is aimed at young readers who won’t have heard of Hurston and won’t find books by her for their age group. A work aimed at an older teen audience might have better hit the mark. An adequate introduction to a remarkable 20th-century author. (two folktales, timeline, source notes, bibliography, index) (Biography. 9-12)
This review explores current understandings of child development and the consequences for children of risk exposure in low- and middle-income countries by integrating empirical evidence from development economics with insights from allied social science disciplines. It provides a holistic perspective that highlights the synergies between children's developmental domains, drawing particular attention to dimensions such as self-efficacy, self-esteem and aspirations, which have had only limited treatment in the economics literature to date, especially in developing countries. It concludes that there is strong evidence of dynamic relationships between risk factors in early childhood and later outcomes across multiple developmental domains, emphasizing the heightened effect of shocks to the care environment and the cumulative effect of multiple shocks. It also concludes that risk is distributed unevenly, with children who are both in poverty and disadvantaged socially according to, for example, their ethnicity bearing the greatest burden; within a household, gender, birth order and other factors mean that some suffer disproportionately from shortfalls and incomplete protection. However, this review finds that low endowments in early childhood can be at least partially compensated for through improved environments and investments in later childhood, emphasizing the resilience of some children. The review goes on to explore the impact on children of dramatic socio-economic changes that have occurred in recent years with rapid growth across most developing countries. It highlights four key forces for change—fall in absolute poverty, increased access to services, changing household incentives for investing in children, and changing social and cultural values—and stresses the ambiguous effects on the welfare of children and their long-term prospects. In so doing, the review aims to consolidate emerging evidence on how risks and opportunities for child development may have changed in these dynamic contexts. Keywords: child development, life course, aspirations, non-cognitive skills, risk factors, risk The final published version of the article is available on the journal website. Boyden, Jo, Stefan Dercon and Abhijeet Singh (2014) ‘Child Development in a Changing World: Risks and Opportunities’, World Bank Research Observer
During the Drone Surveying course, you will learn… How to Create Maps How to Create 3D Models How to create other important geographical data This drone surveying course is about the creation of maps, 3D models, and other geographical data via drone. It is most commonly done by taking many images at different locations and then using software to merge them all together, creating a geometrically accurate map or model. In practice, this is accomplished using software that automates both flight and image capture. Four Core Modules Module 1: Introduction to Surveying Module 2: Basics and Terminology Module 3: Capture and Processing Methods Module 4: Surveying Jobs At the end there is a 30 question quiz to test your understanding of the material. Frequently Asked Questions Who is this course for? This course is designed for drone pilots looking to expand their skillset to include surveying, mapping, or modeling. It will lead you through the basics of drone surveying from flight planning to data capture. Do you need prior knowledge? No prior knowledge of surveying or 3D modeling is required. You can be a beginner and still be able to grasp the information. What are the prerequisites for the course? Ownership of a drone, as well as basic drone flying ability is assumed. In order to perform surveying jobs, it’s best if you are comfortable generally flying your drone first and have your Part 107, PfCO or the necessary license within your region. What will I be able to do after this course? This course will give you the knowledge to start performing drone based surveying jobs. You will be familiar with the types of data that need to be collected for both 2.5D (mapping) and 3D (modeling) surveying work, as well as how to effectively capture images for both cases. The information is geared towards visual photogrammetry, but the same methods apply to thermal mapping, multispectral imaging, and other remote sensors. Why ABJ Drone Academy? We provide relevant and innovative drone education based on global in-field and experienced pilots who have provided services in a multitude of industries and categories from general photography to full scale energy infrastructure inspections. Our programs are less theory and more factual, exactly what you and your organization needs to bring the up-most value, while saving time and avoiding huge potential problems.
A few years ago, Bethany Schultz's dog, Chopper, was diagnosed with immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, a condition where the dog's immune system destroys its own red blood cells. Although Chopper's bone marrow was producing an adequate number of red cells, once they were released into the blood stream, the dog's immune system attacked and killed them as if they were an infection or virus. Not sure what to do, Schultz walked into IndyVet in Indianapolis, where doctors there gave Chopper four blood transfusions. The transfusions helped. Schultz was so happy that she decided that her other dog, Zaha, should become a blood donor. Schultz told her story to the local Indianapolis ABC affiliate, boasting that Zaha was her superhero. The dog, it turns out, is a universal donor and now gives blood monthly. Zaha is indeed a superhero because right now the nation is in the middle of a canine blood shortage. The situation is so bleak that veterinarians are putting out the call that more dog blood is needed. The shortage has even reached into Canada. "Our donor pool depleted quite dramatically," Beth Knight, laboratory director at the Canadian Animal Blood Bank in Winnipeg told a Canadian TV station. "It's one of those challenges." Yes, just like humans, dogs — as well as cats — can donate blood. Although there is no centralized blood bank for either species, there are many animal blood banks around North America. In fact, dogs routinely go to the Orchard Park Veterinary Medical Center near Buffalo, New York to donate. The animals have to be between 1 and 6 years old and weigh 50 pounds (22 kilograms) or more. They must also be current on their vaccinations and free of any long-term medical conditions. The process generally takes about 45 minutes, and there are rarely any side effects. In return, the dogs get free annual medical checkups, complete with bloodwork and screening for various infectious diseases. If the donor dogs later need blood themselves, they get one free unit for each time they have donated. In many respects, a canine blood bank works the same as a blood bank for humans. Donor dogs have to be screened for blood-borne diseases. Their blood also has to be typed; dogs have more than eight different antigens compared to human's three, A, B and O. And like human blood, there always seems to be a shortage of supply for our furry friends. Part of the reason is because canine blood has a short shelf-life — just about 30 days — so the stock has to constantly be replenished. But this current dearth has also been fueled by the warm weather, which increases the risk for infectious diseases and traumas, such as being hit by a car. Plus, according to Dr. Kelly Robertson, directory of Emergency Services & Blood Donation Center at IndyVet, a number of regular donor dogs are "retiring." It doesn't matter what breed your dog is, every make and model can donate. The blood of a Great Dane, for example, can be transfused into a chihuahua and vice versa. Of course, being a good natured donor dog helps, too.
NASA's Marshall Center Readies Historic, Apollo-Era Test Stand for Testing of Ares I -- America's New Rocket HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Engineers have begun preparations to renovate the historic, 360-foot-high Saturn V Dynamic Test Stand at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. The test stand, used in the 1960s to test the Apollo-era Saturn V rocket and later the integrated space shuttle system, soon will be used for the integrated vehicle ground vibration test of the nation's new Ares I rocket and Orion crew capsule. NASA's Constellation Program is building this new fleet of spacecraft to return humans to the moon by 2020. The Ares I crew launch vehicle is an in-line, two-stage rocket being designed to carry the Orion capsule and launch future explorers into space. As part of the effort to refurbish the test stand, its massive, 144-foot-high, 71-ton door was opened March 31 – ushering in a new century in NASA's rich history of testing rockets for flight. Renovations of the test stand will include safety improvements, refurbishment of the 200-ton derrick crane on the roof and installation of a new electrical power system. These repairs will bring the facility back to its original capability, ready to begin testing the Ares I rocket in July 2011. The test program should take approximately one year. The Dynamic Test Stand was one of the tallest structures in Alabama when it was built in 1964, and only in recent years did it lose this distinction. It was used in 1966 and 1967 for ground vibration testing of the Saturn V launch vehicle and the Apollo spacecraft. In 1972 and 1973, it was used for tests involving Skylab -- the earliest U.S. laboratory flown in Earth orbit. Beginning in 1978, the space shuttle Enterprise was hoisted into Marshall's Dynamic Test Stand for vertical ground vibration testing in a launch configuration. The tests marked the first time all the shuttle components -- the orbiter, external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters -- were attached. In October 1985, the U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service designated the Dynamic Test Stand as a National Historic Landmark for its contributions to the success of early human spaceflight. Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
This article should assist you with understanding the numerous successful methods of showing math at home;whether you self-teach your youngster or essentially need assistance training math for schoolwork purposes it is imperative to encourage you information on making math fun. Math is a center subject in instruction frameworks any place you travel on the planet and here you will have the option to get a head start to your examination into the a wide range of approaches to make learning math fun and compelling for your home understudies, while simultaneously really getting a charge out of showing math yourself. As you will know; any fruitful educator in or outside of school will continually reevaluate their showing techniques and research new methodologies for building up an understudy so as to help guarantee that an ideal standard of accomplishment can be accomplished. By what means can showing math at home assistance? This ought to be pertinent whatever your circumstance or thinking behind instructing a kid math at home. Regardless of whether you self-teach your kid or encourage math in a school then you may think that its moving to hear any new methodologies accessible for you to utilize that not just make learning math at home progressively viable for the improvement of a kid or understudy, and yet make it additionally compensating for yourself as the instructor. On the off chance that you are instructing a youngster at home, at that point permitting yourself to communicate your imaginative showing strategies in as , yet will likewise support satisfaction in the learning procedure. For some individuals, this is actually the motivation behind why self-teaching kids is the conspicuous choice. It permits the instructors to have a more straightforward and individual spotlight on a youngster’s needs and hence improves the odds of accomplishment in showing math at home. Most youngsters would happily trade math exercises at home or without a doubt at school for a ride on a bike or a PC game. What’s more, most youngsters will likewise straightforwardly and happily reveal to you that math is basically ‘no good times!’ In that very proclamation the youngster has given you a basic protest that is unbelievably noteworthy towards seeing how to persuade a kid into learning maths. Showing maths at home makes the arrangement considerably increasingly implementable. By incorporating games into showing math at home, a youngster will be animated into learning in such a way, that math exercises at home become an energizing piece of the day by day schedule. Step by step instructions to consolidate fun with showing math at home There is not a viable replacement for being imaginative and creative in the strategies and approaches you decide to receive while instructing a youngster at home. Without a doubt, on the off chance that you decide to self-teach, at that point it might in actuality be simpler to visualize inventiveness when arranging a math exercise because of the nonappearance of bureaucratic requirements you may discover in present day training frameworks. With home learning you can utilize games, toys, stories and can give or perform boundless instances of down to earth tests to help the learning procedure. A key expression to recollect and grasp in any case, when training math at home is – Math Is Everywhere Grasping this thought implies that when making home math practices for youngsters (regardless of whether this implies math prepackaged games or games and so on.) that the kid’s most agreeable environmental factors and common habitats are incorporated with, and comprehended utilizing down to earth math ideas with genuine examinations. Note that the most helpful result of showing math at home, in school or anyplace isn’t breezing through a S.A.T or test yet in certainty really being capable effectively take care of issues by utilizing math ideas later on. Keep in mind, this could be when setting up a shed, laying brickwork, arranging a course or in any event, creating music. The primary expectation of this article is to help comprehend the advantages of showing math at home while giving a premise to proceeding with investigation into showing strategies and practices. Thusly, it is likewise planned to animate the innovativeness of showing approaches . The thoughts and ideas can be applied to any subject obviously and whenever saw effectively, can drastically expand the achievement and advantages of self-teaching and educating at home. - The Reasons Why An International Education Is Crucial. July 25, 2021 - The do’s before your first swimming lesson July 24, 2021 - 5 Points About Christian Schools One Must Know July 23, 2021 - Recognize These Actual Errors in Mandarin Classes July 6, 2021 - Things to Consider before Choosing a Degree Course June 29, 2021 - Find out best Secondary Math Tutor in Singapore May 26, 2021 - 3 Benefits of Reading to Your Children May 22, 2021
RAM Guide: Part I DRAM and SRAM Basics Now that we know how to read from and write to a simple SRAM chip, let's look at the more common DRAM chip and see how to use it. DRAM, as I've mentioned earlier, is more complicated than SRAM because the charges placed on its memory cells leak out over time. (One of my EE professors used to say, "the difference between SRAM and DRAM is that SRAM works and DRAM doesn't.") So most of DRAM's peculiar and complicated characteristics arise from the fact we're trying to take memory that actually doesn't work and make it work. But before we talk more about the "making it actually work" aspects of DRAM, let's look at a simple DRAM chip and discuss the pin-outs. One of the earliest, simplest, and most important DRAM chips was the 2118, introduced by Intel in 1979. The 2118 was a 16K x 1 DRAM packaged in an 18-pin DIP. That "16K x 1" part means that it had 16384 cells and it read or wrote 1 data bit at a time. (I couldn't find an online datasheet for the 2118, so I did some Paintshop Pro mojo on the above diagram to get the following one, which I based off a printed 2118 pin-out that I have.) Looking at the above diagram, you'll probably notice a few immediate differences from the earlier SRAM module. The primary difference, and the one from which all the others stem, is that the number of address lines is cut in half. So you're probably wondering, if this 16K DRAM has half the number of address lines as the 16K SRAM, then how does it address all 16K memory cells? The answer is simple, but it makes interfacing with the DRAM more complicated: the address is cut into halves, and the two halves are applied to the address pins on two separate clock cycles. So the 14-bit address would be split into two, 7-bit chunks, and the two chunks would be fed to the DRAM one after the other on two successive clock cycles. This multiplexing of the address pins means that you can cut the number of address pins for a DRAM in half, and is a fundamental feature of DRAMs. Why is it important to be able to halve the number of address pins? Remember when I said that DRAM cells are about 4 to 6 times smaller than SRAM cells? If you can fit four times the amount of cells on a DRAM chip, this would mean that you'd need more address pins on it. (Not four times the number of address pins, though.) As DRAM cells get smaller and you keep having to add address pins, the size of the package gets bigger and bigger. As the size of the package gets bigger, so do its cost and power consumption. So it's very important to keep the number of pins per chip down, which means that address multiplexing is an essential feature of modern, large capacity DRAMs. This address multiplexing greatly complicates design, though, because it adds to the number of steps you have to go through to perform a read and a write. This means that not only is the DRAM chip itself more complicated internally, but the DRAM interface has to be more complicated as well. Before we list the actual steps in a DRAM read and write, let's take a look at an internal diagram of a DRAM chip. In the diagram above, you can see that there are two extra elements with two extra lines attached to them: the Row Address Latch is controlled by the /RAS (or Row Address Strobe) pin, and the Column Address Latch is controlled by the /CAS (or Column Address Strobe) pin. You'll also notice that the address bus is half as big, because row and column addresses are placed onto the bus separately. Now let's go step by step through a DRAM read cycle, with diagrams every few steps to show what's going on. 1) The row address is placed on the address pins via the address bus. 2) The /RAS pin is activated, which places the row address onto the Row 3) The Row Address Decoder selects the proper row to be sent to the sense 4) The Write Enable (not pictured) is deactivated, so the DRAM knows that it's not being written to. 5) The column address is placed on the address pins via the address bus. 6) The /CAS pin is activated, which places the column address on the Column 7) The /CAS pin also serves as the Output Enable, so once the /CAS signal has stabilized the sense amps place the data from the selected row and column on the Data Out pin so that it can travel the data bus back out into the system. 8) /RAS and /CAS are both deactivated so that the cycle can begin again. I'll leave outlining the DRAM write cycle as an exercise to the reader. I'm not kidding, actually, because if you truly understand the read cycle, then you should be able to figure out the steps in the write cycle by looking closely at the SRAM write cycle and thinking about which steps in the DRAM read should be modified and which ones should be added to make a DRAM write. I'll give you some hints: you've got to modify step 4, and you've got to insert steps for sending data from the data bus to the sense amps and from the sense amps to the cell.
NASA to Test Bigelow Expandable Module on Space Station NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver announced Jan. 16 a newly planned addition to the International Space Station that will use the orbiting laboratory to test expandable space habitat technology. NASA has awarded a $17.8 million contract to Bigelow Aerospace to provide a Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), which is scheduled to arrive at the space station in 2015 for a two-year technology demonstration. "Today we're demonstrating progress on a technology that will advance important long-duration human spaceflight goals," Garver said. "NASA's partnership with Bigelow opens a new chapter in our continuing work to bring the innovation of industry to space, heralding cutting-edge technology that can allow humans to thrive in space safely and affordably." The BEAM is scheduled to launch aboard the eighth SpaceX cargo resupply mission to the station contracted by NASA, currently planned for 2015. Following the arrival of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying the BEAM to the station, astronauts will use the station's robotic arm to install the module on the aft port of the Tranquility node. After the module is berthed to the Tranquility node, the station crew will activate a pressurization system to expand the structure to its full size using air stored within the packed module. During the two-year test period, station crew members and ground-based engineers will gather performance data on the module, including its structural integrity and leak rate. An assortment of instruments embedded within module also will provide important insights on its response to the space environment. This includes radiation and temperature changes compared with traditional aluminum modules. "The International Space Station is a uniquely suited test bed to demonstrate innovative exploration technologies like the BEAM," said William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for human exploration and operations at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "As we venture deeper into space on the path to Mars, habitats that allow for long-duration stays in space will be a critical capability. Using the station's resources, we'll learn how humans can work effectively with this technology in space, as we continue to advance our understanding in all aspects for long-duration spaceflight aboard the orbiting laboratory." Astronauts periodically will enter the module to gather performance data and perform inspections. Following the test period, the module will be jettisoned from the station, burning up on re-entry. The BEAM project is sponsored by NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Program, which pioneers innovative approaches to rapidly and affordably develop prototype systems for future human exploration missions. The BEAM demonstration supports an AES objective to develop a deep space habitat for human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information about Bigelow Aerospace, visit:
About this research theme People have always bought pictures, but over time the type of art acquired by individuals and institutions has changed, due to shifting trends in taste and availability. This has shaped the collections of major museums and galleries today. The Buying, Collecting and Display research theme focuses on the development of important public and private art collections, the evolution of the art market and the changing attitudes of both scholars and the general public towards different periods of art and artists. The theme also encompasses historical investigation into certain aspects of display, such as framing. The National Gallery has been exploring its own past by undertaking research into the collection of John Julius Angerstein, which was bought for the nation in 1824 and became the basis of the newly formed Gallery. Research is also being carried out into the life and achievements of the Gallery’s first director, Charles Eastlake, who professionalised the Gallery by promoting proper care of and research into the pictures. A joint research project with the Getty Research Institute, California, has investigated late 18th-century British sales catalogues, the results of which are available via the Getty’s databases [External link]. The research theme also includes three collaborative doctorates, one which investigates the Gallery’s historic and contemporary framing policy, another which studies the directorship of Frederic Burton at the end of the 19th century and a third that considers how perceptions of German Renaissance art changed between the era when it was made and the era when it was collected by modern institutions like the National Gallery. These projects are disseminated in many formats, including lectures, seminars and conferences, podcasts and films, publications and webpages. By encouraging new research in these areas within the Gallery and beyond – through collaborative ventures and by assisting international scholars to use the Gallery’s unique archival and library resources – the Gallery aims to establish itself as an international centre for the study of the history of collecting and display.
With over two billion users, WhatsApp is one of the world’s most popular means of communication. While in the past it was mainly used for private purposes, WhatsApp use in the workplace has increased significantly in recent years. It makes sense because you can send messages quickly, easily, (reasonably) safely due to the end-to-end encryption using both your smartphone and a PC. Table of Contents Whatsapp phishing is interesting for cybercriminals because of its popularity There’s one downside: it is precisely because of this popularity that WhatsApp is increasingly becoming a favorite tool for fraudsters. The Fraud Help Desk currently receives about a thousand reports per month about this. Previously, WhatsApp phishing methods were a bit simpler in nature and therefore easier to see through. But since 2019, a more advanced method has taken over, with the phishers taking over your account. This significantly increased the success rate of these phishing scams. How does the WhatsApp phishing scam work? Scammers make use of the WhatsApp feature that allows you to use the same account on several devices. To activate another device, a six-digit verification code is required. Fraudsters use various tricks to get this but typically, the scammer will befriend you, gain your trust and then ask you for the code stating that it was sent to you by mistake. Another trick: voicemail Instead of asking you for the code personally, the scammer can also use your voicemail. After multiple code requests at WhatsApp, the scammer can indicate that WhatsApp must call to pass on the code. If you do not answer this automated phone call, the code will be sent to your voicemail. If you use a standard PIN for your voicemail, the scammer can listen to your voicemail and get the code. How do you know that your WhatsApp account has been taken over and what happens then? The fact that you’ve been hacked becomes clear when contacts notify you that they are getting crazy messages from your name and phone number, you no longer have access to WhatsApp yourself or you get a notification that WhatsApp is being used on another device. If the scammer has set up two-step verification themselves, it can take up to a week for you to regain access to your own WhatsApp account. In addition to sending messages to your contacts, a scammer can see which groups you are in and send messages in these groups to steal money from people. Fortunately, there is also good news: the criminal cannot read your messages. All conversations are stored on your device and are encrypted end-to-end. Therefore, if someone has access to your WhatsApp on another device, they cannot view your messages. Step-by-step plan: what to do if your WhatsApp account has been taken over Have you determined that your account has been hacked? Then follow the next steps: - Restore access to your account. Delete the WhatsApp app, restart your phone and download the app again. Log in to your account with your phone number and request a verification code. Once you have entered the code, the scammer will be automatically logged out. - Are you now being asked for the two-step verification code even though you have not set it yourself? This means that the hacker has set up two-step verification and you now have to wait a week before you can log in without the code. - If you can access your WhatsApp, set up two-step verification yourself. Go to Settings> Account and choose Two-step verification. - Do you have access to your account and suspect someone else is using your account via WhatsApp Web or Desktop? Then log out from your phone on all computers. - Are you having trouble with the steps above? Then contact WhatsApp via their site or via Settings> Help> Contact us. - Change the PIN code for your voicemail.
This is the first part in a series about fuel conservation. To read the second post in this series on Locomotive Idle Reduction, click here. To read the third post, Optimizing Locomotive Energy Management Systems (EMS), click here. Class I railroads in North America consumed over 4 billion gallons of fuel in 2019. Fuel conservation and GHG emissions reduction is always a priority as railroads continue to focus on moving freight more efficiently, burning less fuel, and reducing emissions. Accurate on-board locomotive fuel consumption data isn’t just nice to have, it is indeed as the Brothers Grimm story indicates – the required fuel data straw that Rumpelstiltskin turned into fuel savings gold. There are a wide variety of ways to conserve diesel fuel – training, the use of technology such as Energy Management Systems, and operational changes such as reducing the horsepower per trailing ton used to pull freight. All of these methods require accurate fuel burn data and a comprehensive methodology to analyze and calculate specific ROI’s for the literally dozens of ways to approach saving fuel. This blog post will outline the accuracy required for on-board locomotive fuel data and a tried and proven methodology required to determine the level of fuel savings for any given initiative as it progresses from a field test phase to a potential full blown implementation, assuming the ROI is attractive once all other aspects of the operations are taken into account. Let us begin with a brief conversation on variability. Common measures of variability in statistics include range, inter-quartile range (IQR), variance, and standard deviation. Without making this blog post a statistical treatise, you generally want variability to be as small as possible. In a manufacturing world, variability has to be very low or piece parts wouldn’t fit together and function as designed or intended. In the real world of railroading, fuel burn variability is (unfortunately) quite high. There are a lot of reasons for this, and not many are within our ability to control. The above list is by no means a comprehensive or complete list of what drives excessive variability in railroad fuel consumption – but we’ve hit all the major high points. Due to the large number of variability drivers, it is not uncommon for what is considered the “same” train to burn significantly less or significantly more fuel than the average for that train type and location – 40% higher or lower than the average amount are certainly possible under typical operating conditions. POWER AND SAMPLE SIZE Now we’ll introduce another statistical concept, something called Power and Sample Size, as it relates to proving a statistical difference between two populations. In this case, let’s say we’re trying to assess a particular fuel savings technology that promises a 3% fuel savings. We’d like to be at least 95% confident that there is indeed a 3% fuel savings, so we need to figure out what our sample size (the number of crew segment trips) with the technology operational will need to be. As an example, the chart to the left shows a normal distribution of 227 trip segments and an average or mean fuel burn of approximately 967 gallons. Notice the standard deviation (our measure of variability) is about 176 gallons rounded to the nearest integer. This is our baseline fuel consumption data with no technology applied or tested. Now we run a Power and Sample size routine given we know what Power we want (95% confidence or 1 minus alpha or 0.05) and the standard deviation of our baseline sample data. The Power Curve shows that 448 crew trip segments will be needed to prove this technology looking for a 3% (approximately a 30 gallon) difference. More accurate fuel measurement data will significantly decrease the standard deviation of your baseline data and thus reduce the required test crew segment trips needed to prove a given technology, operating change, or new training regimen. CREW SEGMENT FUEL MEASUREMENT METHODOLOGY Accurate fuel consumption data for each locomotive on a train is the crucial input needed to calculate fuel burn at a train level. Segmenting the data by crew segments (crew on to crew off) is the most convenient and useful methodology, given crew segment data can be used for many other purposes such as grading locomotive engineer performance and training initiatives or operational changes that may be geographically contained. Back to our discussion on sources of variability, there are some sources that can and should be accounted for and which determine how data is gathered, compiled, and segmented to be used for future fuel analysis of any kind. There are a few discrete measures that need to be addressed, such as: - Number of locomotives pulling the train (this assumes there may be some locomotives shutdown or idling) - Type of train (coal, intermodal, mixed freight, bulk, etc…) - Geographic location, or crew point A to crew point B which must include direction as well Now with this properly segmented crew trip fuel data, producing a fitted line plot or regression of the tonnage against the fuel consumption produces a graph such as shown below where each dot is a separate trip gathered over time for a specific train type with the same number of pulling locomotives traveling over the same crew segment in the same direction. As we would expect, the amount of fuel consumed increases as the tonnage and length of the train increases. For a typical railroad operation, there would be several hundred, or even a few thousand, unique fitted line plots or regressions similar to the one above, which would account for the vast majority of their train operations. This then becomes the analytical comparison tool that is used to determine fuel savings for any given technology, training initiative, or operational change introduced. Two regression lines would be plotted, one baseline crew trip data, the other crew trip test data and the average separation between the two fitted lines will determine the number of gallons saved for each individual location, and the associated percentage fuel savings across the total crew runs involved in the specific field test. As you can see, a methodical and common sense approach to gathering and segmenting locomotive fuel data and then proving specific fuel savings for various fuel conservation initiatives does not need to be complex or cumbersome. Even a question as simple as, “Do I really know which locomotives are actually pulling the train and burning fuel?” is not always easily answered unless reliable and dedicated fuel measurement technology is installed, properly maintained, and operating on virtually all high horsepower locomotives used to pull mainline freight. As an example of what can happen with inaccurate fuel data, or not knowing with 100% certainty which locomotives are pulling the train and which ones are not – the fitted line plot below shows much more scatter in the fuel data which makes the ability to problem solve or determine exact fuel savings very difficult if not impossible. The more accurate the fuel data is, the fewer test trips will be required and the less time involved performing logistically complicated field tests to answer these critical questions of how much fuel is being saved and should this initiative progress from a field test stage to full implementation on a system-wide basis. Having accurate on-board fuel data is absolutely essential to being able to make the proper business decisions when deciding to purchase new fuel savings technology, making trade-offs to operational changes, or justifying training expenses in terms of whether or not there is an adequate ROI to proceed. Railroads that are able to answer these questions effectively stand a far greater probability of making significant gains in their fuel efficiency and emissions reduction in the long term. Truly, they will be able to, as Rumplestiltskin did, turn fuel data straw into fuel and emissions savings gold. To return to Blogs, click here.
The current blogspot will be based on the question “what is attention autism?”. We will discuss the aims behind attention autism. We will also learn the various stages of attention autism. What is attention autism? Attention autism is a learning approach developed specifically for children having autism symptoms. The attention autism program is focused on developing attention and communication skills among children with autism symptoms. The attention autism programme was developed by Gina Davies. Gina Davies is a speech therapist and language therapist. The attention autism program is centered around various activities that promote spontaneous and natural communication skills among children. The activities used in the attention autism program are sensory based and utilize visual stimuli for sensory motivation of the children with autism features. Gina Davies believed that in order to learn something, the experience has to be filled with enthusiasm, creativity and motivation for the learners. Since the attention autism program involves learning for autistic children, it tends to involve the children with autism features in activities that enable them to learn communication in ways that are dynamic, engaging and joyful. Attention autism is an intervention model that is focused on offering and providing an irresistible invitation to the autistic children for learning communication. What are the main aims of attention autism? The main objective behind attention autism is to provide the autism children with fun based learning that enables them learn communication and socialization dynamically. Following are the main aims of attention autism : - Engage attention of the autistic children - Improve the joint attention among autistic children - To develop socialization skills through group activities - To increase autistic children attention in adult led activities - To encourage spontaneity in routine interactions among the autistic children - To enhance learning experience in natural setting so the autistic children are better able to relate their learning environment with daily routine - To increase the verbal and non verbal communication skills among the autistic children - To enhance the vocabulary of autistic children and encourage their use of vocabulary - To give opportunities for fun and play to the autistic children. What are the stages of attention autism? Following are the 4 stages of the attention autism intervention program for the learning of autistic children: - The bucket of focus attention - The attention builder - Turn taking and re-engaging attention - Shiting and re-engaging attention The bucket of focus attention The bucket of focus attention is the first stage of the attention autism program. In this stage a bucket is filled by the facilitator of all the toys and objects that appear visually engaging. The aim behind this stage is to grab the shared attention of the group. The adult facilitator shows all the items of the bucket one by one to the group of autistic children. While doing so, the adult facilitator uses simple vocabulary to comment on each object and uses repeated words. The adult facilitator who can be a special education teacher, a therapist or a counselor tends to schedule the first stage of the attention autism program 4-5 times a week. They usually start by showing the toy bucket to the participants for a minute. Once the adult facilitators of the attention autism program are able to grab the attention of the group for a whole minute, they extend the stimulus time to 2 minutes. After they are able to gain the attention of autistic children for complete 2 minutes, they go to the second stage of the attention autism program. The attention builder The attention builder is the second stage of the attention autism program. The adult facilitator tends to show visually stimulating activities to the group of autistic children with an underlying aim of gaining their attention for a period longer than 2 minutes. The activities involved in this stage are fun based, visually engaging and often are based on delightful sensory moments for the autistic children. The highly appealing visually stimulating activities are used in the second stage of autism attention program with an underlying aim of building and sustaining the attention of the autistic children for a longer time period. Following are some of the attention autism stage 2 activities: - Flour castles can be made out of flour instead of sand. You can make these castles easily with a bowl and dry flour. You can use any available mould to shape different areas of your castle. - Volcano erupting activity is a classic science experiment . It is visually engaging for the autistic children. - Fishbowl foam activity is done by filling a bowl with shaving foam and water. Slowly add colors to the foam and ask each child to describe the various color patterns being formed. - Glowing balloons are made by blowing up balloons of different colors and placing a glow stick inside each balloon. The room lights are dimmed to maximize the visual effect of the glow sticks. Hence a fun, glowing visual activity is formed for the kids. Turn taking and re-engaging attention (Interactive game) The adult leader introduces a simple activity that is modeled in front of the kids.after making the kids comfortable, they are invited turnwise to get engaged in the activity. Not every child of the group gets a turn so the children learn waiting patiently for their turn and regulating their emotions. This stage teaches children the skills of waiting, turn taking and emotional regulation. Shiting and re-engaging attention The last step of attention autism is based on building group play skills among autism children. The adult leader demonstrates a creative task and each of the children attempt to copy the task independently. Autistic children are able to learn group participation and collaboration as a result of this stage. The autistic children copy the fun activity and everyone in the group gets a turn to get involved and show their creative sides in front of the group. The current blogspot focused on attention autism as a learning intervention for autistic children. We learned that attention autism is based on various sensory and stimulus based activities that gain the attention of the autsitc children and enable them to sustain their attention. We also discussed the 4 stages of attention autism. Frequently asked questions (FAQs): Attention autism What is an attention autism bucket? An ‘attention bucket’ is a bucket full of motivating and exciting toys and gadgets which will be of high interest to the children. How does autism affect attention? Some autistic children can find it difficult to pay attention to and focus on things that don’t interest them. They get easily distracted and either are too easily irritated or have an indifferent attitude towards sensory stimuli. How often should you do Attention autism? The aim behind autism is to gain and sustain the attention of the autistic children. In order to gain the maximum benefits, 4-5 sessions a week are recommended. What is Bucket therapy? Bucket therapy is an intervention program for the autistic children. It is based on autism attention. The major aim is to help the autistic children to focus and maintain their attention at a single point in time.
What's soft, squishy and can blend into its surroundings? A new robot made of silicon rubber created by researchers at Harvard University. Different color dyes that are pumped into the robot through a series of plastic tubes allows the device to change colors, so it can either disappear into or stand out from its environment. Air pumped into a network of tiny channels in the robot's four legs allows it to crawl and bend. Scientists can also change the temperature of dyes so the flexible bot shows up in infared. The camouflage ability would be useful for machines that operate in public to do their job without standing out, says researcher Steve Morin. It would also help researchers learn more about how animals use camouflage in nature. The findings were published in the Aug. 17 issue of the journal Science. In the video below, the flexible robot is shown blending into a field of rocks and turning fluorescent to stand out from a patch of leaves.
The book is divided into four parts. Part 1 covers some basics that are required to read the rest of the book. - Chapter 1, Performance Problems, explains not only why it’s essential to approach performance problems at the right moment and in a methodological way, but also why understanding business needs and problems is essential. It also describes the most common database-related design problems that lead to suboptimal performance. - Chapter 2, Key Concepts, describes the operations carried out by the database engine when parsing and executing SQL statements and how to instrument application code and database calls. It also introduces some important terms that are frequently used in the book. Part 2 explains how to approach performance problems in an environment that uses Oracle Database. - Chapter 3, Analysis of Reproducible Problems, describes how to identify performance problems with the help of SQL trace and PL/SQL profilers. - Chapter 4, Real-time Analysis of Irreproducible Problems, describes how to take advantage of information provided by dynamic performance views. Several tools and techniques that can be used with them are also introduced. - Chapter 5, Postmortem Analysis of Irreproducible Problems, describes how to analyze performance problems that happened in the past with the help of Automatic Workload Repository and Statspack. Part 3 describes the component that is responsible for turning SQL statements into execution plans: the query optimizer. - Chapter 6, Introducing the Query Optimizer, provides an overview of what the query optimizer does and how it does it. - Chapters 7 and 8, System Statistics and Object Statistics, describe what system statistics and object statistics are, how to gather them, and why they are important for the query optimizer. - Chapter 9, Configuring the Query Optimizer, covers a configuration road map that you can use to find a good configuration for the query optimizer. - Chapter 10, Execution Plans, describes in detail how to obtain, interpret, and judge the efficiency of execution plans. Part 4 shows which features are provided by Oracle Database to execute SQL statements efficiently. - Chapter 11, SQL Optimization Techniques, describes the techniques provided by Oracle Database to influence the execution plans that are generated by the query optimizer. - Chapter 12, Parsing, describes how to identify, solve, and work around performance problems caused by parsing. - Chapter 13, Optimizing Data Access, describes the methods available to access data and how to choose between them. - Chapter 14, Optimizing Joins, discusses how to join several sets of data together efficiently. - Chapter 15, Beyond Data Access and Join Optimization, describes advanced optimization techniques such as parallel processing, materialized views, and result caching. - Chapter 16, Optimizing the Physical Design, explains why it’s important to optimize the physical design of a database.
During the first week back at St. Columbkille we started off with a discussion about Women’s Empowerment. The lesson started off with asking the students who they recognized as prominent women’s rights activists. They named women such as Malala Yousafzai, Emma Watson, and Oprah. Our next question was to ask them what their definition of feminism would be and they all mentioned something about equality between the sexes, showing a great understanding of what feminism should be. They did mention the unfortunate connotation the word feminism has taken on and how it is now tied to some views that put women above men rather than as their equals. Our next part of the lesson was to go over the different waves of feminism, something they had also been learning about in school. We started from the Seneca Falls Convention and moved up through the #metoo movement and discussed the Gillette Ad that had been presented earlier that week. Something we spent a good amount of time on was the midterm elections and how there were more women in the House and the Senate than ever. This segued into a discussion on whether or not there should be quotas for how many women need to be in positions of power. The students had a range of opinions about this topic, raising concerns that it wouldn’t constitute equality if these quotas would technically exclude others from running based on gender. We closed out the discussion for the day with how we could improve women’s rights in the United States and across the world. One student brought up the importance of diversity and representation as a foundation for improving these rights. At our second meeting of 2019 at St. Columbkille, we discussed the recent government shutdown as well as the State of the Union speech. Students debated how they would resolve the shutdown crisis if they were in government. They recognized that border security funding has become a tough issue to tackle, but agreed that Congress should pass a funding bill for the government and put off a decision on border security in order to keep federal employees paid. The students were excited to deliberate other issues in the coming weeks, such as gun control, misinformation campaigns, DACA, and discrimination in law enforcement. Our third week at St. Columbkille focused on fake news per the request of one of the students the week prior after our government shutdown discussion. The discussion started off with basic background information, introducing the students to the terms of fake media and alternative facts. Next, the discussion moved towards the CNN incident where their white house press pass got revoked and whether that was within the power of the government to do so. The students agreed that it was unfair for the white house to revoke the pass and brought up the idea of censorship in the media. Some of the students felt that there should be some level of censorship when it comes to the media so as not to endanger others. This also led to a debate on how long people needed to wait after tragedies and massive events to report on them. Some felt that anyone could post as soon as it happened to get the word out. Others felt that it should be larger news companies and that they needed to wait to get as much of the facts as they could. They wondered how much proof people needed before they could begin to form opinions on news stories and if video evidence was enough, especially in the case of the Covington High School boys and Nathan Phillips. The second half of the discussion revolved around the role the internet plays in spreading fake news, mainly focusing on the Mueller investigation. The students debated on whether or not President Trump was responsible for the meddling since so many of those around him had already been found guilty. This also sparked the question of how to stop internet hackers from spreading fake news. The consensus was that with the advancement of technology there was not much laws could do--the people consuming the media are the ones to double check the truth. They finished off with the idea that there needed to be more diversity in newspapers to stop the spread of fake and biased news. We look forward to exploring new topics in the remaining months of the academic year and we will keep you up to date!
Take tours with historians, engage in workshops, and discover a community of passionate, like-minded educators — Civil War Trust Teacher Institutes will help you enrich your Civil War instruction. 2014 Teacher Institute Series 2014 REGIONAL TEACHER INSTITUTE Visit a reconstructed 19th century village; learn more about the home front of the Civil War. Visit a Battlefield - Using historic battlefield land to educate the next generation is one of the major arguments for preservation; So take a trip, see some beautiful and historic sites, and engage our children in our nation's past. - The Civil War Discovery Trail links more than 600 sites in 32 states - Visit a Battlefield »
Enact or enacted means to make into law by authoritative act. For example, the statute was enacted in the year 1945. It primarily means to perform the legislative act with reference to a bill which gives it the validity of law. In short, a bill is enacted when it becomes a law that is when the Governor signs it and makes it effective. Enact, when used in statutes also means to provide. For example, the statute of frauds enacts that no action may be brought on certain types of contracts unless the plaintiff has a signed writing to prove the agreement.
A new University of Colorado Boulder (USA) -led study sheds light on a protein key to controlling how cells grow, proliferate and function and long implicated in tumour development. The findings, published this week in the journal Genes and Development, could lead not only to new therapies for hard-to-treat cancers, but also inform novel treatments for neurological diseases and rare developmental disorders, the authors say. “These findings could have broad biomedical application,” said lead author Dylan Taatjes, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry. For decades, scientists have known that the protein Cyclin Dependent Kinase 7 (CDK7) plays an instrumental role in helping all cell types transcribe, or decode, the genetic instructions provided by their DNA. As Taatjes explains, each cell contains the same vast library, or genome. But a kidney cell may turn to different sections of that library for instructions than, say, a skin cell or a heart cell. Like a librarian, CDK7 helps ensure that each cell accesses the right instructions at the right time, guiding which genes get flipped on and off. While that’s important during human development and for normal cell function, CDK7 can be exploited by cancer cells to drive runaway growth. In recent years, scientists have discovered that the protein can fuel certain cancers to proliferate out of control, including “triple negative” breast cancers, which are more aggressive and don’t respond well to common treatments. That finding has inspired growing interest in the development of so-called “CDK7-inhibitors” but due to a lack of understanding of what the CDK7 does, early clinical trials have been disappointing. “We wanted to find out exactly how it’s really working inside human cells,” Taatjes said. To that end, the Taatjes lab teamed up with scientists from two pharmaceutical companies, Syros and Paraza, as well as colleagues in other CU Boulder labs, the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the BioFrontiers Institute. Using sophisticated analytical techniques, basic biochemistry and next-generation genetic sequencing, the team identified, for the first time, the hundreds of specific proteins that CDK7 switches on or off, providing unprecedented insight into its role in cells. The study also revealed that: - CDK7 plays a role in multiple stages of transcription (decoding the genome), shaping what is known as “transcriptional splicing”–in which unneeded parts of the transcribed genome are pruned away to leave only those necessary for the cellular task at hand. Notably, errors in splicing have been linked to myriad diseases, including blood cancers. - CDK7 serves as a “master regulator” of other key enzymes, turning them on to further drive transcriptional programs. Defects in the execution of such programs have been linked to cognitive diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and rare developmental disorders, including head and facial deformities. - The function of CDK7 is controlled by the company it keeps. When attached to a larger 10-protein complex, known as TFIIH, it is largely inactive. But when it breaks off on its own, its activity ramps way up. Phase 1 trials are currently underway administering the latest version of CDK7 inhibitors to drug-resistant breast, colorectal, lung, ovarian and pancreatic cancer patients. The findings of the new study suggest such drugs hold promise, Taatjes said. “In biology, it is widely recognised that cells will compensate by activating other enzymes if one specific enzyme is inhibited,” he said, explaining the mechanism behind drug resistance. “Our results suggest that CDK7 inhibitors could have distinct therapeutic advantages, given that they would not only block CDK7, but would impact the function of other enzymes.” The research could also lead to next-generation therapeutics, which–instead of silencing the protein completely–would target it only in its liberated, most active phase. This could result in more selective inhibitors that would be less damaging to healthy cells, with fewer side effects. And because of its many roles in shaping how human cells develop and function, other applications may be possible. “Cancer is an obvious application but it is by no means the only one,” Taatjes said. Source: University of Colorado Boulder
The Wisconsin Four Year Terms for Senators Amendment was a legislatively-referred constitutional amendment on the November 7, 1854 ballot in Wisconsin, where it was defeated. This amendment sought to modify Article IV, Section 5 of the Wisconsin Constitution to set four year terms for members of the senate. \| Question 2\| \|Yes\|\| 6,348\|\| 34.82%\| Official results via: Wisconsin Blue Book 2011 - 2012 Text of measure The language that appeared on the ballot: For amendment to section five Against amendment to section five - The two statements would have been printed on separate tickets to put in a ballot box. The last clause of section five of said article is hereby so amended as to read as follows: The senate districts shall be numbered in regular series. The senators chosen by the present odd numbered districts, in year 1854, shall hold their offices until the last day of December, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six. The senators chosen by the present even numbered districts, in the year 1855, shall hold their offices until the last day of December, one thousand eight hundred and fifty eight. Thereafter, senators shall be chosen for the term of four years; by the legislature at any new apportionment, shall so classify the senators to be elected from any additional senate district which may be formed, that the term of office of all senators elected from even numbered districts, shall expire at the same time, and the term of office of all those elected from odd numbered districts, shall expire at the same time. Path to the ballot - First Legislative Approval: Ch.95 (1853) - Second Legislative Approval: Ch.89 (1854) - Submission to the People: Ch.89 (1854)
\|Click image for large picture\| This clock represents a copy of a mid 18th century ‘salt box’ hooded wall clock. These clocks were probably amongst the cheapest clocks available and were either basic timepieces with alarm, striking timepieces or just plain timepieces, as is this clock. The word ‘clock’ comes from the Latin word for bell. Thus, if a machine (timepiece) struck a bell it is a clock, whereas if it just told the time it is a timepiece. It can get more complicated because although this clock is strictly a timepiece, as time has gone by timepieces are now known as clocks. In the 14th century when only monks rang a bell to denote the time of day, it was much more significant as the combination of a timepiece with a bell gave the dawning to the name ‘Clock’. This clock is made from mechanical parts from the late 17th and early 18th century. The 6” square brass dial with cherub spandrels decorated with engraving between, 5” chapter ring with trident half hour markers and finely matted centre all c1675. The hand is c2007 and beautifully made by Chris Lowe of ‘Richard's of Burton’. The movement is made from iron and brass. Hand beaten front and rear plates with rectangular pillars, iron pinions mounted with nicely shaped brass collects to brass wheels. The pinions run in brass bushes within the iron front and back plates to reduce wear. Rope driven with period weight and early pyramid shaped pendulum all c1740. There is sixty-five years between dial and movement. No, they did not start life together; they were part of the Gillows Estate. Both were found in a box of parts and begged to form an alliance. Chris Lowe worked on a solution to bring this clock to life in a sympathetic manner. Chris’s greatest challenge was a clutch assembly for the hand as there was no motion work. Once designed and made the clock burst into life and runs with a nice, even beat. The anchor escapement with it's 35” pendulum, swinging somewhat faster than a royal pendulum clock. The sound is neither like that of a birdcage or a plated movement emulating country clockwork. It runs just as a primitive clock of this time would have. Country clocks often had varied wheel counts which resulted in different pendulum lengths and running times. This arrangement is found on many Lantern and Hooded wall clocks. They did not require the minute swinging royal pendulum of 39”, a requirement for the second hand, to show the 60 seconds in each minute. It just adds to the pleasure of owning and working on early weight driven clocks!! The case is interesting, in so much as it is of a salt box design. Salt boxes were common items at this time and cheap to make so an ideal adaptation for a inexpensive clock. The case is made from a pine box c1820, with very little wood to spare. In conclusion this small hooded wall clock has a running time of around 30 hours, blending well with its surroundings much as it would have some 250 years ago. Although a copy - much like an original. A super clock. \|Pendulum bob.\|\|Door hook.\|
Chemists at Bar-Ilan University in Israel say they have developed and successfully tested "killer paper" coated with silver nanoparticles--each roughly 1/50,000 the width of a human hair--that can fight bacteria such as E. coli and S. aureus. Described in the American Chemical Society journal Langmuir, researcher Aharon Gedanken tells me that while colloidal silver is already widely used as an antimicrobial agent, what's new about his team's research is the process by which silver nanoparticles are deposited onto paper to develop antimicrobial properties. The team was able to control both the thickness of the silver coating and particle size while using ultrasonication to attach the nanoparticles to the paper; because the coatings are highly stable and anchored so strongly to the surface, they are long-lasting. "What is special about the technique is that the nanoparticles are embedded in the surface in such a way that they are not removed by washings," Gedanken says by e-mail. "Our coated textiles were washed 65 cycles by hospital washing machines...and still revealed antibacterial properties." While the team must now work toward FDA approval in the U.S., Gedanken says the paper could promote longer shelf life as a food packaging material, and perhaps someday reduce or even do away with the practice of preserving foods through radiation, heat treatment, or low temperature storage.
Doha, QATAR (CNN) -- Nowhere is the need for cheaper, renewable energy more apparent than Africa. There, the poorest villagers huddle around candles because even kerosene is too expensive. Dr. Joseph Adelegan addresses the panel at the Principal Voices debate on the "Economics of Energy." Seven years ago, Dr. Joseph Adelegan started the "Cows to Kilowatts" Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project in Nigeria. It creates cheap renewable energy and fertilizer from slaughterhouse waste. Locals use the gas for cooking and the fertilizer for their crops. Dr. Adelegan told the Principal Voices debate on the "Economics of Energy" in Doha that Africa has contributed the least to global warming, but is likely to suffer the most. "Research studies have shown that Africa and South East Asia will likely suffer most. For instance, they expect drought in some parts of Africa, extreme hunger, you expect malaria in some places like Nairobi that was never expected before, " he said. Dr. Adelegan told the panel that developed countries should be providing aid to help poorer countries make the transition from fossil fuels to cleaner energy. He believes that in the future the world's fuel demands can be met through renewable energy, and says there's an opportunity to capture energy from landfill in Africa and elsewhere. Here's what else he had to say. Agriculture & the environment "When you look at world energy demand and the transition to low carbon economy, we discovered that from previous studies that the renewable energies available in the world is about 3000 times able to meet world energy demand. And when you look at situation in Africa, you discover that there is a lot of agricultural waste. For you to be able to craft innovative solution to the global energy problem you must be able to understand the various contribution from various sectors to the world of global energy. For instance, agriculture contributes about 16% to the world greenhouse gas emission; which is an area that has not been looked at properly." On imposing sanctions on the developed world "If you look at it, the contribution of Africa to the issue of climate change is very little. The major polluters are the developed countries, for instance, the U.S. contributes about 22 percent to the world greenhouse gases. When you look at it also, the majority of it comes from coal. For instance, coal contributes 25 percent to the world greenhouse gases. And Africa pays very dearly for it. Research studies have shown that Africa and South East Asia will likely suffer most. For instance, they expect drought in some parts of Africa, extreme hunger, you expect malaria in some places like Nairobi that was never expected before. I think the issue should be the issue of political principal, but enforcement." On nuclear energy "If you look at it on a global scale, coal contributes to 25 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. In the United States, 50 percent of their electricity generation comes from coal, only 20 percent comes from nuclear fission reactors, about 7 percent come from hydro, and two percent from petroleum. There are a lot of issues about nuclear efficient reactors, there's the safety. How you handle nuclear waste? The issue of nuclear fission reactors may not be the best alternative. It's not safe and the waste is a huge issue to handle." On landfill as an opportunity "Landfill is a huge opportunity. In Africa we have heaps of solid waste all over the place. If we can get this to landfill and design a properly engineered landfill it is a huge opportunity to generate methane which can be captured for electricity. It's not only applicable to Africa but other developed countries. It's do-able and economically feasible, viable." \|Most Viewed\|\|Most Emailed\|\|Top Searches\|
7. Worst case scenario. (CRITICAL REVISION). -The project is revised under all worst case scenarios. Solutions must be tested and reliable. They have to work under floods, earthquakes, cold and heat waves, hurricanes, fires, snow storms, wild and careless users, economical collapses... Every place has its own worst case scenario. Although revision is carried out throughout the whole process, it is now when it is a specific action. Any idea has to be pushed to its limit, to find out its inconsistencies, where they break, degrade, leak, ideally and physically. Although most projects are one of a kind prototypes, each solution needs to be tested so we can predict its performance. -In this stage we use imagination to test what we think. To verify that what we are designing will work out fine. It is faster and cheaper to imagine than to draw or build. Calculation also helps us to verify that our work hypothesis are correct. -We need to thoroughly check, check and check. We can’t forget anything. The project cannot have any mistake, neither in its concept nor in its layout. -As we are not perfect, critical revision will help us to evolve the project. We tend to minimise the cases where this revision tells us to go much backwards. That’s why it is crucial to start well. LITTLE PATHS (Case studies): - Wreckages (case study #12). EXCURSIONS (Little exercises for young builders while on a journey): - Check out all possible worst case scenarios. Natural disasters, aging, rust, dirt, wars, wild users... - The world without us. Alan Weisman, 2015. - This changes everything. Naomi Klein, 2014.
Online graphic design degrees from accredited universities and schools. What is Graphic Design? In order for companies to be competitive and grow they must use various marketing strategies that will help increase their clientele. Signs, logos, displays, brochures, are just a few examples of how these companies try and promote their goods and/or services. Businesses often hire graphic designers to create means that effectively communicate with potential customers using graphics and images to entice them to buy the product or services they are selling. Graphic designers typically learn a myriad of skills including typography, image development and page layout. Since computers are the primary means of accomplishing these tasks, designers often use desktop publishing software and similar means to achieve their goals. Degrees in Graphic Design Degrees in graphic design will give you the needed skills and techniques that will enable you to secure a job in the graphic and visual design profession. You can earn anything from a certificate, associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree entailing emphasis in specialized areas of this field of study. While obtaining a degree in graphic design will prove to be most useful, a strong sense of visual creativity will provide for future success and advancement opportunities. Job Opportunities in Graphic Design According to the U.S. Department of Labor, jobs in graphic design will grow as fast as the average profession over the next several years. Entry-level designers earned a median salary of $32,000 in 2005, while staff-level graphic designers earned $42,500. Freelance designers and designers who worked under contract with other companies earned average earnings of $60,000.
The most popular new year’s goal this year is weight loss. Together with goals like “more exercise” and “healthier eating,” these health-oriented goals account for 42% of new year’s goals made in the U.S. Whether you are a college student or are working full time, finding time to exercise, eat right and get enough sleep can be a constant challenge. Before rushing to the latest diet or exercise trend, pause consider a more natural approach that can lead to amazing and sustainable results. The secret to balance in your health depends on 3 crucial elements: Exercise, Nutrition, and Sleep. If one of these three legs fails, you lose balance. - Balance cardio and strength training workouts - Warm up before and recover after workouts - Be active: any exercise is better than none Everyone has their own rules about how, how long and what you should do for your workouts. Fitness magazine published an exercise article that breaks it down to a few sensible tips for beginners, regulars and fanatics - Eat 5 daily servings of fruits/veggies - Drink 8 glasses (8 oz. each) of water every day - Replace candy/sweets with healthy snacks In 2009, nutritionist and author Michael Pollan asked readers for their favorite rules about eating. You can view his favorites here. - Get at least 7.5 hours of sleep each night - Turn off all electronics at least 30 minutes before bed - Eat no later than 3 hours before bedtime If you’re looking for more advice on how sleep affects your health, Dr. Mark Hyman, MD recently published a list of 19 tips to help you sleep better, lose weight, and live longer.
Pregnant women who suffer from diabetes are more likely to have a child with memory problems, according to a new study. The researchers believe the children’s poor memories are the result of inadequate levels of iron and oxygen reaching the brain’s memory centre during its crucial developmental phase. However, they stress that diabetics who properly control their condition during pregnancy avoid risking damage to their child’s memory. Tracy DeBoer at the University of California in San Diego, US, and colleagues followed a group of mothers beginning early on in their pregnancy. They tested the mothers’ blood sugar and iron levels regularly and then followed their infants after birth, carrying out regular blood sugar and iron tests, as well as memory exams that grew more complex as the children aged. Diabetic mothers who had widely fluctuating blood sugar levels during pregnancy had children who performed worse than children in a control group in a series of memory tests at 12 months of age (Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, vol 47, p 525) – and the effects are still significant at age three-and-a-half, says DeBoer. But the loss in memory performance was only noticeable during the more difficult memory tests, she says, resulting in scores that were one-third poorer than unaffected children. In easier tests, the 20 children of diabetic mothers performed almost as well, or the same, as the 20 children in the control group. Pregnant women who have fluctuating blood glucose levels confer these fluctuations onto their fetuses through the bloodstream, explains DeBoer. One result of this is that available iron reserves in the fetus are conserved to make more haemoglobin. This results in iron shortages in the brain – notably in its memory centre, which is called the hippocampus. “The hippocampus is very metabolically active, particularly during fetal development, and requires a lot of iron,” DeBoer says. “Iron level in pregnancy was directly related to how well the child did in memory tests at age 3.5 – the greater the iron, the better the memory.” The long-lasting effects of prenatal hippocampus impairment is very interesting because studies show that the hippocampus is only partly developed at birth, says Patricia Bauer, an infant memory researcher at Duke University in North Carolina, US. “This initial, prenatal laying down of neurons is clearly a critical stage in the development of the hippocampal structures.” And electro-physiological tests performed on the toddlers during memory testing also appear to show a reduction in brain activity in the hippocampus in children with diabetic mothers, although it is difficult to locate the source of the brain activity using these EEG tests, DeBoer says. The ongoing study will follow the children to see if their memory problems persist to school age and beyond, and more accurate functional MRI brain scans will be performed on the older children to determine how active their hippocampal region is when processing and consolidating new memories. Iron supplements could reduce the risk in some pregnant women, DeBoer suggests. Diabetes affects around 10% of all pregnancies in the US. The research was presented on Friday at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Francisco, California, US.
In This Section Having a baby? View Our Frequently Asked Questions Fetal ultrasound provides you and your obgyn with a first glimpse of your developing baby. An ultrasound produces a picture of the baby to monitor the size and position of the fetus and check for problems. This type of imaging is non-invasive and uses sound waves to produce an image. Ultrasound results may estimate the due date, check for multiple pregnancies, and find major birth defects. No radiation is used, so there is no risk for you or the baby. Types of Ultrasounds How To Prepare You should wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing to your prenatal appointment. The test most likely needs to be done with a full bladder. For transvaginal ultrasound or those in late pregnancy, a full bladder usually isn't necessary. What To Expect The ultrasound usually takes less than 30 minutes. The patient is usually positioned on an examination table and clear gel is applied to the abdomen. This improves conduction of sound waves and eliminates air between the transducer, a small plastic device that sends out sound waves and records them as they bounce back, and your skin. The transducer moves back and forth over the abdomen, directing sound waves into the uterus and capturing the reflected sounds waves that are digitally converted into images.
Dry skin is a precursor to sensitized skin because when skin is dry, it?s depleted of its natural protective lipid barrier. The extreme, most severe form of dry skin is called ichthyosis, also known as fish-scale disease. Dry skin may cause itching and be a precursor to skin conditions such as dermatitis and eczema. Despite decades of research, much remains unanswered about the epidemiology of dry Skin. Using mild keratolytics (e.g. urea cream) to remove skin scales, humectants (e.g. glycerol) to soften the skin and moisturisers (e.g. sorbolene cream) to prevent or replace moisture loss all help to reduce the problem of dry skin. It is vital to keep skin prone to dry well hydrated with regular moisturising even when there is not much current dry skin
Author(s): Hammel KE Abstract Share this page Abstract Ligninolytic fungi accomplish the partial degradation of numerous aromatic organopollutants. Their ability to degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is particularly interesting because eukaryotes were previously considered to be unable to cleave fused-ring aromatics. Recent results indicate that extracellular peroxidases of these fungi are responsible for the initial oxidation of PAHs. Fungal lignin peroxidases oxidize certain PAHs directly, whereas fungal manganese peroxidases co-oxidize them indirectly during enzyme-mediated lipid peroxidation. This article was published in Environ Health Perspect and referenced in Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry
In this free art lesson, you’ll learn how to draw a Manga Girl (3/4 View) with short hair step-by-step. All of the tutorials on How2DrawManga.com are good drawing tutorials for beginners and experienced artists alike. The online tutorials are easy to follow; they teach you the how to draw basics while showing you how to draw manga step by step. To learn how to draw short hair, we will be using the Basic Girl Head / Face (Three-Quarter View) template that we created in a previous tutorial. Click on the link below to complete the Head and Face (Three Quarter View) drawing first: After you have your drawing for the Basic Head / Face (3/4 View), follow the step-by-step drawings below to add the short hair. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you’ll know exactly what to draw next. Take your time and draw at your own pace. Intro: Start off with a pencil sketch. In the beginning stages, don’t press down too hard. For every step, sketch lightly at first so that it’s easy to erase if you make a mistake. Step 1: Draw a big shape made up of a few curved lines on the forehead for the first part of the manga girl’s hair. The line in the middle should be between the eyebrows and it should be shaped like a giant, curved letter V. This is the first big clump of hair. On either side of this V-shaped line, draw two more long lines for thinner clumps of hair. Make the bottoms of the clumps thin and pointy. The tips of the hair should overlap the eyebrows a little. When you draw hair, it’s important that you don’t draw every single hair strand. Instead, draw clumps of hair as bigger shapes like these shapes. Step 2: On either side of the middle clump of hair, draw a few more shorter, curved lines for more of the manga girl’s bangs or fringe. These lines should extend outwardly and they should overlap the outer tips of the eyebrows a little bit. Step 3: On the left side, between the eye and the ear draw another big clump of hair using long, curved vertical lines. Add a few pointy shapes at the bottom for the tips of the hair clump. The girl’s ear and part of the jaw and neck should be overlapped a bit by the long chunk of hair. Step 4: To the left draw the back of the manga girl’s hair using more curved, vertical lines. Use pointy shapes at the bottom for the tips of the hair clumps. Keep the bottom tips of the hair on the same level above the shoulders because we want to keep the hair short. The leftmost line should be very long. Notice how this entire chunk of hair remains very close to the side of the bald head. Step 5: On the top right, side draw more of the girl’s bangs or fringe using short, curved vertical lines. Make the bottom tips of these hair chunks pointy like a thin letter V. The bottom of the bangs or fringe should be at the same level as the eyes. Step 6: On the left side of the face, draw the another chunk of hair using long, vertical lines. Keep this shape close to the face. Make the bottoms pointy and curved and close to the shoulder. Step 7: Draw a series of short, v-shaped lines on the bottom, right side of the face for the tips of the girl’s hair in the back. At the top, connect the side of the hair using a long, curved horizontal line. The top of the hair should be dome-like. Keep this line fairly close to the top of the bald head and follow the basic curvature of the bald head. Step 8: Within the hair, draw a series of long, curved lines to add extra detail and texture to the clumps of hair. Don’t over do it with the lines; just add a few for detail. Step 9: Using a pen or marker, go over the lines to make your drawing permanent. Ink slowly and carefully to avoid accidents. Don’t ink the parts of the ear, jaw or neck that are behind the clumps of hair. If you’d like, you can draw the eyebrows over the hair like in the image or omit everything that is behind the hair. It all depends on personal style. Some manga artists draw the eyebrows over the hair because hair can be a bit see-through and others don’t. It’s up to you. After the ink dries, get rid of every pencil mark with an eraser. Final Step: Color your drawing! This drawing was colored digitally but you can achieve the same result using color pencils, markers or crayons! Using light brown, color a few streaks across the middle area of the entire hair for highlights. Use brown for the rest of the hair and don’t overlap the highlights. Use dark brown along the top and bottom of the hair. Color lightly at first and slowly blend the colors together. For an easier drawing, just color the entire hair a single brown color with no highlights. You can also use any other color you want. Manga characters are always colorful so use, green, pink, purple or any other color you want for the hair. Use peach for the skin. Add a bit of pink to the cheeks for blush. Use a bit of light brown under the head for a shadow. Color the irises dark blue at the top and gradually add light blue at the bottom. Using two colors gives the iris a more rounded feel. For a simpler drawing, you can also just use a single color for the iris. You can also use any other color you’d like for the eyes. Don’t overlap the tiny highlight circles inside the eyes as you color the irises. That’s it! Keep practicing until you get the hair right. Draw it again and again using different colors and eventually you’ll get better! Bookmark this page for different upcoming hairstyles.
What's the Latest Development? In 2011, UCLA biologist Christina Agapakis discovered that vertebrate animals can tolerate the presence of photosynthetic microbes after she injected zebra fish embryos with photosynthetic bacteria. In a follow up to the experiment, she was able to tweak the bacteria so that even mammalian cells would accept their presence. Scientists have also observed the Elysia sea slug commandeering chloroplast—the cellular structures within which photosynthesis takes place—from the algae they eat, though it is still a mystery how the slugs are able to use the chloroplast as an energy source. What's the Big Idea? Could the human body learn—or be modified—to convert sunlight into energy? While the idea of gathering power from the sun, rather than masticating it, might sound appealing, the human body is not well-suited to the task. "Even if our skin was riddled with working chloroplasts, they would only manufacture a fraction of the nutrients we need to survive. 'Animals need a lot of energy, and moving at all doesn’t really jive well with photosynthesis,' says Agapakis." And by growing plants for food in the first place, humans have essentially outsourced the process of photosynthesis on an enormous scale. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com
Enjoy the outdoors but "Leave Wildlife Alone." Here's to your health Kathryn A. Kahler A chance wildlife encounter can be thrilling. But wild animals, as cute and cuddly as they may be, can carry diseases that could threaten both you and your pet's health. "Leaving Wildlife Alone" is an important lesson, not only for the animal's sake, but for yours as well. Zoonotic diseases are those that can be transmitted from wildlife to humans from direct contact (picking up an animal, a scratch or bite), inhaling spores from contaminated soil, or ingesting parasite eggs. Examples of avian zoonotic diseases include avian influenza, chlamydiosis, histoplasmosis and salmonellosis. Examples of mammalian zoonotic diseases include rabies, Hantavirus, tularemia and baylisascaris procyonis, the raccoon roundworm. Vectors or biting insects, such as ticks or mosquitoes, also can transmit disease from wildlife to humans. For example, Lyme disease and ehrlichiosis are transmitted through the bite of a deer tick, and West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquitoes. It's important to be aware of zoonotic diseases because some can cause illness, or even be fatal. Rabies can be transmitted through a scratch or bite, or even direct contact with an infected animal's saliva. Histoplasmosis is transmitted by the inhalation of fungal spores released from disturbed soil in bird or bat roosting areas. Baylisascaris procyonis is transmitted to humans or pets when they accidentally ingest parasitic roundworm eggs. Eggs are passed through the raccoon's feces, which may be on the ground or clinging to surrounding vegetation. Zoonotic diseases also can be a challenge to differentially diagnose from other diseases. If you believe you have been exposed to a zoonotic disease, it's important to let medical personnel know so they can provide the right treatment. In some cases, more than one disease creates similar symptoms. In other cases, mild infections may not develop symptoms, so people don't even realize they've been exposed to a zoonotic disease. Those who may have the highest risk of exposure are hunters, trappers, outdoor enthusiasts, taxidermists, wildlife biologists, conservation wardens, game farm workers and farmers. Other non-zoonotic wildlife diseases not transmissible to humans can still be a danger to pets. Canine distemper virus (CDV) and canine parvovirus (CPV) affect many wild species including raccoon, fox, and coyote, as well as unvaccinated domestic dogs. It's important to keep domestic animals up-to-date on vaccinations because diseases like CDV and CPV can be transmitted through direct or indirect contact with a variety of wildlife species. Here are steps you can take to protect yourself, your family and your pets from wildlife diseases: The one exception to the "Leave Wildlife Alone" rule might be if you see a turtle crossing the road. This time of year is dangerous for these pokey pedestrians because it's their nesting season and many turtles encountered on roadways are probably females looking for a good nesting site. What can you do if you see a turtle crossing a road? If you are driving, first make sure it's safe to slow down and pull completely onto the road's shoulder. Do not put yourself in danger by walking into traffic. Consider safety first for both yourself and the turtle. Carefully pick up the turtle by holding onto the sides of its shell, away from the head. If it's a large snapping turtle, avoid getting close to its head by holding onto the shell closer to the rear. Move the turtle to the side of the road in the same direction it was headed. If there's a barrier at the roadside, put it on the other side of the barrier, further away from traffic.
The ideology of marriage in Italian culture is shown when Katia explains to Josie about a marriage- ‘Eleanora Castano who married Bob Jones and now they’re divorced. Because he’s Australian and she’s Italian, of course. The second ideology of marrying into your own culture is one that Josie uses when she feels the need, she is quoted as saying “Wogs marry the wogs”(pg 144).This was said in a sarcastic way that was more of a criticism of her Italian background than anything else.she (Josie) will marry an Australian and their kids will eat fish and chips’. The ideology of marriage in Italian culture is shown when Katia explains to Josie about a marriage- ‘Eleanora Castano who married Bob Jones and now they’re divorced. Because he’s Australian and she’s Italian, of course. The second ideology of marrying into your own culture is one that Josie uses when she feels the need, she is quoted as saying “Wogs marry the wogs”(pg 144).This was said in a sarcastic way that was more of a criticism of her Italian background than anything else.Tags: Essay VocabularyIntroduction To Business PlanPostville Raid EssayPersuasive Essay For Animal RightsCollege Papers Writing ServiceProject Specification DissertationCollege Research Paper PromptsHenri Cartier Bresson Photo EssayEaster Island Research Papers Nancy Tran FOR ALIBRANDI – QUOTES (1992 Puffin edition) “My mother was born here so as far as the Italians were concerned we weren’t completely one of them. 114) “ ‘These poor Australians who are not used to the Italians do not know what to do. Yet because my grandparents were born in Italy we weren’t completely Australian.” (p. Mama, I have already disgraced myself in their eyes and there will never be anything to change that, so who cares if they talk about me? Josie has two main role models in her life throughout the text that stand for different things. ‘I think you’re jealous because you didn’t go out and make anything of your life when Papa died. As a first generation immigrant to Australia Katia had to deal with exclusion, racism, segregation and surviving in a new country. Her mother, Christina Alibrandi who was bought up in a strict Italian way and has many of the traits of a ‘good Italian’ girl is used by Marchetta to form a moderate or ‘mildly Italian’ character. Because you didn’t mix and you wanted to so much but you were scared that people would talk. Katia brings with her a strict set of cultural rules and regulations that are expressed in the book with the dominant ideologies being the importance of marriage, the expectation to marry within your culture and that illegitimacy is not acceptable. Parents of second-generation Italo-Australian girls viewed domestic skills, chastity and obedience as requirements for a girl’s good reputation, which is closely associated with family honor. This is very clear through the construction of Katia Alibrandi and her thoughts of a daughter being the refection of a mother.The main protagonist Josie Alibrandi was born in Australia into a family with strong Italian cultural links and her battle to ‘find’ herself and her ethnicity is one that I will explore further.Before exploring Josie’s ethnicity it is important to outline its meaning.Marchetta sets up numerous instances of Italian tradition where many generations are involved and uses the character of Katia to drive the effectiveness of these.The prime example of this is ‘Tomato Day’ (pg 171).Ethnicity-”A complex amalgam of language, religion, customs, symbols, literature, music, food and, as its core, an internal and external perception of difference.[…] one’s sense of both belonging to a group and being ‘exclu[ded] from the national definition of a country’” (Kee, 1986:7 as cited in Gunew. Throughout the text there are many instances of Josie dealing with conflict between her Italian heritage, her Australian heritage and the mix of these two resulting in the Italo-Australian culture. It is this sort of attitude and ideal of change that gives us more insight into the way Josie deals with her Italo-Australian culture. Marchetta has constructed Katia as the strong Italian influence in the Alibrandi family.Marchetta’s protagonist Josie is clearly an Italo-Australia with neither of her two cultural backgrounds ‘owning’ the other.Her cultural diversity is clear, but the labeling of her as Italo – Australian is also a very useful tool for her as she chooses when ‘to be Italian and when to be Australian’, a trait many third generation immigrants face today and will continue to face into the future.Josie adheres to this cultural requirement and does it yearly and although feels embarrassed to do so continues along this tradition.Josie does question the tradition and asks ‘Why can’t we go to Franklins and buy Leggos or Paul Newman’s special sauce’ (pg 171).
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - View original article Corriedale sheep are a dual purpose breed, meaning they are used both in the production of wool and meat. The Corriedale is the oldest of all the crossbred breeds, a Merino-Lincoln cross developed almost simultaneously in Australia and New Zealand and first brought to the United States in 1914. The Corriedale is internationally farmed, in Australia, New Zealand, the United States of America and Patagonia (it being one of the most popular sheep breeds in Uruguay). Corriedale have a long life span, and are hardy and evenly balanced all over the body. Corriedales are docile, easy care mothers, with high fertility. They adapt well to a wide range of climate conditions. They are large framed and plain bodied, hornless and have a broad body. Corriedales produce a thick stapled, bulky fleece, which is popular with spinners and can be used for a range of handspun garments. Their dense fleece is medium-fine and high yielding, with good length and softness, somewhat between medium wool and long wool. Corriedale lambs produce good quality carcases and have a high pelt value. The Corriedale produces bulky, high-yielding wool ranging from 31.5 to 24.5 microns diameter. Fleece from a mature ewe will weigh 10 to 17 lb (4.5 to 7.7 kg) with a staple length of 3.5 to 6.0 in (8.9 to 15 cm). After cleaning, a yield of 50 to 60% of the raw fleece weight is common. Mature rams will weigh 175 to 275 lb (79 to 125 kg), ewes can weigh from 130 to 180 lb (59 to 82 kg). This breed was developed in Australia and New Zealand by extensive breeding and culling as a cross between Merino and Lincoln sheep. The goal was to develop a breed that would thrive in lower rainfall areas and supply long staple wool. James Little was the original breeder and the name comes from a property in the South Island, where he conducted his work under the encouragement of NZALC superindent, William Soltau Davidson. The breed was developed between 1868 and 1910. As a dual purpose breed of sheep (good for meat and wool), the Corriedale breed was gradually distributed to many of the sheep-raising areas in the world. For example, the first Corriedales came to the United States in 1914. The Corriedale was later used as one of the parents of the U.S.-developed Targhee breed. Corriedale sheep also contribute about 50 percent of the genetics used in the Gromark breed of sheep that were developed in Australia.
On a coastline without people or houses, tidal creeks and marshes reach from the sea into the Coastal Plain just east of present-day Wilmington. Branches rustle, water slushes against the banks, and gulls call — those are the only sounds. In the fall of 1545, on an empty coastline, an acorn falls to the ground. Come spring, roots sprout. And soon, a small sapling stands. The years pass, and the tree flourishes. In 1835, Dr. Thomas Henry Wright builds Mt. Lebanon Chapel on a rise of land above what will become Bradley Creek. The six-and-a-half acre site brushes close to the oak tree — now almost 290 years old. The tree grows and provides shelter and refuge to many creatures. Airlie Gardens is still something for the future. Skip ahead to 1884. Sarah Green and Pembroke Jones are to be married, and life in Wilmington is about to change. Sarah’s family lives at Tokay, a large scuppernong vineyard north of Fayetteville, and Pembroke, son of Capt. John Pembroke, grew up in Wilmington. Just before the wedding, “Sarah Green of Cumberland County, North Carolina, purchases the 52-acre Seaside Park Improvement Company, once known as Mount Lebanon Wrightsville Sound for $5,000.” Sarah Green Jones later purchases adjoining land, extending the holdings to 155 acres. Airlie Gardens is a blip in her imagination. Pembroke Jones names the place Airlie in honor of his family home in Scotland, and Sarah calls it Airlie-on-the-Sound. Their new mansion at Airlie has hardwood floors, arched ceilings, and lots of windows. It includes a covered tennis court, ballroom, banquet hall, and 38 guest apartments. An elaborate dollhouse with “miniature shrubs, trailing rosebushes, and small gravel walks” provides hours of fun for the granddaughters. The gardens surround the house. In the early days, Will Rehder begins work on an “old-fashioned flower garden.” But Sarah turns to the German kaiser’s gardener and landscape architect, Rudolph Topel, to provide the expertise needed to transform the grounds and bring her vision to reality. Many of the plants — including the first 12 camellias — come from Fruitland, a nursery in Augusta, Georgia. Both Sarah and Pembroke live to entertain. In 1901, the first extravaganza: the Lenten holiday. From February 24 through March 15, guests travel from up North to experience the beauty of Airlie-on-the-Sound and luxuriate in the Jones’s Southern hospitality. On another occasion, guests arrive on a special train of trolley cars. Chefs come from the North, and the Hollowbush Orchestra entertains. The Joneses share party favors: gold watches for the men, diamond jewelry for the women. The parties tumble one after another. Some guests arrive to find spiraling steps leading to picnic platforms erected in the branches of the Airlie Oak where white linen covers tables set with sterling silver. Others take part in elaborate hunts, where even some of the squirrels are dressed for the occasion in tiny, red jackets. During the holidays, barrels of tar burn brightly and Japanese lanterns glow along the drive. Laughter and song echo down the paths and roadways as carriages arrive and depart. This whirlwind of lavish parties and extravagant party favors may have led to the familiar saying, “keeping up with the Joneses.” While the Joneses love to entertain, the gardens captivate Sarah. She imagines them following the natural pattern of the land and takes advantage of the materials available. While out walking one day, she spies a clump of native, pink azalea in the woods and asks a servant to transplant the shrub to a leafy, moist spot by the house. She decides the mainstay for the garden will be magnolia, azalea, camellia, and wisteria, those plants best suited to the creeks and woods. She creates a border of magnolia, camellia, and japonica along the mile-long, winding driveway. Sarah and her team of gardeners plant 500 live oaks; 1,200 longleaf pines; 5,000 camellias; and a quarter of a million azaleas. Entranced by the developing gardens, Sarah reclaims a salt lagoon for a lake. A wide, earthen dam holds back the tidal flow, and freshwater streams fill and maintain it. Of the Joneses’ large staff, none are more beloved than Julius and Minnie Evans. Minnie met Julius in 1908 — she was just 15, and he was one of 20 coachmen working at Pembroke Park. For most of their adult lives, Minnie and Julius Evans live at Pembroke Park and keep watch over the lodge. When the Joneses are away, Minnie observes the gardens — and perhaps she loves them as much as Sarah. “There are 2,000 shades of green in God’s palette,” Minnie says. Some days, one finds Minnie busy with her art, a child nestled on her lap as she paints. Weathering the storm In 1948, the Corbett family purchases Airlie. The Corbetts’ youngest son, Wilbur, returns wounded from World War II, and Airlie provides a “peaceful place to recover.” The Evanses stay on. Julius, now known as the “Old Man of Airlie,” guides visitors through the gardens while sharing stories of the early days. Minnie works as the gatekeeper and sells her bright, scrolling artwork to visitors. Airlie becomes part of the Azalea Festival, and the Corbetts welcome guests to a Sunday luncheon with Mrs. Royce McClelland’s famous scalloped oysters. Each year, the roots of the Airlie Oak reach a bit deeper; the branches stretch a bit farther. Now more than 50 feet tall, with a canopy spanning 100 feet, the tree connects past to present. In 1954, Hurricane Hazel strikes Airlie at the peak of the highest lunar tides of the year. Winds of 125 miles per hour sweep across the grounds as the Corbett family hunkers down to ride out the storm. When things quiet down, the devastation abounds — destroyed garden statuary, battered branches and shrubs. The storm rips limbs off the large oak, requiring long-term props to help it recover. The Corbett family decides the Jones house is too much. In 1955, they dismantle the oversize structure and build their own home. Life at Airlie is quieter now and simpler, too. The family extends the pier and renovates the stables. The lake provides quiet respite and the opportunity to fish. Then in 1996, hurricanes Bertha and Fran pound the coast in quick succession, and Airlie lies in the path of the worst winds and surge, which topple hundreds of trees. Faced with an expensive cleanup, the Corbett family sells 67 acres of gardens to the New Hanover County Commissioners. Today, Airlie Gardens offers visitors the opportunity to step back to the wonder of the gilded age — and to look forward as well. Follow the lake road, and take note of the large coquina pillars. Today, a causeway supports the tramway. But look with softer eyes, and the road disappears, making it possible to imagine the old, wooden bridge. In the lake, swans paddle, dipping their heads to the water and bending to preen. Turtles bask on logs, and shore birds wade. Here in the garden, time seems fluid. Beyond the lake, visitors find the camellia garden — once, every known camellia cultivar grew here. The rose arbor makes a graceful arc, stretching 150 feet. The live oaks dip their branches to the ground. Follow the curving walkways to the spring garden, step up through the coquina arch, and enter what would have been the Joneses’ front yard. Imagine that rambling house; listen for the crunch of carriage wheels on the shell drive. On almost any weekday, visitors hear children laughing. Each year, more than 7,000 students visit. Third-grade students dig in the soil, learning about carnivorous plants and seed dispersal; while eighth-grade students learn about water quality and wetland ecology. The Airlie educational staff ensures that future generations learn to love and care for the tidal creek, forest, and freshwater-lake ecosystems. Along the creek, 4,000 square feet of oyster-reef habitat and a swath of salt-marsh cordgrass clean the water, provide fish habitat, and limit shoreline erosion. In the woodlands, dead trees remain, providing nesting sites for birds and other creatures. Visitors take bird walks and learn to identify more than 160 species that call Airlie home — egrets, kingfishers, ospreys, indigos, and red-cockaded woodpeckers. On the first and third Friday nights from May through September, guests unroll blankets and picnic as musical groups entertain. Find a spot under the branches of the live oak, close your eyes, and slip away. If you think you spot lights just out of sight, they’re not Sarah’s Japanese lanterns or burning tar barrels now, but the light might be coming from the Bottle Chapel, a beautiful sculpture of colored bottles that celebrates the spirit of Minnie Evans. Today, the Airlie Oak, draped in moss and resurrection fern, keeps watch. The trunk measures more than 21 feet in diameter — it takes five or six people joining hands to embrace it. Its bark is deeply brown and furrowed, and for the most part, the tree is silent. Sometimes the wind stirs its branches, and in those moments, if you listen closely, you might hear the echo of days past as the tree’s gnarled arms bend down and embrace the garden. 300 Airlie Road Wilmington, N.C. 28403
Closing the Loop: The Circular Economy Our complex global food system is tightly interwoven beyond what we see on our plate. Land usage, public health, water waste and even social class are all affected by the food that is grown and how it travels. What happens after consumption has also borne scrutiny over the past few years, with the hidden waste of landfill ‘dug up’ for public attention. Horrifyingly, if our food waste were a country it would be the third largest carbon emitter in the world. The Circular Economy is a global movement across all industries to waste less and create products that revive the system rather than simply drop resources out of it. In short, the Circular Economy means designing out waste from your supply chain and processes. Savvy customers are increasingly calling on the products they buy and suppliers that transport them to evidence that they are actively changing their behaviour. This trend shows the ability for newcomers to capture and re-purpose a waste product and transform trash into a thriving organisation, whilst simultaneously helping the planet. Two sectors inventively engaging in circular principles to transform our food system are dairy and bakery, with existing organisations building them into the manufacturing of their products and new businesses that are dedicated principally to these processes springing up. The World Economic Forum have taken a woeful view of current circumstances, disparaging a broken system with the statement: “There are no healthy choices in an unhealthy food system. While we are increasingly encouraged to eat more responsibly, we have to acknowledge that the negative health impacts of current food production are mostly unavoidable. Whether you choose an apparently healthy salad or a burger, you are still consuming food that undermines your health and wellbeing.” Nutritional value cannot be the only way that a food’s health is measured; how it is produced, packaged, transported and sold are intrinsically linked the health of a product. “Firms that align their business models to the transition to a net zero world will be rewarded handsomely. Those that fail to adapt will cease to exist.” Milk can be used as a classic example of diverting waste and feeding value back into production – and there’s one side of supply in particular that’s making a comeback. “Dairy farming has traditionally featured circular practices for thousands of years. In circular dairy, farmers have two natural assets, the cow and the land. The farming system should be modelled with the focus on using these assets for their natural strength,” says Carel De Vries, dairy expert and former agro-engineer and dairy farmer. Many of the farmers and dairy supply partners that we work with also adopt these regenerative practices, convinced that amongst other outcomes, they make for a more delicious product. As we prepare in this article to leave the farm, we move on to examine what happens from dairy to doorstop, when milk adopts a circular outlook. Glass bottle milk is once again capturing the UK’s imagination, with morning deliveries from an electric vehicle (chosen less for their eco-credentials and more for their ability to glide unnoticed through residential streets at dawn) on the rise. The nostalgia-evoking doorstop bottles can be sanitised and reused around 25 times before being recycled. Younger generations – that is, those age 40 and below – are driving this trend and our current state of lockdown may see more households adopt the practice. The past couple of months alone have seen a rise in popularity of dairy deliveries, as people request more goods direct to their home. Our own supply partners can confirm this trend, with Dan Reid, our resident dairy expert relaying conversations with them: “I was speaking to Pensworth at the beginning of April and they were approached for 500 new doorstep calls on one day and 600 the day before. Cotteswold were offered 780.” Veterans of glass bottle delivery, Cotteswold have retained this method since their inception in 1938. Chairman of Cotteswold, Roger Wellman explains how they innovated upon a classic: “Years and years ago when organic milk was at the forefront, and everybody wanted organic, you could only get organic milk in a plastic poly-bottle. I thought it was contradictory, as organic milk needed to be in a glass reusable, returnable bottle, because it’s all the same green thinking. We were the first dairy in the country to put organic milk and sell it through a glass bottle for the benefit of us and also the benefit of the customer.” “The circular economy presents a promising pathway to meet the dairy sector’s growth and sustainability challenges, yet achieving a truly circular dairy sector that is regenerative for the environment and the economy is no easy task.”
Rewinding Machine operating procedures - Start roll paper 1. The main operation starts the power-on signal and enters the roll paper state. 2. First set the information (length, diameter) of the paper roll to be rewinded. The tightness of the paper roll adjusts the amount of tension. 3. Generally, the starting speed of the roll paper is set between 30 and 50 meters. Step up speed, while speeding up, pay close attention to the subtle realization of the roll paper surface, such as pleats, twisting, knife edge biting, etc., should be adjusted in time to ensure the quality of the roll. 4. When the rewinder is in the normal roll, the paper will suddenly be broken due to paper disease or other reasons. The main operation will immediately press the stop button. 5.1. After the rewinder is stopped, first find the cause of the broken broach, make a broken record, and strip the external waste paper of the roll; 5.2. Instructing the main operation to start the paper feed; 5.3. After the paper web is placed on the paper, the paper is broken at the end of the paper and folded with a knife. 5.4. Pull the tape off and place it under the cut paper web. The length of the tape is two centimeters on both sides of the paper web. Cut it with a blade, then use the hand to pull it up to get the paper web to be pulled up and flattened, taped on the tape, paper. Align the interface, cut the long paper web with a knife, and finally level the adhesive tape with your hand. Immediately after the completion, remove the handle and notify the main operation to lower the platen roller and start the roll paper. 6. The main operation is strictly controlled according to the diameter and length required by the process standard. When the length standard is reached, the vehicle speed can be smoothly decelerated and the rewinding is completed. Rewinding Machine common fault - The platen roller does not move 1. Proportional valve is unstable. - Clean the proportional valve or replace the proportional valve to adjust the amplification signal. 2. Control failure - on-site debugging of the instrument. Rewinding Machine safety operation guide - Third, the rewinding machine opening and closing operation sequence: 1. Start the rewinding machine and the paper edge blower motor to put the speed to the crawling speed. Tearing the web Into one. The paper edge is wound into a roller according to the specified path, and the round paper web must be straightened. Loosen and tightly adjust, press the switch and the paper core tube to stick the tape. Stick the paper web to the paper core tube and start crawling. At the same time, the end of the paper roll is flat. The paper can not be wrinkled or discounted to ensure the quality of the rewinding. When the paper has broken ends, the joints are operated, the broken ends are connected and the joint quality is ensured. Zhengzhou EAST IMPORT AND EXPORT co., ltd . ( a goulian group of company) a manufacturer and exporter for all kind of packaging machinery , like bopp tape coating machines, bopp tape slitting machines. Bopp tape core cutter, bopp tape core loader etc
National Maritime Day India : The National Maritime Day is celebrated on the 5th of April every year in India. National Maritime Day India is celebrated to show awareness in the intercontinental commerce and global economy. Shipping is known to be the most well organized transport from one part of the world to another. It is also considered safe and sound. It is an environmentally friendly mode of transport. Shipping has also contributed to the global economy as there is an exchange between countries. This mode of transport is being used by humans for centuries now. In fact, it was the only major way of sending goods across continents a few decades ago. When did formal shipping start in India? It began in the year 1919 on April 5th when SS loyalty travelled from Mumbai to London. It was the first ship of the Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd. But even during the Indus civilization, there was trade through the sea. People from across the seven seas would come for trade. They would buy stuff they needed and sell the ones they had brought from their home. What is the first dock known in India? The first dock known in India is in Lothal. It was dated back to the year 2400BC. The journey undertaken by men and women was not only for trade, but it was done to spread religion as well. There have been so many cultural and spiritual amalgamations due to these trips. The Harappan people are known to have great knowledge of hydrography or maritime engineering as they had built a trapezoidal dock. Rulers too made the journey to conquer land and create a vast empire. During the Neolithic Age, it has been found by the means of excavation, that indigenous people knew the design and method of making boats. It also shows they had intricate tools to make all the beautiful and designs. Britishers too came by the same route and became rich. They brought things to trade through the ships and filled all the treasure they had looted and took it away by ships to become rich. The Indian Naval fleet after Independence has 33 decorated ships and 538 officers and more than secure the coastline. The coastline of India is 7500kms long. There are 1280 small and big islands as well to be guarded by these men. The navy holds annual joint military exercise along with the other commonwealth country navies. The navy has also started developing exercises with the US navy and Israel. This is being done so that is someday, worst-case scenario there is war, the navies shall be prepared and able to coordinate and help each other. The whole fleet includes Frigates, submarines, Corvettes, and destroyers. Some have been made indigenously and some have been bought from other countries. They are all designed under special programs specifically for battle. The whole feet have risen to occasion whenever needed. In testing times, the Indian navy and its men have guarded the boundaries of the nation well. They hold the integrity of the land and also help in times of natural disaster. The various situations were such as operation cactus, Indian Integration of Junagadh, peacekeeping mission by UN, the liberation of Goa, the war of 1965 and 1972. Also, the repatriation of Indians from Kuwait during the first gulf war. Private shipping industry in India In India, there are around 43 shipping companies. They have a total of 1401 ships and counting. The total things transported by them is around 12.69 tonnes all together. India is excelling in the maritime industry. It has also become a member of the Maritime Organization. First National Maritime Day in India It was celebrated for the first time on 5th April 1964. It is the first time an indigenous navigation company made a journey to the United Kingdom. It was the first time the Indian company ship was started, as earlier all the shipping companies were controlled and managed by the Britishers. Later the intercontinental commerce started, and the global economy also came to a boom. Every day there is a special theme set for the occasion. There is an award ceremony for those who have made outstanding contributions in the Indian maritime sector. The awardees are given the highest awards for the sustained contribution as well. The Varun Award is given a citation. It comprises a scroll of honour and a lord Varuna Statue. NMD award of excellence is also presented the same day. It is a trophy and a citation given to the awardee. It is given to a person for his lifetime achievements in the field of maritime. It is generally given to the senior level officers for their outstanding performance in the maritime sector. The other award is given in the field of maritime education and training. This award too comprises of a citation as well as a trophy for the deserving people. Other facts related to National Maritime Day - In the year 2020, the 57th edition of the celebration was held. The theme of this celebration was sustainable shipping for a sustainable planet. - The theme of the year 2019 was the Indian ocean – An ocean of opportunities. - Walchand Hirachand, was the first president of the INSA ( Indian National Shipowner Association) was the chairman of Scindia Steam Navigation. Summary – National Maritime Day India Navy of a country is an integral part of the armed forces. They help defend the boundaries and also serve during times of tough times like natural disasters. There are also shipping companies doing well in the global economy. They have helped the country go ahead in the competition of the transport industry. This transport by the means of ships is a way old method. It was used by the Indus civilization as well. It is the same route by which Britishers came to India and ruled India for so many years. But now after independence, the navy has strengthened the situation of India among the neighboring countries.
For your canine companion, regular exercise and mental stimulation are just as important as food and water. While some dogs may seem content to curl up on the couch, others seem to have a never-ending supply of energy. If your dog is unable to find a constructive release for that energy, it can lead to destructive behavior. Both physical and mental activities help to drain his energy levels and keep him occupied. For some dogs, a simple walk around the neighborhood is enough to use up that energy, while other dogs may come home from a walk ready for more. If you're a runner or cyclist and feel your dog has the ability to keep up, take him along on your daily run or bike ride. Swimming is another option for dogs who enjoy the water. Take along his favorite toy and throw it out for him to fetch. Begin near the shore and gradually throw it further out. If your dog likes to dig, create a sandbox just for him. Digging is a natural behavior and a great way to burn energy. Just make sure he knows digging is only allowed in his box and not in your flower garden. Physical games, such as fetch and tug-of-war, provide an energy release while also teaching your dog impulse control. These games engage instinctive behavior such as chasing and tugging. While burning energy, they also provide bonding time with you. Agility games, such as jumping through a hoop or running around poles, provides another way to release energy. Locate local agility clubs and consider signing up for regular classes. Playing outside isn't always an option. Unfortunately, your dog’s energy level doesn’t care if it's raining. Luckily, you can provide ways to keep your dog active in your home. If you have a staircase, consider a game of fetch up the stairs. Place or throw a treat up to the top and have your dog go get it. This activity is not recommended for dogs who suffer with arthritis or other joint conditions. A laser pointer game is another option that plays on your dog’s chasing instincts. Use caution not to point the laser near his eyes, though. Another option is a game of hide and seek. Have your dog stay in one place while you hide treats around the house. Let him sniff out and find the treats. In addition to physical activity, mental games are another way to burn up energy. Your local pet store carries a variety of puzzle toys that will keep your dog focused on finding hidden treats. If your dog already knows basic commands such as sit or stay, consider teaching him some new tricks, such as playing dead. - Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
Roughly 100 years ago, the average lifespan around the globe was less than 40 years old. But with advancements in science and medicine, people today live to be almost 70—an increase of 75 percent. Much of the medical breakthroughs have come in the form of lifesaving drugs that have eradicated life-threatening diseases like polio, yellow fever, and small pox. But who do we have to thank for all of these advancements? Well that’s easy, the pharmaceutical industry. In honor of their contributions to increasing the length and quality of life, here are five things you didn’t know about the pharmaceutical l industry. Number One: One out of every $6 spent in the U.S. on research and development is spent by the pharmaceutical industry in the pursuit of new innovative medicines. Number Two: The industry is directly responsible for over 850,000 jobs in the U.S., as well as another 1.7 million indirectly. Number Three: The biopharmaceutical industry accounts for 3.1 percent of all U.S. exports—which has nearly tripled since 2003. Number Four: The industry sponsors roughly 6,200 clinical trials annually—which supports $25 billion of economic activity in the U.S. Number Five: The rise of new innovative drugs has also attributed to a reduction in time spent in the hospital. Since 1968, the average length of a hospital stay in the U.S. has dropped by 35 percent—decreasing from 8.4 days to 5.5 days. Since hospital costs are the biggest expenses in the health care system, this helps keep overall costs much lower. The pharmaceutical industry provides new lifesaving drugs, employs millions of people, and boosts the economy through exports.
The national minimum wage, and the living wage, have been important components of ensuring that staff receive reasonable compensation for the work that they do. The national minimum wage first came into force in April 1999 with the National Minimum Wage Act of 1998. The national living wage was introduced in 2016, in response to calls for businesses to enable employees to earn enough to help them meet the actual cost of living. However, the minimum wage could be leading to companies inadvertently introducing age discrimination when they come to employ staff. Our focus in this month’s article is on understanding the issue and highlighting the things to look out for to ensure you are not discriminating unintentionally. If you need a refresher on the current minimum and national living wages for 2018-2019, take a look at our recent article for all the details. What is the issue? The minimum wage was introduced to enable younger people entering the workforce – typically those under 25 years of age – to gain experience and skills. However, it is noteworthy that those under 25 are not entitled to the national living wage. Workers who are 25 years old and younger can only earn the minimum wage – at the very least – until they reach their 25th birthday. After this they will be able to earn a living wage, which is also an obligatory minimum in the same way that the minimum wage is. This has led to many organisations employing staff who are under the age of 25 and who will cost the business less in terms of wages. In this way, they are engaging in age discrimination – whether deliberately or not. It also means that there are younger staff working alongside older colleagues with similar responsibilities but on a significantly lower wage. This is not only discriminatory, but ultimately businesses could be losing out as it takes time for new staff to be trained and become effective in their job. If a high staff turnover means that this process has to be repeated regularly, their customers will eventually feel the effects and may end up taking their business elsewhere. How is this being addressed? In July of this year, a private member’s bill was introduced in Parliament aimed at extending the national living wage to workers aged 18 to 24 as well. However, with Parliament breaking up for the summer recess, MPs have not had enough time to debate and vote on the bill. It is not scheduled to be discussed again until the end of November, delaying its potential introduction even further. What can you do? The government has named and shamed those organisations which underpay their workers. You can ensure you are not one of them by carefully considering the job description and the skills and experience required for the job. If employing someone older than 25 will meet those criteria, then in the long run it will also benefit your business. Why? Because you are employing someone who has previous experience and knows their way around customers and service, and who will help you build strong relationships with your clients. They are also less likely to move on quickly to an organisation which does pay a better wage. For advice and guidance on minimum and living wages and how they may affect your business our team at Bells Inc. Hamilton Stewart is here for you. Call or email us on 020 8763 1711 and at and we will help you out.
It was the ultimate phase change. Two particle smashers are homing in on what caused the seething primordial soup of the early universe to evolve into the protons and neutrons that make up ordinary matter today. In the process one has set a new record: the hottest temperature ever created by humans. Microseconds after the big bang, the hot universe consisted of a kind of soup in which quarks roamed free instead of being bound together in atoms as they are today. This almost frictionless quark-gluon plasma has been recreated at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory, New York, by smashing gold ions together. Their plasma reached 4 trillion °C. Now a team at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, which smashes lead ions together, have made a plasma almost 40 per cent hotter. At the Quark Matter 2012 conference in Washington DC on 13 August, they reported that their quark-gluon plasma had reached over 5 trillion °C, the hottest temperature ever created in an experiment. “In this field records are made to be broken,” says Jurgen Schukraft at CERN, near Geneva, Switzerland. The first hint of a record came in November 2010, when the LHC first collided lead ions, but it took two years to actually measure it, Schukraft says. The RHIC researchers aren’t out of the game, though. What they really want to know is at what energies the quark-gluon plasma switches to normal matter. At the Quark Matter conference, RHIC’s Steven Vigdor described how his team systematically varied the energy to create primordial plasma under a broad range of conditions. He says initial measurements are delineating a boundary between ordinary matter and primordial stuff. “We are looking further back into the universe than ever before,” says Vigdor. More on these topics:
One of the most recognizable landmarks in Panama City is Cerro Ancon…Ancon Hill. It stands 654 feet above the surrounding area and commands great views of the city and canal below. When Henry Morgan sacked the city in 1671 his scouts climbed the hill to scope out the local defences. The hill lay within the old Canal Zone and when Jimmy Carter signed the Canal Over to Panama one of the first things they Panamanians did was to raise an oversized flag on top of the hill that can be seen from many parts of the city. The views are, indeed, spectacular. Like this one of Casco Viejo Looking in on the city The container port and entrance to the Canal
A Military History of the Modern Middle East “concise yet sweeping history of warfare in the Middle East from 1798 to present is an excellent introductory volume to understanding how geography, culture, religion, politics, and economics have combined to create a unique blend of conflict in this region.” An advanced western army invades a Middle Eastern country and soon vanquishes the corrupt ruling regime and its army. This army then tries to bring about democracy, liberty, and economic change. But the populace, whipped into a frenzy by the entrenched political power brokers, unites to rebel against the invaders who are soon forced to leave as other strategic challenges arise. Although this may sound like the U.S. in Iraq after 2003, the author is actually describing Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt in 1798 and his destruction of nearly 400 years of Mameluke rule in Egypt. Like the Americans over 200 years later, the French hoped to bring liberty, equality, and fraternity to a Middle Eastern country, only to be turned away several years later with the elite still in power in Egypt. This concise yet sweeping history of warfare in the Middle East from 1798 to present is an excellent introductory volume to understanding how geography, culture, religion, politics, and economics have combined to create a unique blend of conflict in this region. Although Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt may seem like a strange place to begin his study, the author provides a brief but comprehensive introduction to the unique style of tribal raiding warfare that remains a hallmark of Middle Eastern conflict and moves quickly to the most important conflict to understand the current issues in the Middle East, World War I. The chapters on World War I and its aftermath are the highlight of this book. Understanding the backroom deals, double crosses, and outright deceptions conducted by Britain and France as they carved up the remains of the Ottoman Empire are critical to understanding the genesis of most of today’s conflicts in the region. The author does a truly remarkable job of detailing both the immediate and downstream effects of the Sykes-Picot Treaty, the Balfour Declaration, and myriad other treaties and deals that broke up the Ottoman Empire and ushered in modern Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel—all hot spots of ethnic and religious strife. The utter ignorance and/or willful disregard of British and French leaders to the tribal, ethnic, and religious groups in the region lead to the artificial boundaries of made up countries to satisfy colonial ambitions which left festering grievances of groups such as the Armenians and Kurds that still resonate today. The author does a remarkable job of covering a vast amount of material in sufficient detail to provide a solid understanding of events without getting too bogged down in details. Going beyond just a narrative history, McNabb provides context and analysis on a number of topics, including the impact of technology on Middle Eastern conflict, the role of superpower politics in the Cold War, and the continuing influence of religion, ethnic hatred, and tribalism on the seemingly never ending conflicts in the region. Other than a few annoying line editing errors and a couple of factual mistakes (the USS Kitty Hawk was not a nuclear powered aircraft carrier), this is a very solid introductory volume to understanding war and conflict in this turbulent region. Packing concise history with solid analysis, it is an excellent reference for anyone who wants an overview of how war has and continues to shape this region of the world.
In-Veso Gene Expression: Introduction The vesicle chassis is an addition to the Registry of Standard Biological Parts. In these pages we detail the techniques and characteristics of its use. The specification, design, modelling, implementation, and testing cycle is applied to the characterisation of the chassis. The specifications outline the characteristics of the chassis being sought, and the quantities that will be varied in experiments. The design elaborates how these characteristics will be obtained, including experimental protocols, and experiment schedules. Some characteristics are obtained from literature, and these are not covered in the design. In modelling, we seek to refine the experimental design, identify expected points of interest in the results, and provide a more abstracted description of the chassis itself. The section on implementation covers the actual experiments and their results. Finally, in testing and validation, the results are analysed and compared to the modelling and specifications. The In Vitro Gene Expression System The in vitro expression of proteins in cell-free extracts is an important tool for molecular biologists and has a variety of applications. The use of in vitro translation systems can have advantages over in vivo gene expression when the over-expressed product is toxic to the host cell, when the product is insoluble or forms inclusion bodies, or when the protein undergoes rapid proteolytic degradation by intracellular proteases. The big advantage of the in vitro approach in our projects, is that it enables the detection of biofilm on medical devices and the detection of spoilage in meat, without actually having to place E.coli in contact with the medical devices or the meat. There are two approaches to in vitro protein synthesis based on the starting genetic material: RNA or DNA. Standard translation systems use RNA as a template; whereas coupled transcription-translation systems start with DNA templates, which are transcribed into RNA then translated. DNA templates for coupled transcription-translation systems can be easily generated by PCR. The most frequently used cell-free systems consist of extracts from rabbit reticulocytes, wheat germ and E.coli. For the purposes of our projects, the E.coli system looks more attractive than the eukaryotic systems. Unlike eukaryotic systems where transcription and translation occur sequentially, in E. coli systems, coupled transcription and translation occur simultaneously in the same tube under the same reaction conditions. This bacterial system gives efficient expression of either prokaryotic or eukaryotic gene products in a short amount of time. Capping of eukaryotic RNA is not required. Use of E.coli extract also eliminates cross-reactivity or other problems associated with endogenous proteins in eukaryotic lysates. In addition, the E. coli S30 extract system allows expression from DNA vectors containing natural E. coli promoter sequences. A more streamlined E.coli S12 extract has also been developed as an improvement to the S30 extract. Transcription can be performed by T7, SP16 or E.coli RNA polymerases. The E.coli RNA polymerase is the preferred choice for our projects because the reporter genes to be expressed are downstream of E.coli promoter sequences (such as pLux). The In Veso Gene Expression System The in veso gene expression system is somewhat like building an artificial cell. The E.coli in vitro gene expression system is encapsulated in a phospholipid vesicle. Unilamellar vesicles containing the E.coli cell extracts are produced in an oil–extract emulsion. The vesicles are then transferred into a feeding solution that contains ribonucleotides and amino acids to form a bilayer. To create a selective permeability for nutients, the α-hemolysin pore protein from Staphylococcus aureus is expressed inside the vesicle. Coupled transcription:translation of plasmid genes can thus be compartmentalized in the vesicles. No other known biological or synthetic barrier gives as many possibilities and as much flexibility to functionalize and establish controllable exchanges between inside and outside. Cell-free expression in emulsion droplets brings expression to the scale of the cell but does not allow continuous expression because exchanges with the solvent phase are difficult. Comparison of In vitro and In veso 1. One order of magnitude increase in protein production and duration of expression in in veso is obtained when compared to batch mode. 2. Batch mode can last less than a day, as expression stops because of the decrease of the adenylate energy charge. Synthetic phospholipid vesicles can last up to four days. 3. Only bacteriophage polymerases can be used in veso, while E.coli polymerases can be used in vitro. 4. There will be osmotic pressure buildup when making vesicles. This can be counteracted by addition of polymers or inert proteins into the feeding solution. - Kim TW, Keum JW, Oh IS, Choi CY, Park CG, and Kim DM. Simple procedures for the construction of a robust and cost-effective cell-free protein synthesis system. J Biotechnol. 2006 Dec 1;126(4):554-61. DOI:10.1016/j.jbiotec.2006.05.014 \| - Noireaux V and Libchaber A. A vesicle bioreactor as a step toward an artificial cell assembly. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 Dec 21;101(51):17669-74. DOI:10.1073/pnas.0408236101 \| - Noireaux V, Bar-Ziv R, Godefroy J, Salman H, and Libchaber A. Toward an artificial cell based on gene expression in vesicles. Phys Biol. 2005 Sep 15;2(3):P1-8. DOI:10.1088/1478-3975/2/3/P01 \|
When it comes to communicating about disease, there is a thin line between informing the public and creating a panic. With recent illnesses such as mad cow disease and SARS, public exposure to disease information has become critical. It is Glen Nowak’s job to keep disease communication in perspective, and increase public awareness by helping the media stay focused. “Finding that balance is a difficult challenge,” said Nowak, who is associate communications director for the National Immunization Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On Monday, he was in Columbia to lecture at MU. The CDC, based in Atlanta, is the federal agency charged with providing accurate health information. Nowak said he thinks the biggest challenges of disease coverage in the media involve numbers and balanced reporting. “A lot of people use numbers to try and prove a point, to try and illustrate a point, and you need to know when people are trying to deceive and not be completely honest with you,” Nowak said. He said knowledge of research methods and statistics is more important than having extensive science or health knowledge when reporting on diseases. Reporters should also remember to critically examine the validity of their sources, Nowak said. “What reporters often do is, they get an opinion from someone with really established credentials who is very knowledgeable,” Nowak said. “Then they feel like they need to get someone to say the opposite — many times people who don’t have near the same qualifications. Maybe the goal shouldn’t be so black and white.” But overall, Nowak said, the U.S. media correctly express the severity and inform the public about health concerns. “I think the media do a good job in conveying information,” Nowak said. “One of the things that happened this year is that the flu season arrived earlier than it usually does, and the initial cases were more severe than they typically are.” Many of the most severe cases happened to children. Five children in Colorado died early in the flu season, which prompted a family there to hold a press conference that triggered increased press coverage of the flu this year, Nowak said. “Reporters in other cities wondered if the same thing was happening in their city,” he said. “When that happened, it raised the visibility of those kids.” Nowak said the difference in coverage this flu season was that more reporters were asking questions. “People always ask the question if we should blame or credit the media,” Nowak said. “The media, in this case, were doing what they should do. It’s a combination of the media and the people, like experts and parents, who are being quoted. They have to work together.”
TRIANGLE -- The Fire That Changed America By David Von Drehle Illustrated. 340 pages. Atlantic Monthly Press. $25. For a historian of New York, the dreadful sight of trapped World Trade Center workers leaping to their deaths on Sept. 11 summoned up the horrible image of trapped seamstresses, hair and clothing ablaze, plunging from the Triangle shirtwaist factory on March 25, 1911. David Von Drehle was at work on ''Triangle: The Fire That Changed America'' when the attack came, and for a time its appalling parallels stopped him cold. We can be thankful that he carried on, because he has given us an enthralling chronicle of that distant and very different disaster, which left its own profound mark on the city and taught lessons that we are badly in need of remembering. At the beginning of the 20th century, New York's skyward surge was well under way, not only in Lower Manhattan's office district, but also in the manufacturing areas above and below Houston Street. The 10-story Asch Building, just off Washington Square, was one of a new breed of industrial skyscrapers that towered above the thousands of tenement-based sweatshops that had hitherto dominated the city's garment business. Billed as a modern (and fireproof) structure, the Asch Building housed on its top three floors the Triangle Waist Company, billed as a modern factory. The company hired hundreds of immigrant young women and set them to work churning out Gibson-girl blouses on electric sewing machines. Triangle and other big outfits prided themselves on rising above the swarming petty capitalists below, but they had not escaped the contradictions of a hypercompetitive industry, only heightened them. They, too, ''sweated'' their work force with long hours and low pay, and also imposed a tyrannical regimentation that actually galvanized resistance. Whereas previously, dispersed workers had mounted only scattered protests, in 1909 they discovered in their concentrated numbers the strength for a disciplined, industrywide walkout. More than 20,000 young women -- most from the city's immigrant Jewish and Italian populations -- took to the picket lines. Their strike gained publicity when it attracted support from wealthy women active in progressive reform campaigns and in the suffrage movement. Most of the smaller shops caved in quickly, but big companies like Triangle used their superior resources to dig in, hiring scabs, sending ''sluggers'' to beat picketers and arranging for complaisant police officers and judges to arrest and jail the protesters.Continue reading the main story Beaten, Triangle's employees returned to work, and to their doom. When fire raced through the factory floors two years later, 146 workers died, most by jumping, some by vainly trying to escape through a locked door and others by falling when a defective fire escape gave way, impaling them on a spiked iron fence below. Mr. Von Drehle's spellbinding and detailed reconstruction of the disaster is complemented by an equally gripping account of the factory owners' subsequent manslaughter trial (they got off scot-free), drawing on court records he helped unearth. He also notes the existence at the time of safety devices and procedures that could have saved the workers -- enclosed fireproof stairways, firewalls, fire doors, automatic sprinklers and required fire drills -- but reports that they were used almost nowhere in New York City. He offers some interesting speculation on the role of the fire-insurance industry in this state of affairs as well. The only problematic part of ''Triangle: The Fire That Changed America'' is the assumption, nestled in its title, that the catastrophe wrought a permanent transformation in the American workplace. It's true, as Mr. Von Drehle argues (following well-established scholarship), that before the fire, New York's Democratic Party had supported the real-estate and manufacturing industries' resistance to systemic reform. Whereas after the fire, Democratic legislative leaders like Alfred E. Smith and Robert F. Wagner began championing change -- they were propelled by fear of electoral defeat should widespread outrage accelerate the desertion of working-class voters, particularly Jews, to the Socialists, and of middle-class professionals to Theodore Roosevelt's Progressives. It's also true that a Tammany-led coalition won passage of laws mandating occupational safety and health regulations, and began promoting an even broader agenda embracing minimum wages, maximum hours, social insurance and an end to child labor. From there, Mr. Von Drehle suggests (again following accepted authorities), it was but a short hop to the New Deal, women's rights, labor empowerment and urban liberalism, first in New York, then across the country. Such triumphalism, while inspiring, overlooks the fact that history can run backward, and that gains won can be lost again -- and have been, repeatedly. Many of the initial post-Triangle reforms were strenuously opposed by conservative businessmen. Unable at first to prevail amid mass indignation at the fire and shocking revelations about working conditions in the city and state, they were soon back in the saddle and able to halt, hamstring or reverse liberal initiatives. The Depression galvanized progressives again, and the New Deal expanded the terrain of social democracy, but by the late 1930's, opponents had regained the initiative and dismantled many of its signature programs. In the 1960's and 70's reformers won health and safety and pollution regulations; today's free marketeers are whittling these away. And sweatshops that exploit vulnerable and unorganized immigrant workers are again alive and malignantly well in New York City. Mr. Von Drehle's fine history is a welcome reminder of the realities of life in a laissez-faire jungle, and of the Triangle fire's importance in spurring the movement that helped tame it. But resting on our ancestors' laurels won't prevent a return to the conditions he deplores; only constant pressure from informed citizens and an organized work force can accomplish that.Continue reading the main story
When you install low-voltage or limited-energy systems, understanding a few key terms is essential. Anyone installing power distribution systems now or planning to do so in the future should know the related NEC rules. Last month, we looked at the definitions that form the basis of what I call “technology wiring,” including “bonded,” “bonding jumper,” and “Class 3 circuit.” Building from that discussion, let’s move forward and address a new group of terms important to anyone involved in power-distribution system installation. Grounded. The NEC defines this as, “connected to earth or to some conducting body that serves in place of the earth.” Metal parts of the electrical system are grounded to the earth to prevent the destruction of electrical components, as well as electric shock that can occur from superimposed voltage from lightning and voltage transients [Sec. 250-2(b)]. In addition, earth grounding of metal parts can help prevent the buildup of static charges on metal equipment and material. Intrinsically safe systems (Art. 504). This is an assembly of interconnected intrinsically safe apparatus, associated apparatus, and interconnecting cables that may be used in hazardous (classified) locations. An intrinsically safe circuit is a circuit in which any spark or thermal effect is incapable of causing ignition of a mixture of flammable or combustible material in air under prescribed test conditions. Intrinsically safe systems and devices such as switches, thermocouples, light-emitting diodes, connectors, and resistance temperature devices limit spark or thermal temperatures to a level that prevents ignition of flammable or combustible material. You can wire and install intrinsically safe apparatus using exposed wiring techniques outlined in Chapter 7 and Chapter 8. This would include cables such as CL2 (Class 2), CL3 (Class 3), MP (multipurpose coaxial), or PLTC (power-limited tray cable) [Sec. 725-61]. Low-voltage circuit, less than 50V (Art. 720). A low-voltage circuit that falls within the scope of Art. 720 operates at less than 50V, and has a power supply rating of less than 1000VA. Circuits operating at less than 30V and less than 1000VA are Class 1 circuits. Chapters 1 through 4 list acceptable methods for wiring that falls within the scope of Art. 720, except that the minimum conductor size is No. 12 (Sec. 720-4). Based on this requirement, you must install 600V insulated conductors in accordance with a Chapter 3 wiring method, install splices in outlet boxes (Sec. 300-15), and provide overcurrent protection as specified in Sec. 240-3. Motor control circuit. This is the circuit that carries the electric signals directing the performance of a motor controller (Sec. 430-71). Motor control circuit conductors are tapped to the motor branch-circuit supply conductors. The overcurrent for these conductors must accord with Table 430-72(b). Network-powered broadband communications systems (Art. 830). Network-powered broadband communications systems provide voice, audio, video, data, and interactive services through a network interface unit (NIU). An example of a network-powered broadband communications system would be hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) cable used for either video/audio conferencing or interactive multimedia entertainment systems. The 1999 Code allows two classifications of network-powered broadband communications system circuits. Both types involve some risk of electric shock. The intent of Art. 830 is that the classification limits (together with wiring methods and mechanical protection) should result in an installation equivalent in safety to those now permitted in the NEC. Low-power circuits. Low-power circuits are essentially the same as “Not Inherently Limited Class 3 circuits up to 100V and 100VA.” These circuits are intended to power one NIU installed in a single-family residence. Prior to Jan. 1, 2000, you could use existing coaxial cable types for low-power broadband systems. Today, you can use only listed Type-BL (broadband low-power), BM (broadband medium-power), CM, or MP coaxial cables. Medium-power circuits. Medium-power circuits are similar to “Class 3 circuits up to 150V and 100VA.” These circuits are intended to provide power for multiple NIUs or a single NIU with expanded capabilities. The circuit voltage of 150V permits greater distances between supply locations (or longer transmission lines). You can use only listed BM, CM, and MP coaxial cables for these applications. Optical-fiber cables and raceways (Art. 770). Art. 770 covers optical-fiber cables and raceways used to transmit light for control, signaling, and communications. Optical-fiber cable does not carry power or voltage; therefore, you can install the non-conductive optical-cable cable with power conductors, or with other low-voltage or limited-energy circuits (Sec. 770-52). Optical-fiber cables must be marked “OFC.” Plenum cable. Plenum cable is any technology-wiring cable listed as being suitable for use in ducts, plenums, and other spaces used for environmental air. It must also be listed as having adequate fire-resistant and low smoke-producing characteristics. You can install plenum cable exposed in spaces used to move environmental air, such as the space above a suspended ceiling for return air [Sec. 300-22(c)]. Radio and television equipment (Art. 810). Art. 810 covers antenna systems for radio and television receiving equipment, and amateur radio transmitting and receiving equipment. This article includes antennas such as multielement, vertical-rod, and dish, as well as wiring and cabling that connects them to the receiving equipment. Type-CATV. A community antenna and television system or CM (Sec. 820-53) installed in accordance with Art. 820 (Sec. 810-2) or Type-OF optical-fiber cable installed in accordance with Art. 770. Telecommunications (telephone) circuits (Art. 800). Art. 800 covers the installation requirements for telephones and wiring for other related telecommunications purposes, such as phone lines to computers and fire- and burglar-alarm systems connected to central stations. Because the incoming ringing voltage from the telephone central office to the premises is 70V to 105V (20 Hz to 30 Hz), telecommunications wires must have a voltage rating of not less than 300V (Secs. 800-50 and 800-51). Cables that meet this requirement are marked CM (communications) or MP (multipurpose).
A hatched chick cannot maintain a proper body temperature without your help. Exposing a chick to cool temperatures in the first three weeks of life makes the bird uncomfortable and less likely to eat the feed and drink the water needed for a good start. In meat-type chickens, cool temperatures can lead to permanent heart damage. Exposing the young bird to cool (20ºC or 70ºF) for the first day or two on the farm can cause the bird to die from heart problems later. Heated premises are definitely needed for brooding. For small flocks, the most common source of heat is a heat lamp. These lamps accommodate a 250-watt red or clear bulb. When suspended 45 to 60 cm (18 to 24") off the floor, they provide enough heat to brood up to 100 chicks for a single-light, or 300 to 500 for a four-light model. Some units have thermostatic controls, while others have to be raised or lowered to provide the required temperature at bird level. As the birds grow older, lower the temperature by raising the heat lamp or reducing the wattage of the bulbs. Turn the heat on at least one day before the birds arrive on the farm. The temperature 1 cm (½ ") below the litter surface should be at least 26ºC (80ºF). Even if the air is the correct temperature, the birds can be chilled by the cold floor under them. Temperature on the floor, at the edge of the heat source, should be 32 to 35°C (90 to 95°F) for the first week. As long as the temperature at the edge of the heat lamp or brooder stove is this warm, the air temperature 2m (6') away from the heat source can be as low as 28°C (82°F). The birds can then chose where they feel most comfortable. If you cannot maintain a hot point next to the heat lamp, an average air temperature of 30 to 31°C (85 to 88°F) is suggested. The temperature should be reduced by 3°C (5°F) per week, until the room temperature of 20ºC (70ºF) is reached. After six weeks of age, temperatures in the 18 to 21°C (65 to 70°F) range are desirable. Some hatcheries will sell a 30 to 45cm (12 to 18") high corrugated cardboard that can be used to set up a brooder that forms a circle around the heat lamp. The ring helps protect the birds from drafts and piling in corners. For 300 birds, you might use a ring 3m (10') in diameter. Judging Bird Comfort The behavior and sounds of the chicks will indicate their comfort level. Comfortable birds will form a circle under the lamp, and make soft "cheeping" noises; cold birds will huddle and pile, and make sharp noises. If birds are too hot, they will crowd as far from the lamps as possible. Some birds will pant if the temperature is too high. Your birds will do a better job than a thermometer of telling you if they are comfortable. The diagrams below show how birds will move away or towards the heat lamp if they are hot or cold. Warm Room Brooding Some people heat their barns with space heaters or hot water pipes. Without a heat lamp or brooder stove to act as a hot point, the birds cannot move towards or away from the heat source to regulate their body temperature. As a result, it is more difficult to judge bird comfort when you warm room brood. Comfortable birds will be spread out and making full use of the pen. Cold birds will tend to bunch together, sometimes near the walls. Hot birds may also gather around cold, outside walls. Panting is a sign of heat stress.
\|Named By:\|\|Edwasrd Drinker Cope in 1882\| \|Time Period:\|\|Early Permian, 279.5-272.5 Ma\| \|Location:\|\|USA, Oklahoma, Texas\| \|Classification:\|\|\| Chordata \| Amphibia \| Temnospondyli \| Trematopidae \|\| \|Also known as:\|\|\| Trematops milleri \|\| Acheloma (also known as Trematops milleri) is an extinct genus of temnospondyl that lived during the Early Permian. The type species is A. cumminsi. Trematops milleri has been synonymized with Acheloma. Like other trematopids, Acheloma was a large terrestrial carnivore, as shown both by its morphology and bone microanatomy. One species, A. dunni, may have been the top predator of the diverse Richards Spur assemblage in Oklahoma. The following cladogram shows the phylogenetic position of Acheloma, from Polley & Reisz, 2011.
Learning Hô-ló (台語, 臺灣話)* for a peculiar reason: the original exercise (from Comenius in 1658) practices vocabulary of a type that children commonly know but that you often can't find in the dictionary. For each of the pictures, you're supposed to make a sentence along the lines of "The bear growls, grr grr". Many people who learn English as adults might not know the verbs growl, bleat, bray, etc. (we have specific verbs for the sounds that animals make in English). This sounds easy, but you soon see the trouble when you try to translate this exercise using a dictionary. I'm pretty sure that the Hô-ló sound that a bear makes is hm̄-hm̄-kìo ("to growl"). So, what you can see at a glance with a language exercise of this kind is that different languages both have different nouns and verbs to form these sentences, but also have different assumptions about onomatopoeia (is the sound of a bear growling "hm̄" or "grr?"). * (If you're having trouble finding the group, the name is exactly as stated above, but the e-mail is Learning-Ho-Lo@Googlegroups).
Are you active enough? How to define physcial activity? Physical inactivity or sedentary lifestyle is the main risk factor leading to various medical conditions such as type II diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, breast and colon cancer as well as musculoskeletal dysfunctions (neck and back pain). Benefits of physical activity include weight management, stress reduction, improved sleep and quality of life. Physical activity is any bodily movement that requires energy expenditure. World Health Organization (WHO) recommends adult aged 18-64 should do at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate intensity physical activity or at least 75 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity per week. HOW TO DEFINE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY? To calculate your maximum heart rate simply subtract 220 from your age. For example, if I am 45 yrs old, then my maximum heart rate is 220-45 =175 beat per min. Then, you can work out that moderate-intensity activity is 50-70% of maximum heart rate and vigorous intensity activity is 70-85% of maximum heart rate. WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY? 1. AEROBIC / ENDURANCE EXERCISES – Activities that make you breathe harder and your heart pumps faster – Performed in bout of at least 10 minutes – Eg. brisk walking, running, swimming, cycling 2. BALANCE EXERCISES – Improve proprioception (joint sense) – Prevent falls and lower limbs sprains – Eg. Heel to toe walking, single leg stand, standing on wobble board, walking backwards or sideway 3. STRENGTHENING EXERCISES – Performed on major muscle groups (quadriceps, gluteus, pectorals &/or trapezius) at least twice a week – Using body weight, free weight (dumbbell, kettlebell), resistance machines or elastic bands as resistance – Eg. Squats, lunges, leg press 4. STRETCHING EXERCISES – Improve muscle flexibility and joint range of motion – Eg. Downward dog yoga pose (hamstring and calf stretch)
Operation of n-channel enhancement type MOSFET :Device operation of MOSFET To understand that first note that enhancement MOSFETs are normally OFF device. Now what is meant by normally off device? Means if we apply a source to drain voltage then no current will flow. The reason behind is that There are 3 regions based o the application of gate to source voltage. Suppose we are considering the n-channel enhancement type MOSFET. For that n-channel enhancement type MOSFET there are 3 regions and they are accumulation, depletion and the inversion. Now suppose for the n-channel enhancement type MOSFET we applied a fixed drain to source voltage and we are varying the gate to source voltage -2,-1,0,1,2,3,4,5. Now what will happen when the gate to source voltage is-2 volt. Suppose source is at potential 0V and drain is at potential 5 volt. Now when the source voltage is at zero volt and gate to source voltage is -2 volt then what happens inside the device. At gate the voltage is now-2 Volt. So at the one end of the insulator(silicon di-oxide) there is now -ve induced charges and at the other end(insulator –semiconductor interface at the insulator side). Then as the induced charges at the insulator-semiconductor interface(at the insulator side) in negative now so at the semiconductor side positive holes will be attracted or accumulation region results. This is called accumulation because its is actually the accumulation of holes for n-channel device(I mean n-channel MOSFTET).Then when we apply a positive voltage say 1 V at the gate terminal then due to positive charges induced at the semiconductor and gate and at the insulator and semiconductor interface positive charges induced and due to that fact there will be a depletion of the positive holes at the interface as the holes will now be repelled from the surface of insulator-semiconductor at the semiconductor site and the minority electrons will be attracted , for that when minority electrons are get at attracted towards that interface say still that number of electrons are not sufficient to from the channel. So still we will not get any drain to source current .This is depletion region(we call).Now when the gate to source voltage is greater than the threshold voltage of the device then the device will be on and at that time inversion will occur and a channel will be induced ,this is electrically induced channel not the channel present by structure as in depletion type MOSFET. Now what is meant by inversion ? The answer is that the p region in between the source an the drain will be inverted and will form a n-channel. Say for example the device has the threshold voltage say 2 V. So if gate to source voltage is greater than 2 volt then inversion will occur and we will get a current flowing from drain to source.
The area of the deck that was used for flensing whales brought aboard the factory or mother ship was overlaid before processing began with a further softwood (pine) deck that was sometimes known as the "Plan". This deck was laid as the ship was on it's way to Antarctic waters as one of the jobs to occupy the crew during the voyage. It's purpose was to provide a temporary throw-away surface upon which whales were processed. The temporary surface would take the damage and also absorb most of the blood, oil and smell that is a consequence of the butchering of such huge animals. On the way back home after the whaling voyage was over with the whale oil products stowed away safely, the plan would be symbolically ripped up by the ships crew and cast overboard as a part of a cleansing ritual that has taken place on whaling ships since the earliest recorded times of Phoenician whalers.
An experiment was designed to investigate the effects of translation and performance on memory of words of Sign Language as a second language. An intermediate class of Sign Language learners, whose first language was Japanese, was required to carried out four tasks : translating from Japanese word into Sign Language word, oral reading of Japanese word, translating from Sign Language word into Japanese word, and performing (expressing) of Sign Language word. The subjects were then asked unexpectedly to free recall words in Japanese they had learned. The results showed that item recalls for translating conditions were better than those for oral reading condition and performing condition. These effects were discussed based on the bilingual dual coding theory which assumes the independent and interconnected storage systems for word memory of first language and second language. From the viewpoint of Linguistics, Sign Language is able to be regarded not as a speech language but as a visual language. The results indicated that Sign Language was not visual imagery but a "natural language" in spite of that linguistic feature. It was educationally suggested that both meaning presentations in first language and imagery instruction are quite important by vocabulary learning of Sign Language.
University of New Mexico School of Medicine This 45 minute Power Point presentation is designed to provide trainees and practicing hospitalists with an approach to the evaluation of hospitalized patients who fall. It was originally developed to provide advice to interns and residents at the University of New Mexico upon implementation of our hospital’s multidisciplinary falls prevention program. It is case-based, includes a brief review of the evidenced-based literature, and then gives the authors’ opinions about how best to approach this situation. Also included is a list of pertinent literature and a multidisciplinary checklist, developed by the authors and used at the University of New Mexico Hospital. 1. Identify at least 3 factors that are epidemiologically associated with falls in the elderly. 2. State the most common etiology of falling in the elderly. 3. Summarize the epidemiology of in-patient falls. 4. Describe the three steps in evaluating the in-patient who falls 5. Demonstrate an appropriate bedside evaluation for injury of an in-patient who has fallen. 6. Demonstrate how a multi-disciplinary team can use a checklist to evaluate and manage a hospitalized patient who has fallen. This presentation was specifically designed for the in-patient hospital setting. The authors do not advocate using this approach in other settings (such as emergency departments, skilled nursing facilities, or nursing homes). Many of the recommendations are based on the authors’ opinions as there is little-evidenced based literature in this area. The authors are formally studying the clinical usefulness of the checklist, and are especially interested in comments, critical appraisals, and similar experience of others. Contact the authors at [email protected].
Published in Dhaka Live on 31 March 2011 One of the world’s oldest continuing art traditions will be on show in Dhaka for the first time from 1 April at Gallery Cosmos in Malibagh, Dhaka. The Balgo exhibition features 26 paintings by Aborigines, Australia’s indigenous people, who have inhabited the island continent for the last 125,000 years. The first known evidence of Aboriginal art traditions – which are most familiar as rock and bark paintings – date back a staggering 35,000 years. The 26 acrylic paintings by contemporary indigenous artists continue ancient meditations on “The Dreaming,” which is the period of creation in animist Aboriginal spirituality. According to Jackie Dunn, senior curator of Artbank, the Australian government’s art rental programme and producer of Balgo, “‘The Dreaming’ is peopled by mythical shape-shifting creatures… and learnt through scripture and parables. The stories – which are filled with epic journeys and accounts of love and sexual exploits, with brutal punitive death and recurring life – offer moral teachings and warnings to those who learn them.” The Dreaming also links a person to their ancestral homeland, as incarnation may occur in a particular tract of land. Each of the 18 artists featured in the exhibition belongs to the remote community of Balgo in Western Australia, which means “dirty wind.” The Balgo settlement was established by German priests in 1939 as a refuge for the formerly nomadic peoples who had “been through the long, slow process of the [British] colonisation of Australia’s desert heartland.” As Dunn further explains, “[Indigenous people] were displaced and their population decimated by violence and disease.” Many arrived in desperate need of food and shelter. Unlike at other mission settlements, the priests and sisters at Balgo encouraged the use of local languages and customs. Acrylic paintings from Balgo first appeared in the 1980s – and though it remains one of Australia’s most remote communities, several Balgo artists have gained international recognition. Balgo is 1,800 kilometres away from the state’s capital of Perth, and it is located on the outskirts of the Great Sandy Desert, which has a landmass twice the size of Bangladesh. The unconventional landscapes depicting the massive desert appear to blend modern abstract principles with ancient traditions – red hues and dotted motifs tend to dominate, with many tones derived from the ochre in the earth itself. Aboriginal paintings may use a semicircle to represent a hill or a camp, and a u-shape may represent the people who gathered there. Artist Jimmy Tchooga said, “We write the story down in English, about the country [the painting relates to, but] only little bit of the story, not too much. The sacred bits we keep secret.” As Dunn further explains, “The art is abstract, but not in the sense that the word is used in western modernism: here, abstraction is used in a much older sense of the term, as a concept for what is known to be in existence.” In association with Gallery Cosmos, the Australian High Commission in Dhaka is hosting the Balgo exhibition, which began its international tour in 2008. Balgo has already been exhibited in over 15 different nations, and after closing in Dhaka on 13 April, it will travel to South Korea, before starting an extensive tour of Latin America. The Australian government hopes to promote a deeper understanding of artistic and cultural traditions of indigenous Australians, who comprise around three percent of its population. Balgo runs from 1 April – 13 April 2011. It is open from 11 am to 6 pm on weekdays and from 12 pm to 7 pm on weekends. Venue: Gallery Cosmos, Cosmos Centre, 69/1, New Circular Road, Malibahg, Dhaka – 1217
Digital learning opportunities are widely available and abundant today. From MOOCs to digital study aids to virtual tutoring, there are many ways for students to hone their academic skills while still maintaining flexibility in their schedules. An added bonus? They can often do this from the comfort and convenience of their own computer, smartphone, or other electronic device. What’s more, virtual experiences are not only becoming more prevalent in the academic realm, but in the professional sphere as well. This can be seen in the increase in remote workforces and online courses/graduate programs. Students can benefit from the availability of virtual learning experiences, not just in augmenting their current learning experiences, but in helping to prepare them for the real world. The key is in knowing how to use these resources to their advantage. But when the virtual learning concept may seem foreign to some, how can they best approach it? Here are three ways students can leverage virtual learning experiences: 1. Participate in a MOOC that covers a subject/skill he or she is lacking MOOCs—also known as “massive open online courses”—are virtual courses open to anyone, anywhere (and usually are free!). MOOCs are a lot like college courses; students will be required to do homework and “attend” lectures if they want to succeed. However, unlike college courses, there is typically no penalty for failing to show up or complete work—but that also means students won’t get the full learning experience out of it! The more relaxed atmosphere of MOOCs can be both good and bad. For some students, less stringent deadlines and obligations to get work done mean it’s easier to fit a course into a schedule. However, for others, it can make it easy to slack off and not get much work done—which would defeat the purpose of enrolling in a MOOC in the first place. To use a MOOC beneficially, the student should choose the subject carefully. Students should enroll in a course that they believe could boost skills in, or knowledge of, a subject they’re currently studying or plan to study in the future. This could be directly related to a college major, or not! A science enthusiast, for instance, may wish to sharpen physics or chemistry skills that are crucial to success in labs each week—or, an English enthusiast who may want to teach history one day might choose to learn more about European history. The options can be personalized to individual goals. (Next page: 2 more ways students can delve into virtual learning)
Chamber of secrets: Centuries-old remains of 50 people found in Westminster Abbey toilet block The bones are thought to have belonged to people from the 11th or 12th centuries, with the body of a small child found amid the remains of 50 adults. “What the child is doing there is one of the many unanswered questions,” Westminster Abbey’s archeologist Warwick Rodwell told the Guardian. “It is a feature of many ecclesiastical sites that you find the remains of women and children in places where you might not quite expect them,” Rodwell added. The child was buried in a wooden coffin, leading experts to believe that he or she was a person of some importance. The remains were found as workmen demolished a 1950s-era lavatory block in order to make room for a new tower space through which visitors will eventually be able to access the abbey’s attic. Many of the bones were densely stacked together and experts think they may have belonged to senior clergy given their proximity to the main building, which was itself reserved for kings, queens and nobility. Westminster Abbey is not the only hub of British power to have revealed dark secrets recently. In August, the skeletal remains of 30 people thought to have perished during the Great Plague of 1665 were unearthed by construction workers in London's financial district. Railway workers discovered the skeletons 350 years after the Bubonic plague engulfed London, as they set about digging up the Bedlam burial ground in Liverpool Street. A headstone at the historic site marked “1665” was discovered, suggesting that the mass graveyard dates back to the outbreak of the deadly plague across London. Experts believe the bodies were buried on the same day in individual coffins, which have since rotted away, leaving a mass of distorted skeletons.
To work with digital video it often helps to know a little bit about the technology, so lets look at some of the basic concepts behind digital video. A codec is a mathematical formula that reduces the file size of a video or audio file. Theora is known as a video codec since it works exclusively with video files. When a codec reduces a file size of a video file, it is also said to be compressing the file. There are two forms of compression that are of interest here - Lossless and Lossy Compression. - Lossless compression - This is the process of compressing data information into a smaller size without removing data. To visualise this process imagine a paper bag with an object in it. When you remove the air in the bag by creating a vacuum the object in the bag is not affected even though the total size of the bag is reduced. - Lossy compression - Sometimes called 'Perceptual Encoding', this is the process of 'throwing away' data to reduce the file size. The compression algorithms used are complex and try to preserve the qualitative perceptual experience as much as possible while discarding as much data as necessary. Lossy compression is a very fine art. The algorithms that enable this take into account how the brain perceives sounds and images and then discards information from the audio or video file while maintaining an aural and visual experience resembling the original source material. To do this the process follows Psychoacoustic and Psychovisual modeling principles. The quality of digital video is determined by the amount of information encoded (bitrate) and the type of video compression (codec) used. While there are some codecs that can be considered to be more advanced than Theora, the difference in perceived quality is not significant. Bitrate and quality Since digital video represents a moving image as information, it makes sense that the more information you have, the higher the quality of the moving image. The bitrate is literally the number of bits per second of video (and/or audio) used in encoding. For a given codec, a higher bitrate allows for higher quality. For a given duration, a higher bitrate also means a bigger file. To give some examples, DV cameras record video and audio data at 25Mbit/s (a Mbit is 1,000,000 bits), DVDs are encoded at 6 to 9 Mbit/s, internet video is limited by the speed of broadband connections: many people have 512kbit/s (a kbit/s means 1,000 bits delivered per second) or 1Mbit/s lines, with 16Mbit/s connections becoming more common recently. Right now, around 700kbit/s is commonly used for videos embedded on web pages. There are many reasons to want a lower bitrate. The video may need to fit on a certain storage medium, like a DVD. Or you may want to deliver the video fast enough for your audience, whose average internet connection speed is limited, to be able to watch it as they receive it. Different kinds of video may require different bitrates to achieve the same level of perceived quality. Video with lots of cuts and constantly moving camera angles requires more information to describe it than video with many still images. An action movie, for example, would require a higher bitrate than a slow moving documentary. Most modern codecs allow for a variable bitrate. This means that the bitrate can change over time in response to the details required. In this case, a video codec would use more bits to encode 10 seconds of quick cuts and moving camera angles than it would use to encode 10 seconds of a relatively still image. Codecs and quality Codecs reduce the necessary bitrate of a media file by describing the media in clever, more efficient ways. Video codecs describe the changes between one frame and the next, instead of describing each frame separately. Audio codecs ignore certain frequencies that the human ear doesn't notice. Just as simple techniques can dramatically reduce the bitrate and size of the file, more sophisticated techniques can reduce it even more. This is how some codecs can be considered superior to others. When codecs use complicated mathematical techniques to encode video, you need a powerful chip to decode that video quickly enough for playback. This is a reason why sometimes it's best to use a simpler codec. Video encoded using state-of-the-art tricks may be unwatchable on an old computer, for example. Or it sometimes might be best to use an older, simpler video codec (as DVDs do) because the hardware required to play it will be cheaper. Theora and quality Thanks to recent work by the Theora community, Theora achieves a similar level of quality to other modern codecs like h.264, the patent-encumbered codec used by Apple, Youtube, and others. This can be a matter of some controversy, and there are reasons to consider h.264 technically superior in quality to Theora. But the best way to decide is to see for yourself. These sites have side-by-side comparisons between Theora and h.264:
Genome-wide association studies, which are the source for most of the data 23andMe uses in Gene Journal (now called Health and Traits) entries, are based on the “common disease-common allele model” – the idea that many illnesses, even relatively rare ones, can be caused by combinations of genetic variations that are individually quite common in the population. A study published online yesterday in Science Express suggests that for schizophrenia at least, and perhaps other mental disorders, that approach might not be the way to go. Schizophrenia is a debilitating psychiatric disorder that affects approximately one percent of the population. People with schizophrenia suffer from hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking. The illness greatly impacts social and occupational functioning and has enormous public health costs. The authors of the paper propose that a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia is caused by structural variations in the genome such as deletions, duplications, and re-arrangements of genetic material instead of variation at SNPs. Furthermore, they think that these structural variations might be different for different patients, meaning that it would be difficult to ever find DNA markers that are predictive for the disease. The researchers used new technologies to look for structural variations in 150 people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and 268 healthy controls with no history of neurological or psychiatric illness. They found that individuals with schizophrenia were much more likely than controls to have structural variations that affected genes (as opposed to non-coding parts of the genome). The association was strongest in people who developed symptoms while 18 years old or younger. Virtually every structural variant the researchers detected in the individuals with schizophrenia was unique, though sometimes patients had differing mutations in the same genes. Genes involved in brain development were the most affected. The results of this study don’t prove that any one gene is associated with schizophrenia, but they do suggest that researchers who want to understand the genetics of this illness, and maybe other complex psychiatric disorders, should perhaps focus their efforts on structural variations instead of SNPs. That doesn’t mean SNPs aren’t useful. Almost every day we’re learning something new about how subtle single-letter DNA variations between people may affect their health. But some questions won’t be answered until scientists have a better understanding of many other types of genetic variation as well – not to mention the contribution of other factors such as diet, personal habits and environmental exposures.
“Delayed implementation of accelerated disease control in India” has led the country to account for “47 per cent of estimated measles mortality in 2010” stated a paper published today (April 24) in The Lancet . At 36 per cent, even the World Health Organisation (WHO) African region accounted for lesser mortality than India. The high number recorded in India stands out, as the global measles mortality had decreased by 74 per cent in 2010. Except for the Southeast Asia WHO region, all the other WHO regions recorded a reduction in mortality by more than three-quarters during 2000-2010. Even in the case of WHO Southeast Asia region, except for India, the other countries in the region had reported a reduction. Though India achieved 26 per cent reduction in measles mortality between 2000 and 2010, its contribution to the percentage of global measles deaths increased from 16 per cent in 2000 to 26 per cent in 2010. Africa is a study in contrast. The mortality reduction during the same period, 2000-2010, was 85 per cent. The effect of this decline gets reflected in the continent’s contribution to the global measles deaths — 63 per cent in 2000 to 36 per cent in 2010. “Delayed implementation” of periodic supplemental immunisation activities (SIA) and “restricted improvement” in measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) coverage were responsible for the increased mortality in the case of India, Peter Strebel, the senior author from the Expanded Programme on Immunisation, WHO, Geneva, and his team has found. The solution is, therefore, to go in for aggressive immunisation. Targeting 134 million children and “introducing a routine second dose in some States in 2011-13” can reduce mortality “substantially” in another three years (2015), they wrote. Such planned immunisation in other 10 countries in the WHO Southeast Asia regions had produced a reduction in mortality. “Measles eradication is biologically feasible” despite the disease being a highly contagious one, notes a comment piece accompanying the paper. The authors had to estimate the deaths in the case of India and other 127 countries as they have inadequate vital registration data. They had developed a new model that used surveillance data to objectively estimate both incidence and the age distribution of cases. Unlike most other models, it takes into account the herd immunity.
US EPA Awards Blue Water Satellite of Bowling Green, OH Contract for Providing Historical Data on Great Lakes Beaches BOWLING GREEN, Ohio. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a contract to Blue Water Satellite of Bowling Green, OH to provide unique historical data regarding the concentrations of potentially harmful Cyanobacteria, Chlorophyll-a, and Phosphorus at four Great Lakes beaches. This historical data will be used as part of an epidemiological study to potentially correlate concentrations of various biological constituents with human health effects. "Blue Water Satellite technology is literally the only means for the EPA to retrieve the corollary data they need from 2003 and 2004," states Milt Baker, CEO for Blue Water Satellite. "Our patented and patent pending technology can accurately identify and quantify the concentration levels of Cyanobacteria (often called Blue Green Algae or Harmful Algal Blooms), Phosphorus, and Chlorophyll-a in water bodies. This was a critical aspect of the EPA study." Blue Water Satellite`s proprietary technology has the ability to retrieve and analyze data back to 1984. "The EPA was excited about our ability to provide concentration level data for the places and times they were studying," continued Baker. "Our images and data will allow the EPA to trend and potentially correlate Harmful Algal Blooms to human health effects." "Phosphorus is particularly important as it is a precursor and causative factor in Harmful Algal Bloom formation." The EPA is studying activity for the summer and fall months of 2003 and 2004 including beaches at Huntington Bay, Bay Village, Ohio; West Beach, Indiana National Dunes; Washington Park Beach, Indiana; and Silver Beach, St. Josephs, Michigan. "One of the aspects of our technology the EPA appreciated was the volume and depth of our data," concluded Baker. "Instead of just several sample points across hundreds of acres of shore line, we are able to provide 5 samples per acre - with each point including a GPS coordinate and concentration level." Blue Water Satellite technology has or is currently being used by NOAA, British Petroleum,Pacific Gas & Electric, The US Army Corps of Engineers, and a variety of other companies and governmental agencies. Based in Bowling Green, OH, the company is the leading -- and only provider of algorithmically-enhanced satellite images and data for water quality monitoring with 12 patents that have been granted or are in the process of patent office approval.
As well as creating SOS families in our Children’s Villages we help local families to stay together through our “family strengthening programmes” (known as FSP). Poverty and difficult life situations mean that many parents cannot care for their children adequately. SOS Family Strengthening Programmes aim to prevent family breakdown and child abandonment. Through material support, training, education, counseling and more, we build parents’ capacities to care for their children Our family strengthening programmes are specifically targeted to the needs of each community and family. In many cases, these programmes offer nutritional and healthcare support for children and nursing mothers; children’s school fees, uniforms and materials; support to parents in establishing a steady income and stable home; training in parenting skills and household management; learning about children’s rights; and family counselling. We also run other, wider-reaching community projects such as micro finance and food security programmes. The aim of these programmes is to enable families to stand on their own and to foster a safe, nurturing environment in which children can grow up. Working with the wider community means we can reach beyond SOS Children’s Villages and help thousands of children and their families. Family Strengthening Programmes consists of a series of activities specially designed to support families so that they can carry out their responsibility of protecting and taking proper care of their children, whilst ensuring their educational and developmental needs are met. This includes activities that build the family’s ability to support itself financially without the requirement for their children to work. The main working points are: - To ensure families have access to basic needs for their children that will allow them to guarantee the children’s development, which includes educational, psychological, emotional, nutritional, medical and infrastructure support. - To support and teach families how to develop their skills in child care and protection. This includes helping mothers and fathers to develop their personal relationship skills, general knowledge and educational skills, to ensure they have a stable and sustained home and income, as well as to teach them how to administrate it so that they can guarantee the developmental needs of their children. - To strengthen the support network of those families in a vulnerable situation. We particularly support all members of the community to work together and in this way find their own solutions to the needs of these children and families. SOS Family Strengthening Programmes benefit children because: - The children are able to go to school and concentrate on their studies, in many cases because they will no longer need to work to help support the family - They have daily protection and care through the Community Centres which promote their participation and social networking, and ensure the fulfilment of their rights. - Their parents are provided with the necessary resources to raise a child: - a basic education (many women do not have even a primary and/or secondary education) including hygiene, HIV/AIDS, health and home management - training workshops focusing on vocational skills and self-esteem development - financial and nutritional support at difficult times, including school fees for the children - aid in securing a job and advocacy in basic rights - micro-financing and loans to kick start an income stream - development of community participation and organisation - Their families are counselled in building good family relationships, good manners, abandonment of use of violence, and improvement in expectations as a family whole. - In partnership with local authorities, the community is empowered by organisation of Family Committees and support groups, creating a social security network for the children. As a result of these activities, life standards improve for the children and the family as a whole, preventing child abandonment as well as diminishing rates of children being separated from their families for economic reasons. Overall the FSP improves the future prospects of the whole family through personal support and education. Friends of SOS support our operational, development and implementation work of Family Strengthening Programmes
Believe it or not, there actually is a slight difference between the two: He can have the hammer. (He has the necessary permission to possess the hammer.) Some people consider this wrong and that the correct word is may, but in contemporary English, using can have signifies permission over ability, because the cases where someone is unable to possess something are very few and far between. This is not necessarily true in other cases—"You can go the bathroom", as drilled in by so many teachers, does express ability. He could have the hammer. (He has the potential to have the hammer already in his possession.) The speaker does not know who has the hammer, but he has the potential to have it. If I take the large box, he can/could have the hammer lying underneath it. This is one of the few cases I mentioned above where he might not actually be able to possess the hammer. In this case, can signifies ability, because presumably, the box is on top of the hammer, thus not allowing him to reach it. Even here, there is a slight difference—using the word could over can could, depending on the audience, sound either formal or reluctant.
According to the study, by 2030, 42 percent of Americans will be obese and 11 percent will be severely obese. If prediction turned reality, health care costs would see an increase in millions of dollars due to a rise in heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and other related conditions. Obesity-related ailments already account for 9 percent of U.S. health costs — or $147 billion a year, according to WebMD. The news isn’t all bad, however. Adult obesity numbers, though still unhealthful, seem to be leveling off. Earlier obesity estimates predicted that 51 percent of the population would be overweight by 2030. So maybe we’re already getting the message. “If Americans could become no more obese than we were in 2010,” WebMD says, “the U.S. would save $549.5 billion over the next two decades.” But that still leaves stark numbers on the other side of the spectrum. Based on BMI (body mass index), 1 in 20 Americans is considered severely obese. At the rate we’re going, that number will rise to 1 in 10 by 2030. The messages — and the worrisome predictions — are out there. Now it’s up to individual efforts to improve personal health, exercise and eating habits. If nothing else, maybe we’ll do it for the money.
The Ukrainian army's 24th Mechanized Brigade had just passed through the village of Zelenopillya at 4 a.m. last July when the sky detonated. Dozens of 122-millimeter rockets fell on the convoy in an area claimed by Russian-backed separatists, each rocket carrying about fifty pounds of explosives in warheads built to fragment into shrapnel. Within moments nineteen soldiers lay dead and scores more wounded. Vehicles were shredded. The rebels likely used a BM-21 Grad, a six-wheeled vehicle with forty launch tubes that can all fire within seconds (grad means hail in Russian). These attacks haunt Ukrainian troops: A Brookings Institution field report said the bombardments account for 70 percent of their casualties. In fact, multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) are now so common that more than eighty nations, including Syria and Iran, deploy them. So do terrorist and other nonstate Middle Eastern groups. MLRS operators can park and launch within two minutes, then quickly relocate to a bunker, under a camouflage net, or inside a cave—the tactic is called shoot and scoot. And they don't fire blind. In Ukraine, Russian drones with video cameras provide separatists with valuable information. Ukrainian soldiers have told reporters that they often see the drones overhead before an MLRS bombardment but have no way to shoot them down. The Brookings researchers reported that the Russians deploy UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and artillery in tandem "with devastating effect." In response, the U.S. military is ramping up its own technology to help its ally fight back. Here are four prime examples: In 2014 the Navy's first laser weapon—a warship turret that can crisp small boats and UAVs—became operational. The hundred-kilowatt system, now deployed in the Persian Gulf, burned a hole through a drone in seconds during target practice. Next the Navy wants more compact, stable, and rugged weapons that can shoot drones from Humvees. The Office of Naval Research announced an industrial contest to create laser weapons that can do the same with just twenty-five kilowatts. Demonstrations are expected in 2016. Portable air-defense radar Once it's possible to hit the UAVs with lasers, the military will be able to locate them using mobile warning radar. Active electronically scanned arrays (AESA), which can easily be carried in vehicles and set up on tripods, send out pencil-thin radar beams with jolts of current that scan the sky for drones. Some U.S. versions can detect, classify, and track any kind of airborne object at altitudes ranging from thirty feet to 30,000, and have ranges of up to eighteen miles. The modern battlefield is blanketed with sensors—mobile ground radar, acoustic surveillance equipment at observation posts, satellite imagery, and infrared camera feeds from drones—that can be used to help find MLRS locations. Last year the Marine Corps began developing software to identify an incoming threat using all data, then plot the exact location for return fire—which could "compress the kill chain timeline," says one military document. Drones that can travel beyond an operator's line of sight are ideal tools to pinpoint mobile artillery. The MQ-5B Hunter can fly at 18,000 feet, high enough to avoid most ground fire. It is capable of both scanning the terrain below with an array of cameras (including infrared) and intercepting signals from enemy communications. The MQ-5B can stay in the air for twenty-one hours, beaming back real-time information for counterattacks.
India developed sun-powered tree There is a saying that the reality is stranger than the novel, but just like the Disney movie ‘Frozen’, the temperature in Denver, Colorado has dropped by 31 degrees Celsius and made the phenomenon changes from extreme heat to snowfall at the beginning of September. In additional to those drastic changes, those disasters are continuing to occur in other parts of the world, such as a temperature rising to 54.4 degrees Celsius in Death Valley, Eastern California. Although the relationship between the abnormal weather, climate change and global warming has not yet been clarified, this abnormal temperature changes are a clear SOS signal coming from the Earth. To reduce those extreme disasters it is necessary to reduce greenhouse gases and one way to reduce them is to switch to renewable energy. Renewable energy is an environmentally-friendly alternative to fossil fuels, and each country is actively working to increase the ratio of renewable energy within their country. A new PV system has been developed in India to support the current situation. The new photovoltaic system called ‘Solar Tree’ was developed by the Scientific and Industrial Research Council (CSIR) and the Central Mechanical Engineering Institute (CMERI). Solar Tree has a structure in which solar panels are attached to branches of a tree around a single pillar. In addition, each solar panel installed on the solar tree has a capacity of 330W and since 35 panels are installed, it will generate approximately a total of 11.5kW of electricity. And since the pillar of the solar tree are adjustable, the owner can maximize the power generation efficiency by simply adjusting the slope. In addition, the tree is designed to maximize the effectiveness of each solar panel while maximizing the shadow space beneath it. In addition, Solar Tree also has the ability to adapt IoT-based features such as surveillance cameras, real time humidity, temperature, wind speed, rainfall prediction and soil analysis sensors. Director of the Central Mechanical Engineering Laboratory (CMERI) Dr. Harish Hirani said that the Solar Tree can generate from 12,000 to 14,000kWh of clean energy annually, and the energy produced can be monitored either in real time or on daily basis. In addition, instead of diesel, the energy produced might be used for pumps and cultivators required in agriculture. It is possible to create a large number of open-air solar power plants in a country or region with vast land, but for a country or region where not much land is available, the land suitable for solar power generation is limited. However, the solar tree can generate a large amount of electricity above your head while making effective use of the land and continue using it for agriculture. Furthermore, if the electricity can be sued to operate agricultural machinery, the effect of hitting two birds with one stone can be expected. Solar tree is definitely and effective way to create energy and create extra shade for hot countries and regions with a small land area.
Lake Michigan appeared frozen solid along the North Shore in the winter of 1899. The lake's frozen appearance masked the fact that ice thickness ranged from as deep as three feet to razor thin. The lake's waves pulsed under those who ventured on the ice to skate, stroll or capture the frozen beauty in a photograph. Occasionally, waves caused ice floes to break off the expanse like glass vitrines. Accounts vary about how Lake Forest residents, chiefly young men from Lake Forest College, and Rogers Park "kodakers" found themselves on an ice floe drifting southward past the bluffs of Fort Sheridan on a February Sunday afternoon. Rescuers from Lake Forest, Evanston, Fort Sheridan and Chicago answered distress calls from bystanders on the shore. Failed efforts recurred throughout Sunday night into Monday morning, leaving 10 frostbitten young men floating through icy slush and splinters. Others went missing, presumed lost. What is incontrovertible is that three men of diverse backgrounds risked their lives to bring 10 stranded lads back to shore after even Fort Sheridan Army rescue teams turned back. Early Monday afternoon Fred Perryman, physician Milton Baker and Chicago Board of Trade member Lewis O. Van Riper launched a small shallow draft boat -- Van Riper's steam launch was in dry dock for winter repairs -- and made their way toward the stranded youths. Perryman, secured with a rope, jumped from one ice block to the next until he reached the drifting ice island. Baker, the first graduate of Highland Park High School, and Van Riper were active participants in the Highland Park and associated Young Men's Athletic Clubs. Both were considered experienced live savers "on call" along the shore. At 8:30 p.m., after a perilous journey returning two miles through and over ice with an overloaded boat, the three rescuers and 10 strandees arrived safely on the shores of Highland Park. At 37 years of age, Devonshire, England-born Perryman was years older than Baker and Van Riper. He worked for a family on Moraine Road as the live-in "hired man" and was not a participant in Highland Park club life. His first acquaintance with Baker and Van Riper occurred as he offered to help with the rescue. In April 1899, Highland Park residents awarded all three men medals of bravery to recognize their successful life-saving efforts. In 1968, Mary Perryman donated her father's medal to the Highland Park Historical Society so that his bravery would not be forgotten. Webster is the archivist at the Highland Park Historical Society. This article was written using resources in the society's Archives and Research Collections, funded in part by Henry X Arenberg Archives Preservation Fund. Visit highlandparkhistory.com for more information.
Organizations are often concerned that The term idle time refers to Organizations are often concerned that their employees have too much to do in too little time. However, the opposite situation—idle time—is rarely given attention. The term idle time is used to describe segments of time at work in which employees are involuntarily unable to proceed with their work tasks. This can be due to slow periods in customer service jobs, technical problems, a lack of necessary information to proceed with a project, or managers inefficiently distributing work, among other reasons. Consequences of Idle Time at Work Researchers conducted a series of studies to examine the frequency and length of idle time, and then determine its impact on work pace or speed. They found that almost 80% of U.S. workers experienced idle time, with just over 20% reporting they experienced it every day. For those that experienced idle time, they reported an average of 2 hours and 45 minutes of idle time within the past five workdays. Based on this information and U.S. Census data, this approximates to 7.4 billion hours of idle time in the U.S. each year, and $100 billion paid for idle time. The authors then examined the impact of idle time on work behaviour, specifically the pacing of work. Although workers tend to follow a pacing style based on the “deadline effect,” in which the work pace is picked up as a deadline approaches, the opposite effect was expected when workers anticipated idle time. The researchers termed this the “deadtime effect” to describe that when people expect idle time before a deadline, they slow their work pace as the deadline gets closer. This slowing of pace is called work stretching.
- Medical device: any instrument, apparatus, equipment, software, material or other article that is used alone or in combination, including the software specially intended by the manufacturer to be used for diagnostic and/or therapeutic purposes and required for proper function of them, determined by the manufacturer to be used on humans for: - diagnosis, prevention, monitoring, treatment or alleviation of a disease; - diagnosis, monitoring, treatment, alleviation or compensation for a wound or handicap; - research into, replacement or changes to the anatomy or a physiological process; - managing fertility; and whereby the most significant intended effect in or on the human body cannot be achieved using pharmacological or immunological means or metabolism, but can be supported by these means. - Attachment: any article that is not a device and is specifically intended by the manufacturer to be used with a medical device to enable the use of this device consistent with the intentions of the manufacturer of the device. - Active medical device: any medical device, the function of which is dependent on an electrical energy source or another energy source generated directly by the human body or gravity and which functions thanks to the deposition of this type of energy. The medical devices intended to transfer energy, substances or other elements between an active medical device and the patient, without significant changes, are not considered active medical devices. - Active implantable medical devices (AIMD): any active medical device that is designed to, in whole or in part, to be implanted in a surgical or medical manner in the human body or through a medical procedure in a natural opening, and which is intended to remain in the body after the procedure. - Custom-made medical devices: any device specially produced by prescription from a qualified physician in which, under their responsibility, the specific features are indicated in the design, and intended exclusively for use in a particular patient. - Medical devices for in-vitro diagnostics (IVD): any medical device that is a reagent, a reactive product, a calibration material, a control material, a kit, an instrument, a device, equipment or a system that is used separately or in combination and is intended by the manufacturer to be used for in-vitro research of specimens originating from the human body, including donor blood and tissue, exclusively or with the primary purpose of collecting information: - about a physiological or pathological status; - about a congenital deformity; - to determine the safety and degree of compatibility with potential recipients; - to test the effects of therapeutic measures. - Recipients for specimens: medical devices, whether or not with vacuum, which are specially intended by the manufacturers to directly contain and conserve specimens originating from the human body intended for in-vitro diagnostics. Recipients for specimens are considered medical devices for in-vitro diagnostics. Products for general laboratory use: these products are not medical devices for in-vitro diagnostics, unless the features of these products indicate that they are specifically intended by the manufacturer to be used for in-vitro diagnostics.
Last week we looked at the concept of reliability, or accuracy of measurement. Closely associated with reliability is the concept of validity of measurement. The ways in which validity can be assessed have been described in the article about testing. Briefly, a measurement is valid if it agrees with other measures known to be valid (that is, it has concurrent validity), if it predicts future performance (predictive validity), or if it behaves in ways predicted by theory (construct validity). An unreliable test cannot of course be valid. The point I would like to make here is that validity of measurement is often ignored, especially in testing. For example, one of the difficulties in assessing the effectiveness of programs of adult basic education has been the lack of a reliable or valid testing instrument. Ehringhaus (1991), for example, found that unreliable tests were used by almost all of the 427 teachers of adult basic education she surveyed. When you ignore validity, you are asking for trouble. If you are using tests to assess the effectiveness of a program, for example, using an invalid test will tell you nothing about the success of the program. You might as well estimate the temperature with a sundial. If you use an invalid test for placement, you will be no more successful in matching people to jobs or training programs than if you had picked names out of a hat. The same reservations apply to measures we develop ourselves. If you are using a questionnaire to assess employee morale, for example, you will have a much better idea of the utility of the questionnaire if you see how well its measures of morale correlate with things like staff turnover or absenteeism. If it doesn't correlate with them, you have no reason to assume it is a measure of morale. On the other hand, if it does correlate, you now have a better measure of morale than those other measures. An account of how a measure like this can be validated is provided in another article. Ehringhaus, Carolyn (1991). Testing in adult basic education. Adult Basic Education, 1 (1), 12-26. Validity © 2001, John FitzGerald Home page \| Decisionmakers' index \| E-mail
Homework & Research Help for Kids Can You Trust that Website? Anyone can build a website, so you need to make sure the ones you’re looking at are from people you can trust. Here’s how: \|Evaluating Websites\|\|A How-To Guide for Middle-School Students\| \|Evaluating Websites\|\|A Checklist\| \|MediaSmarts Games\|\|Online games that teach kids in fun ways all about internet safety, privacy and more. From MediaSmarts: Canada’s Centre for Digital and Media Literacy.\| Citing Sources: Writing a Bibliography What’s a bibliography? It’s a list of all the books, articles, websites, interviews or movies that you used to create your project or report. Why do I need a bibliography? It’s important to give credit to the people whose work you used for your report. And it gives you, your teacher and anyone else who reads your report a chance to refer to those sources for more information. How do I write a bibliography? There are different ways you can do this and your teacher will tell you which style they prefer.
Goniobranchus coi has a white body and foot, but is instantly recognizable for its distinct dorsal pattern. The outer part of the dorsum is yellow, separated from the inner light-brown part by a wavy white and black line. The mantle is brown, edged with a thin purple line. The gills and rhinophores range in color between different individuals from translucent white, through pale-yellow and light-brown. This species reaches at least 50 mm in length. A close up of the rhinophores of G. Coi - Bouchet, P. (2012). Goniobranchus coi. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=597329 on 2012-05-01 - Rudman W.B. (1987) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: Chromodoris epicura, C. aureopurpurea, C. annulata, C. coi and Risbecia tryoni colour groups. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 90: 305-407. page(s): 395 - Debelius, H. & Kuiter, R.H. (2007) Nudibranchs of the world. ConchBooks, Frankfurt, 360 pp. ISBN 978-3-939767-06-0 page(s): 143 - Gosliner, T.M., Behrens, D.W. & Valdés, Á. (2008) Indo-Pacific Nudibranchs and seaslugs. A field guide to the world's most diverse fauna. Sea Challengers Natural History Books, Washington, 426 pp. page(s): 215 - McDonald G. (2009) Nudibranch Systematic Index. 2nd online edition. 724 pp - Johnson R.F. & Gosliner T.M. (2012) Traditional taxonomic groupings mask evolutionary history: A molecular phylogeny and new classification of the chromodorid nudibranchs. PLoS ONE 7(4): e33479 EOL content is automatically assembled from many different content providers. As a result, from time to time you may find pages on EOL that are confusing. To request an improvement, please leave a comment on the page. Thank you!
Tidepool Sculpin (Oligocottus maculatus) At especially low tides, walk slowly toward any tidepool on a rocky/sandy coast and watch for a little (up to 9 cm) fish with a fairly big head and big dark blotches across its back. Its very large dorsal and anal fins are prominent features. Each tidepool may contain several of them, and when disturbed they will shoot forward like a flash with a flick of their tail and settle to the bottom again, superbly camouflaged wherever they land. As the tide recedes some of these sculpins become stranded under rocks and logs. Fortunately for them, they have the ability to extract oxygen directly from the air; in other words, they breathe air. They are not alone in that; fish all over the world that live in environments that may at times be oxygen poor are able to breathe air. Sculpins are carnivores, and this little species hunts for the small crustaceans and worms of several types that are common in its habitat. It is similarly sought by larger predatory species. Most sculpins are protected from predation by sharp spines on their head and gill covers, but this species is not very heavily spined. In fact, it is scaleless, unusual for a fish but not so unusual for a sculpin, many of which lack scales. Perhaps it makes up in speed and camouflage what it lacks in armament. Because they are small, easily acquired, and easily kept in aquaria, Tidepool Sculpins have been the subject of some interesting experiments. They can detect the odor of one of their predators, the Kelp Greenling, by smell. They can also detect the smell of an injured individual of their own species, and in both cases, they move around less and seek cover. Tidepool Sculpins mature in one year and may live as long as five. During the summer reproductive season, the male transfers sperm to the genital canal of the female, where they attach to eggs, but actual fertilization does not take place until the eggs are laid into sea water. Females lay several batches of eggs each year. The eggs stick to the substrate but, unlike those of many other sculpins, are not guarded by either adult. They are rather sedentary fish, remaining in a small home range throughout the year. If displaced by a curious researcher, however, they have been able to return to their limited home range from as much as 100 meters away, using their well developed sense of smell. These tiny fish in their own way are just as impressive as the salmon that find their home streams after spending time out in the ocean!
This study combines two satellite radar techniques, i.e. low resolution C- and Ku-band scatterometer data and SAR in C-band for glaciological studies, in the first line mass balance estimations. Three parameters, expressing the mean backscattering and its dependency on azimuth and incidence angle, are used to describe and classify the Antarctic ice sheets backscattering behavior. Simple linear regression analyses are carried out between ground truth accumulation data and the SAR backscattering coefficient along continuous profile lines. From this we parameterize the accumulation rate, separated for certain snow pack regimes. This way we find, that SAR data can be used to map mass balance changes, however only within areas of limited extent. Transferences from one region to another require accurate ground truth data for comparison together with additional information regarding temperature or surface height. This investigation focuses on the area of Dronning Maud Land (DML), Antarctica. Helmholtz Research Programs > MARCOPOLI (2004-2008) > POL1-Processes and interactions in the polar climate system
The controller (money manager) for a small company puts some money in the bank account paying 4% per year. He uses some additional money. amounting to 1/3 the amount in the bank, to buy bonds paying 5% per year. With the balance of the funds, he buys a 9% certificate of deposit. The first year the investments bring a return of $672. If the total of the investment is $10,000 how much is invested at each rate? The amount in the bank account is $???, amount in bonds $???, certificate deposit $???
CPD term used to describe the learning activities performed by accountants and accountancy practitioners to improve and strengthen their skills. Accountancy CPD combines various learning methodologies for an accountant to improve their skills, such as CPD seminars, training workshops, and online CPD accountancy courses. There are more than 1000 institutes & professional bodies in the UK, a number which is expected to increase. The accounting industry has long had a structured and recognized approach to Continuing Professional Development along with its professional bodies. Table of Contents - What is CPD? - What are the types of CPD for Accountants? - Advantages of CPD - How CPD is Recorded - CDP Diploma in Self Assessment Taxation Returns - Inputs based CPD - Outputs based CPD - How CPD Effective - CDP in Tax Accounting Course - Advantages of CPD in Tax Accounting What is CPD? CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development. To develop and enhance their skills and abilities, CPD is used to refer the learning activities professionals take on. CPD could be achieved through different types of learning, such as training workshops, conference and event attendance, e-learning courses, etc. The attainment of CPD points is a vital requirement for many UK professional bodies. It helps a person enhance his or her professional development and be successful. Ultimately, the duty to complete Continuing Professional Development rests with every accountant, as set by the criteria of their UK professional body. There is sometimes a common misunderstanding that CPD takes a considerable amount of time which can lead to "out of business" periods. However, the availability of more flexible CPD suited to business needs and the introduction of online learning has made it possible for more and more CPD accountants to take a proactive stance. Here it describes Professional accountancy bodies and the different types of CPD available to accountants. Continuing professional development ensures that accountancy qualifications do not become outdated or obsolete; allowing accountants to continuously 'upgrade' or 're-skill' themselves, irrespective of age or level of education. Tax return training courses are available in CDP which helps for self assessment taxation returns and also in UK self assessment tax return filing as well. What are the types of CPD for Accountants? There are three major different forms of CPD accountancy. In order to retain membership of their professional body, an accountant must also complete a prescribed number of standardized CPD hours each year. Active learning is also known as Structured CPD. This may include attending courses, conferences, or CPD seminars on accountancy training. It can also include online courses for completing CPD accountancy. Reflective learning is a different type of CPD and involves little or no interaction between participants. Examples of reflective learning CPD include updates, videos and webinars from relevant accountancy industry. Learning goals must be set out clearly in an overall CPD plan for the accountants. This type of CPD involves active and structured learning that usually takes place outside of the organization you work for. Formal CPD is usually made up of more than one professional but in some cases, it could involve just one professional. In this type of formal learning other tasks include: - Online and offline training programs - Learning-focused conferences and seminars - Events and Workshops Informal CPD is also known as self-directed learning, in which the practitioners conduct growth practices according to their own preference and without a standardized syllabus. Typically, the type of learning consists of: - Learning publications Guided by industry experts - Perusing relevant articles and case studies - Following industry specific news - Listening to industryspecific podcasts - Studying and revising for professional examinations. Advantages of CPD Accompanied by such growth is the acceptance that more vocational and skill-based or 'practical' learning has to be provided by academic qualifications. A structured, practical and methodological approach to learning helps employers across industries to maintain key employees and develop their organizations’ skills and knowledge to maintain a sustainable and competitive advantage. Here are some of the advantages are pointed out for CPD diploma in tax assessment and tax return training courses Continuing professional development ensures that both academic and practical qualifications are not outdated or obsolete; allowing individuals to continually 'upgrade' or 're-skill' themselves, irrespective of occupation, age or educational level. - Improves intelligence, professional know-how and trust - Opens doors to excellent opportunities for future employment - Improves apprenticeship - Fosters machine learning - Shows passion and dedication to career self-improvement - Practical skills relevant which will impress current and prospective employers. - Now, take a peek at CPD's workplace benefits - Sets a high standard for staff development across the company - Improves productivity by employing motivated and skilled staff - Endorses a philosophy of learning in the organization - Improves company's image among prospective employees and customers - Increases workforce retention - Allows the business to keep up with the new market trends and shifts. And if organization encourages the professional advancement of its workers will put in those benefits. While you completed CDP diploma in self assessment, if you are a working professional who wants to keep up with changes in your field, a continuous professional development course can help revitalize your career and improve prospects for future employment. How CPD is Recorded An individual must keep track of their annual Continuing Professional Development activities on a CPD record form and ensure that they are accurate, up-to-date and meet their professional body or association's requirements. The activity of the CPD is recorded in terms of learning outcomes and practical application of the acquired knowledge. Accredited CPD providers can provide guidance to individuals as to how many CPD hours or points can be achieved after any certified CPD activity, such as a conference, training course, or seminar, is complete. This will help every individual delegate record their professional body at the correct or most suitable level of CPD hours. Continuing professional development undertaken is recorded in the form of a CPD attendance certificate, CPD selfassessment forms and personal CPD record cards. Upon delivery of a CPD certified activity, the attendant can update their CPD record sheet and attach the associated certificate. The accredited CPD Provider does not need to keep a continuous learning record for each of their delegates. However, once an activity has been completed, it is advisable to provide at least one certificate of participation to individuals. Keeping the CPD record sheets accurate helps to reflect on personal progress over time. It is important for individuals to keep CPD record sheets up to date, as they will often need to submit evidence of annual Continuing Professional Development activities to their governing professional or employer organizations. CDP Diploma in Self Assessment Taxation Returns You must submit an annual self-assessment return to HMRC and pay corporation tax if your business is a company. The topic of corporate tax Self-Assessments (CTSAs) will always be asignificant one for accountants. Corporate tax affects all limited companies-large and small, so you'll most likely need to know how to prepare CTSA returns for your customers. The penalties for failing to comply with HMRC's corporate tax returns rules may be extremely costly for a company, so you need to know your things. This course gives you a clear understanding of who is expected to pay corporation tax (and when), how the CTSA program functions and how to file a self-assessment return for corporation tax in accordance with HMRC requirements. Gain in-depth knowledge of CTSA, explore UK legislation, corporate tax registration logistics, how to handle HMRC, and how to appeal self-assessment return decisions. Continuing professional development (CPD) is how to keep yourself up-to - date and develop as a professional. Courses and tools at Accountingcpd.net can help with this. Only accountants who are members of an IFAC approved professional body are expected to do CPD but it will depend on your professional body for exactly what is expected of you. Inputs based CPD Many qualified bodies are going to ask you to do certain hours, units or points. If that's your experience, then accountingcpd.net courses offer 4 hours of CPD and you'll get a certificate of completion as proof unless otherwise specified. Outputs based CPD Other relevant bodies need you to assess the performance of your CPD activities. That's why you'll have to ask yourself how this CPD practice helped me grow, changed my way of doing things, and most importantly helped me provide better service to my clients or company. Accountingcpd.net courses are designed to help with CPD-based outputs as well and ask you to reflect on how you work through the course, so you have a clear idea of how the course has benefited you. How CPD Effective Continuous professional development refers to the training process and the development of professional knowledge and competencies through independent, participatory or interactive learning. With the aid of accredited learning this method of learning helps professionals to develop their abilities. CPD training courses for professionals will reflect both their current aspirations and potential ambitions. The knowledge and skills you need will also change as your career evolves. That's where CPD will come to the rescue and help you to steer the future career. CPD will only take place if: - It is part of scheduled process - There is clear prospect of the necessary improvement - It is tailored to each professional, individually - It is taught by people who have the requisite know-how, knowledge and skills. Furthermore, when developing a formal learning program, professionals must set their short- and long-term goals. They may also be required to record what they are learning and how they are progressing to keep track of the skills and knowledge they are gaining. CPD-training assists professionals in: - Stay abreast of the latest developments and learn new skills - Increase their operating performance - Boosting confidence in themselves - Improve their professional reputation and future employment prospects - Get concrete evidence of their integrity and dedication. CDP in Tax Accounting Course If you want to work in the Finance or Tax department of a company, or as an accountant in well-known accounting firms, it is important that you know how to prepare and send reports to the right locations for the company. UK self assessment tax return filing is an ability to return your self assessments with yourself. This UK accounting tax training course will upgrade the skills to a higher degree. We provide training in personal and corporate tax return courses in UK which has many advantages.Tax return training course will provide training in the area of personal tax preparation. Tax return courses in UK providesTraining on personal tax returns and self-assessment are highly demanded in the market. Learn Tax accounting courses to develop your skills. As part of the UK's welfare system, funded by UK employers, there are many incentives and deductions that come from Social Security premiums and Income Tax, the two primary ways to tax individuals.People in crisis as well as individuals performing special duties will benefit greatly from seeking these benefits in order to help them reach ends. CDP diploma in self assessment taxation returns training will be more effective for the company in their employee skills developments. Advantages of CPD in Tax Accounting The taxing world is tremendously complicated, long-winded and sometimes confusing. Tax accountants spend years studying taxes and the best practices associated with tax calculation and payment. That is why they can be of such benefit to any individual business and self-employed. CPD Training in Tax accounting in UK self assessment tax return filing and CPD diploma in self assessment taxation return and also tax return training courses have a major effect on CPD Training in Tax accounting. With fines for non-compliance, non-payment and underpayment of taxes as severe as incarceration, the success of your company depends on you being able to trust your financial affairs will be in order and the taxes will be paid up-to-date and reported properly. In this process a tax accountant is inestimable. If you hire the services of a professional tax accountant who belongs to one of the major institutes or professional bodies, then you can rest assured who your taxes and finances are in good hands. You can be secure in the awareness, thanks to strict industry regulation and high standards of practice, that although your tax accountant may not completely understand the ramifications of each tax.
An embryo stays inside his/her mother in a curled position called "embryo pose". When the muscles begin to swell more than they can withstand their internal pressure, the embryo feels pain in this position. He stretches out to “release" from pain. The uterus muscles cannot withstand the pressure from the inside and open. As a result, the baby is born prematurely. By the way, people turn in bed trying to release from pain in the muscles before falling asleep. Try not to turn from side to side, and you will learn what painful sensations the embryo releases from at birth. A premature infant is born by him/herself, trying to release from pain in the muscles of the back. I am a Myologist, having been successfully restoring premature babies diagnosed with cerebral palsy for more than 30 years. My technique is based on personal experience and supported by knowledge and vast experience. The method developed by me is emendic massage. Why I succeed in restoring the children Let's look at the condition of the back muscles of a five-month-old premature infant, who died due to a brain hemorrhage immediately after birth. The images are taken from an electron microscope. You can see the swelling in the muscle cells and the displacement of the nuclei from the center of the cells to the periphery. Notes to the image: The muscle fibers are shown in red. The swelling is shown in yellow. Dark color – cell nuclei. Swelling in the back muscles caused pain in the embryo. When the pain became intolerable, the child rose from the embryo pose to his/her feet and, pushing from the womb wall, began to come up. We shall consider why the premature babies develop bronchopulmonary dysplasia, bronchitis, apnea (respiratory arrest). Due to the presence of swelling in the intercostal muscles, the baby's chest cannot completely expand when inhaled. Therefore, the alveoli, of which the lungs consist, are incompletely filled with air and can stick together at any time. To prevent the child’s death from asphyxia, the artificial respiratory support is provided. Why premature babies suffer from retinopathy (retinal exfoliation) The vessels that grow from an underdeveloped retina penetrate the eyeball. As a result, the child has poor eyesight and get blind. The premature infant’s muscles are swollen, with the cell nuclei shifted from the center to the periphery, so the muscle cells cannot relax completely. The inability of full muscle stretching results in poor sucking function, regurgitation, suffering from obstructive bronchitis and sudden stopping of breathing (apnea). Cerebral palsy in premature infants is diagnosed at the age of 1 year! In the first year after the birth of a child, a motor backwardness is observed. By one year, the muscle condition does not improve, and you think that the problem is in the brain cells. The surrounding experts ascertain that the cells are damaged and will refer to the MRI and ultrasound findings. Neurologists diagnose the premature babies with: Perinatal encephalopathies (intracranial hemorrhage, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy), by the 6th month – syndrome of motor disorders, by 1 year – various forms of cerebral palsy: Own opinion: MRI and ultrasound do not show pathological changes in the brain in the diagnosed hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, motor disorders syndrome and cerebral palsy. But neurologists need this diagnosis to state that hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy causes periventricular leukomalacia, which is the cause of convulsions. Although neurologists admit that there are no clinical manifestations common to this pathological condition! Own opinion: ultrasound can reveal echo-density proving the state of swelling, but not the death of brain neurons! Intraventricular hemorrhages cause the death of small premature babies within a few hours after birth. I believe that the lymphatic system of muscle cells does not develop at the same speed as the muscles. The number of muscle cells increases and lymph is not able to carry waste products out from the muscle and fat cells. Pay attention: Swelling occurs due to the accumulation of own waste products in the muscle cell. Comment to the image: The green color in the first image indicates the lymphatic trunk of the lymphatic system, which develops normally and without deviations. The second image shows immature lymphatic vessels of the embryo. There are vessels in the form of a grid in the image. Please note that these images were taken from an electron microscope. Professor Kiyotoshi Sekiguchi from the Medical University of Osaka, Japan, shares my point of view and has conducted a series of studies at my request. As a result, the professor discovered that the primitive lymphatic system (up to 9 weeks of embryo development) ceases to grow and does not branch because the endothelial and mesenchymal cells do not produce the construction protein polydome. Muscle cells grow, and the lymphatic vessels do not. My point of view is also supported by Professor Sergei Saveliev, who is the Head of the Human Brain Morphology Laboratory at the Russian Academy of Sciences. Sergei Saveliev argues that it is not the brain cells that are important, but the links between these cells. In the event that a part of the cells dies, another part of them restores the damaged links for three months and the muscle cells receive the right commands from the brain. But these commands cannot be performed because of the presence of swelling. Treatment of cerebral palsy in premature infants I have developed a unique method of treatment, called emendic massage. By applying a set of manual techniques, I release the muscle cell from the swelling and the motion is restored. Immature cells do not respond to drugs, so the problem cannot be solved by medication! In premature infants diagnosed with cerebral palsy, the movement in the muscle cells is restored, provided that the swelling is eliminated and the nuclei of the cells return to the center. When the nucleus of the cell is in the center, the chemical power stations of the mitochondrial cells produce enough energy to allow the muscle to stretch freely. This is how an emendic effect reduces the swelling in the back muscles in premature babies: I had a case of preventing the development of cerebral palsy in a premature baby, who weighed only 730 grams at birth! Already at the age of one year and a half, he could walk as his peers. After the ophthalmic operation, his eyesight recovered, and now he has no problems with his eyes. As a result of treatment by my method obstructive bronchitis disappeared completely. By a year and a half, Bogdan could eat with a spoon, without regurgitation, comb his hair and say a few words. The video below shows Bogdan at the age of 1.5 years: The next video shows Bogdan at the age of 3 years: To continue the material on the topic, I will write a generally accepted view on the causes of the birth of premature infants. You have already known my point of view – swelling in the fetal muscle cells. There is only one true cause of cerebral palsy in premature infants – swelling in the muscle cells. Its elimination allows restoring the mobility of the muscles of the sick child. This process takes time, desire and perseverance of the parents. The remaining "causes" of cerebral palsy in premature babies are related to the knowledge of the 19th century and are not supported by modern research and statistics. If you pick an unripe fruit off the apple tree, it will start to rot quickly, which means death. If you pick a ripe apple, then it will remain the same during all winter. For a human life, it means a hundred years without serious illnesses. Premature babies can be compared to immature apples. They have many free cavities inside that did not have time to ripen. In the maternity hospital, the premature baby was provided with the conditions for ripening. After the ripening, it is time to restore the movements of the child's muscles, eliminating the main cause of their immobility – swelling. Parents of a premature baby can learn from me how to restore their child by themselves, avoiding the development of cerebral palsy. The cost of a written request to the doctor - 800 $ Information on this site is for informational purposes only, collected from open sources. When copying materials the hyperlink to klinikanikonova.ru is obligatory!
- How long does it take to grow cotton? - What states is it illegal to grow cotton? - In which month cotton is grown? - Is cotton a profitable crop? - What state grows the most cotton? - How many times a year is cotton harvested? - Is it hard to grow cotton? - Why is growing cotton illegal? - How much do farmers get paid for cotton? - Why is it illegal to grow cotton in Florida? - Can you grow cotton in your backyard? - Why is growing wheat illegal? - What climate is best for cotton growth? - Does cotton need a lot of water to grow? - Where does cotton grow best? How long does it take to grow cotton? approximately 150 to 180 daysCotton: From Field to Fabric- Crop Production & Planting. The Cotton Belt spans the southern half of the Unites States, from Virginia to California. Cotton is grown in 17 states and is a major crop in 14. Its growing season of approximately 150 to 180 days is the longest of any annually planted crop in the country.. What states is it illegal to grow cotton? States where growing cotton in your garden is illegal: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia and this is monitored by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service ( … In which month cotton is grown? Cotton is a Kharif crop in the major parts of the country viz. Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and parts of Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka. In these areas, the irrigated crop is sown from March-May and the rain fed crop in June-July with the commencement of the monsoon. Is cotton a profitable crop? Cotton continues to be profitable for American farmers. Currently known as the most widespread profitable non-food crop in the world, cotton has long been a staple crop in the U.S., but it was the creation of the cotton gin – patented by Eli Whitney in 1793 – that initially helped the country’s cotton industry soar. What state grows the most cotton? state of TexasAccording to 2014 estimates, the federal state of Texas, the nation’s top cotton producing state, accounted for more than 42 percent of the country’s total cotton production, followed by Georgia with roughly 18 percent. More than 1.75 billion U.S. dollars’ worth of. How many times a year is cotton harvested? So, from what I’ve understood, cotton is just grown once and harvested once in a single year. One and done. Is it hard to grow cotton? Cotton is a perennial plant but mostly grown as an annual as it cannot withstand frost. Cotton needs a lot of sunshine, warm conditions and 4-5 months of frost-free temperatures to mature and produce cotton. Not all regions are lucky to have long warm summers, however cotton can be grown indoors too. Why is growing cotton illegal? Growing cotton at home is not legal in all states. Growing cotton in your garden is illegal in the states that consider it a cash crop. This is due to the Boll Weevil Eradication Program. How much do farmers get paid for cotton? In the 1990 calendar year, a U.S. cotton farmer received an average price of 64.83 cents per one pound of upland cotton….Cotton price received by U.S. farmers from 1990 to 2018 (in U.S. cents per pound)*Price per pound in U.S. cents201886.85201784.48201664.7201561.499 more rows•Oct 6, 2020 Why is it illegal to grow cotton in Florida? Comments: It is related to commercial cotton, and the USDA attempted to wipe this plant out in Florida in the early 1900s due to the fact that it is a potential host to the boll weevil. It is now illegal to grow wild cotton in Florida for this reason. It is also listed as endangered by the state of Florida. Can you grow cotton in your backyard? Cotton is a wonderful plant. Not only does it look great in your garden, but it produces fiber that you can spin for thread or yarn and make clothes with. You will need a long growing season, fertile soil, and adequate moisture, plus plenty of heat, particularly later in the season. Why is growing wheat illegal? Flour. Let’s start off by stating a little-known, but important, fact about growing your own wheat. Believe it or not, it’s illegal to grow wheat at home. … Commercial wheat operations are often very traumatic to otherwise fertile land because they rely heavily on commercial pesticides and fertilizers for production. What climate is best for cotton growth? Cotton is grown between latitudes of 37° north and 30° south in temperate, subtropical and tropical regions and on every continent. Ideal conditions for the cotton plant are: Long vegetation periods (175 to 225 days) without frost. Constant temperatures between 18 and 30°. Does cotton need a lot of water to grow? Cotton is very drought and heat-tolerant. Cotton does NOT require excessive amounts of water. In fact, cotton uses less water than many other major crops produced in this country. Only 35% of U.S. cotton acreage requires some form of irrigation-the rest of the cotton land is supplied by natural rainfall. Where does cotton grow best? Cotton Cotton grows in warm climates and most of the world’s cotton is grown in the U.S., Uzbekistan, the People’s Republic of China and India. Other leading cotton-growing countries are Brazil, Pakistan and Turkey.
Our inner critic might be loud and clear: I’m such an idiot! It’s always my fault. I can’t do anything right. What is wrong with me? I don’t deserve this happiness. I don’t deserve this success. Or our inner critic might be more subtle — and even unknown to us. Yet it still exerts its power, dictating the actions we take. Each of us has an inner critic. Some inner critics are crueler than others. As we grow up, our self-worth and self-esteem derive their roots from our environment and surroundings. Our caregivers and anyone close to us has a big effect on both. “Those who develop harsh inner critics are raised in an environment where they are being directly or indirectly told negative things about themselves,” said Alyssa Mairanz, LMHC, a psychotherapist in New York City who specializes in self-esteem, anxiety anddepression. Kids who are abandoned also can develop a harsh inner critic, because they tend to interpret that as “there must be something wrong with me,” she said. But regardless of how cruel your inner critic is, you can learn to cope with it. You can stop your critic from controlling your behavior. Mairanz shared these suggestions below. Pinpoint Your Critic’s Origins “The way to cope with one’s inner critic is to analyze where it came from,” Mairanz said. Because it isn’t your voice. It might be the voice of your parents, peers, siblings or teachers from years past. It also might be indirect. Maybe these individuals didn’t tell you outright that you were stupid or unlovable, she said. Instead, maybe that’s just how you felt. She suggested exploring these questions to better understand where your critic originated and how your thought processes function: - Whose voice am I hearing? - What does this remind me of from my past? - What is familiar about this? - What were things like for me growing up at home, school, with friends? What are similarities that I am experiencing now? It’s also possible that your inner critic is subconscious. Instead of specific thoughts, it’s how you operate. “This can lead to a lot of anxiety and depression without fully understanding why.” For instance, a subconscious inner critic turns into self-sabotage. Without even realizing it, you’re surrounding yourself with people who only reinforce your inner critic, Mairanz said. You pick partners and friends who are critical and treat you poorly. This is in line with an inner critic who believes you’re undeserving or stupid and can’t do anything right, she said. This also can manifest with school or work—you don’t try as hard, you don’t pursue that promotion, you don’t go after your dream career. To connect with your subconscious inner critic, Mairanz suggested analyzing your thought processes with these six steps: - What is the emotion I am feeling? - What was the prompting event (i.e., what happened that led me to feel this way)? - What are the facts of the prompting event? - What are the interpretations and perceptions I put onto this event? - Where did those interpretations and perceptions come from or what past experience led that to be my go-to assumptions? - What could be an alternate explanation or thought? Separate Present from the Past Knowing where your inner critic originates is important because it helps you separate the past from the present, Mairanz said. “The inner critic is often a projection from past events.” She gave this example: You grew up in a home with constant yelling. Today, you regularly “yell” at and criticize yourself. Which means that you’ve internalized your earlier environment. Which also means that you can separate the present facts from your past interpretations. Instead of continuing to yell and criticize, you tell yourself: “I was constantly being yelled at when I was younger. But that was then. It does not fit with the facts of the present situation.” Another phrase you might tell yourself: “Just because there was a lot of yelling that doesn’t mean I am stupid and can’t do anything right.” Practice Positive Self-Talk It’s also powerful to work on changing your negative inner chatter to positive phrases. You might not believe the positivity at first, Mairanz said. But the more you change your self-talk, the more you’ll believe what you’re saying, turning your “inner critic into an inner cheerleader.” At first it might be tough to change your self-talk, because you’re all-too used to spewing mean things. Start by asking yourself: What is the opposite of this negative thought? Mairanz shared these examples: - Turning “I am such a screw-up” into “I am doing my best, and that is enough.” - Turning “I am so messed up. What’s wrong with me?” into “I am human and no one is perfect.” - Turning “I don’t deserve happiness” into “I deserve to be treated with respect.” - Turning “I can never get anything right” into “I am not defined by my mistakes.” Neutralizing a cruel inner critic can be hard work. It can be tough to identify where the chatter is coming from and then to change it. It takes practice and patience, Mairanz said. The inner critic is typically deeply ingrained, she said, which is why working with a therapist can be helpful. Try the above tips to start. If you end up struggling, don’t hesitate to seek support. Because, yes, you do deserve it, despite what your inner critic might say.
\|Session VI: Bird & Animal Studies \|\|Abstract #: 97602 WATER BIRD USAGE OF FLORIDA BAY Joan Browder, Oron Bass, Jennifer Gebelein, and Haolon Huang NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service, Miami, & NPS/Everglades National Park, Walt Dineen Homestead An aerial census of Florida Bay conducted from an HH65 Dolphin helicopter (courtesy U.S. Coast Guard, Miami Air Station) provides the first comprehensive multi-species, baywide view of wading bird abundance, spatial distribution, and habitat use. More than two complete years' of monthly observations reveal seasonal patterns. Objectives are to (1) determine usage of various types of bay habitat, (2) determine overall abundances, (3) compare present to past abundances for a few species that have been counted previously, and (4) compare abundances and seasonal usage of the bay to that in mangrove and freshwater areas of Everglades National Park. During the first 9 mo, we flew regularly spaced north-south transects and diverted from the flight path to circle islands within one-half mile distance. Beginning month 10, we adopted a more efficient strategy that focused on islands and nearly exposed banks. White Ibis were the most abundant wading bird species the first winter, followed by Great and Snowy Egrets. The Great White Heron was the wader that most fully used the Bay. It was consistently the most widely distributed species across Florida Bay in all months. The Great Blue Heron was less numerous than the Great White Heron, more seasonal in its occurrence, and more restricted in its distribution (mainly the western and southwestern bay). During the winter, Great and Snowy Egrets were more numerous than Great White Herons. The spatial distribution of Great Egrets was similar to that of Great White Herons. One surprise was the large number of small wading bird species using the bay. Little Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, and Tri-colored Herons extended deeply into the bay, not just along the northern fringe.
Perhaps the biggest problem facing anyone who can fly cast beyond 45 feet is a tailing loop. A tailing loop is when the leader and the front of the line crash into the main line near the end of the cast. While tailing loops can occur anytime, they usually develop in a longer cast – especially when the angler makes an extra effort to gain greater distance than he or she can comfortably cast. Fortunately, anyone can eliminate tailing loops by applying a very few simple casting procedures. Let me say that I believe just about everything I have heard and read related to the cause of a tailing loop is incorrect. The following are some of those incorrect reasons: shocking the rod; beginning the forward cast too soon: starting the forward cast too late; over powering the rod during the forward cast causing the rod tip to travel in a concave manner. To explain what causes tailing loops and how to eliminate them, we need to understand one of the basic principles of fly-casting. All casting strokes can be divided into two parts. There is a relatively long motion in which the rod tip is gradually accelerated which loads the rod. During the final moment of the cast, there is a very brief and extremely fast acceleration, accompanied by a quick stop of the rod tip. This is often referred to as a power stroke. In reality it is a speed stroke. For the rest of this article I will refer to the power stroke as a speed up and stop. The line is going to go in the direction that the rod tip speeds up and stops. Once we realize this, we can understand what causes tailing loops and how to correct them. A tailing loop is created when the rod tip speeds up and stops in a straight path. Straight ahead does not necessarily mean parallel to the water. It can be at any angle; the rod tip can stop going upward, parallel to the water, or down toward the surface. The only tailing loop exception to this is if the backcast is allowed to drop so low that it travels below the rod tip throughout the forward cast. Fortunately, almost no one makes such a bad backcast. For practical purposes we can eliminate this reason. What causes a tailing loop is somewhat similar to a house with a number of doors. You can get in the house from different directions, but you have to enter through a door. You can get a tailing loop by a number of ways, but only if the rod tip stops at the end of the cast traveling in a straight line or path. When we cast a fly, the line unrolls in what we call a loop. AS LONG AS THE TOP OF THE LOOP REMAINS ON THE TOP AND THE BOTTOM ON THE BOTTOM—THERE WILL BE NO TAILING LOOP. Remember, on the stop the bottom of the loop is at the rod tip. Let’s examine those often-stated incorrect reasons and why they don’t cause a tailing loop. Shocking the rod: only if you shock the rod with the tip stopping straight ahead will you get a tailing loop Shock the rod with the tip descending on the stop and there will be no tailing loop; no matter how hard you shock the rod. Beginning the forward cast too soon or overpowering the cast and starting the speed up and stop too late in the cast; all have a tendency to cause the rod tip to speed up and stop in a straight line. Many people claim that if the rod tip stops in a concave manner that a tailing loop results. But this only occurs if the rod tip stops in a straight path. While many fly fishermen don’t realize it, you can tail the loop on the back or the forward cast and some anglers are unaware that they frequently tail the backcast. A backcast is a forward cast going in the opposite direction. What effects one will effect the other. When you make a cast in either direction, the bottom of a loop is at the tip of the rod. How can we maintain the top of the loop on top throughout the cast to avoid a tailing loop? As the rod moves forward the line is being directed toward the rod tip. Here is how to eliminate ALL tailing loops. If the rod comes forward in a vertical plane and during the speed up and the stop, there is a slight dipping of the rod tip ON THE STOP—a tailing loop does not occur. If the rod comes forward sideways then the tip must tilt inward slightly. While there are many ways to accomplish this, if you practice the two suggestions I am going to make, you should never make a tailing loop again. Here are the two ideas, followed by an explanation of each: (1) It is critical from the beginning to the end of the forward cast that the rod hand should travel at the same height toward the target, Beginning a cast with the hand high and dropping it at an angle short of the target is the main reason for most anglers’ tailing loops. (2) During a vertical cast the thumb must stop in a slightly downward direction. This insures that the rod tip will keep the bottom of the loop under the oncoming top portion. To demonstrate this, throw the fly line on the ground behind you. Make a vertical cast and as the rod comes forward, be sure to keep the rod hand traveling at the same height, and during the speed up and stop, tilt the thumb slightly down and you can see how the top of the loop remains on top throughout the cast. The thumb should turn down only very slightly. Obviously, if you turn the thumb down too far you will open the loop.
Helping to keep your children safe should be a huge concern for you. However, most parents are aware of keeping dangerous items out of the child’s reach and bucking the kids up when on the road, but what about the hot water? Did you know if the water is above a certain temperature, this could burn your precious little ones? It is critical to know ways to avoid potential injuries for you and your family. Dangers of Hot Water The fact is that a hot water heater with the temperature set too high can be extremely dangerous. Water with a temperature of over 125° F can burn skin both quickly and severely. If you have small children, or if small children visit your home or business, your water heater or tankless water heater should be set for 120° F or even a bit lower, so that children don’t run the risk of coming into contact with water that is too hot pouring out of a bathroom faucet. Simply taking a couple minutes out of your busy schedule to check the temperature of your hot water heater to ensure that it is set for the appropriate temperature can prevent unnecessary accidental scalding. There is a misleading theory that your water has to be boiling for your cleaners to be effective, and this is simply not true. Warm water is all that is necessary for taking a shower, washing your dishes or using a laundry machine. This simply means that changing the temperature of the water heater will not affect the cleanliness of your home. Call Us Today The professionals at Reichelt Plumbing know the details of all types of water heaters. This includes tankless and gas water heaters, as well. Be sure to contact us today at (219) 322-4906 if you need a repair or have any questions concerning your water heater. We are proud to serve the Northwest Indiana and South Cook County areas!
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) was once called crib death. SIDS is an unexplained death of a healthy infant under 1 year of age that occurs during sleep. What could be more frightening to a new parent? The good news is that pediatricians understand much more about SIDS than they once did, and they are doing a very good job of preventing it. One of the biggest discoveries was the very simple strategy of putting babies on their back for sleep. [2,3] The History of SIDS Sudden death of babies during sleep has been recognized for centuries: - In the early 1900s, sleep deaths were blamed on drunk mothers who rolled over on their babies. These were the days when most children shared beds with their parents. - In 1905, a prominent pediatric journal blamed sleep deaths on cats snuggling up on a baby’s chest and suffocating the child. The myth of cats stealing a baby’s breath still lives in the imagination of some grandmothers. - From 1943 to 1988, the official recommendation of pediatricians was to have babies sleep on their stomachs (front sleeping). This was partly due to the belief that babies sleeping on their backs might choke on vomit or regurgitation of feedings. We now know this was exactly the wrong advice. - In 1989, the first official definition of SIDS was developed by the National Institutes of Health. - Due to an accumulation of studies linking SIDS to front sleeping, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) developed its first set of safe sleep recommendation in 1992. In 1994, these recommendations became the basis of the AAP Back to Sleep Campaign. - In 2003, studies found that there was no link between SIDS and immunizations. We now think that most SIDS deaths are caused by an incomplete development of part of the brain that controls sleeping and waking. SIDS is most common between ages 2 and 3 months. By one year, the danger is past. We also know some of the risk factors for SIDS. These include: - Low birth weight, prematurity, or multiple birth (twins or more) - A previous history of SIDS in a sibling - Recent upper respiratory infection - Boy baby (boys are at higher risk than girls) - Sleeping on the back or stomach - Sleeping on a soft surface - Sharing a bed - Being exposed to cigarette smoke - Being born to a mother who did not get good prenatal care, is under age 20, a smoker, or a drug or alcohol abuser. The best news is that you can do a lot to prevent SIDS. Since the AAP started putting out safe sleep recommendations, SIDS deaths have dropped from 130 per 100,000 babies in 1990 to 39 deaths per 100,000 in 2015. Last year, the AAP released their latest recommendations. One of the major recommendations is to have your baby sleep in a crib in your bedroom for at least the first 6 months, even better for the first year. Studies show that room sharing decreases SIDS by 50 percent. Other recommendations for the first year of life include: - Put your baby to sleep on his or her back. Once your bay is old enough to roll to the side or front, you don’t need to reposition. If your baby falls asleep in a car seat or stroller, transfer to a firm flat sleeping surface as soon as possible. - Make your sure baby’s crib is firm and flat. Do not put blankets or cushioning under the sheet. The sheet should fit tightly on the mattress. - Keep toys, stuffed animals, extra blankets, pillows, or pads out of the crib. - If you can, breastfeed your bay exclusively for 6 months. After you start introducing foods at 6 months, continue breast-feeding for another 6 months. - Do not smoke and do not let your bbay be exposed to secondhand smoke. - Don’t let your baby get overheated while sleeping. - If your baby will take a pacifier, offer a pacified at sleep time. Do not use a pacifier attached to clothing or stuffed animals. - Make sure to keep all your well baby visits. To see the complete and detailed list of recommendations, go to this AAP website: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/sleep/Pages/Preventing-SIDS.aspx - Mayo Clinic, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). - American Academy of Pediatrics, Reduce the Risk of SIDS & Suffocation. - CDC, About SUID and SIDS. - International Journal of Epidemiology, Infant sleeping position and sudden infant death syndrome. - Pediatrics, On Cats and Crib Death. - Science Encyclopedia, Sudden Infant death Syndrome (SIDS)-SIDS in History. - American Academy of Pediatrics, New Safe Sleep Recommendations.
Erasable thermo-optic storage display of a transmitted image The invention provides an optical display device, utilizing a thermo-optical effect to inscribe a transmitted image in a film of a material exhibiting a smectic state. The crystal liquid layer is inserted between transparent electrodes and heated to be in the smectic mesophase. The image is recorded in the layer under the form of variations in the scattering coefficient thereof by applying the video signal transmitting the image between the electrodes, while an infra-red beam of constant intensity synchronously scans the layer at a constant rate to successively raise each point beyond the melting point of the liquid crystal material. A quick erasure of the recorded image is provided by applying between the electrodes a voltage pulse of suitable value. Latest Thomson-CSF Patents: - Optical night vision device with standard light intensifier - Data distribution network and method for managing a breakdown in said network - Operating device for a cruise control system of an automobile vehicle - Oxygen inhaler mask with sound pickup device - High performance short-wave broadcasting transmitter optimized for digital broadcasting This invention relates to optical storage and display devices and more particularly to liquid crystal devices capable of storing and displaying white transmitted images. The invention describes an electro-optical device utilizing the thermo-optical effects which occurs in liquid crystals exhibiting a smectic phase. This simple and inexpensive device provides a black and white image with the whole required range of half-tones and extremely quick erasure.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In prior art, it is known that, when a thin film of a material exhibiting a smectic phase is cooled from the liquid phase, the optical appearance of the thin film closely depends upon the rate of cooling; if cooling is slow, the material will orientate itself uniformly and the film will appear perfectly transparent; if, however, the transition from the liquid phase to the smectic phase takes place very rapidly, then in the film domains occur which have different orientations in relation to one another and give rise to strong scattering of the transmitted or reflected light. It is well-known to utilise this effect in order to temporarily record an image on a liquid crystal film presenting a smectic phase. The material, arranged between two glass plates, is maintained at a temperature such that it is in its smectic phase but as close as possible to the transition temperature to the nematic phase; the molecules are uniformly orientated and the film is transparent. A light beam (the terms "light" and "luminous", here as in the remainder of the text, are used in the broadest possible sense to designate electromagnetic radiations in the ultra violet, visible and infra-red parts of the spectrum), generally chosen within the near-infra-red part of the spectrum and intensity modulated, scans the surface of the film. When the energy locally introduced by the beam has been sufficient to produce melting at a point in the film, then, on the occasion of the rapid cooling which follows, a texture forms which diffuses the light whilst the unmelted points remain transparent. The two problems posed by this method are those of erasing and the production of half-tones. Erasing can be effected in two ways. The first is to heat the whole film until the liquid phase appears and then to cool it in a controlled manner in order to bring about the formation of an ordered, transparent structure. A second, which enables selective erasing to be carried out, consists in subjecting the film to an alternating transverse electric field having a frequency of the order of 1 kHz, whilst carrying out scanning with the modulated light beam as at the time of recording. The points raised to the melting temperature by the beam, under the orientating influence of the field, return to an ordered smectic phase and therefore become transparent. These two methods of erasing have the drawback that they are slow. In order to obtain half-tones, it has been suggested to utilize as a thin film, a mixture of two constituents. Then, the fusion of the film does not occur at a well defined temperature, but ranges along a certain temperature gap, for which the material is pasty. The higher is the intensity of the recording beam and consequently the closer the material approaches the highest temperature of this gap, the more pronounced the disorder in the texture obtained after cooling and the correspondant light scattering. Unfortunately, it is difficult in this way to obtain a satisfactory range of half-tones. Moreover, the modulator is an expensive element and its inclusion results in a loss in the power available for recording and therefore in a reduction in the image recording rate.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention seeks to overcome these various drawbacks of the prior art by subjecting the thin film both at the time of recording and at the time of erasing, to the effect of an electric field of appropriate strengths. It is possible then, in the absence of any scanning beam, to achieve overall erasing of the cell in a very short time. In addition, recording, both of black and white and of the half-tones, is carried out by scanning the film with a beam of constant intensity; the beam modulator is discarded and the video signal is applied directly between two electrodes between which the film is located.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention together with its features, advantages and objects, can be better understood from the following detailed description, when read in conjunction of the drawing in which: FIG. 1 is a graph illustrating the operation of the device in accordance with the invention; FIG. 2 illustrates an image reproduction device in accordance with the invention; FIG. 3 illustrates a telereproduction device utilizing the device in accordance with the invention.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Studies have been carried out in the laboratories of the applicant, on various classes of liquid crystals exhibiting a smectic phase, and in particular on substances in the diphenyl-nitrile family. Compounds belonging to this family, for example octyl-nitrile-4-4'-diphenyl, of the formula: ##STR1## or octyl-oxy-nitrile-4-4'-diphenyl, of the formula: ##STR2## or mixtures of these substances, exhibit a smectic phase A at ambient temperature, in which the long molecules constituting these compounds tend to organise themselves into a homeotropic structure (the long molecules arrange themselves in a uniform orientation perpendicularly to the supporting plates). This homeotropic orientation in which the thin film is perfectly transparent, is facilitated if the supporting plates are coated with certain materials, for example silane. In these compounds, the following transitions are observed: at T.sub.1 : a transition from the solid crystalline phase to the smectic phase A; at T.sub.2 : a transition from the smectic phase A to the nematic phase; at T.sub.3 : a transition from the nematic phase to the isotropic liquid phase. By way of example, the transition temperatures for octyl-nitrile-4-4'-diphenyl are as follows: T.sub.1 = 20.degree. C.; T.sub.2 = 32.degree. C.; T.sub.3 = 39.5.degree. C. the studies carried out have pointed up two important results. The first of these results is concerned with the restructuring of the material in the smectic phase, from the disordered, light scattering structure, also known as the "focal conic structure", to the homeotropic structure which is an ordered and transparent one. It has been observed that by subjecting the thin film to the effect of a direct or alternating electric field (in the latter case at a frequency which may reach up to 50 kH.sub.3), perpendicular to the plane of the film, a very rapid transition from the focal conic structure to the homeotropic structure can be obtained without any need to go through the liquid phase. Taking films 8 microns in thickness, conversion from the scattering state to the transparent state can be achieved in 100 milliseconds by applying across the film a 50 volts voltage. This provides an extremely simple tool to use in order to effect erasing of images recorded by thermo-optical effect. The second of these results is concerned with the effect due to the application of an electric field at the time of transition from the liquid phase to the nematic phase. It has been discovered that during fast cooling of the material in the liquid phase, the application of a direct or alternating electric field (in the latter case at a frequency ranging between 0 and 50 kH.sub.3) perpendicular to the plane of the thin film, contributed to the homeotropic orientation of the material, and thus provided means for controlling the state of disorder of the focal conis structure; it is thus possible, depending upon the strength of the applied field, to achieve a continuous transition between the fully scattering state (corresponding to the state of maximum disorder) which occurs at zero field, and the fully transparent state (corresponding to the fully homeotropic structure) which occurs at maximum field. The graph of FIG. 1, which relates to an 8 micron thick film of octyl-nitrile-4-4'-diphenyl, summarises these observed phenomena; as a function of the voltage V (in volts) applied to the film and plotted on the abscissae, this graph shows the true transmission factor T (the percentage, in relation to the incident light, of the light directly transmitted, excluding scattered light) of a point in the material after transition to the liquid phase under the action of the light beam scanning the film, and return to the smectic phase. For voltages of less than 10 volts, the material produces major scatter and the point appears black by transmission (transmission factor of less than 10%). Between 10 and 15 volts, the homeotropic structure becomes more and more pronounced and the material scatters less and less, the transmission factor then varying from 10 to 90%; this is the half-tone region in which the point appears progressively brighter and brighter; finally, at 20 volts, the full homeotropic structure is gained and the point exhibits a transparency of 100%. It has also been observed that the voltage applied is only operative during the very brief time of cooling and therefore does not modify the more or less scattering condition of neighbouring points. The observation summarized in the graph of FIG. 1, show that recording of an image with half-tones can be achieved by thermo-optical effect, without any modulation of the light beam scanning the cell by the video signal, by simply using this video-signal to modulate a voltage applied to the cell. FIG. 2 illustrates a device for reproducing black and white images, which utilizes the experimental result set out hereinbefore. A convergent recording beam 1 having a wavelength of 1.06 microns and coming from a YAG laser source not shown in the figure, scans the cell 2. The latter is constituted by a thin film 21 of octyl-nitrile-4-4'-diphenyl arranged between two parallel glass plates 221 and 222; on these two plates, two transparent electrodes 231 and 232 are arranged, these being constituted for example by a deposit of mixed indium and tin oxide; these electrodes are preferably coated, although this is not absolutely essential, on those of their phases in contact with the thin film 21, with a fine film of silane, respectively 241 and 242. A three-way switch 3 applied between the two electrodes 231 and 232 either the video signal corresponding to a director alternating voltage varying between 0 and 20 volts and coming from the video signal generator 31, or the constant direct or alternating voltage having a peak value of only 50 volts, coming from the voltage generator 32, or shortcircuits the two electrodes. A light source 4 enables the cell 2 to be illuminated. This source may simply be constituted by the ambient light. The cell 2 is thermostatically controlled by means which have not been shown in the figure, to a temperature T ranging between T.sub.1 = 20.degree. C. and T.sub.2 = 32.degree. C., so that the material of which the film 21 is made is in the smectic phase when not subjected to the action of the beam 1; the temperature T is chosen to be as close to T.sub.2, the temperature of the smectic-nematic transition, as the accuracy of the thermostat will permit. It is also possible to employ the two electrodes as heating resistors in order to maintain the film 21 at a required temperature. To record the image, the beam 1 scans at uniform rate the cell 2, being focussed on the film 21 which is assumed initially to be in a condition of uniform homeotropic orientation. Throughout the time of scanning, the switch 3 connects the electrodes 231 and 232 to the video signal generator 31; the whole of the thin film 21 is then subjected to the variable voltage representing the video signal. The energy transmitted by the beam is absorbed in the two films 231 and 232 constituting the electrodes and transmitted to the film 21. The beam intensity is constant; it is designed, as a function of the dimension of the focal spot and of the scanning speed, to ensure that the energy locally introduced by the beam is sufficient to raise a point on the material of which the film 21 is made, to a temperature T slightly higher than T.sub.3, thus producing melting of the point in the material. As soon as the beam has moved on, the point which has melted tends to revert instantaneously to the temperature T determined by the thermostat and thus to convert from the liquid phase to the smectic phase, passing through the intermediate nematic phase. This double transition takes place at a field strength determined by the value of the voltage corresponding to the video signal applied to the overall film at this precise instant; the instantaneous value of this field strength fixes the degree of order of the smectic structure and therefore the maximum or minimum degree of scattering on the point in question. Thus, if the cell 2, illuminated by the source 4, is observed by transmission, then the points recorded at low field strength and therefore exhibiting maximum scatter, will appear black whilst those recorded at maximum field strength, thus perfectly ordered and transparent, will appear white. If observed by reflection, then the cell 2 will produce a reverse image: black and white points will correspond respectively to maxima and minima in the video signal. Depending upon the situation, the video signal may be constituted by a voltage of constant sign, continuously variable between 0 and 20 volts, or by an alternating carrier voltage amplitude-modulated by the video signal. When the scanning of the cell has been completed and the whole image recorded, the recording beam 1 is cut off and the electrodes 231 and 232 are short-circuited by the switch 3. The recorded image can be stored for several hours. To erase the image, the beam 1 remains cut off and the switch 3 connects the electrodes 231 and 232 to the constant voltage of around 50 volts. Under the influence of the latter, the film 21 becomes uniformly orientated with a homeotropic structure, this orientation being promoted by the silane coatings 241 and 242; the cell becomes transparent over its whole area and is then ready for a fresh recording. In this way, the erasing of the image can be achieved in around 100 microseconds. Although, earlier on, compounds (octyl-nitrile-diphenyl, octyl-oxy-nitrile-diphenyl and mixtures thereof) have been described which are well suited to the production of the thin film 21, there is no doubt that other compounds and mixtures could be found, in particular within the diphenyl-nitrile family, which would exhibit a smectic phase and would be suitable for the same kind of application; it is within the spirit and scope of the invention to utilise these substances in the manner hereinbefore described. In FIG. 2, for reasons of simplicity, the contact breaker 3 has been illustrated as a manually operated contact breaker. However, it could better be replaced by an electronic switching arrangement if the phases of recording and erasing are to succeed one another at a higher rate. The wavelength of the recording light beam described in the above example as being located in the near-infra-red, may in fact be chosen to fall within any part of the range extending from the ultra-violet to the infra-red; the primary criteria governing this choice are the avilable power of the source and the cell absorption; in this latter context, the radiation should be chosen in such a fashion that it is absorbed either by the material of which the film 27 is made or by one or two supplementary films in contact with the film 21. In view of the fact that around 1 nanojoule per cubic micron of material is required in order to bring about the smectic-liquid transformation, a beam having a power of 1 watt and furnishing a focal spot in the order of 50 microns in diameter, makes it possible to record an image of 200 .times. 200 points in 1 second. By way of an example, FIG. 3 describes a teletransmission and telereproduction system for black and white images, which utilizes the image reproduction device described hereinbefore. A YAG laser source 10 emits the recording beam in the form of a parallel light beam 1 which passes through an optical system 11 designed to increase its diameter, and then through the two electro-optical or electro-acousto-optical deflectors 12 and 13, which enable the beam direction to be varied in a plane which is that of the figure and in a plane at right angles thereto; it is then focussed by the objective lens 14, through the dichroic mirror 41, in the plane of a cell 2 identical to that described in FIG. 2, and more precisely in the central plane of the material constituting the film 21 of FIG. 2. A light source 4, at the focus of a collimating lens 40, emits a parallel illuminating beam which, reflected by the dichroic mirror 41, uniformly illuminates the entire surface of the cell 2; the cell 2 thus illuminated by transmission, modulates said parallel beam as a function of the varying states of scattering which its different points produce; the objective lens 42 projects upon the plate 43 the image recorded upon the film marked 21 in FIG. 2 and forming part of the cell 2. The control element 30 receives the video signal and its synchro pulses. On the one hand, it distributes the synchro pulses between the respective inputs of the defectors 12 and 13, and on the other replaces the manual switch 3 of FIG. 2; on receiving the synchro pulse which triggers the scanning of the image, it applies the video signal between the electrodes and short-circuits these latter on occurrence of the synchro pulse corresponding to the end of the image; a special synchro pulse triggers the erase voltage which is also supplied by the control element 30. If the illuminating light is chosen within a wavelength range such that it is not absorbed by the cell 2, it is possible to utilize a very powerful source 4 without disturbing the operation of the cell 2 by heating, and thus to project the image reproduced by the cell onto a large-sized screen arranged in the plane 43. In this fashion, a large-screen teletransmission system for black and white images, can be created. By arranging a photosensitive material in the plane 43, instead of a screen, the system described can be utilized for black and white facsimile transmission (telereproduction system). 1. A method of successively inscribing, storing and erasing in a film at least one image transmitted under the form of a video-signal voltage, said method comprising: - an inscription step during which each point of said film corresponding to a point of said image is successively submitted to a temporary heating from a first to a second temperature and consecutively cooled from said second to said first temperature; said first and second temperature being substantially identical in every said point; said video-signal voltage being simultaneously applied to the whole of said points for spatially modulating an optical characteristic of said film; - a storing step, during which said film being maintained at said first temperature, a null voltage is applied to the whole of said points; - an erasure step, during which said film being maintained at said first temperature, a constant erasure voltage is simultaneously applied to the whole of said points. 2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said film exhibits a smectic state and an isotropic liquid state respectively at said first and said second temperatures; said optical characteristic being the light scattering coefficient. 3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said video-signal and erasure voltages are direct voltages. 4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said video-signal and erasure voltages are alternating voltages. 5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said erasure voltage has a value greater than twice the peak value of said video-signal voltage. 6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein a luminous beam of constant intensity scans said film at a uniform velocity for providing said temporary heating of each said points. 7. A device for successively inscribing, storing and erasing at least one image transmitted under the form of a video-signal voltage, including: - a liquid crystal cell comprising a film of a material exhibiting at least one liquid crystal state; said film being enclosed between two transparent electrodes and maintained at a first constant temperature; said film being in said liquid crystal state at said first constant temperature; - switching means for successively applying between said electrodes said video-signal voltage, a null voltage and an erasure voltage pulse; - optical scanning means for providing a beam of substantially constant intensity with substantially uniform scanning rate, said beam scanning said film for temporarily heating successively each point thereof from said first constant temperature to a second temperature; said film exhibiting an isotropic liquid state at said second temperature. 8. A device as recited in claim 7 wherein said liquid crystal state is a smectic state. 9. A device as recited in claim 8, wherein said material comprise at least one compound from the diphenylnitrile family. 10. A device as recited in claim 9, wherein said compound is octyl-nitrile-4-4'-diphenyl. 11. A device as recited in claim 9, wherein said compound is octyl-oxy-nitrile-4-4'-diphenyl. 12. A device as recited in claim 7, wherein said video-signal voltage further comprising synchronization pulses, said optical scanning means comprise optical focusing means for focusing said beam onto said film and optical deflector means electrically controlled by said synchronization pulses for deflecting said beam; said synchronization pulses further controlling said switching means. 13. A device as recited in claim 7, further comprising an illumination source, optical illuminating means for illuminating the whole said cell by said source, optical projecting means for projecting the image of said film, and a screen for receiving said image. 14. A device as recited in claim 13, wherein said screen is photosensitive. \|3438022\|\|April 1969\|\|Teeg et al.\| \|3637291\|\|January 1972\|\|Kessler et al.\| \|3691482\|\|September 1972\|\|Pinnow et al.\| \|3916420\|\|October 1975\|\|Brown et al.\| \|3917481\|\|November 1975\|\|Saeva et al.\| International Classification: G06F 314;
1. SPEAKING MATHEMATICALLY. Variables. The Language of Sets. The Language of Relations and Functions. The Language of Graphs. 2. THE LOGIC OF COMPOUND STATEMENTS. Logical Form and Logical Equivalence. Conditional Statements. Valid and Invalid Arguments. Application: Digital Logic Circuits. Application: Number Systems and Circuits for Addition. 3. THE LOGIC OF QUANTIFIED STATEMENTS. Predicates and Quantified Statements I. Predicates and Quantified Statements II. Statements with Multiple Quantifiers. Arguments with Quantified Statements. 4. ELEMENTARY NUMBER THEORY AND METHODS OF PROOF. Direct Proof and Counterexample I: Introduction. Direct Proof and Counterexample II: Writing Advice. Direct Proof and Counterexample III: Rational Numbers. Direct Proof and Counterexample IV: Divisibility. Direct Proof and Counterexample V: Division into Cases and the Quotient-Remainder Theorem. Direct Proof and Counterexample VI: Floor and Ceiling. Indirect Argument: Contradiction and Contraposition. Indirect Argument: Two Famous Theorems. Application: Algorithms. 5. SEQUENCES, MATHEMATICAL INDUCTION, AND RECURSION. Sequences. Mathematical Induction I: Proving Formulas. Mathematical Induction II: Applications. Strong Mathematical Induction and the Well-Ordering Principle. Application: Correctness of Algorithms. Defining Sequences Recursively. Solving Recurrence Relations by Iteration. Second-Order Linear Homogeneous Recurrence Relations with Constant Coefficients. General Recursive Definitions and Structural Induction. 6. SET THEORY. Set Theory: Definitions and the Element Method of Proof. Properties of Sets. Disproofs and Algebraic Proofs. Boolean Algebras, Russell's Paradox, and the Halting Problem. 7. PROPERTIES OF FUNCTIONS. Functions Defined on General Sets. One-to-one, Onto, and Inverse Functions. Composition of Functions. Cardinality with Applications to Computability. 8. PROPERTIES OF RELATIONS. Relations on Sets. Reflexivity, Symmetry, and Transitivity. Equivalence Relations. Modular Arithmetic with Applications to Cryptography. Partial Order Relations. 9. COUNTING AND PROBABILITY Introduction. Possibility Trees and the Multiplication Rule. Counting Elements of Disjoint Sets: The Addition Rule. The Pigeonhole Principle. Counting Subsets of a Set: Combinations. r-Combinations with Repetition Allowed. Pascal's Formula and the Binomial Theorem. Probability Axioms and Expected Value. Conditional Probability, Bayes' Formula, and Independent Events. 10. THEORY OF GRAPHS AND TREES. Trails, Paths, and Circuits. Matrix Representations of Graphs. Isomorphisms of Graphs. Trees: Examples and Basic Properties. Rooted Trees. Spanning Trees and a Shortest Path Algorithm. 11. ANALYSIS OF ALGORITHM EFFICIENCY. Real-Valued Functions of a Real Variable and Their Graphs. O-, ?-, and ?-Notations. Application: Analysis of Algorithm Efficiency I. Exponential and Logarithmic Functions: Graphs and Orders. Application: Analysis of Algorithm Efficiency II. 12. REGULAR EXPRESSIONS AND FINITE STATE AUTOMATA. Formal Languages and Regular Expressions. Finite-State Automata. Simplifying Finite-State Automata. Susanna S. Epp received her Ph.D. in 1968 from the University of Chicago, taught briefly at Boston University and the University of Illinois at Chicago, and is currently Vincent DePaul Professor Emerita of Mathematical Sciences at DePaul University. After initial research in commutative algebra, she became interested in cognitive issues associated with teaching analytical thinking and proof and published a number of articles related to this topic, one of which was chosen for inclusion in The Best Writing on Mathematics 2012. She has spoken widely on discrete mathematics and organized sessions at national meetings on discrete mathematics instruction. In addition to Discrete Mathematics with Applications and Discrete Mathematics: An Introduction to Mathematical Reasoning, she is co-author of Precalculus and Discrete Mathematics, which was developed as part of the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project. The third edition of Discrete Mathematics with Applications received a Texty Award for Textbook Excellence in June 2005. Epp co-organized an international symposium on teaching logical reasoning, sponsored by the Institute for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS), and she was an associate editor of Mathematics Magazine from 1991 to 2001. Long active in the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), she is a co-author of the curricular guidelines for undergraduate mathematics programs: CUPM Curriculum Guide 2004. She received the Hay Award for Contributions to Mathematics Education in 2005 and the Award for Distinguished Teaching given by the Illinois Section of the MAA in 2010.
\|Statement\|\|by William Michael Rossetti.\| \|Contributions\|\|Rossetti, William Michael, 1829-1919.\| Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies (previously titled Guns, Germs and Steel: A Short History of Everybody for the Last 13, Years) is a transdisciplinary non-fiction book by Jared Diamond, professor of geography and physiology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In , Guns, Germs, and Steel won the Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction and the Author: Jared Diamond. Germs A booklet about germs! Included in this file are 2 versions of the Germ booklet. One is in color and the other is black and white. Instructions: Have the students cut out and staple the booklet. The booklets can be used in: A center Small group reading Whole group lesson however you see f. Sherm the Germ by John Hutton is a short children's book about a little baby whose perfect day of play and fun is interrupted when sherm the germ shows up. It is a rhyming book that describes the different stages of becoming sick and getting better. It is a great book to read to those little sick ones on their day home from school/5. “Book Germ” Spread the Germ & Catch the Knowledge “Book Germ” Spread the Germ & Catch the Knowledge “Book Germ” Spread the Germ & Catch the Knowledge “Book Germ” Spread the Germ & Catch the Knowledge “Bag the Book” Help a loved one. To order- email [email protected] This cute germ booklet can be a cute addition to your health and nutrition unit! Food Science And Nutrition Refferal: How Nutrition Affects The Brain Free book on germs (including a glitter/lotion experiment)! This simple germ book will help your students understand how germs spread and why they should be germ free. Feb 01, · 37 months - How many times have we told our kids to wash their hands and that they don't want to put germs in their mouths and get sick. Well I think O was fascinated with this book because not only did it talk about washing hands but they had a /5. The Jealousy Germ – A perfect picture book for elementary school emotion intelligence lessons September 9, Age years, All FKB Books, Children, Creative Commons, Emotions, Grade 1 to Grade 3, Intermediate English, Saita, Values Comments: Book Reading Questions designed to accompany the book "Germs: Biological Weapons and America's Secret War" by Judith Miller, Stephen Engelberg, and William Broad. This books discusses the dangers of biological warfare. The first time the United States came in close contact with germ warfare was wh. Germ [noun] — the origin of something; a thing that may serve as the basis of further growth or development (as in "a germ of happiness"). Germ is a magazine for ages high school and beyond that celebrates beginnings, futures, and all the amazing and agonizing moments in between. This book focuses on the development and biology of germ cell and is edited by Ahmed RG, associate professor and Doctor of Developmental and Experimental Biology, Division of Anatomy and Embryology, Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Egypt. While many articles have appeared in journals on germ cell, this book provides you with a rare treat - an extensive and. Germ Books and Gallery, Philadelphia, PA. likes · 44 were here. New and Used Books. Buy/ Sell/ Trade. Specializing in Science Fiction, UFO's, Conspiracy, the Occult, "Apocalypse Culture" and /5(24). How to De-Germ and Clean Hardcover Children’s Books. /05/23 Is it possible to disinfect or de-germ books? YES. De-Germ and Clean Your Children’s Books. What to do with the interior pages of a book? If you should encounter a book filled with dust or crumbs, use your dust attachment on your vacuum and vacuum out the spine between.
The Boy Who Would Be Tsar On a frosty March day in 1881, the boy who would become Russia’s last ruler glimpsed his future. That morning, Nicholas’s grandfather, Tsar Alexander II, was riding through the streets of St. Petersburg when a man stepped off the sidewalk. He hurled a bomb at the imperial carriage. Miraculously, the tsar went uninjured, but many in his retinue were not as lucky. Concerned about his people, Alexander stepped from his carriage. That’s when a second bomb was thrown. This one landed between his feet. An explosion of fire and shrapnel tore away Alexander’s left leg, ripped open his abdomen, and mangled his face. Barely conscious, he managed one last command: “To the palace, to die there.” Horrified members of the imperial family rushed to his side. Thirteen-year-old Nicholas, dressed in a blue sailor suit, followed a thick trail of dark blood up the white marble stairs to his grandfather’s study. There he found Alexander lying on a couch, one eye closed, the other staring blankly at the ceiling. Nicholas’s father, also named Alexander, was already in the room. “My father took me up to the bed,” Nicholas later recalled. “ ‘Papa,’ [my father] said, raising his voice, ‘your ray of sunshine is here.’ I saw the eyelashes tremble. . . . [Grandfather] moved a finger. He could not raise his hands, nor say what he wanted to, but he undoubtedly recognized me.” Deathly pale, Nicholas stood helplessly at the end of the bed as his beloved grandfather took his last breath. “The emperor is dead,” announced the court physician. Nicholas’s father--now the new tsar--clenched his fists. The Russian people would pay for this. Alexander II had been a reformer, the most liberal tsar in centuries. He’d freed the serfs (peasant slaves) and modernized the courts. But his murder convinced his son, Alexander III, that the people had been treated too softly. If order was to be maintained, they needed to “feel the whip.” And for the next thirteen years of his reign, Alexander III made sure they did. Young Nicholas, standing beside his grandfather’s deathbed, knew nothing of politics. Frightened, he covered his face with his hands and sobbed bitterly. He was left, he later confessed, with a “presentiment--a secret conviction . . . that I am destined for terrible trials.” Copyright © 2014 by Candace Fleming. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Battling the Elements How to Avoid Being Caught in a Natural Disaster Exploring the backcountry comes with its own set of risks: emergency care is often far away, cell phone coverage is rare, and the natural elements can be unpredictable. This risk is often what draws people to wild places, but some natural disasters are so risky that you should make every effort to avoid being caught out in them. Here are tips for avoiding four natural disasters and advice for how to get through to the other side if you are swept up in an unexpected event. Whether you're canyoneering in a slot canyon or rafting a river that flows through a canyon, flash floods can be a major concern. These sudden and powerful flooding events are usually caused by strong thunderstorms that drop a large amount of rain in a short time. They occur more frequently in canyons because the dry soil in the desert can't absorb the water fast enough and the resulting flow gets trapped by the high walls of rock. In narrow canyons, the water gets funneled into such thin areas that the depth and speed of the water can increase exponentially in as little as 15 minutes. The best step to prevent being caught in a flash flood is to learn about the canyon's history and to study the weather forecast. Some canyons have watersheds many miles away, which means that flash floods can occur under bluebird skies. It can take several hours or even a day before any sign of a recent rainstorm is seen in certain canyons. Learn the weather patterns of the area: thunderstorms usually develop in patterns, often forming in spring and summer afternoons. If there's a hint of a storm in the forecast, choose a different adventure. If you get caught in a canyon during a flash flood, don't try to outrun the water. Instead, try to climb to higher ground. Some canyons have escape ladders installed and alarm horns near the fee booths. On multi-day trips, choose camping sites that are above previous flood levels, which are usually indicated by dried run-out and discoloration. The increase of extreme weather events and changes in regional weather patterns have led to an increased risk of being hit by lightning. In some states, like Alaska, where lightning was once a rare occurrence, summer thunderstorms are becoming more common. The best way to prevent being caught in a lightning storm is to learn about the region you're traveling through. Many mountainous regions are renowned for early afternoon thunderstorms, especially in the spring and summer. If you're planning a hike to a mountain summit, start your peak ascent early in the morning and plan on being off the summit before noon. Storms can develop quickly and with little warning. If dark clouds begin to build while you're in an exposed area, head to lower ground. Other signs of imminent lightning strikes are hair that stands on end or sparks that connect between your fingers and rocks. If you see either of these, find a safer area immediately. If a thunderstorm does form and you're out in the backcountry, start by counting the seconds between the flash and boom. While lightning can strike before thunder is heard, the eight-second mark between sound and light is a good indicator that it's time to get in lightning position. Lightning position only decreases the odds of being struck by points of a percent, but something is better than nothing. Choose an insulator to stand or sit on. A backpack, a sleeping pad, or even sneakers, can provide enough insulation to prevent lightning form traveling through the ground and into your body. The preferred lightning position was once crouching, but it's a difficult position for most people to maintain for any length of time. Now, lightning experts are recommending simply sitting or standing on an insulated surface. If you're with other people, space everyone out to prevent a current from traveling through the entire group. Stay calm and ensure you can communicate with everyone in your group. If you already have a tent set up, go inside to prevent rain-induced hypothermia. Most injuries and deaths related to earthquakes are caused by falling objects, like buildings and electrical lines. However, natural areas can have their own risks. Large earthquakes can cause avalanches and giant landslides in mountainous areas, while in coastal regions there's a risk of a quake triggering a tsunami. The exact time and location of an earthquake is very difficult to predict, but certain regions are more prone to quakes than others. When traveling to a new place, find out if the region has a history of earthquakes. If you're traveling near the coast, keep an eye out for tsunami warning signs (common in New Zealand), which indicate when there's increased risk of a tsunami, and tsunami escape routes (common in the U.S.), which guide drivers and pedestrians to higher ground. If an earthquake strikes while you're traveling in the backcountry, find an open space and stay away from rocks and trees that could fall during the quake. Landslides and avalanches are difficult to evade, but if the earth starts moving, run left or right, rather than downhill. There's a chance lateral movement will take you out of the fall zone. If you're in a remote area by the coast and experience a large earthquake, head for higher elevations and keep an eye on the sea; tsunamis are usually preceded by a sudden and drastic decrease in the water level. As more and more people head into the backcountry during the winter, the availability of resources and courses on avalanche prevention has greatly increased. The best way to prevent being in an avalanche is to take an avalanche course. These courses provide a baseline understanding of how avalanches occur, what conditions increase the likelihood of a slide, and how to check the snowpack for weak layers. In most Western states, accurate avalanche forecasts are maintained by state agencies and are easy to access online or through various apps. In addition to getting the right education about avalanche safety, it's important to invest in the right safety gear, such as avalanche beacons, and be diligent about wearing them. Beacons allow searchers to locate buried individuals much faster than with dogs or probes. A faster rescue means an increased chance of being found alive! If you're caught in an avalanche, try to stay on top of the slide by swimming through the snow. The goal is to avoid hitting debris that's traveling with the avalanche and to avoid hitting trees and rocks that are uncovered by the slide. Fight to stay on top! Swinging your arms and kicking your legs can help bring your body to the surface of the snow. If you're buried by an avalanche, create an air pocket in front of your face. This can be done by spitting and if your arms are near your face, by digging. Breathe slowly. Avalanche fatalities are most commonly caused by trauma during the initial slide, but the secondary cause of death is suffocation. Slow breathing will help calm your body and will make your oxygen reserve last as long as possible. Fear of natural disasters shouldn’t keep you from doing what you love: enjoying the outdoors. But educating yourself on these potential dangers, and how to prepare yourself should they happen, should be a priority before embarking on an adventure.
The sphynx cat has no coat (fur). It was developed through selective breeding that began way back in the 1960s in Canada. In this piece, we’re going to tackle all that you need to know about Sphynx cats and also everything that there is in their caretaking. Sphynx cat ownership requires a ton of research. Without your homework, you are not recommended to get one of these as they require a higher level of care. What it means is that you should have your research on topics not limited to common cat diseases (like HCM), the problems your breeder points out, and hygiene issues. But before we move on to more advanced discussion, it’s important to understand the common qualities and traits of sphynx cats so that you can make more informed decisions about their care. Common qualities of the sphynx cat Sphynx cats don’t have fur and as a result, there are certain differences in how a sphynx behaves as compared to other breeds of cats. Besides these differences, there are also certain biological and physiological differences that you should know beforehand. - Sphynx cats lose more heat from their bodies because they lack a coat. This results in them seeking sources of heat even when indoors. When you touch a sphynx cat, you’ll find it to be warmer than the usual cat. - These cats aren’t always completely hairless. In fact, many sphynxes are more likely to have very fine hair, giving their skin a chamois texture. If not so, they are completely hairless. - Not all sphynxes have whiskers. Some have broken ones too. - The sphynx cat is the only breed of cats with webbed feet and such a long, narrow head. - Even if sphynx cats have no fur, they still have markings like regular breeds of cats (tortie, tabby, point, solid, van, and so on). - Sphynx cats are very affectionate and also quite needy. So, make sure you’re there for your cat as much as possible. Otherwise, you’ll be facing a sphynx that’s depressed or even destructive sometimes. Welcome home a dirt magnet! Like all other cats, sphynxes also produce heat and incidentally, oils. Now, they have no fur to absorb the oils and so it’s all on their skin, waiting to be evaporated. But here’s the catch: meanwhile, it acts as a strong dirt magnet. All that oil will trap a lot of dust even if your cat remains peacefully indoors most of the time. So, with a sphynx cat, you’re supposed to gear up for a more rigorous and frequent hygiene regime. Another thing to pay attention to is that if your sphynx is regularly in contact with fabrics, then they can have a lot of oil marks in a short span of time. In fact, some sphynxes require weekly or even more frequent washing of your fabrics. If you’re facing stubborn stains, then go for a pet stain removal product. Cleaning your sphynx cat Sphynx cats require more frequent cleaning. Gunk buildup (especially around their webbed toes, claws, ears, etc.) is very constant and might pose a problem if you don’t wash them frequently. Sphynxes will require litter box cleaning more frequently. If not, be ready for the soiling of your favorite carpet! Keeping them clean also ensures their relatively more sensitive skin doesn’t develop infections, which they’re highly prone to anyway. Cleaning them with nourishing coconut oil and cat-friendly soaps is a good idea. Dry them quickly. Taking care of their body temperature As mentioned, sphynx cats have no fur and as a result, they’re colder than usual. They will regularly seek sources of heat and it’s your job to provide them with plenty of them. If the temperature is cold enough for you to become uncomfortable when naked, so it is for your sphynx too. A couple of ways are keeping your room temperature a few degrees higher than usual and getting your cat proper clothing. Remember, cat clothing is very different from other pet clothing so you need to make informed decisions and a substantial investment here. Heating pads set on a low temperature are also a good idea but you should always make sure it’s not too hot to give your cat burns. But if clothing and warm temperatures don’t work and your cat still seeks warmer sources, heating pads should be seriously considered. Sphynx cats like to eat more often As a result of better and more active metabolism, sphynxes will want to eat almost constantly when they’re not resting. This doesn’t give you the right to free feed them as much as they want because obesity can lead to serious problems, not to mention higher vet bills. To counteract that, only get high-quality food like organic whole prey kibble and raw meat. It will keep your sphynx health and sated for longer periods of time. Check this article to find the best food for your spynx cat. Needless to say, only opt for fresh food unless you want to be fried with alien laser beams that sphynxes shoot out of their large, lemon-shaped eyes. Well, at least mine did. Keep them home Hairless pets are not supposed to go out unsupervised for longer periods of time, if at all. Similarly, sphynxes should also be considered an indoor pet. As a sphynx cat owner, it will be your job to keep your cat inside and properly satisfied with food, cleaning, and warmth. Fleas and ticks will make your cat’s life a nightmare, and yours too. So, it’s a win-win situation. Always go for the prescribed medication in case of fleas and don’t go for treatments as their skins are more sensitive. Also, if they’re out they’ll quickly get sunburns and bug bites as they don’t have a fur to repel any of that. Pollution will also have an adverse effect on their skin.
As soon as babies are born, mothers hold them close in loving cuddles. But in Western countries, that contact soon disappears. Newborn infants spend nights in the plastic boxes of maternity wards or in their own individual cots back home. And this separation might cause problems for them. Barak Morgan from the University of Cape Town has found that babies who sleep alone show signs of stress and sleep less soundly. In a study published in November in Biological Psychiatry, Morgan used electrode pads to eavesdrop on the heartbeats of 16 two-day-old infants as they spent an hour sleeping alone in a bassinet and an hour sleeping skin-to-skin in their mothers’ embrace. He measured the variation in the gaps between the babies’ heartbeats. When we are stressed, our autonomic nervous system becomes more active, our hearts beat faster, and the gaps between those beats become more variable. That’s exactly what Morgan saw in the infants who slept alone. They had 176% more variability in their heartbeats than infants who had skin contact with their mothers, suggesting that that they were more easily stressed. They also got just 14% of the quiet sleep that their peers did. Quiet sleep is important for developing brains. But Morgan doesn’t know if babies would still experience the same dramatic difference in sleep quality after days of sleeping alone, or what the long-term effects of such differences would be. Monkey studies provide a clue: they have repeatedly found that newborns become distressed if they sleep apart from their mother, have higher levels of stress hormones, and behave unusually. They have also shown that these problems persist in the long-term. Currently, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises mothers to sleep in the same room as their babies, but in different beds. For now, it’s too early to say if this advice should be changed. On the one hand, sleeping alone has some clear short-term drawbacks. And throughout our evolutionary history, mothers would have slept in close physical contact with their babies. On the other hand, sleeping together with an infant increases the risk of ‘cot death’, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) – hence the AAP’s advice. For now, Morgan himself says that his results should be treated with caution. He wants to repeat a longer version of his experiment, as well as measure the babies’ levels of stress hormones such as cortisol. “This study is really intriguing because it explores an unknown territory,” says F1000 Faculty Member Donatella Marazziti from the University of Pisa. She notes, the study underlines the importance of maternal-neonatal skin-to-skin contacts, which is increasingly recommended in neonatal units. Morgan’s study supports this move.
Eye in the sky: Military drones technology has application in civilian world Education, real estate, other fields interested in drones Eric Betts, Deseret News SALT LAKE CITY — The public is well aware of unmanned aerial drones, those military eyes in the sky that can pick out targets and track down terrorists. Now the technology industry, armed with the promise of a possible loosening of FAA restrictions, is moving toward civilian applications, bringing new opportunities but also raising questions about privacy. The small pilotless aircraft could be a boon to law enforcement seeking surveillance, or media outlets reaching for coverage. Also real estate businesses, construction, architecture or a myriad of others could find uses for the unmanned, camera-toting aircraft. Ryan Fisher, a local photographer, showed off some of that technology at the Lehi Model Airplane Park in Lehi. One of the drones on display was a tiny chopper with a standard GoPro camera. "It's safe and reliable, so it can be used in all sorts of different applications," Fisher said. He uses it as a mobile camera platform, shooting for outfits like Discovery Channel and National Geographic. With precision remote control, he can even fly it inside a building. "What's great about the technology in the last few years is it's become so light and so small, and actually affordable," Fisher said. In Cache Valley, a drone operated by Utah State University flies a preprogrammed flight plan taking pictures with two cameras. "Basically, we take the images afterwards and we can make maps and all sorts of things, much like what you can see on Google Earth," explained USU research engineer Austin Jensen. Jensen said academic drone is flown for the sake of science and agriculture and used mostly in "ecological or environmental applications." "A lot of what we do is over rivers and wetlands, mapping vegetation, looking at habitat for different types of animals," he said. But there are many other applications for drones. People can see what a bird sees when plunging from cliff tops. Drones can provide a more intimate view of buildings and landscaping than one could get from a helicopter with a pilot. In sports photography a drone can give viewers a player's point of view. Drones in promotional videos offer an expensive Hollywood look without cranes and dollies; simply, quickly and cheaply. And a drone can definitely spark up the action, moving with the characters almost wherever they go, even if it's in and out of a building. In the age of computers that can coordinate swarms of drones, the only limit on possible uses is the reach of the imagination. But there are also practical benefits; drones can go where humans wouldn't dare, like into Japan's heavily damaged Fukushima nuclear plant to survey damage. "From law enforcement, SWAT teams, it gives you an eye in the sky, a perspective that nobody else can see," Fisher said. For the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, unmanned drones with surveillance cameras will patrol the skies above Olympic Stadium. The sky's-the-limit reach of the technology has some urging caution. The American Civil Liberties Union said public discussion and debate is needed before law enforcement starts peering into backyards or into second-story windows. "Our privacy laws are not strong enough to ensure that new technology will be used responsibly," said Karen McCreary, executive director of the ACLU of Utah. "We shouldn't have the watchful eye of the government upon us all the time." Jensen said, "I personally haven't had any issues with people having privacy issues with our plane. But mostly we're not flying over cities. We're out in the middle of nowhere." Safety regulations are currently the biggest obstacle for drones. Fisher said FAA regulations are restrictive and too vague, unlike other countries where he flies his drones regularly. "It's so unfortunate that there's restrictions on this that have put several companies out of business," Fisher said. But changes are coming. Congress ordered the FAA to come up with new drone regulations by 2015. "I think there's enough interest. Enough people want this sort of technology, and want it to work out, that we'll figure out a way to make it safe for everyone," Jensen said. 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Photography Classes Online – Icon Photography School › Forums › Photography Lessons › Lesson 1 › Lesson 1 Assignment – wipes November 9, 2010 at 3:47 am #18235100217Participant [attachment=0:3pcw2b84]IMG_9935.JPG[/attachment:3pcw2b84]November 9, 2010 at 7:34 am #19917Duncan RawlinsonKeymaster Hello and welcome to the forum! Thanks for submitting your first assignment. The first lesson reads like this: Lesson 1: Beast to Beauty We want you to find something particularly boring in your home. It could be a doorknob, a remote control, a garbage can, a plain couch, tiles or anything else which you would rarely notice around your home. Something totally forgettable and uninteresting. Now what we want you to do is to take 2 pictures of the object. Take one picture of it as you normally see it. Stand back and take the picture of the object with disregard for its relation to other things or any interesting elements within the object itself. Now, I want you to get close to the object and see it with fresh eyes. How can you make this object interesting? What if you changed the lighting? What if you added something to it? What if you zoomed in? What if you blurred your camera to make it more abstract? What if you put it in close relation to something else to make it more interesting? These are all just ideas, but the possibilities are endless. Now Take a second picture and turn this ordinary object into something much more visually pleasing. Now right off the bat I have to say that you might have taken on too much for your first assignment. Trying to beautify a container of moist wipes is very very hard. In fact I searched the internet for a nice looking photograph of moist wipes and didn’t find a single one. Given that, you have made a good attempt here but you really won’t get far with this type of thing. The second photograph is more interesting but at the same time would you ever use it for anything? I know this is just an assignment but going forward with the course always be thinking to yourself, “would I ever use this for anything?” Meaning, would you hang it on a wall, send it to a friend, sell it as a stock photograph etc. I don’t want to be too harsh here because you’ve done the assignment and there’s something to be said for that. Some people sign up for the course and they never even submit one photograph. So job well done on getting this started. If you’ve got a baby on your hands even more power to ya! The thinking behind this assignment is to get your thinking and seeing like a photographer. Start to see the world the way a photographer does. I hope you’ll start doing this from now on! I look forward to your next assignments. - You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
The twin forces of recession and broad demographic shifts have sparked a return to the multi-generational household, according to this report from the Pew Research Center. According to the report, about 49 million Americans, or about 16% of the population, lived in a household with at least two adult generations. That compared with 28 million, or 12% of the population, in 1980. That is a reversal from past trends: Between 1940 and 1980, the number of multi-generational households had declined to 12% in 1980 from 25% in 1940. The Pew report, which was compiled through a combination of Census data and telephone surveys, charts several decades of social and economic trends that have seen American families move apart and back together. Between 1940 and 1980, Social Security and better health allowed more seniors to live alone later into their lives. At the same time, the immigrant population declined as the economy and suburbs boomed, leading to more independent households. Much of that has reversed. Immigration is a driving force of the economy and the country’s demographics, with whites of non-European ancestry expected to make up less than 50% of the U.S. population by 2042. Asian and Hispanic immigrants, in particular, are more likely to see multi-generational dwellings. Also, people are waiting longer to get married and many of them “consider their childhood home to be an attractive living situation, especially when a bad economy makes it difficult for them to find jobs or launch careers,” according to the Pew Report. Indeed, these long-term demographic changes have been accelerated by the Great Recession. According to Pew analysis of Census data, 2.6 million more Americans were living in multi-generational households than in 2007 — an increase that has seen across all racial groups. Those findings dovetail with a 2009 Pew Report that found that among 22- to 29-years-olds, one-in eight had suffered a recession-induced move-in after living on their own. Get WSJ economic analysis delivered to your inbox:
“Keep Moving or You will Stop Moving” One of the National MS Society’s slogans is “MS Stops People from Moving”. True. But in my opinion, this is an area where we can fight back—by exercising. Exercise is one of the most important things a person with MS can do, and some type of exercise should be done everyday if possible. Done properly, exercise will never hurt you; however, not exercising will. For starters, just like normal people without a disability it makes us look good, feel good, keeps or takes the weight off, and reduces stress. Exercise benefits overall health from our cardiovascular system to our digestive system. As we age, it helps to slow muscle breakdown and increase strength. Most people with MS over time will develop some or many problems with things such as balance, coordination, muscle weakness and ataxia, spasticity, endurance…. There are many types of exercises one can do to effectively help these problems. When one of these symptoms develops, it is important to start doing exercises tailored to address each symptom as soon as it begins, and then continuing everyday afterward. Make it part of your daily agenda, just like brushing your teeth in the morning. The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to overcome the problem, like weakness or balance. In addition, putting off exercising can lead to further difficulties. For example, weakened trunk or abdominal muscles could eventually lead to a curvature of the spine that will cause poor posture, pain, and at some point an inability to correct. Exercise for MS falls basically fall into these categories: 1. Muscle Stretching – muscles get tight from sitting/lying down a lot or due to the very common symptom of spasticity that causes tightness and spasms. 2. Muscle Strengthening – muscles get weak from less use, misuse, or just from the disease itself. 3. Muscle Balance – means to maintain or improve the alignment and relationship muscles have to each other. 4. Aerobics – exercises for overall endurance and healthy maintenance of our heart, respiratory, digestive and other body systems. 5. Relaxation and Breathing – to alleviate all types of stress, improve mood, help reduce pain. For beginners, it is a good idea to start out slowly and ease into a routine that works for you. Do not do things that hurt, because then you will create additional problems for yourself. Find a physical therapist that understands MS and has worked with MS patients. They understand the sensitivity to heat, and what types of exercises are best to begin with an individual’s needs. Also, there are many programs offered by various MS organizations that are offered and designed for multiple sclerosis symptoms. These classes include techniques such as tai chi, pilates and yoga for strengthening, balance and relaxation. Aquatic therapy is fantastic for persons with MS, as all five categories listed above can be accomplished in a pool. A swimming pool adds the additional benefit of safety, buoyancy and coolness of the water. Again, many MS organizations offer these types of programs through their local chapters as well as local health clubs/organizations. (Note: see Aquatic Therapy for http://blog.debbiems.com/?p=53 ) Now all types of exercises do not have to be done everyday, and many can be incorporated into a daily activity. I’ll use myself as an example: I have been a swimmer all of my life, and when I developed MS, swimming became my #1 form of exercise. Three times a week, I have religiously gone in the pool to stretch, exercise, and practice things I had/have trouble doing on land (like standing, walking, and balancing). On days when I’m not in the pool, I get on the floor and do a variety of exercises. I have learned what to do over the years from my dancing days, physical therapy, TV/tapes, etc. I am still able to lie on my back and pull my knees up to my chest and rock from side to side, which feels ‘painfully good’ for my severe back pain from the spasticity. My goal is a 45-minute workout, but if I’m too fatigued, I’ll give myself a vacation day from it or minimize it to five or ten minutes. Throughout the day, I’ve learned to keep bending and stretching by trying to do some light housekeeping. Again, I do what I can do, but when my body starts screaming “enough!” I quit, lie down and rest. If there is a period of time I can’t do these things because of a relapse, for instance, my physical therapist has taught me gentle exercises I can do for each part of my body (such as head/shoulder rolls, arm extensions…) Minimally, if I have no energy at all, my husband will stretch my legs and back for me, which helps my spasticity tremendously. Over the years, I suffered much from weakness and fatigue, so I relied on assistive devices to help maintain correct posture and conserve energy. It gave me more opportunities to do my daily exercises, which really is physical therapy. I have started making videos to demonstrate exercises that I have done for years and continue to do. They can be viewed on my website. (On the ‘Videos’ page, just click on the chosen line item.) You may get some ideas and tips from them, but keep in mind I have been doing these for years and my endurance level is high. I said it before, and I’ll say it again: Getting started with anything is the hardest part of doing something new. If you are not exercising regularly, get started today—you will be glad you did.
Scrolling Text Banner This lessons shows you how to create a scrolling text banner by animating the text of a field so that it appears to scroll horizontally. Creating the UI The mouseUp message The mouseUp handler The mouseUp handler animates the field's text so that it appears to scroll horizontally. It does this by removing one character at a time from the start of the field so the text appears to move from right to left. Putting text into the field The first thing the handler does is to put the text that will be animated into the field. put "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune..." into me The keyword me refers to the current object: the object whose script contains the handler that is executing. In this example, then, the text is placed in the field, because the mouseUp handler is in the field script. Animating the text The repeat loop performs the actual scrolling by removing the first character from the field each time through the loop. This is repeated until there are no more characters left in the field. repeat until the text of me is empty ## shift everything one character to the left: delete first character of me wait 6 ticks ## 1/10th of a second end repeat To the viewer, the text appears to come from the right side of the field and march toward the left. In reality, the handler is simply removing one character from the field during each iteration of the loop. Using this method, the scrolling text moves with a slight jerkiness because the spaces are wider than one pixel. The effect is very well-suited for simulating a teletype or a marquee display. To make text move smoothly across the screen, put the text in a field and use the move command to move the field across the screen. The mouseUp code on mouseUp put "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune..." into me repeat until the text of me is empty ## shift everything one character to the left: delete first character of me wait 6 ticks ## 1/10th of a second end repeat end mouseUp
GRUPO DE LOS CIEN INTERNACIONAL / GROUP OF 100 December 1, 2011 WRITERS AND ARTISTS ASK MEXICO’S PRESIDENT TO CANCEL MINING CONCESSIONS IN THE SACRED TERRITORY OF THE HUICHOL PEOPLE Mexico may be the world’s largest silver producing country, but not all that shines is silver. Countries also shine in their myths and rites, their traditions and culture, and the Huichol (or Wixáritari, in their own language) have shone in Mexico and the world by preserving their unique spiritual identity over time. The annual pilgrimage made by the Wixáritari across the sacred desert landscape of Wirikuta to Cerro Quemado, the mountain where they believe the sun was born, is internationally famous. In November 2009 the Canadian mining company First Majestic Silver bought 22 mining concessions in the Real de Catorce area, in the state of San Luis Potosi. These concessions will allow First Majestic Silver to carry out what the company describes as “an aggressive drilling and exploration program” on 6,327 hectares of land. The problem is that this part of San Luis Potosi lies in the middle of the Wirikuta Natural Reserve. For centuries Huichol men, women and children have made their way here from communities in the western Sierra Madre mountains in the states of Jalisco, Nayarit, Durango and Zacatecas to carry out their religious ceremonies, accompanied and guided by the mara’akate, their shaman-priests. Handing over the sacred territory of the Huichols to First Majestic Silver to be mined for its own financial gain not only betrays the colonial mentality of the politicians and bureaucrats responsible for selling silver, Mexico’s most emblematic mineral resource, to foreign companies but, far worse, will entail the desecration of the ancestral lands of the Wixáritari. First Majestic Silver operates exclusively in Mexico, at its La Parrilla, San Martin and La Encantada mines, and expects to produce seven and a half million ounces of silver in Mexico during 2011. Minera Golodrina, a Mexican subsidiary of the Canadian-based multinational Lake Shore Gold Corp, plans to dig an open-pit gold mine in the sacrosanct core zone of the Wirikuta Reserve, extracting gold using the highly toxic cyanide process. Both mining operations would endanger the scarce local water supply. When many people speak of a Mexico that is greater and more enduring than the current climate of violence, they are thinking of its history and culture, and mention of Wirikuta brings to mind an ethnic group which is profoundly Mexican and respected the world over for its authenticity and creativity, whereas mention of First Majestic Silver and Lake Shore Gold Corp brings to mind rapacity and colonialism. We ask President Felipe Calderón --- who witnessed the signing of the Huaxa Manaka Pact three years ago by the governors of five states who vowed to preserve the sacred territory of the Wixárika people --- to cancel the mining concessions granted to both Canadian companies. We hope that President Calderón will not go down in history as the man who authorized the destruction of Wirikuta and its holy ceremonial sites. MExico: Homero Aridjis, Elena Poniatowska, Francisco Toledo, Gabriel Orozco, Jean Meyer, Nicolás Echevarría, Juan Villoro, Rubén Gallo, Manuel Felguérez, Gilberto Aceves Navarro, Lydia Cacho, Jorge Zepeda Patterson, Coral Bracho, Bárbara Jacobs, Vicente Rojo, Gabriel Weisz, Ana Pellicer, Roger von Gunten, Chloe Aridjis, Eva Aridjis, Laureana Toledo, Miguel Calderón, Rogelio Cuéllar, Javier Aranda, Guillermo Fadanelli, Tedi López Mills, Elsa Cross, Beatriz Rojas, Pablo Meyer, Marina Meyer, Matías Meyer, Jerónimo López/ Dr. Lakra, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Damián Ortega, Rosa Velasco, Gabriel Kuri, Ximena Cuevas, Eduardo Hurtado, Yoshua Okón, José Luis Paredes Pacho, Monica Manzutto, José Kuri, Isadora Hastings García, Natalia Toledo, Federico Campbell FRANCE: Yves Bonnefoy, J. M. G. Le Clézio, Jean-Clarence Lambert, Gérard Titus-Carmel, Georgiana Colville, Pascale Montandon SWEDEN: Tomas Tranströmer, Kjell Espmark, Per Wästberg, Lasse Söderberg TurKEY: Orhan Pamuk UNITED STATES: Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Paul Auster, Peter Matthiessen, Rita Dove, Junot Díaz (& Dominican Republic), Siri Hustvedt, Nicole Krauss, Jonathan Safran Foer, Robert Darnton, Michael Scammell, Edward Hirsch, Pete Hamill, Tom Hayden, Jerome Rothenberg, Terry Tempest Williams, Francisco Goldman, Bill McKibben, Deirdre Bair, Francine Prose, Molly Moore, Eliot Weinberger, Robert Hass, Kwame Anthony Appiah, Ross Gelbspan, Robert Glenn Ketchum, Dr. Lincoln Brower, Betty Aridjis, Michael Palmer, Clayton Eshleman, Askold Melnyczuk, Amory Lovins, Charles Bernstein, Alan Weisman, Amy Evans McClure, Michael McClure, Anthony DePalma, Grace Schulman, Scott Slovic, Serge Dedina, Dick Russell, Eric Lax, Edmund Keeley, Mimi Gross, A. E. Stallings, James Metcalf (& Mexico), Ilan Stavans (& USA), Janet Brody Esser, Elizabeth Ferber CANADA: Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, John Ralston Saul, Linda Spalding, Graeme Gibson, Terence Gower, George McWhirter (& Northern Ireland) UNITED KINGDOM: Simon Schama, Jonathon Porritt, Ali Smith, Simon Winchester, Alan Riding, Anne Stevenson, Darian Leader, Lisa Appignanesi, Cornelia Parker, Rosie Boycott, Michael Schmidt, Mary Horlock, James Lasdun, Ruth Fainlight, Anthony Rudolf, Devorah Baum, Josh Appignanesi BELGIUM: Pierre Alechinsky, Ivan Alechine, Wim Delvoye NIGERIA: Chinua Achebe CHILE: Alejandro Jodorowsky, Ariel Dorfman, José María Memet RUMANIA: Norman Manea (& USA) SPAIN: Carlos Garcia Gual, Frederic Amat CUBA: Zoé Valdés (& France) INDIA: Kiran Desai, Meena Alexander SOUTH AFRICA: Breyten Breytenbach COLOMBIA: Fernando Rendón, Cecilia Balcazar, Angela García NORWAY: Eugene Schoulgin THE NETHERLANDS: Laurens van Krevelen CYPRUS: Lily Michaelides, Niki Marangou, Christos Hadjipapas ITALY: Giuseppe Bellini, Sebastiano Grasso, Patrizia Spinato, Franca Tiberto NICARAGUA: Sergio Ramírez, Francisco de Asís Fernández PanamA: Gloria Guardia (& Nicaragua) Japan: Satoko Tamura MAURITIUS: Ananda Devi BRAZIL: Ledo Ivo URUGUAY: Carlos Fazio (& Mexico) GREECE: Vassilis Vassilikos, Anastassis Vistonitis, Ersi Sotiropoulos, Dino Siotis, Yorgos Rouvalis AUSTRIA: Peter Stephan Jungk (& USA) GERMANY: Helga von Kügelgen, Kropfinger, Fred Viebahn, Tobías Burghardt, Jona Burghardt Bangladesh: Hasna Jasimuddin Moudud ARGENTINA: Octavio Prenz SLOVENIA: Tomas Salamun, Gregor Podlogar
What Makes the Bible So Unique? 1. The Bible is Unique in its Amazing Consistency and Unity - Historical works - Legal documents - Personal correspondence .. by a variety of writers, from poor to wealthy, from many walks of life.1 And yet, the Bible is amazingly unique in its “unity” – the Old Testament prefigures the coming of the Messiah documented in the New Testament, and the books of the New Testament continually refer back to and fulfill the writings of the Old Testament. In fact, the Bible itself asserts that “All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Tim 3:16). 2. The Bible’s Reliability is Attested to by Thousands of Ancient Manuscripts Old Testament Ancient Manuscripts Although the Old Testament does not have quite the number of ancient manuscripts that the New Testament has, the number of documents available is still quite remarkable (given the time span of 2-3,000 years that these documents had to endure). Collection Number of Manuscripts Benjamin Kennicott (1776-1780), published by Oxford Giovanni de Rossi (1784-1788) List of 731 Second Firkowitch Collection, Lenningrad 1,582 Biblical manuscripts and Masora on parchment, plus 1,200 Hebrew manuscripts in the British Museum 161 Hebrew Old Testament manuscripts Oxford University, the Bodleian Library 146 Old Testament manuscripts, with a large number of fragments Dead Sea Scrolls (300 B.C to 100 A.D.) A complete copy of Isaiah, plus plus thousands of fragments (representing every book except Ester – see below) New Testament Supporting Manuscripts One of the criteria for the authority of ancient documents is the extent of supporting ancient manuscripts – the more the better, and the closer to the time of the original documents as possible. In light of these tests, the New Testament is the best attested to work from the ancient world.5 - It has by far the greatest number of existing ancient manuscripts. Ancient classical works are attested to by very few ancient copies, usually less than 10. In contrast, the New Testament is attested to by over 5,000 full or partial Greek manuscripts. In addition, thousands of other copies in other languages exist, especially Latin.5 Ancient Greek Manuscripts Other Ancient Manuscripts - Unicals: 307 - Minuscules: 2,860 - Lectionaries: 2,410 - Papri: 109 - SUBTOTAL: 5,686 - Latin Vulgate: 10,000+ - Ethiopic: 2,000+ - Slavic: 4,101 - Armenian: 2,587 - Syriac Pashetta: 350+ - Bohairic: 100 - Arabic: 75 - Old Latin: 50 - Anglo Saxon: 7 - Gothic: 6 - Sogdian: 3 - Old Syriac: 2 - Frankish: 1 - SUBTOTAL: 19,284+ The total number of ancient manuscripts supporting the New Testament amounts to 24,970+. Far more than any other book of antiquity. And while it is true that “there are no known extent (currently existing) original manuscripts of the Bible, the abundance of manuscript copies make it possible to reconstruct the original with virtually complete accuracy.”5 According to Biblical scholar John Warwick Montgomery, “to be skeptical of the resultant text of the New Testament books is to allow all of classical antiquity to slip into obscurity, for no documents of the ancient period are as well attested bibliographically as the New Testament.“5 - The New Testament manuscripts exhibit a relatively small gap of time between the original writings and the earliest copies. While other classical works usually exhibit gaps of literally hundreds of years, the earliest New Testament manuscript copies date within 100-150 years of the originals. A few examples:The Bodmer Papyrus II (A.D. 150-200), purchased in the 1950s and 60s from a dealer in Egypt, is located in the Bodmer Library of World Literature. It contains most of John’s Gospel, and dates from about 200 A.D. or earlier. P 72, the earliest copy of Jude and the two epistles of Peter, are included, as well as P 75 -a single codex of Luke and John. Scholars date P 75 to between 175 and 225 A.D.The Chester Beatty Papyri, discovered in 1931, contains most ALL of the New Testament. And it is dated to within 100-150 years of the original documents.The Codex Sinaiticus, shown to Constantin von Tischendorf on his third visit to the Monastery of Saint Catherine, at the foot ofMount Sinai in Egypt, in 1859, contains a complete copy of the New Testament. It is dated roughly 250 years after the originals. - It was so often quoted by the early church fathers in the 1st and 2nd centuries, that the entire New Testament can virtually be reconstructed from their quotations alone! Early Church Writer Number of N.T. Quotes Justin Martyr 330 Irenaeus 1,819 Clement (Alex.) 2,406 Origen 17,992 Tertullian 7,258 Hippolytus 1,378 Eusebius 5,176 Grand Total Quotations: These quotations by the early church fathers give strong support for the New Testament canon of 27 books, to the exclusion of others documents. Its amazing how God ensured that His Word would survive for generations to come: – even if all of the early manuscripts were not available, we would still be able to reconstruct the entire New Testament from these very quotations – nearly intact and complete! 5 A Look at the Bible’s Composition & Origins The Books of the Old Testament Note: Mention is made in the right hand column of the number of manuscripts found among the “Dead Sea Scrolls”, which have thus far further established the reliability of the Old Testament (albeit many of which are still under study). \|Canonical Division\|\|Old Testament Book\|\|Number of Qumran Manuscripts\| \|Former Prophets\|\|1-2 Samuel\|\|4\| \|Twelve (Minor Prophets)\|\|10+1?\| \|The Five Scrolls\|\|Song of Songs\|\|4\| According to scholars, the Old Testament has shown to be reliably accurate in three ways4: - Because of the manner of textual transmission (the accuracy of the copying process) down through history - Due to the confirmation of the Old Testament by hard archaeological evidence - By corroborating documentary evidence uncovered through archaeology Amazingly Accurate Textual Transmission While it is true that we do not have the original documents of the Old Testament, the accuracy of the Hebrew copyists is astonishing when comparing the scriptures to other literature of antiquity. For example, while you can find wide variations in the few copies of the “Egyptian Book of the Dead”, the discovery of the Great Isaiah Scroll among the Dead Sea Scrolls amazed the scholarly community: “Even though the two copies of Isaiah discovered in Qumran Cave 1 near the Dead Sea in 1947 were a thousand years earlier than than the oldest dated manuscript previous known (A.D. 980), they proved to be word for word identical with our standard Hebrew Bible in more than 95 percent of the text. The 5 percent variation consisted chiefly of obvious slips of the pen and variations in spelling. They do not affect the message of revelation in the slightest.”(Archer, SQT, 23-25).4 Supported by Archaeological Evidence Numerous discoveries have confirmed the historical accuracy of the New and Old Testament documents. Many books have been written on the subject, and there are some excellent web sites devoted to this – for example, visit the Biblical Archeological Society. Rather than refuting the biblical record, archaeology had consistently supported the biblical record. Here are just a few examples: - The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah – once thought to be spurious until evidence revealed that all five of the cities mentioned in the Bible were in fact centers of commerce in the area and were situated as the Scriptures describe. Evidence points to earthquake activity, and that the various layers of the earth were disrupted and hurled into the air. Bitumen is plentiful in the area, and an accurate description would be that “brimstone” (bituminous pitch) had fallen down on those cities that had rejected God. There is also evidence that layers of sedimentary layer rock have been molded together by intense heat. (Geisler, BECA, 50-52).4 - Confirmation of “The House of David”. Avaraham Birum (Biram, BAR, 26) speaks of a recent discovery: “A remarkable inscription from the ninth century BCE that refers to both the [House of David], and to the [King of Israel]. This is the first time that the name of David has been found in any inscription outside the Bible.” - The Tower of Babel. There is now considerable scientific evidence that the world at one time did indeed have one language. Sumerian literature alludes to this fact several times, and today’s linguists find this theory useful in categorizing languages. But what of the “Tower of Babel”? Archaeology has discovered that Ur-Nammu, king of Ur from about 2,044 to 2,007 B.C., supposedly received orders to build a great ziggurat (temple tower) as an act of worship to the moon god Nannat. Once panel discovered shows him setting out with a mortar basket to begin construction of the great tower. Another states that the erection of the tower offended the gods, so they threw down what men had built, scattered them abroad, and made their speech strange. This is remarkably similar to the record in the Bible. Of course there are many other examples of archaeological evidence that could be listed. But this should not surprise us, if indeed the Bible is what it claims to be – the Word of God. We should expect that archaeology would be consistent with and confirm His Word. Corroborated by Other Documentary Evidence Finally, there is much corroborating documentation to support the Old Testament. - Various Old Testament translations The Septuagint, or LXX – a textual tradition from the third century B.C. Samaritan Pentateuchal tradition – dating from perhaps the fifth century B.C. The Masoretic text - Aramaic Targums (written forms appear about A.D. 500) – paraphrases of the Old Testament in the Aramaic language - The Mishnah (A.D. 200) – a digest of all the oral laws from the time of Moses. - The Gemara (Palestinian A.D. 200) – written in Aramaic, an expanded commentary on the Mishnah - The Midrash (100 B.C – A.D. 300) – doctrinal studies of the Old Testament Hebrew text. The Books of the New Testament Epistles of Paul Evidence that New Testament Writers were Primary Sources The writers of the New Testament documents wrote as eyewitnesses or from firsthand information. For example: Luke 1:1-3: “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them unto us, it seemed good to me also, having had a perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus.” 2 Peter 1:16: “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” 1 John 1:3: “That which we have seen and heard we declare unto you …” John 19:35: “And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.” The earliest preachers of the gospel knew the value of first hand testimony, and they appealed to it time and again in their writings. Evidence for Early Dating of the New Testament Most scholars agree that the New Testament documents were NOT written a century or more after the events, but during the lifetimes of those involved in the accounts themselves.6 This means that while the gospels, the letters of Paul, and the other epistles were circulating among the churches during the first century (A.D. 33 – A.D. 90, many of those who had seen the risen Christ were still alive and could corroborate the truthfulness or falsity of documents. The NT writers confidently appeal to the knowledge of the readers concerning the facts they had recorded: “As you yourselves know…” (Acts 2:22). According to New Testament scholars cited by Josh McDowell in his book “New Evidence that Demands a Verdict“, there is strong evidence that the four gospels and Paul’s letter were all written during the lifetimes of those who would have witnessed the events of Jesus’ life: N.T. Books Conservative Dating Source Paul’s Epistles A.D. 50-66 Hiebert Matthew A.D. 70-80 Harrison Mark A.D. 50-60 Luke Early 60’s Harrison John A.D. 80-100 Harrison According to William Foxwell Albright, one of the world’s foremost biblical archaeologists, “We can already say emphatically that there is no longer any solid basis for dating any book of the New Testament after about A.D. 80, two full generations before the date between 130 and 150 given by the more radical New Testament critics of today.”4 Corroborating Evidence for Those Who Wrote the New Testament The Bible declares that all Scripture is inspired by God, and men chosen by God were moved by His Spirit as they wrote His Word. The question remains however as to the human authorship of the various books. Here is early first and second century corroborating evidence for the authorship of the various New Testament books: The Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Eusebius, in his “Ecclesiastical History” 111.39, quotes the writing of Papias (A.D. 130), bishop of Heirapolis, in which Papias quotes “the Elder” (who most believe to be the Apostle John) as saying the following about how the Gospel of Mark was written: “The Elder used to say this also: ‘Mark, having been the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately all that he (Peter) mentioned, whether sayings or doings of Christ, not, however, in order. For he was neither a hearer nor a companion of the Lord; but afterwards, as I said, he accompanied Peter, who adapted his teachings as necessity required, not as though he were making a compilation of the sayings of the Lord. So then Mark made no mistake writing down in this way some things as he (Peter) mentioned them; for he paid attention to this one thing, not to omit anything that he had heard, not to include any false statement among them.” Regarding Matthew’s Gospel, Papias records: “Matthew recorded the oracles in the Hebrew (ie., Aramaic) tongue.” Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons (A.D. 180), was a student of Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna (martyred in A.D 156). Irenaeus, a disciple of John the Apostle, has been a Christian for 86 years when he wrote about the authority of the four gospels: “the gospel is the pillar and base of the Church and the breath of life, so it is natural that it should have four pillars..” He further recounted how the other Gospels came about: “Matthew published his Gospel among the Hebrews (ie., Jews) in their own tongue, when Peter and Paul were preaching the gospel in Rome and founding the church there. After their departure, (ie., their death), Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, himself handed down to us in writing the substance of Peter’s preaching. Luke, the follower of Paul, set down in a book the gospel preached by his teacher. Then John, the disciple of the Lord, who also leaned on His breast (a reference to John 13:25 and 21:20), himself produced his Gospel, while he was living at Ephesus in Asia.” The History: Acts According to the Muratorian Cannon fragment, A.D. 190, “…the Acts of all the Apostles are comprised by Lukein one book, and addressed to the most excellent Theophilus, because these different events took place when he was present himself; and he shows this clearly-i.e., that the principle on which he wrote was, to give only what fell under his own notice-by the omission33 of the passion of Peter, and also of the journey of Paul, when he went from the city-Rome-to Spain.” The Epistles of Paul According to the Muratorian Cannon (A.D. 190): “As to the epistles34 of Paul, again, to those who will understand the matter, they indicate of themselves what they are, and from what place or with what object they were directed. He wrote first of all, and at considerable length, to he Corinthians, to check the schism of heresy; and then to the Galatians, to forbid circumcision; and then to the Romans on the rule of the Old Testament Scriptures, and also to show them that Christ is the first object35 in these;-which it is needful for us to discuss severally,36 as the blessed Apostle Paul, following the rule of his predecessor John, writes to no more than seven churches by name, in this order: the first to the Corinthians, the second to the Ephesians, the third to the Philippians, the fourth to the Colossians, the fifth to the Galatians, the sixth to the Thessalonians, the seventh to the Romans. Moreover, though he writes twice to the Corinthians and Thessalonians for their correction, it is yet shown-i.e., by this sevenfold writing-that there is one Church spread abroad through the whole world. And John too, indeed, in the Apocalypse, although he writes only to seven churches, yet addresses all. He wrote, besides these, one to Philemon, and one to Titus, and two to Timothy, in simple personal affection and love indeed; but yet these are hallowed in the esteem of the Catholic Church, and in the regulation of ecclesiastical discipline.”The Muratorian Cannon fragment, A.D. 190 Evidence of forged documents circulating as though written by Paul (but rejected because of this): “There are also in circulation one to the Laodiceans, and another to the Alexandrians, forged under the name of Paul, and addressed against the heresy of Marcion; and there are also several others which cannot be received into the Catholic Church, for it is not suitable for gall to be mingled with honey.” The Muratorian Cannon fragment, A.D. 190 The General Epistles: of James, Peter, John, and Jude “The Epistle of Jude, indeed,37 and two belonging to the above-named John-or bearing the name of John-are reckoned among the Catholic epistles.” The Muratorian Cannon fragment, A.D. 190 The Muratorian Cannon fragment, A.D. 190: “We receive also the Apocalypse of John and that of Peter, though some amongst us will not have this latter read in the Church.” What Was the Criteria for Acceptance into the Canon? From the writings of biblical and church historians we can discern at least five principles that were used to determine whether or not a writing was to be included in “the canon”4. If the book met these criteria, it became part of the cannon. If not, it ended up being excluded. 1. Was the book written by a prophet of God? The notion was that if the book was written by an authentic prophet of God (Isaiah, Zechariah, et.), then it was “the Word of God.” 2. Was the writer confirmed by acts of God? Frequently miracles separated the true prophets from the false ones. For example, Moses was given miraculous powers to prove to the Egyptians that he was called by God. (Ex 4:1-9) Elijah triumphed over false prophets by a supernatural act (1 Kings 18). Jesus was attested to by God “with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him” (Acts 2:22). 3. Did the message tell the truth about God? God cannot contradict Himself (2 Cor 1:17-18), nor can He utter what is false (Heb 6:18). Hence no book with false claims can be the Word of God. For these reasons, the early church fathers maintained the policy “if in doubt, throw it out”. 4. Does it come with the power of God? The apostles, disciples, and early church fathers believed that the Word of God is “living and active” (Heb 4:12). As a result, it ought to have a transforming force for bringing people to the faith (1 Per 1:23), as well as building them up (2 Tim 3:17). Those that became part of the canon manifested these qualities; those that did not failed in this and other areas. 5. Was it accepted by the people of God? The people in the best position to know a book’s prophetic credentials were those who knew the prophet who wrote it. The four gospels were accepted early on because those living at the time knew the writers – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They also accepted Acts due to Luke’s authorship. Paul’s writings were accepted as He was known and well regarded as one of the Apostles, although the last to come to that state. The other epistles were accepted due to having been written by disciples (actually the Lord’s half brothers) – James, and Jude. Thus, when a book was received, collected, read, and used by the people of God as the Word of God, it was regarded as canonical. Development of the Canon and The New Testament In contrast to what “The Da Vinci Code” and other modern sources would have you believe, the list of books of the New Testament were settled and recognized as authoritative by the church long before the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. During the second century many “cults” started to spring up among the early Christian community, their leaders seeking to draw away many from the faithful. One of these groups, led by a man from Asia Minor named Montanus, claimed to have received revelations from God about the apocalypse. By this time, the fours gospels and the writings of Paul had received widespread acceptance among the church as being authoritative – the problem was they hadn’t been bound into a single book yet. Montanus took the opportunity to claim authority for his revelations, hoping to gain acceptance along with the four gospels and Paul’s writings. The church met this challenge in 190 A.D. by defining what was called the “Muratorian Canon“3, after its modern discover. This canon, dated to 190 A.D., is nearly identical to the New Testament we have today — the difference being that it included two books that were later excluded from the canon – 1) the Revelation of Peter, and 2) the Wisdom of Solomon. By the time of the Council of Nicea (in 325 A.D.), the New Testament canon was pretty much settled – the only debate was concerning a few books, chief of which were Hebrews and Revelation (due to questions of authorship). A.D. 367 – Athenasius of Alexandria Athenasius, one of the early church fathers, provided us with the earliest list of the SAME New Testament canon we have today in one of his letters to the local churches. Extracts from this 39th Festal Letter, written in AD 367, are below. This is very same list of books that we have today in our New Testament. “Continuing, I must without hesitation mention the scriptures of the New Testament; they are the following: the fourGospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, after them the Acts of the Apostles and the seven so-calledcatholic epistles of the apostles — namely, one of James, two of Peter, then three of John and after these one of Jude. In addition there are fourteen epistles of the apostle Paulwritten in the following order: the first to the Romans, thentwo to the Corinthians and then after these the one to the Galatians, following it the one to the Ephesians, thereafter the one to the Philippians and the one to the Colossiansand two to the Thessalonians and the epistle to theHebrews and then immediately two to Timothy , one to Titus and lastly the one to Philemon. Yet further the Revelation of John“. “These are the springs of salvation, in order that he who is thirsty may fully refresh himself with the words contained in them. In them alone is the doctrine of piety proclaimed. Let no one add anything to them or take anything away from them… “ How Did the Early Church View the “Other Books”? Athenasius, one of the most prolific of the early church fathers, makes a distinction between the “divine writings” of the New Testament and “other books” in circulation at the time. He divides these “other books” into two groups: - He indicates that a small collections should not be recognized as part of “the canon”, but areacceptable as “reading matter” for instruction. - Others – ie., “the apocrypha” – should not be made mention, since they are a “fabrication of the heretics” intended to deceive. Here is his characterization of the “other books” outside the canon: “But for the sake of greater accuracy I add, being constrained to write, that there are also other books besides these, which have not indeed been put in the canon, but have been appointed by the Fathers as reading-matter for those who have just come forward and which to be instructed in the doctrine of piety: the Wisdom of Solomon, the Wisdom of Sirach, Esther, Judith, Tobias, the so-called Teaching [Didache] of the Apostles, and the Shepherd. And although, beloved, the former are in the canon and the latter serve as reading matter, yet mention is nowhere made of the apocrypha; rather they are a fabrication of the heretics, who write them down when it pleases them and generously assign to them an early date of composition in order that they may be able to draw upon them as supposedly ancient writings and have in them occasion to deceive the guileless.” 2 The Reliability of the Bible: Count on it as God’s Word Yes, indeed, the Bible is reliable and trustworthy – more than any other book in all of history! It is literally God’s “love letter” to His people, kept intact and maintained carefully through His providence over thousands of years of human history. Although many have tried to contaminate it, corrupt it, and otherwise do away with it, it has remained – intact, unscathed, and unrivaled. It IS truly God’s Word, unique among all the so-called scriptures of the ages. So back to our initial point – if the Bible truly IS the written word of God – and these other books are just that – other books – then listen to what the Lord is telling you in His love letter! Pick up a copy of the Bible, and start with the book of John. Read about how God “so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever would believe in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). Though the world would have you believe that there are many books, and many ways to God, Jesus Christ made claims – and performed acts – that no other “holy man” of history can come close to matching. He said “I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE.” If this Bible is what it claims to be – a testimony to God’s plan of salvation for human kind, and Jesus is that “Word made flesh” (as John 1 describes), then don’t delay – give Jesus a chance in your life! Don’t put it off. Allow Jesus to come into your life and make you “a new creation”! You have nothing to loose everything to gain. Here is a link to Billy Graham’s web site that can show you how you can invite Jesus into your life and be the person He has always intended you to be. You won’t regret it – you’ll have abundant life in this world, and an eternity of joy in the hereafter! Take Me to Steps to Peace With God ==> http://www.billygraham.org/SH_StepsToPeace.asp Links to Source Material Blue Letter Bible – New King James Version:http://www.blueletterbible.org/ 1. “Why the Bible is the Word of God”, by Rabbi Glen Harris. http://www.gospeloutreach.net/bible.html 2. Origin of the New Testament Canon:http://www.ntcanon.org/Athanasius.shtml 3. “Early Christian Writings” – The Muratorian Canon –http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/muratorian.html 4. “New Evidence That Demands a Verdict”, Josh Mcdowell. 5. “Why I Am a Christian”, edited by Norman L/ Geisler and Paul K. Hoffman. Baker Books, 2001. 6. “History of Christianity”, J.W. Montgomery. P 34-35. Council of Nicea:
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